Firstly - always, always check the background of the prospective artist, and if you can, take a glimpse at Artists Beware.

Secondly - always pay for goods and services. It might seem altruistic to pay the Paypal fee yourself (especially if the artist says they are in dire straits) but if you don't pick goods and services, you greatly limit your options for recovering your money.

Thirdly - if the artist request it be paid to "Friend or gift" (or whatever the option is), consider that a big red flag that something is up. Goods and services is perfectly acceptable, and also gives you more options to recover your money.

Fourthly - You have a 30 - 45 day window in which you can get a guaranteed refund via Paypal - if something seems fishy or off, don't stall on it and contact the artist to discuss it the moment you become aware.

Source? I won't name names (at least not publicly), but I'm out $70 which I can not recover due to a combination of all of the above.

(also, if you do go for a chargeback, for god's sake don't tell Paypal it's because your furry porn didn't get done on time / was traced. I think that'll get you banned.)

As seen here; http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4856941/

He's taking 100 slots - for free. Probably going to be busy for the rest of the year if he pulls it off. :]

So, for once, my flight has actually gone very, very smoothly. So smoothly I have wifi on the plane (for free) and I'll be home on time with my baggage already waiting for me. If anyone remembers how my last flight home from the previous AC went, this is an exponential improvement.

In fact, the con as a whole was an exceptional improvement, so let me list off why;

 riptideshark
 aerys
 sekh765
 stigmata
 strype &  cooper
 hibbary
 orel
 fluff-kevlar
 gunmouth
 sarki

And many more. I don't have enough icon space to list all of the people who made this Anthrocon quite simply one of the best weekends I've ever had. Not only am I thinking of going to Further Confusion now, but I'm even thinking of getting a partial suit done if I do.

It was also rather refreshing, if not a bit surprising, to run into people who not only recognized me just by my badge, but professed to be big fans of my commissions and OCs. ...am I popufur now?

I'll be doing an art dump once I get home - provided the packaging around my binder does its jerb. I'm almost as excited to upload this stuff as I am to tracking down a few other artists whom I didn't get the chance to commission right at the con.

IhadsomuchfunIneedtobetherelongernextyear.

Fly down to Phoenix, seated directly behind and in front of two sets of parents with very sensitive (constantly crying) babies. Ok, that's fine. Only two hours.

I'm in my connecting flight to Charlotte, THREE BABIES.

I don't know if my eardrums will make it.

Aaaand, like the journal title says, I'm off to AC! :]

I'm going through my check list a little ahead of time so I can relax more over the coming week, however one thing is being a persistent issue;

Anyone know where I can pick up a cheap, refillable cell I can use in the States? Most Canadian prepaids have no roaming and/or charge huge $ for it (relatively), so I'm looking into my options so that I can keep in contact with folks while I'm at AC without ringing up an exorbitant cell bill.

Anyone have any recommendations / advice? 3G, etc. are not required - just basic texting and calling.

Not going to spoil a whole lot, but if anyone was curious about it... It's pretty good. Not great, but by Superman film standards, probably the best, and the only real "serious" one.

pre-emptive, spoiler-free tl;dr - If you like action flicks with a lot of whizbang special effects, this one's great. If you like more cerebral or character-development based fare, it's not as good - but still way better then Superman Returns.

---

The battle scenes are fantastic, and the effects actually give a good "feel" for how brutal combat between a bunch of nigh-immortal superhumans would be. The action sequences are great, with plenty of eye candy. It's a typical Snyder movie with a ton of very pretty special effects, as well as some rather imaginative aesthetics for the Kryptonian gear, and one ship in particular has probably the coolest effects since War of the Worlds. It is, however, very much a Snyder flick - there's a surprising amount of violence and cringe-inducing deaths that are just barely censored or happen too quickly to register just what happened.

That said, there's only two major fights in a movie that runs close to two and a half hours, and they're excellently paced. I would've gladly traded off some of the downtime to fit in another fight scene.

Actually, a lot of the downtime probably could have been used better - it was paced well, but there's hardly any character development at all. Superman already starts out as a... well, superhero. There's no question as to what he'll do or how he'll act, and there's never any real tension and he's utterly predictable. A good hour and a half of the movie is eaten up just driving that fact in. He's also, bluntly, a bit of an idiot.

The movie goes to some length to try and portray Zod in a conflicted, anti-hero light, but it's all undone not even halfway through the movie, and this version of Zod ends up being a really shallow caricature with only a few token 'face' moments where his good intentions come through - to little effect. It's difficult to sympathize with him, even though it's obviously what they were going for in order to give the climax a bit more heft. He gets a brief, 5 minute scene to state his intentions and explain himself, but he spends most of it emphasizing the evil side of his plot, and aside from that, he has little to no development for the rest of the movie.

This is made even worse by the fact his henchmen are just full on generic sociopathic villains with no depth whatsoever - there's the sadistic woman, the sadistic giant brute, and a sadistic torturer, with the other henchmen only getting a second or two of facetime. What little facetime the three get is dedicated to showing how evil they are - the first even goes on a long spiel to Superman about how their utter lack of morals makes them superior to humans, as if brutally pounding a human to a pulp and throwing him into a jet turbine didn't emphasize how she was pure genetically refined evil. It makes it more difficult to sympathize with Zod when he surrounds himself with henchmen who are the embodiment of TVTropes characters. I'd go so far as to say a ton of the potential to make a great character out of him was wasted based purely on how shallow his lackeys are, and how much screentime is given to emphasize Superman as an unchanging beacon of goodness.

So my feeling? It's a good movie, but one that should really be watched in a theatre if at all possible. The best parts of it by far are the special effect-laden action and combat scenes.

How do you want to be addressed?
Just Keller, or if for some reason you don't like Keller, Laraek (La-rake). I don't give out my real name freely.

Where will you be?
All over the place, but mostly in the Artist Alley during the day, I imagine.

Where are you staying?
In the Westin (I think)

Who will you be with?
It'll vary! Odds are I'll be hanging out with  riptideshark and co., but I also may be hanging out with  sekh765 and the other TFP folks.

What is your gender?
I'm a guy.

How old are you?
24

How tall are you?
6'5"

What do you look like?
Tall, kinda lanky. Brown hair, otherwise unremarkable. I'll have a badge on.

Can I talk to you?
Yep!

Can I buy you a drink?
Sure - ask first, though. I've been told I'll be getting many of them. ._.;

Are you taken? Are you looking for a 'mate'?
I am not looking.

Can I touch you?
If you have to ask, it's probably a no.

Can I touch your friends?
Uhhh... up to them?

Can I hug you?
Maybe, but please no surprise hugs. Just ask first.

Are you nice? Or do you think so (no personal references needed)?
Kinda?

What days will you be attending?
Thursday through Sunday.

Will you be suiting?
Nein.

Do you do free art?
Nope.

Do you do commissions?
lolno.

Can I talk about/do drugs in front of you?
So long as you respect that it isn't really my thing. If you're actually doing it, I'll probably excuse myself.

Can I invite you out for food/fun/etc?
Definitely!

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
If you've been invited, sure.

Can I take pictures with you?
Please ask first!

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Just call out my name.

How can I contact you?
Send me a note via FA or Skype if you have my info - my phone'll be off / in airplane mode for the duration of the con.

Sooo...

Awhile back, I got a fancy USB mic (an ART M-One) to alleviate the fact I often went through regular headset microphones like mad. I got it because it was pretty good quality, didn't really break the bank, and it was readily available. It works great in TeamSpeak and Ventrilo... but only there.

On Windows 7 it is absolutely maddeningly quiet. And I found out this didn't only affect my M-One, but also both of my old (very old) USB mics. I was able to figure out the issue is because Windows 7, for whatever reason, just does not allow USB Mics to get up to 100% volume, and also disables the Microphone Boost that's available for any 3.5mm jack microphones.

This is really annoying.

Is there anyone that knows a way to get around this, or boost a USB mic without mangling the quality? It's annoying being told over and over that my mic is too quiet, I know it is.

Soo... after having so many takers, I've opted to pursue this a bit more rigorously / started probing artists I know just to try and get a ballpark.

This is just a heads up that if you want in, please let me know / send me the following via a note so I can keep stuff organized;

Character Name;
Character Ref; (2-3 links)
Preferred Game; (which of the two series you like most)
Preferred Gear;
Preferred Faction; (from whichever 'universe' you're interested in)
Budget; (I don't want to price it so high as to eliminate everyone else, but I do want to know about how much dosh we'll have)

I can help chip in to cover a bit more of the cost if it is a bit out of one or two peoples' budgets. But, I know this might sound cold, but my generosity has limits - if you've got no budget whatsoever / don't want to pitch money in, well, obviously that's not fair to everyone else taking part.

I just finished playing Metro: Last Light - which is probably the best $50 I've thrown down on a game in years.

I posted this on my Steam Recommendations, but I don't think anyone actually reads them, so here. If you're on the fence about it, this might help;

I can not explain all the ways that I love this game without making a giant wall of text, so let me summarize what I didn't like about the game;

1. It ended.

The gunplay is massively improved over Metro 2033, as are the stealth mechanics. The guns as a whole are superb - even The Bastard and Duplet become veritable powerhouses with the multitude of attachments in the game. My only complaint regarding guns is the lack of variety in terms of sound - there is a single suppressed sound for shotguns, and one for everything else. Combat is handled superbly well aside from one mid-game boss fight, which was confusing at first and came at the worst possible time.

But the gameplay isn't even the best part.

The atmosphere is intense - several levels were horror trips on par with Silent Hill or Amnesia - I had to stop twice just to get my head back together. Even when the game isn't trying to frighten you, it is absolutely oppressive. The world is every bit as detailed as BioShock Infinite's, yet instead tackles different themes.

The morality system plays a subtle role in the game, and the sheer amount of /depth/ to the writing and story is absolutely superb. I can not recall a single instance in the game where dialogue repeated, or a single patrol or encounter which had no unique dialogue or story to it. Everything I had done earlier in the game was referenced by people - alternately in awe of my accomplishments, or in hushed whispers of the atrocities I had unleashed.

There is one feature - hitherto unmentioned - which will harken to BioShock Infinite: But it's incredibly well done and only furthered my immersion in the game. For the first time in a long time, I genuinely cared for the characters, their struggles and their morals. This was not empathy, it was genuine sympathy.

I will play through it again - and don't buy into the **** about Ranger Mode. This is a classic, with or without it.

(As for you Brits who are getting it tomorrow, you're in for a treat - it's worth every moment you spent waiting)

--

As the above praising might have hinted, I'm thinking of getting a Metro or Stalker themed commission. IF anyone knows a good artist, or wants to take part (it will be a joint commission, hopefully) just holler.

Just shuffling my older journal off the front page.

There hasn't been a whole lot going on with me aside from the usual trend of being ridiculously busy with work. I spent a week taking care of a friend's cat, though, and that more or less has me set on getting one of my own - I didn't realize how much I missed having one after moving out.

--

In other news, I'll be at AnthroCon again this year, so I'll probably be filling out one of them fancy AC memes as the date draws closer. I'm quite looking forward to it this year, though I'm not exactly sure what I'll do to occupy my time as most of the group I went and hung out with for the last two aren't going to be there.

I am flying a different airline, this time. I learned my lesson with the nightmare I had with United last year.

So I apparently hit 1,000 Watchers.

...I had no idea I had that many. Thought it was more like 100. I guess finally uploading my art has that kind of effect.

I'm also nearing 25k views, which is apparently another big milestone for popufurdom. I'm not sure if I'll do anything about it, but I might as the number nears.

---

As for other stuff - well, work has been 'fun'. I was tapped to handle orientation for close to 30 new employees over the last three weeks. Ended up losing my voice last week due to all the nonstop talking and touring of the company property I had to go through. I've already found 'that one guy' who's likely going to end up being a massive headcase down the line (no, I won't turn down the AC, you should take your giant leather jacket off when it's +15C outside).

---

One other thing - I've been pretty tepid, if not cold to the idea of joint commissions, but this is more or less a heads up that I'm open to the idea so long as it is not adult in nature. I know a few folks have been interested, but I've more or less brushed it off in the past. If you still are, run the idea by me and I'll see if I'm interested.

EDIT: If you're interested in adult stuff, my F-list is here; it's also to verify I am who I say I am.

http://www.f-list.net/c/kellervo/

y u so slow.

Seriously. It takes me like ten minutes to check my submissions whenever I come home. :l

(all twenty of them)

Over this-a-way; http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3956269/

I had the pleasure of meeting Stigmata at AC this year, and me and a few friends all got commissions from him then. He's a one-of-a-kind sort of artist in this fandom, and his price is incredibly low given the quality of his works.

He's taking a few sketch commissions at the moment, so I thought I would advertise for him a bit. He's totally worth the dosh!

I opted to join in on the Weasyl thing to see what it's like, and... well, in short, it's pretty awesome. If only for the fact it gives me a way to split my commissioned art from my actual 3d work without having to make and maintain an entirely separate account. Plus, a commission page, so I can throw that there in case anyone is curious. If there is someone out there who hasn't got a Weasyl invite yet, I might have one once they re-enable them.

https://www.weasyl.com/profile/kellervo

As for other stuff - I'm quietly working on more 3d stuff. No one really bit on the last journal (with good reason, I suppose) so I'm planning to make a few stand-alone pieces to emphasize that I actually know wtf I'm doing.

That'll be made easier as my job is changing, and I'm moving to a 9-5 schedule like a regular person. No more getting home and sitting down at midnight. z_z

Also, XCOM is awesome and pretty much the best TBS since the original XCOM. Go get it now.

Shuffling the old 'ideas' journal off the front page, since I feel like it.

I've been fairly busy (the usual) for the last couple of months. Mostly just been working, coming home, gaming for a little bit, sleeping, waking up, working on SL, and then going to work. A fairly boring schedule to say the least.

However, I'm finally going to be moved to a more sane schedule at work - currently I work 2-10pm, but the 'day' shift ends at 3pm. I'll have my evenings back and can finally go back to relaxing / enjoying my evenings.

The one game that's been occupying what free time I have (maybe an hour a day) is Dark Souls. I got to try it out on console before it came out on PC, and I'm probably the only person that is satisfied with the PC port without using a game pad. My only complaint is that the autolock is absolutely atrocious, and I've lost probably about half the hours I've sank into the game because of it. I haven't had much experience with the multiplayer - only two Invasions, one of which I won, and the other I lost (the other guy invaded when I had half health and had just wiped out a miniboss - it was not really fair).

The main reason I only play that? It's the only game which doesn't tax my 560 Ti into hardlocking. I've spent the last week playing email tag with Nvidia and ASUS (well, ASUS lasted all of 24 hours because they told me to just talk to Nvidia about it), but my video card is, for all intents and purposes, basically about to die. In the mean time I've had to switch to my relatively ancient 8800, which isn't too bad, but it certainly causes FPS issues now and then. Even SL pushes the Ti to the limit, and something as simple as alt-camming rapidly can bring it to a standstill in short order. It's rather annoying.

That ties into the last bit of the title - graphics cards aren't really cheap, and while I can afford one, that's money which should be going elsewhere (savings, bits of clothing to replace the... well, larger clothes which no longer fit me). My Ti, according to Nvidia, could brick itself at a moment's notice, and my 8800 isn't exactly up to par anymore either.

I know 3D isn't as hot a property as things like good old cell-shaded or painted art, but I was wondering if anyone would be interested in something of that nature - probably ZBrush'd busts or posed models, so that I don't crush myself under a massive workload. I'm still not sure how much I'd charge, but I want to gauge interest before I even think aboot that.

As I mentioned in another post, I tend to get bored at work, and not a whole lot goes on. The next couple of days I'll be working one of the slower 'duties', so I'll have even more time to burn.

Usually with that time, I just work on 3d models and the like to keep myself fresh and practice new techniques (my laptop can handle Blender, but not Photoshop for some reason). However, at this point I'm a bit dulled and tired of working on weapon models for SL - I already have about 15 or more that now just need texturing and the like, so I'd rather not add onto that pile until I've chipped away at it. I'm working on more organic models, but those are a bit too much for my laptop - ZBrush doesn't run on it.

So instead, I'm idly thinking of what other things I could model. I plan on throwing them up onto FA when I'm done, so I might as well take some suggestions (if anyone has any).

(obviously it needs to be SFW. :| )

I'm home, in one piece. Just missing my luggage. I somehow sprinted 40 gates through Denver Intl. to get to my flight, only to find it had been delayed 25 minutes anyway. ...And then it got delayed another 40 while we were on the tarmac. My bag somehow got ON the plane, but they aren't sure where it... went. That's reassuring, and only really seals the deal to never fly United ever again.

I had a ton of fun at AC, and found out that there isn't nearly enough time to do everything one wants to do. I think I spent the entire time - bar an hour or two a day at most - with Aryte and crew. I also didn't have the same distractions from the homefront that I did back at AC2011, so all in all I am already looking forward to AC2013!

I got some loot, and wisely decided NOT to put it in my luggage (yay carry-on). I'll probably scan pieces and throw 'em up here with credit to the artists responsible. :]

Seriously. My flight TO AC was rescheduled without any advance warning. That was alright, they managed to fix that. I got there at roughly the same time and all was good.

Today on the other hand has been a nightmare. My first flight was delayed, to the point it'd be physically impossible to catch my connection. They bump me onto another flight that would get me home at 2am. All well and good, still home before work tomorrow.

I'm sitting beside the gate, waiting for my flight at the gate, when they send me an email stating my new flight has been delayed. Just long enough that I am no longer able to make the connection. I find this out via automated email, not via the person standing a few meters away from everyone.

So I go up to the front desk, ask what options I have... None. They can't hold the connecting flight in Denver. They already "booked full" the flights from 6am - 3:30pm tomorrow. The earliest I can get home now is apparently midnight tomorrow. I am supposed to be working tomorrow.

The kicker? No compensation, because even though the first flight was mechanical issues, the one they bumped me onto has been delayed due to weather, which apparently invalidates whatever compensation I may have got.

So my options are to take the first flight and pray they hold the second flight for me, or to spend the night in the Pitts airport and hope I don't get fucked over for the fourth time. Or to take the first flight, and miss the second, whereuponwho knows what the fuck will happen.

Seriously, screw you United. The couple hundred I saved choosing you is NOT worth this headache.

EDIT: Saved by act of god. A baby threw up on my second flight's first run, necessitating a cleanup. I will be home tonight after all!

I've finally finished moving things into my own place. Thus far, so good. Better net, and my room is huge. It has more then enough room for everything, and me and my roommate still have a third room to split up. The only issue is... a total lack of closet space. Either that, or I own way too many shirts.

So, I am quite pleased. Expect more stuff on my FA now that I can work in peace!

As one can see, my FA page has been busier lately then it... probably ever has been.

I've started uploading both some 3d work and Commissions, though I'm trying to space it all out 'lest I spam everyone's inbox.

The reason for the sudden surge in 3d stuff is pretty simple - I've been getting ready to move out into my own place (with a friend from my University years). That in itself has helped thaw out probably a year's worth of frustration and art block.

Plus when I move out I get my huge desk back so I can put my tablet on my left instead of having to do some kind of weird dance in order to use it properly. That in itself will help wonders, along with the free time and privacy I haven't had for quite some time. I'll be trying more organic work, and I'll also be working on my rigging and maybe some animation down the line, but for now I just want to ease myself into a steady schedule of sketching and modelling.

In short, I'm really excited.

Like I mentioned in the previous journal, I'm still set for AnthroCon, but I'm not sure what exactly I'll be doing yet - aside from clinging onto  Aryte for most of the time.

I realized that, with the previous journal - and submissions - nearing 3 years of age, I should really probably update this so people don't assume I vacated the community ages ago.

What is there to update on? Quite a lot.

I've graduated, and now I'm currently employed... as a network analyst. It's not the most glamorous job, but it pays surprisingly well, and I'm hoping to be loan-free shortly. The only issue is the awful schedule - I work late, very late, and currently have an amazing 40-60 minute commute. It's not unusual for me to have days where I essentially wake up, drive, work, come home, and sleep. But, I'm spending my days off looking for places in Calgary - aiming for May, or June, to move a bit closer to my work.

When I can be, I still hop onto SL now and then, mostly on my days off from work. In between this journal and the last, there's been something called the Aventity Shark released, so I've obviously called off my plans to get into the avatar business - I'm just idly working on my own custom mesh avatar instead. Right now just about all of my work in that area is guns, guns, and more guns, which really wouldn't fit in FA's AUP to my knowledge.

I'm planning - as in definite, barring emergencies / cosmic events - to attend AnthroCon this year. I did go last year, and much like then, I will be spending pretty much all of it with my fiance  aryte. I was a bit shell-shocked at the last one - family didn't really help - so I'm hoping I'll get to do a bit more at this one.

I'm also planning to update this page more often. Odds are I won't upload my commissions - they're pretty much all readily available in my Favorites instead, linking you directly to the artist so you can fav/watch them instead.

Because I need a journal with SUBSTANCE. Which I've... never made.

Finals are near, or already underway in my 7th semester of University. So I've been extremely busy - it's a miracle I've had time for modelling and other hobbies. My grades however have been fantastic, so it's worth it.

I've got a pair of internships, or rather in the preliminary stages of them. Hopefully one of them takes me on for the summer, but I learned from last year not to hedge my bets with the economy the way it is, and might already have a decent computer IT job at an oil corp to fall back on. Not the most fun job in the world, but... I'll take anything at this point, especially if it's secure.

Most of my free time, what I have that is, is being spent multi-tasking my butt off. My portfolio work has made basically everything furry-related take a back seat until I'm set to go for the summer, bar one thing. On top of my normal course load and portfolio building, me and a close friend have started a Unreal engine project together - hopefully, it'll be enough to give both of us, and anyone else we bring on board, a big boost towards a much wanted gaming industry job. I know this'll likely disappoint, but not a dash of it is furry. :F

Which brings me around to SL. I've done a few things (mostly just hanging out with the SL military crowd because it's cool and all), but the most recent is avatar stuff. I took the model of myself I'd done over the summer and converted it to an SL avatar... and I'm swamped by the response, to the point I might think I'll sell it properly through vendors and the shit. So if I'm unresponsive over the next week or two, that's probably the main reason why, as I do texture work and learn my way around marketing and shit. Better I learn what to do and what not to in a 'fake life' then my real life.

I've reasoned that I need all the financial help I can get (the economy has me more or less restrained to a 14 hour, 2 days a week job), and if these avatars turn out to be as popular as they've been in a tiny little community, I might be able to make a noticeable dent in my student loan before I even graduate. And having more sharks is always a good thing. :>

Also... yes, I know. I never use MSN or AIM or YIM anymore since I replaced my computer (a whole new story), and Toronto Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup occurs more often then me visiting IRC (due to the fact I always get distracted from homework, and this semester I'm focusing entirely on that and the 'sl-monies' thing). Just add me on Skype or Steam.

Probably coming out of left field for American chaps who read my journal, but other Canadians probably (hopefully) know what I'm talking about.

For those who don't, not too long ago we had an election. Stephen Harper was re-elected into a minority government, which was sworn in on November 18th. Today, the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois signed a coalition to overthrow Harper and his party and possibly re-arrange the seats in Parliament by calling by-elections in closely contested ridings.

I didn't vote last election. I didn't vote because I felt that my vote, in a heavily Conservative riding, would mean nothing. I was right about that, but to see my entire province get slapped in the face because a couple sore losers from Ontario couldn't bear the sight of a Conservative party handling the problems (an Albertan, no less!) they created has more or less pissed me off. All my life I spent my time being inundated with stories about how horrible the Liberals were, which I decided not to believe. Now I do, whole heartedly. Stephan Dion can take about democracy and fit-to-rule all he wants, but that does not change the fact in my eyes that he's basically saying power should stay in Ontario and Quebec 'where it belongs'. Harper may not have the confidence of the leftwing parties, but if Dion does come to power, his rule is about as legitimate as any other sleazy backroom dealer's. It is a slap in the face to over a third of the country's voters.

Which is why, if it ends up another election, I'll be voting ASP/WSP (Alberta/Western Seperation Party). I'm tired of Canadian politics, and tired of hearing about how poorly treated the West was under the liberals... and then seeing it come to fruition in front of my eyes. Congrats Dion and Layton, you've successfully galvanized a voter into taking action. Too bad it's probably not how you intended.