I have changed my fursona to a Fox. Yeah, I know I bust on foxes all the time. Maybe it was just me putting up resistance. Anyway, I decided to release my inner fox. I have been planning this for a while and have a new  beastcub fox fursuit that I will be making a debut of at FWA. His name? Dingle Fox. See you all there.

P.S. If you want any pictures of Cutter Cat... get them soon because I will be taking them all down soon.

Draconis and I have been slaving away in the print shop the past several weeks trying to get finished with stuff in time to go to FWA. I still have about Twelve hundred booklets to finish, plus some misc. stuff. I hope to be leaving sometime tomorrow... either for FWA or the pearly gates trying. We have lots of flyers and things to hand out. Look for me wandering around wearing my Sabertooth hat or my fursuit, Cutter Cat.

Yeah, I'm a swamp kitty of late. I have a problem with too much work all at once. I had to go to Texas Furry Fiesta and worked like almost 48 straight hours before we left to go to get out a cornucopia of hard deadline printed stuff. When I got back, we finalized contracts for FangCon in Birmingham, Alabama. Yes... we HAD to move the con due to a constant struggle to fit in with the stupid football schedule, among other things. Anyway, we have a good facility down there and I hope to see many of my friends (you) there. Hopefully we won't set any vehicles on fire this time. 0.0 Anyway, I have a crap ton of printed goodies, both Furry and mundane to get out the door the next week or so. This has been the busiest time of year for me the past couple of years. Anyway, I won't have much activity here for a couple of weeks unless I get a chance to do some art stuff for FangCon or ArkConsas. Love all my Furry friends. Don't worry... I'll be back. I don't know if that's good for you all or not. At any rate, I don't have to pay for YOUR therapy for any damage I do. lol. (Hugs)

I'm stealing this from  gamma.wolf I chose the awesome Beatles. Who doesn't know the Beatles, right? Yes... the answers I give are all real songs. lol

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Repost as "my life according to (band name)"

• Pick your Artist:
Beatles

• Are you a male or female?
I Wanna Be Your Man

• Describe yourself:
I Am the Walrus

• How do you feel:
I Feel Fine

• Describe where you currently live:
Penny Lane

• If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Back in the U.S.S.R.

• Your favorite form of transportation:
Drive My Car

• What did you get on your last Birthday?
Every Little Thing

• Your best friend is:
Rocky Raccoon

• You and your best friends are:
Here There and Everywhere

• What's the weather like:
Good Day Sunshine

• Favorite moment:
Your Mother Should Know

The following includes my observations and opinions and is not an attempt at disparaging the reputation of the staff of FA. I'm also turning off comments as this is not a debate, but a statement.

Well, I have the answers from staff concerning my questions about works that fall under the definition of "Fair Use" and also about if there is a venue for approval before submission to avoid having works pulled.

Apparently, they (FA) ALWAYS require permission for ALL works not completely original. I also found that FA has no policy for requesting to have your work "reviewed" for approval. I was told that I could load it on another site and send a site request trouble ticket in and have it reviewed like that, but it was more of a search for a solution rather than a definitive statement.

First, let me respond to the the permission requirements issue. This means that there is no "fair use" allowance for any works. "Fair use", although completely legal, is not accepted on FA: Parody works, things in the public domain, items shown for critique or review, items shown for educational purposes, items produced by any world government agencies (not considered classified secret), works that are used to show or state fact, and any other things that allow a user to use any copyrighted or non copyrighted material without permission. I suppose I could say that I have the permission granted by U.S. copyright law, but somehow I don't think that they would accept that. What this also means is that things like fan art, derivative works, etc are subject to being pulled at any time, too, because of the permission issue. All it takes is one disgruntled person to file a trouble ticket.

I know for a fact that there are more illegal things on FA than you can shake a stick at, but who really cares? Besides, I'm not here to stir up S**t.

I did find the lack of pre-review for submissions troubling, as the rules on FA are not always evenly enforced, to put it kindly. I would find it reassuring to have a venue to have submissions approved to avoid the possibility of having them taken down later.

I shall attempt to take this matter to Dragoneer or even IMVU if I have to; at least the part about "Fair Use", anyway. I just can't understand how "fair use" work, which is protected specifically by rhe law, is not allowed.

This post is for a civilized, open debate on an important issue. It is not intended to rabble rouse, inflame, defame, or gripe. I do not give permission to have this post paraphrased. If used, Use it in its entirety. I don't want ANYTHING stated herein taken out of context.

Draconis (aka Jester Jaguar) and I had a piece of art taken down earlier today from my gallery. After careful scrutiny, it appears that FA has no provision for Parody art in their Acceptable Uploads policy. We again want to make it CLEAR that we are not bitching out or complaining that they have taken down the art, namely Furballs: Ludicrous Speed! (a poster created for Fangcon) because it had a Zootopia character image on it that we did not draw (nor claimed to have drawn). This post is only to open a dialogue concerning the parody issue.

I do have a trouble ticket addressing the fact that there is not a policy for Parody art (since it was taken out of my gallery). There is a LOT of parody art on FA. This concerns not only drawn parody art, but parody writings and songs. This is a big hole in their policy that needs to be corrected in our opinion.

Technically, the admins of FA did what is right "AS THE POLICY IS WRITTEN" (Not shouting, just highlighting), because parody art is not referenced at all in the policies. The policy only covers things like copying, tracing, stealing, plagiarizing, etc. Parody (a first amendment right of free speech) is immune to many of the rules that are laid out in the FA policies. (Provision 2.6 was stated with a reference to section 2.5 for clarification as to why the art was taken down). We would like to see the rules specifically address parody uploads.

Here is a cut and paste that I sent in with my trouble ticket. It was written by a media lawyer.

---

Asked and Answered: Parody/Satire and copyright infringement.
by Gordon Firemark • January 17, 2011 • 1 Comment

Q: When does a parody of someone else’s material infringe on their copyright?

For instance, having a character use the Vulcan mind-meld in your story. Changing some content within a Dr. Seuss story to create new characters but keeping the same meter, structure and rhyme. Changing a word in a famous slogan to reinvent it. Using your own artwork that mimics their artwork but altering the content.

A: The answer to this question is both simple and very complicated. Simply put, if a new work copies the work of another, it infringes the copyright in that work… BUT, in the U.S., under the First Amendment protection of free speech, the fact that it’s a parody immunizes the creator from liability.

The more complicated answer depends on the distinction between parody and satire. According to our good friend Wikipedia, A parody is a work created to mock, comment on, or make fun at an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation. Parody is protected as a form of “Fair Use”, a defense to claims of copyright infringement. Cases dealing with this issue, however, look to how much of the original work is taken, holding that only that minimum amount necessary to “conjure up” the original work may be taken. Courts have also held that the parody work must actually make fun of the original work or its author.

---

Again, just to make certain, we are not making disparaging remarks about the admins. This is also not an open season on our art as a whole, but a serious discussion on a topic that could affect many artists.

What are your thoughts about including a Parody works clause in the Approved Submissions Policy?

Draconis just showed this to me. OMG. LOL

Watch carefully. It goes fast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6sSa5NpqUI

Yup! That's me! I'm sending out the obligatory mass Season's Greetings.

Seriously though, I want to wish a MERRY CHRISTMAS! to all my Furry friends and watchers out there from the bottom of my Furry Sabertooth heart!

*HUGS*

I'm headed to Little Rock for this evening and tomorrow. If you need me or want to meet up in Little Rock, call me or get in touch with Draconis as he is going, too. Big Hurry. No time to write.

The past few weeks have been completely nuts for myself and the shop. We had an avalanche of work going and had the big computer crash that I posted about last month. I managed to work through that and got some really, really cool stuff made for Fangcon. We were taking the Allegro motor home and my car and trailer. The motor home was being driven by Draconis, who had gone on ahead while I was packing the trailer with the remaining con stuff. I get a call and I find out the motor home had an engine fire and had half burnt. Everything that wasn't burned or melted was smoke and water damaged. Luckily, a lot of stuff was in bins in the back and were relatively unharmed. We lost a lot of stuff though. The RV was a total loss. We lost registration computers and monitors along with most of the con theme stuff we had made that Draconis had worked so hard on. The audio/video equipment was mostly with me though, so it was safe. Anyway, at the con, we had lots of volunteers who helped wipe down all the con stuff. Even so, there was a smokey smell that pervaded the con for the entire weekend. It wasn't too bad though. We all pulled together and with some spit and polish and last minute elbow grease, the con went on without a hitch.

I was so proud of all the attendees for making our first year at the new hotel so stress free. Other than a couple of noise complaints and a fursuiter getting a bit dehydrated, the con went super smooth. The raves with DJ Dadius was off the hook with the room reaching maximum capacity and having a waiting line. Charlie and the other DJs were super great, too, with the dances full all weekend. Next year, we are getting more room for the dances, just so you know. The Dance competition was very well attended, too. KJ did a great job there. Attendance went way up to 427 and I think the number of fursuiters in the parade was about 132 to 137. I don't remember exactly, only that I remember it being a bit over 30%. The fursuit walk on Market square on Thursday was very well supported and we had several lanes of furries bowling on Monday evening. This year was pivotal for Fangcon as everyone had such a good time and was so supportive in the face of the fire adversity. Hugs to all!!! Oh yeah... I almost forgot. I got my face shaved again at closing ceremonies. I had let my beard grow for several months, so I was quite the shaggy Sabertooth. I think just the shaving itself raised $450 for Tiger Haven, our charity. I have to get with Kevin for the final charity numbers as I don't recall them at the moment.

We made it back to Memphis after Fangcon and only touched base for about a day and a half before we left for Central Plains Fur Con in Wichita, Kansas. My print shop did vending there, but a lot of my stuff had burned up in the fire, so I didn't have a full compliment of items to sell. Pan Pan, Nash the Red Panda, and Ozark Foxx accompanied myself and Draconis. If you live anywhere near Wichita, you need to go to this con next year. The hotel facilities are really great. The rooms are a little pricey, but you get a FULL breakfast (a good buffet) and dinner, too. You also get a card for each room member for three alcohol drinks each evening (age permitting). Jim Dale Fox and Merkindesr put on a really good con. It deserves a much higher attendance than what was there. I am going back next year.

Anyway, I'm back in the Sabertooth den (print shop) now, and have several hundred books to get out in the next couple of days. I just wanted to let everyone know I was alive and to thank everyone for their help at Fangcon. I haven't mentioned everyone who helped, but they know who they are and I love all my staff. I am going to catch some sleep now. Later everyone.

I'm on my secondary computer at the shop. The main computer has a HD error on it that I think is caused by the mother board. My computer guru is coming in the morning hopefully. I have a s**t ton of data on it that would be devestating if lost. Hopefully it can be recovered.

I also have a lot of jobs pending that I have to get out plus Fangcon stuff I was working on. A lot of that data is on my other computer, but some of it is on flash and already in the digital press or on this secondary computer. I have to get out about 850 coil bound booklets in the next few days and one of them is 408 pages long. *sighs* No rest for the wicke....er weary. lol

I would have posted this earlier, but I just got back from Knoxville, where we had a staff/convention hotel meeting for Fangcon. We were making the final preparations with the hotel for room set-ups, water stations, electrical, etc. You know, all the boring stuff you all take for granted when you go to cons.

Today is the final day for Pre-Reg. The hotel room nights are way up over last year, and the room block may be completely filled by now. You will have to call and check. A few days ago, there were only three rooms left. Anyway, if you don't reg early, you will miss out of some cool swag. We have some cool stuff that's going on, and some really cool news announcements for next year, too.

I look forward to seeing all my furry friends there. *hugs*

I want your jokes and stories to help me fill up the joke book I'm working on. If you can tickle my Furry Funny bone, I will include your joke in the book and give you credit (as long as it's original stuff). No, you won't get a free book for your joke. I will see about doing something for the contributors though. If you heard your joke from someone else, please try to track it back to its origins so that the proper person gets credit. I have over a hundred side splitting, jaw dropping, fox bashing (and other species, too) jokes already in the can. I want to get over twice that amount if possible.  wolfaya is doing the art for the book and has several funny drawings done.

It's hard work being funny, and I need your help. When you send me a joke, put it in a NOTE to me. With as many jokes as I have come up with, don't be disappointed if your joke doesn't make it in as it may have already been thought of or a variation may have already been done. Just sayin'. Sexual innuendo and double entendre is ok. Stereotyping species is all right. I even have Sabertooth jokes, so NOTHING is sacred.

I will also be including some Furry Funny stories, so you may submit those, too. They may be real or made up stories.

Examples of range of jokes:

Mild - How do you tell the difference between a Sabertooth and a Mailbox. A: If you still have your arm after you put your mail in, It was a mail box.

Mid range - What's the fastest animal in the Fandom? A: A fox on its way to a furpile!

Naughty - Did you hear about the Fursuiter who had condoms stuck all over his fursuit during the fursuit parade? When asked what was the deal with the condoms, he replied, "Fox repellent."

Only a few days left for pre reg for Fangcon. Our hotel room nights are way up this year, so I know there's a bunch more coming that haven't registered yet. If you don't pre register, you may lose out on the swag fest because we are making the final preparations now! The room block is all but filled after we had it extended several times, so get your hotel room! The weather has started to turn, so Knoxville should be nice and cool for the Con. See you all there!

Yup. I just heard that Oklacon is now dissolved. It goes back to bad behavior by some attendees and the Oklahoma State Parks department not wanting to deal with it. In short, they lost all chance for a venue at any state park in Oklahoma. I know that they were the same weekend as Fangcon, and as everyone who knows me knows, I am not here to celebrate. The same weekend thing was just something temporary that happened this year as a result of the University of Tennessee football schedule. It pains me deeply when ANY convention goes away, which has happened with alarming regularity lately. This one in particular hurts a lot. It was the second con I ever attended. It was a good event. I participated and helped them in the past. I am all about the Fandom. Anything that helps the Fandom I celebrate, anything that hurts the Fandom hurts me personally. Fangcon will welcome any who wish to attend in the void left by Oklacon. I wish them well, and hopefully they will find a new venue for next year. If not, the only other camping con in the area is Wild Nights. It is another good camping venue to consider in the Spring.

I stole this from  psycosloth but it is going around

Basics
Name: Keefur out of fursuit and Cutter Cat in fursuit
Nickname: Kee, Cutter, Wilford Brimley, Tar Cat, and Grandpa
Location: Memphis,Tennessee
Age: 60 in RL... my fursona is 10,004.
Height: 6' 3/4"
Zodiac sign: Aries
Pets: A Keeshond dog named Beau
Favorite thing about yourself: I always try to be Friendly
Worst habit: biting my nails
Fun fact: I am an antiques appraiser for fun.

Identity, Sexuality & Personality
Gender identity: Guy
Sexual preference: Straight
Romantic preference: My Lady
"Kinsey Scale" score: Never scored myself.
Relationship status: Married since 1981
Myers/Briggs type: Wha?!!
Hogwarts house: Probably Ravenclaw because of my propensity for witty (bad) jokes. Otherwise Hufflepuff for my loyalty and fair play.


Routine
"Early Bird" or "Night Owl": night owl
First thought in the morning: I'm up... I want to go back to sleep.
Last thought before falling asleep at night: I shouldn't be up so late.


School/Work
Do you work or are you a student: I work my stubby tail off.
What do you do well: Photoshop
Where do you see yourself in 5 years: hopefully not in a Hole in the ground.


Habits (Do you…?)
Drink: Rarely and only socially
Smoke: No way.
Do Drugs: Not even prescription if I don't have to.
Have a go-to comfort food: na
Have a nervous habit: I Pace when I talk on the phone.


What is your favorite…?
Physical quality (in yourself): my Strength
In Others: I try not to categorize others.
Mental/emotional quality (in yourself): I try to keep an open mind.
Food: Lasagna, Steak, Crab legs
Drink: Mt Dew
Animal: Keeshond Dogs, big Cats
Colors: Deep, Dark Blue
Artist/Band/Group: Oldies Rock and Roll - Beatles
TV Show: currently running? Rick and Morty
Video game: Don't game much any more.
I added some stuff.
Favorite Web comic: Erfworld
Fruit: Peach
Form of relaxation: Antique hunting
Place: Charleston, SC

I just posted the art mock-up for the cover (working title) of the upcoming Furry Joke Book that I am writing/putting together. I have my artist,  wolfaya that I have worked with for several years and has now become more active in the Fandom since her child has gotten a little older and is a little easier to manage. She is a really good artist, and you should check her out.

I have a large number of jokes already in the can for this project. We are picking out the ones for art and such.  jugularjaguar (Draconis) is helping with this and keeps telling me how bad my jokes are (good sign, coming from him). lol Since I am a printer, we won't have a problem in that area. Once I get a little more done with the project, I want to do a Kickstarter to help fund my artist. That won't be for a bit though, but you can be sure the perks will be pretty amazing.

I will make a separate post later about this part, but I am making a call out for Furry jokes. I am wondering how many of my jokes are going to come back to me with this call out. You can submit jokes and you will be given credit for original material. If you heard it from someone else, it isn't original stuff. If you can track down the origin, that will be helpful. I have to credit submissions. Remember, even though you may come up with something, it doesn't mean it hasn't already been thought of. I'm not stealing material here, just know that I have a large volume of material already and I am trying to credit the proper folks. Submitting a joke doesn't necessarily mean it will be included, either. I have a very high (or low, depending on how you look at it) standard for jokes. Yes, I will be putting naughty Furry jokes in there, too. Innuendo is generally more fun than just rude material.

If you submit material, please type up your joke and make a statement that this is your original material. Also put in how you want to be credited (eg. Bob Cat on FA). You will not be compensated, but WILL be credited in the book if it is used. Send submissions to mike[at]pawpadprinting.com and include JOKE in the title.

You can't go to  fangcon without any badges, right?  roxannia is taking orders for them now. Here's a link to the journal. http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6824524/

I hope to see you all there this fall!

 mwalimu has created a really cool time/distance chart that lists probably every con out there. Here's the link to the journal post. http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/...../#cid:46310611

Drop me a line and tell me how far you are from  fangcon

I will be gone to FurryCon as a GoH. I hope to see many of my friends there. If you have the opportunity to go, please do. This con is totally awesome in the theme and swag department. If you don't go, you will totally regret it later! I will also have some cool new vinyls there that I've printed. Well, last minute stuff before I leave in a few hours. *hugs to all* I probably won't be posting for about a week as Rochester is quite a ways from Memphis and I don't have a laptop to take with me. Don't destroy FA while I'm gone.

Thanks for all the Birthday Wishes I have been getting from everyone! I just returned from FWA last night and got to see many old and new friends. I would call that a pretty awesome birthday gift. *hugs to all*

I get to go back to work today and have a pretty heavy work load in front of me. No rest for the Sabertooth I guess. For those wondering... I'm now 60 years young. <3

I had a birthday... but not until the 14th. I'll click over another decade. Yup... 60. I don't want to read ANY more posts whining about "how old YOU feel" unless you're older than me! :-P

I'm headed to FWA in a few hours and may not make it back before then, so I thought I would warn you all.
If you are at FWA, please try to find me. Just shout out KEEFUR! or CUTTER CAT! or CUTTER! or FREE FOOD! hehe I love seeing my FA friends. Look in my gallery to see what my ugly mug/fursuit look like. Later. =^.^= *hugs*

I have been quite ill since Texas Furry Fiesta, though what I had caught didn't come from the con ironically. That and the fact that Draconis had suffered a heart attack in November just after  fangcon has kept me way behind on projects. I am catching up on some furry things that I owe some fine furs who have been very patient with me, so thanks for that. All stuff like Tees and lenticular badges will be done. Once I get back from FWA, I will be totally catching up and will be printing several furry cons in the near future.

There are some projects that I am working on in my spare (what a laugh) time. I am finally doing the furry joke book that everyone wants me to do. I am working on some game design, too. I am also in the process of putting a silk screen machine in the shop, so look for some furry stuff coming from that. I will be making more promotional posters for different cons soon, so watch my gallery for that. I am getting someone to make a sales page for Furry stuff that we will be producing for the Fandom. That will be not too far into the future, so I'm excited about that.

Cons I'll be attending? After FWA will be  wildnights in Oklahoma,  calamity_cougar and I are GoHs at  furry-con in Rochester, New York as house leaders of Lyonstare (best themed con EVER!). I will be at MFM in Southaven, Mississippi, my local fur con (close to Memphis), I will be at  f3con as I now am on staff there, I will be at  fangcon, of course. There will maybe be some others as time and money permit.

Stolen from my friend AJ Shepherd.

Yeah, I know it comes as a shock to many of you all that I am a graymuzzle. My fursona is now 10004 years old give or take a thousand years. My RL birthday is in a week and I'll be hitting a milestone year of 60 years old. It's what you do that keeps you young, and the fandom does this for me. I don't know what I would do without it. Furries rock the world. That being said... here is the meme!

1. How many jobs have you had, and which was your favorite?
About eight. My current job is my favorite. I run my own print shop.

2. When did you first connect to other people via computers?
i would have to guess that would be around 96. My first computer was a TRS-80 that was used in the office, but that wouldn't go online. Hey! At least it had TWO floppie drives to go with that MASSIVE 64K memory. Just some perspective here.

3. We're/are you on AOL? Compuserve? LJ? Dreamwidth?
It was dial up... probably AOL.

4. If you went to college, does your major match your career/current job?
I have some college, and it does somewhat. I left college to help in the family construction business.

5. Have you had a mammogram? Colonoscopy?
No, though I probably should have my colon checked. NO! I don't need any volunteers!

6. When did you get your first cell phone? What was it like? (Did it have a screen? Could you text? Was it a brick or flip?)
It was a Nokia candy bar about 94. It would get signal almost everywhere!

7. When did your family first acquire a color TV?
That would be in 1961.

8. When did your family acquire a second TV?
we didn't have a second tv till around 1966.

9. Did you ever own "designer jeans"?
Yeah, when I was in High School. What a waste of money.

10. Have you ever been to a disco?
Yes. I still have my stack shoes and polyester suit. Yes, I DID know how to "do the Hustle"!

11. How many places (towns, states, countries) have you lived in?
Five. Six if you count an extended stay in Belize with my brother.

12. Have any of you contemporary friends died? (I.e., people more or less you age.)
Yes. Thanks so much for reminding me.

13. Are you parents still living?
Unbelievably, yes. They both are.

14. Do you have any gray hairs?
Wow. Have you seen my mustache? My mustache is Sooooo whiiiite. *how white is it?* It's almost as white as a Fox's mouth! lol

5. Did you or your family own a Betamax?
I went through the whole betamax vhs thing with a close friend. MY VHS won. yay I had a VHS when they first came out. Holy crap were they expensive.

16. How did you spend New Year's Eve 1999/2000?
At home with my wife. 'nuff said.

17. What's the oldest article of clothing you still wear?
I have a Nato long coat that I have had since about 1971. The coat is from the mid 60's.

18. Name one or two historic events you've seen. (directly or on media)
I watched John F. Kennedy get shot live on TV (I was home sick from school). I watched the Moon landing live on TV, too. I was living in Memphis when Martin Luther King was shot and saw all that first hand.

19. Do you eat your vegetables?
Even though I am a feline carnivore... in RL, I love veggies.

20. Are the privileges of adulthood worth the responsibilities?
The older I get, the less it seems so. lol

21. Do you feel like an adult?
Yes, but being Furry takes the edge off.

22.What are the cartoon you grew up with?
I watched Rocky and Bullwinkle first runs about 1959 or 60, and Johnny Quest first edition was pretty cool when it came out. Spider Man first edition, was one of my faves.

23. Is youth wasted on the young?
No, though I wouldn't mind another taste of it. =^.^=

...but not in a good way. Heavy freezing rain, snow and high winds are predicted for Memphis starting at 3PM CST and lasting until tomorrow morning. Power outages are likely. This really sucks because I have been very sick since TFF, and am trying to catch up. That and the fact that I have recently had to do almost 3000 funeral booklets (funeral booklets always get priority), it has thrown me behind on other projects. I will keep working today until the power goes and probably be stuck at work for at least two or three days. If I owe you shirts or anything, please be patient. This is not your typical Memphis weather. *sighs*