Hey, guys. So, the first part of that massive update is done. I'm glad a lot of you enjoyed my new story. For those that haven't read it, check it out here - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11534388/

Next up, I'm posting a brand new Ian and Jamie story tomorrow. And it's going to be illustrated by the outstanding  kaji I was going to post it last week, but I wanted to give people more time to enjoy the first story. But yeah, tomorrow, a new Ian and Jamie story. I'm extremely proud of this story, too, so I really hope you guys enjoy it.

And then there's that little secret I mentioned :3 I think I'm either going to post that next week, or in early October. I'm sure a lot of you can GUESS what I'm talking about, but for those who don't know...you'll just have to see.

Yup, I'm going back to RF this year. :3

Arrival and Departure:
Thursday - Monday

Staying at:
Hilton

How are you traveling?
By Plane :P

Who are you rooming with?
 omgshep  derphyena  darkou

Where will you be? How best to find me?
Everywhere! Look out for the bright orange dingo. :3 Or text/DM me

Who will you be with?
Everyone! I have so many friends at RF, it's hilarious. XD

Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Valentine :3 - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10327883/ http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10347426/

Do you do free art?
Lol, no

What is your gender?
I'm a guy :P

How old are you?
I'll be 25 when RF hits! Will probably have a birthday party there!

How tall are you?
5'7"

Can I talk to you?
Absolutely! I always love meeting new people :3

Can I hug and/or snuggle you?
Of course! I love hugs. And especially snuggles :D

Are you nice?
I certainly try to be!

Are you cliquey?
I think everyone is. I have a ton of friends that come to RF, a lot of which are the same people that I hang with at every convention I go to. But I don't mind meeting new people :)


If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Tap my shoulder, say hello, yell out 'Rahne!' or 'Valentine!' when I'm in fursuit.

Or if you wanna be really funny, scream out 'Will you be my Valentine?' like a lot of people seem to. :P

Are you fursuiting?
I think I answered this already XD

Can I ask ya to dance with me during the dances?
You damn well better! >: I fuckin' rule the dance floor. Let's get dirty as fuck. <3

Can I buy you drinks?
Yeeeeesssss!

Do you attend parties?
Do you not? :O

I might be having my birthday party at RF, so, we'll see. :3 Otherwise, I'll go to parties if I'm invited, sure!

Can I take your picture?
In fursuit, yeah. Seriously, don't take my picture out of suit.

What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Have a crazy, successful DJ set at the Dead Dog, do well at the dance comp, drink, party, hang out with friends, have a good time!

Okay! So, I've been working like crazy on a lot of stuff! This is gonna be a crazy month, cause I'm finally uploading a lot of stuff.

First, this week: I'm uploading a new sexy short story, featuring two new characters I decided to have a little fun with.

Next week: I'm uploading a NEW story featuring Ian and Jamie. It's by far my longest story to date, so you're in for a real treat. And if you don't remember who Ian and Jamie are...it's these two - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9576450/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7374252/

Third/Fourth week: ...Something special that a A LOT of people have been waiting for. I think a lot of you are really going to be pleased with that one. Trust me.

Finally, here's my newest mix, my demo for both MFF and FC, put together on my MK4, but refined and performed on my Traktor S2. This is by far the hardest work I've ever put into any DJ mix, and thanks to the advice of  tekfox this mix is leagues beyond anything I've done before.

Check it out - http://i.mixcloud.com/CChBEe

So, my latest DJ mix is up, which is obviously called Rawk The World. It's actuall a special mix, and quite a different one then my last ones. . This is a tribute mix to one of my favorite DJs,  Rawkz0rz who recently performed at the Spring Awakening Festival. I was incredibly blown away by efforts of everyone who pulled through and made it possible for him to even play there, with the whole 'Rawk The Vote' effort, so I sort of wanted to honor that as well. Plus, he's one of the few DJ's who manages to blow my mind every time I hear him play at a con. So, I really wanted to do something for him.

The way this tribute mix works is that it's composed of songs that Rawkz0rz himself has DJed at one time or another, with a couple songs of my own thrown in that I felt would compliment the tone and his overall playing style. It's kind of like a 'greatest hits' mix. From an electro/progressive house standpoint. I'm not gonna pretend I know how to mix like him, because he's a very different and more experienced DJ than I am, this is simply just an electro/progressive tribute to his DJing as a whole. :)

So, check it out, and I hope you guys enjoy it.

http://i.mixcloud.com/CC9EIN

This guy -  fluke

With gorgeous new picture. Check it out :3 http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10996719/

So, Anthrocon. I've always wanted to go. I've never been, I've heard all sorts of stuff about it from different people. I want to go. I've even put together a mix for the fursuit dance competition. And on that note, this is gonna sound hella stupid, but dancing on Anthrocon's stage is like a dream of mine. Really. I want to perform on that stage so badly, it hurts.

And most notably, it would really be nice to finally attend the convention where  fluke debuted Valentine.

And today is the day I decide whether I should go.

I recently mentioned on Twitter that I wanted to go, or that I was trying to go, and then a flood of people started actively asking me if I actually was going to be there. It's taken me a while to decide.

And it's looking like a probable no. Oh, flying out there is certainly no problem, because I have a ton of airline miles I can use, I know a few people I could room with, too. None of that is an issue. What it really comes down to is money. I've been to six conventions now, and I know first hand how expensive they can get. And if AC is like any of the previous cons I've been to (I'm actually expecting to be way more expensive), then I can't really...justify the cost of going out there this year. Especially because I live on the west coast, flying out east is pretty expensive, and I've already done three trips this year. I could literally book the flight, grab the room and set up for AC right now if I wanted to. It would be last minute, but I could totally do it. But again, the cost and the amount of money I KNOW I would spend, just being there and having fun, probably isn't a good idea at the moment. I don't want to be in financial burden.

And I didn't really plan for this con, like I do all my other cons.

Typically, I set up everything for my cons like way in advance. I've already got Rainfurrest and Midwest Furfest booked and set up, haha. Both of which, ironically come after AC. The thing is, I didn't think I was going to be in the position to even go to AC this year. I knew I'd be able to do FC, FWA, RF, and MFF, but AC is really iffy, and I only recently came into the position to where I could actually go. But again, I didn't plan for it, so everything's last minute, and I don't have all my shit together like I usually do, like WEEEEEKS before the con.

So, it's with a heavy heart that I say, I won't be at AC this year. I really wanted to, I talked about it quite a bit on Twitter, but it looks like I will miss it this year.

However. I am going to AC 2014. That's a promise. No fucking around. For now, my next con is Rainfurrest.

Recently, I was in Seattle on a ten day vacation, during which, I got to DJ live at my friend  derphyena's epic birthday party. And I have to say, that was one of the funnest things I've ever done. The party was insane, and it was my very first time performing a live set in front of people. Here's the live set I played during the party:

http://i.mixcloud.com/CC6X4M
http://db.tt/rgchV8mS

Sure, it's just a party and not like an actual event, but being that it was my first live set, that means a great deal to me. So I hope you guys enjoy it and have as much fun listening as I did mixing. :) It's also the longest mix I've done thus far, so give it a listen. :3

So, I'm sure most, if not everyone knows that I've been planning to commission  onefurall for a fursuit of my fursona, Rahne. It's been a long time coming, but I'm definitely doing it. First of all, when it comes to fursuit makers in the fandom, there's no one that I love more than One Fur All/Scribble Fox. There are about 6 different fursuit makers who I really love, and who I would call my favorites, but none of them have impressed me more or as much as One Fur All has when it comes to the quality, style, and overall design of their fursuits. They are the only fursuit maker who manages to consistently blow me away with almost every fursuit they make. Really. So, the decision to go with them for Rahne was already made a long time ago, before I even met Scribble Fox person in Vancouver last year.

But I've had some very mixed feelings as of late, for a number of reasons. I've had a lot of time to think (I still do), and at the moment, I'm really wondering if I should have my fursuit made with Rahne's signature long hair.

You know what I'm talking about. Or, you should, if you've been following me. I'm talking about that trademark, long, blue hair Rahne always has. Take a quick look to see the many renditions of Rahne with the hair I'm talking about:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8869585/ - by Fluke
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10386369/ - by Fluke
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7576526/ - by Noiserut
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7167186/ - by Idess
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5741481/ - by Noiserut
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4387707/ - by Kyma
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3778206/ - by Noiserut

You get the idea.

So, yeah. Last year, when I was first interested in getting a fursuit of Rahne, I was all excited about the idea of seeing him as a fursuit with that kind of hair. I thought it would be awesome, unique, outstanding, etc. And even after meeting with Scribble Fox twice (yes, twice), he himself assured me that he could indeed make that kind of hair. He even told me how excited he was about the whole prospoect, because he'd never done that kind of hair on a fursuit before. So, yeah, he was excited about it, and even after talking to him again at FC this year, he again told me he'd still be up for doing it.

But now I'm not so sure I want that kind of hair for the fursuit anymore. I don't really know why. Maybe it's my...aesthetic sensibilities as of late, maybe it's the fact that I've had Valentine for almost a year now, I don't know, but I'm actually considering having my Rahne fursuit made with shorter, spiky/semi-spiky hair. Kinda like Valentine. And that probably sounds like a cop out, but it is honestly what I'm considering. Or maybe still Rahne's hair, but just not as long. Or something. I don't know.

So yeah, that's my dilemma. I know I'm making it out to be this BIG, HUGE thing, when...some of you might think it's totally just nothing...but when you've gone on this long with such a distinctive character that you've identified with and felt so close to, a character that a LOT of people recognize and really like, and a character that you never thought you'd change in any way whatsoever...it really does become this...dilemma that you have to think about. Especially since this is going to be a fursuit, meaning, it's going to be a permanent thing, so once it's done, it's pretty much done. Fursuits aren't like art, in where you can always just ask the artist to go back and change this or change that. Not to mention, once I actually get this fursuit, I'm gonna be taking it around and wearing it to all the cons and furry events I go to, and like any fursuiter, I'm gonna want to wear it with pride and champion that suit like I love it. I want it to be something I'm pride of, something I'm happy with, because it's gonna be me. So it has to be right.

I also want to say that even when I get my fursuit of Rahne, I am still very much going to wear and fursuit as Valentine as well. I love Valentine and I've had such an awesome time running around as that character, that I could never give it up. So yeah, Valentine will definitely still be around when I get Rahne.

Anyway, there's also a certain pressure in getting Rahne made with his trademark hair, because again, I'm not oblivious to how widely-known and recognizable he is, and I've had many people tell me that they wouldn't even consider it to be "Rahne" if I didn't get the fursuit made with his signature hair. And...that kinda hurts. I like to think something as simple (or significant) as a hairstyle can be changed, but I don't want him to be unrecognizable to people, nor do I want any kind of negative reception to it. So that further propels my dilemma.

To be fair, I do trust Scribble Fox and I do have faith in him that he and his staff can pull this off. I'm good friends with many of his staff, and I'm certain they know my fursona by now. Aside from Valentine. What I'm more concerned with is the practicality of it. Like, is it a really good idea to get a fursuit made with that kind of hair? With hair that long? Given all the crazy shit I do in fursuit at cons, ESPECIALLY AS A DANCER, I have to wonder, how hard would it be to keep it looking nice, would people be likely pull on it, would it look weird to have all that hair swinging/flying around when I'm dancing? All these things and more make me think about whether it's a good idea. And I just don't know.

I suppose I can always get two heads made, one with long hair, and one without, but that's pretty expensive, and I'm not sure people would really respond well to such a constant change.

So, that's where I'm at right now. I don't know what to do, and I don't know how to come to a decision.

So, as many of you know, I went to FWA for the first time earlier this year. I was so excited, so enormously excited for this convention, because I'd never been to Atlanta (I've never been anywhere in the "south" other than Texas), I'd heard so many great things about the con, and I knew SO many people going, I had a lot of friends there, along with a ton of friends I've actually been dying to meet in person.

I can't tell you how much of a truly mixed bag this convention was, along with just how...disappointed I was overall. Firstly, I've NEVER been more excited for a convention hotel. The Westin Peachtree Plaza is 73 stories tall, with a simply beautiful interior lobby. Everything about that hotel is awesome. But it's not fit for a convention. Especially not a furry convention. At all. The "lobby" was on four different floors, which really spread everything across the hotel, which made it INCREDIBLY hard to meet up with people. On Saturday alone, after coming down from my room, I must've wandered around for an eternity, looking for ANY of my friends or anyone that I remotely knew. I literally can't remember the last time I've wandered around for hours alone at a furry convention, given how many people I know in the fandom, and given just HOW many of my friends were at the con.

But that brings me to one of the biggest issues about this con, specifically the hotel. The elevators. You've probably read from many other journals and heard from many other people what a nightmare the elevators were at this con. They're NOT fucking exaggerating. I've never had to wait so fucking long for an elevator. On two occasions, I ended up waiting for the elevators so long, that I actually fell asleep in my fursuit. I'm not even kidding. Friend of mine had to wake me up (he was waiting with me). Another time, a friend and I got so sick of waiting, that we decided to take the stairs. So, I had to climb up 21 flights of stairs. Again, in fursuit. I wasn't happy.

There were so many times where I wanted to head upstairs to my room, but I had to wait SO FUCKING LONG for the elevators, that I would just wander off to do something else instead.

And just to give you some real perspective on this issue, people, including me, had to wait an average of 20-40 minutes for elevators. Really. No joke.

The other big issue was the cell phone reception. There was NO RECEPTION in this hotel in our rooms, and only fluctuating reception down in the lobby areas, which just...fundamentally breaks the social aspect of a furry convention, especially one as big as FWA. Even more so when you compound it with the elevator issue.

Furthermore, I don't know what it is exactly, but that hotel is not fursuit friendly. There just isn't enough wide, spread open spaces throughout that hotel to really have any kind of fun fursuiting. Not like at FC or RF. The lobby area is gorgeous and fairly spread (on the bottom floor), but once you get away from there, every hallway or space is just...narrow and feels confined and enclosed. The hotel doesn't have that wide open feel, the kind of enormous breathing room you would expect from a convention hotel. On top of that, I've never been less enthused to fursuit at a con. Seriously. In addition to the fact that it's just not fursuit friendly, there were plenty of non-furs there who made me uncomfortable with all the glaring looks they gave to convention attendees.

Also, I had a shitload of trouble just trying to find where things were. The layout of where to find certain things was just...bad.

And I'm also not sure how I feel about downtown Atlanta as a location. Almost everytime some friends and I went out to eat, we ran into a shitload of homeless people or crackheads or whatever. It kinda made going to eat at (late at night) almost uncomfortable. I remember two of our party actually got held up by a homeless guy who was trying to tell them his life story before finally begging for money. This shit went on for almost 10 minutes before I came back outside and pulled them into the restaurant.

Also, I didn't get into the dance competition. Yeah.

And the hotel rooms are small. Kinda. When you walk into the room, the space between the wall and the CLOSET is so fucking narrow, it's ridiculous. I don't know why it was designed this way, but I've never seen a convention hotel room like...that.

And after all that, you'd think this was the worst con I'd ever been to. But it's not. Like I said, it's a mixed bag. There's definitely A LOT of good that came from this con, a lot. First, it's the people. I get to see  fluke again. Finally. I can't describe how much I've missed this guy since meeting him at my first con all the way back at FC 2011 (that feels like forever ago...). I spend an enormous time hanging out with him and his buddies. It felt like the perfect renunion with an old friend who I've missed so much. And he got me drunk as FUCK. We eventually left his room and did a little tour of Atlanta away from the hotel, which was awesome. Though I'm pretty sure I was stumbling around like a drunken idiot. Fluke told me he has video. :P And FWA was also the debut of his brand new fursuit, made by himself, of his actual fursona this time. And let me be the first to say, his furusit is amazing, and it looks COMPLETELY different from Valentine. Like, it's not even the same style. You wouldn't think it was made by the same person. But seriously, his suit is beautiful. I ran into him a few more times during the con, too. And really...seeing him was well-worth coming to this con. I would've come just for that, alone. It meant an awful lot to me, and that alone truly made my convention. Or redeemed it.

It wasn't all about Fluke, though, obviously. As I said, there were so many people I knew at this con, both familiar friends, and friends I've been wanting to meet in person. It was almost surreal. Two months ago, I was at Further Confusion (my 3rd time going), and had the most amazing convention experience of my life, because of everything I did, everything I saw, and everyone I hung out with. No joke, virtually EVERYONE I hung out with at FC came to FWA as well. It was insane. Hanging out with all those guys again, seeing them immediately after just two months felt like a special reunion of everyone who makes these cons so much fun.  skroy  doryuu  wolfpuptk  tibolf  fuzzyzf  phorphaux  tigon  darkshift  artie  deusexbestia  diggyroo  lupozewolf  ratherdashing1121  apollonighthusky  ebonywolf99  yippee  croc dantee, yawnilutrova, ausidogchance, utosa, hakukitty, rawkz0rz, reimeerkat, These guys are the majority of people I ended up hanging out with at FC and every single on of them came to FWA this year. All of them. Again, it was insane! And when a lot of us were in Tiger Paw's room, playing King's Cup, I just remember thinking...how lucky I am to be hanging out with these people, that I got to see them again, hang out with them again, that I get to call these guys my friends, etc, etc. It was something special. The game of King's sucked, because Kalypso can't run a game for shit (:P) but that was one of the PRIME moments when it truly felt like it was a reunion, boasted by Skroy proposing a toast when we all settled in.

It's moments like those. I've never had that kind of...reunion at a con before, and it was worth going to FWA just to hang with those guys again.

Moving on, the dances were pretty cool. A lot of the DJ's were kinda subpar, though. In fact, most of my favorite DJs didn't even get to play, with the exception of rawkz0rz who BLEW the place apart with his set, as he always does. I love his energy, his mixes, and just the way he energizes the crowd. it was the very same at FC as well. So the dances were cool, SOME of them were fucking awesome, and one thing that the hotel really has going for it is that is has an amazing ballroom. It's beautiful, elegant, spacious, with an AWESOME stage to dance on. I actually danced on stage MORE than I did at FC! Also, they have a headless lounge right in the main ballroom, like at RF, but I wish I'd known that immediately, because I initially kept leaving the ballroom and heading down TWO FLIGHTS OF STAIRS to get to the headless lounge on the bottom floor. It wasn't exactly...obvious that a headless lounge was even in the ballroom. Maybe I just suck. But the ballroom itself is great, and I had a ton of fun dancing. In some ways, I had more fun dancing at FWA than I did at FC, especially during Rawkz0rz's and tigon's sets. There were dance circles all over the place, too, which just made it all the more fun.

And I loooooove dancing with tibolf. Whether on stage, on the floor, or whatever, that dude is just so much fun, and he's always been one of my favorite fursuiters.

Also, Floor Wars was hella sick. Seeing it for myself and being there, cheering people on... I know why this is so loved by the other dancers. That was an experience that really took me by surprise. It was awesome, seriously

Moving on, what also made this con special is the people who I finally got to meet in person finally. Most of all  draco751. I have always looked up to that guy as a fursuiter, and he is one of the very reasons I wanted to get into fursuiting. He always made it look so fun, and he's such a great performer, and he's so...animated in Vincent, that I just can't help but want to do what he does. He's also the main person I go to for fursuiting advice, as he's been doing it for such a long time, and he's been to so many cons. He's always willing to give me advice and sort of...mentor me as a fursuiter, so meeting him was something I really looked forward to. I didn't get to hang out with him as much as I liked, but seeing him and spending as much time as I did with him meant an awful lot to me.

Also, frisbee, Celestialwolfen, coopertom, yummers, atsufawx, ikato, flipstalombax, camohusky, revit montyc, Kwik, Soboku, Sadie, Zoomba, along with many other people were all wonderful to meet in person finally. I look forward to Monty constantly forgetting who I am over and over next time we're at a con together.

And it was fucking awesome to finally see Ticer again. Absolutely love that guy. He's such an awesome roommate.

As well as Tobias who I hadn't seen since RF last year. Very glad to see him again as well.

So that's pretty much it. FWA was very much a mixed bag for me; some things good, some things bad. I would like to come to this con again, specifically because I know so many people that go, but I'm sorry to say I will not be returning if it's in the same hotel, which I'm fairly certain it will be. It really makes me wish I could've attended FWA when it was in the previous hotel. But we'll see what happens for this con in the future.

Here's my latest mix, my demo for Rainfurrest this year. It's actually taken from a much larger mix that I'm working on, but was too large to use as a demo. Hope you guys like it!

http://i.mixcloud.com/CC0ZO6

http://db.tt/fCj4Ms63

Alriiiiight! I recently got a new controller! It's pretty sweet, and I haven't been able to put it down since. I have to wonder how I went on DJing this long WITHOUT one, haha! I actually feel like I'm starting out completely new and fresh now; a brand new introduction to DJ Vally, if you will. In any case, here's the first new mix I've put together with new controller! Check it out. :3 http://i.mixcloud.com/CCU9ca http://db.tt/fVMDbVE7

Yup. That's right. Not even fuckin' around.

But today I'm going to ask the furry fandom for help. By now, some of you might have seen a few journals popping up about the recent troubles Radio Comix has gotten into. And for those of you who don't know, Radio Comix is one of the oldest and longest-running publishers we have in the furry fandom. And ANYONE who watches me should know why I feel strongly about this particular issue.

I'm a writer. And though I've never had my stuff published my Radio Comix personally, I am well-aware of the state of furry publishing as it stands today. And as it stands, the furry fandom has very few publishers. Less than you might think. So, as a writer, even if I never have my stuff published by THEM, it's still a major concern to me to see one of our oldest publishers pull through the unfortunate situation they've been put into.

If you'd like to know what's going on, check out the link - http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/h.....ve-radio-comix

Any help they can get would be immensely appreciated. If you can't donate, then please spread the word. Like I said above, keeping one of our oldest and longest-running publishers afloat is something that would mean a lot to me, as a writer. Not to mention, a lot of the popular artists you guys watch on FA have been published by Radio Comix as well.

Totally stolen from  ratherdashing1121


Where are you staying?
Westin Peachtree Plaza

What day are you getting there?
Thursday at 11:18 AM, then getting picked up by  ebonywolf99 <3

Who will you be rooming with?
 ticer  soboku  tobias27

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
ALL my peeps! I'm looking forward to seeing and hanging out with a lot of old friends, but also some new ones that I haven't met in person yet. :) This is the first big con I've been to other than FC, so I'm really looking forward to this :3

Will you be suiting?
IS THIS A FURRY CONVENTION?! You bet your ass I will!

Do you do free art?
If I dance or make funny voices for you, is that considered art?

What is your gender?
Bitch, I'm the D!

How tall are you?
5'7"

Are you taken? Are you looking for a 'mate'?
Single

Can I talk to you?
YOU BETTER!

Can I touch you?
No! Maybe...probably...depends on who you are or how well we click :P

How can I find you?
Yell out Rahne (Ronnie) or Valentine, tap me on the shoulder, message me on Twitter (@Rahnekallon), or call/text if you have my cell number

Can I visit your room?
Depends on who you are and if the roomies are okay with it. I've got a vicious (not really) tiger in my room who might maul you :P

Can I buy you drinks?
Hell yeah! Baileys or Rum n Coke, please!

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Absolutely! Just shower, please :3

Are you nice?
Of course!

Do you have an artist table?
Nope

Will you be going to parties?
NO! The parties go to ME! Haha, yeah, I probably will! I MIGHT be DJing at one of them. We'll have to see how that goes.

Will you be performing?
Fursuit Dance Competition! <3 I've got something very special planned. :D

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Scream out "WILL YOU BE MY VALENTINE!" or say hello like a normal person :P

What/where will you be eating?
The Metro Cafe, apparently

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
Maybe! Depends on what my buddies say.

Can I draw in your sketchbook?
I won't have one

Can I take your picture?
Only in suit please! Seriously.

What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Have as much fun as possible, fursuit for hours, hang out with my buddies, make new ones, dance every night, have an epic time :D And seriously, I will be at the dances every night, all night, even breaking my record from FC. I'm in for a LOAD of fun!

Hope to see you all there!

Hey, guys! A really awesome friend of mine,  rawkz0rz just entered a DJ contest to play at the Spring Festival, a HUGE event in his hometown of Chicago. Check it out from his journal:

Hey guys, I've done something new and entered my first DJ contest! The winner gets a spot at Spring Awakening Music Festival, a giant EDM festival here in Chicago. If you wouldn't mind taking a moment and lending a vote, that would be awesome!!

Click here to vote: #

NOTE: PLEASE only vote from one e-mail. I can get disqualified if they find people getting multiple votes from one person using different e-mail accounts, xP

If you want to help even more here's some things you can do:

1. You can vote ONCE A DAY, meaning you can help me out by voting every day from now until the contest closes, on May 13th. Put a reminder in your calendar or something to make sure you don't forget!

2. Repost this/share it/tweet it/etc. Sharing seriously helps!!! The more people hear about it, the more they can share it, etc. Who knows who your friends know?!

3. See the first thing in this list!! It's seriously the BEST way to help me out. One vote a day from the date this is posted till May 13th would mean 76 votes. If only 3 people do that, that's 200+ votes! If we can get a group of a little over 10 people doing that, we could easily get over a thousand votes. So yeah, if you're interested in really actively helping out in this competition, that is the absolute best way to do it!!!

Thanks to all of you who even take the time to check out this journal, let alone giving a vote. If you share this or even vote more than once/daily, I can't express how much it means.

Thanks again, and I hope to see you all on the stage.

And just so you guys know, thanks to all the voting we've done so far, he's now in 4th place! 4th fucking place! If we keep this up, we CAN get him to 1st! <3 And that would be awesome!

Hey guys, here's my latest mix that I put together a while ago - http://db.tt/HM6GzeqN

I think it's the best one I've done so far, since it's where I really started getting a feel for what I was doing as a DJ. Definitely a big step from my last one, and one I can say I'm truly happy with, though I obviously still have a lot to learn. But yeah, check it out!

Haha, an FC recap two months after the con is over? Why not? XD

As you all know, I went to FC this year, for the third time in a row, and I have to say, it was a fucking BLAST! It was my fifth con overall, and I can honestly say I have NEVER had this much fun at a convention! This marks the second year Further Confusion has been in the San Jose Convention Center, and it was like night and day compared how things were last year. Things were infinitely better this year. Everyone remembers how awful the Hilton was last year, but they truly learned from their mistakes, and I've even read that some people were SO happy with them this year, that they plan to permanently stay in the Hilton for every FC onwards! Woo! Congrats to the staff of that hotel stepping up their service! I still stayed in the Marriott, however, just because that's where everything happens.

I got to do soooo much at this con. And I'm extremely happy to say fursuiting was also a blast. Thanks to  fluke's new eyes he put into Valentine, I could see perfectly, with no fogging. I think I suited about 10-13 hours a day, each day. And I was at the dances every fucking night! Sunday night alone, I must've danced on stage 4-5 times! I was so exhausted and constantly backstage taking a break, haha. People were running to get me water again and again. :P And on Saturday, I got the chance to go to Frolic! Finally! I've wanted to for ages, and I'm happy to say it was also a lot of fun, despite how crowded it was. And it was only made all the better that  akonite was playing upstairs that night, because he is hands down my favorite DJ in this fandom.  tekfox was playing downstairs at the same time, and he was pretty awesome as well. :) His own set, along with that of  rawkz0rz was reserved for Sunday, though, where they BOTH rocked the dance floor during their sets, culminating in one of the best dances I've EVER been to. Other highlights were dancing with Tek Fox during Akonite and Thumper's duel set, which was AWESOME, then rocking out to  tibolf's set soon after that. :3 And dancing with so many other people, including Artie and Duke, you guys have NO idea how much I enjoyed that. :) The Dead Dog dance was...balls, though. But fortunately, some DJ set up his stuff all the way down the hallway and played his OWN set, which was where the real party was. And I have to say, it absolutely MADE my night being there with Tibolf,  fuzzyzf and Thumper. And dancing with Tibolf was so much fucking fun. :3 That alone was worth going to the Dead Dog. :D

Also, TwerkCon2013! :P

Not only that, but the fursuit dance competition was AMAZING this year! Everyone remembers how poor the dance comp was last year at FC, to the point where a lot of people started to look down on it. But I'm happy to say, again, it was like night and day. A huge thanks needs to go to  charmhusky and  moka for how well they ran it. And of course, Valentine was there in full force with the other dancers. I remember feeling so fucking nervous about my dance, anxious and I just didn't know how I was gonna do when it was my turn. But what I love about the dancer furs is that we really are a family, because everyone is there supporting each other. Being backstage with those guys is a feeling I've never felt before, because everyone is cheering for you, encouraging you, hoping you'll do well, and...I think that's what a dancing community is all about. And when I finally went up, I was still nervous, but had fun, and when the crowd started cheering, I felt so energized, it was incredible. There's also my epic, signature moment that A LOT of people managed to capture during my dance, and I'm honestly shocked that so many people got it at the same time, haha. I'm I'm also incredibly surprised and flattered by the amount of people who loved the mix I put together for my dance, because, yeah, I mixed that myself. So, yes, the dance comp was amazing, and a huge congrats to Sekki, Doryuu, Mangusu, Apollo, and Phor for placing. :3

For those curious, here was Valentine's dance - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Orq2EI-ocf8 Check it out :D

And for more con videos/dancing stuff, I found some awesome con videos where Valentine makes a few appearances dancing. :3 But don't watch them JUST to see Valentine, these are some incredibly well-made and well-shot videos, and I'm so proud that they were from THIS con. Check them out:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xx.....e#.UTJp4TBQHQk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K058kpG3EgI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DB9r0FCfAw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBfCkcpNGBY

And I would also strongly encourage you to check out the other convention videos that these particular guys have posted as well, because they seriously have some awesome stuff. :3

Aside from that, there are so, so many people I got to hang out with, and the list is far, far too long. But Skroy, Apollo, Doryuu, Rather Dashing, Ebony, Diggy, Kalypso, Thumper, Tibolf, Fuzzy Otterz, Divio, Charm, Moka, Silver Wolf, Chance, Rawkz0rz, Akonite, Tek Fox, Kodi, Artie, Duke/Oz, Yippee, Sardonis, Aero/Zef, Alastair, Dantee, WolfPupTK, Gaz_a, Vignette, Hakawne, Yawni, Windscar, DS, Corran, Ari Husky, Scribble Fox, Croc, Phor, and Howee...You guys and so many more are among why FC 2013 has been my best convention so far. Even though we're not in the Fairmont anymore, and even though I had an amazing time at Rainfurrest, again, never have I had this much fun, nor hung out with this many people as I have at this year's Further Confusion. I went to dinner with a lot of you, I danced with a lot of you, I hung out with a lot of you, I partied with a lot of you. Know that each and every single one of you guys had a significant impact on my con experience, and even as I type this up, no amount of words can really express how much I fucking loved seeing all of you. <3

And lastly, a massive thanks to Yippee Coyote for repairing Valentine's head, as well as letting me stay at his and Croc's house for the night when I missed my flight. I owe you guys a whole lot for helping me out, and I can't wait to see you guys again. :D

So, Further Confusion 2013, I would call it an epic success. Here's to FWA!

I know I'm increeeeedibly late to this, and by now, all of you who were or are interested in participating in the nominating for the Ursa Majors for last years artistic endeavors have already done so. But, I figured I'd still do it anyway, especially because of the fact that you can actually nominate multiple things in each category. Five things, to be exact. So, even if you guys have already chosen a nomination, you are still allowed to choose another! Here's all the stuff I have that's eligible in the Short Story Category:

*"Dance of Pride" by Rahne Kallon (Anthroview #1 and Fur Affinity, January/February 2012)

*"Black and White in February" by Rahne Kallon (Tales from the Neon Phoenix and Fur Affinity, January/February 2012)

*"Fox News" by Rahne Kallon (Tales from the Neon Phoenix, January 2012)

*"Trust Among Otters" by Rahne Kallon (Tales of from the Neon Phoenix, January 2012)

*"Caper Stripes of a Kind" by Rahne Kallon (Fur Affinity, July 2012)

*"Journey of Destitute" by Rahne Kallon (Rocky Mountain Furcon Con book and Fur Affinity, August 2012)

*"Inflight Turbulence" by Rahne Kallon (Fur Affinity, November 2012)

In the case of Fox News and Trust Among Otters, I am aware those stories were written and posted in 2011, but they were also published in Tales from the Neon Phoenix, which was released in 2012, so that technically makes them eligible again.

And here's what I have for Dramatic Short Work or Series:

*"Journey of Destitute*" (Fur Affinity, August 2012)

And for Published Illustration, I'd seriously encourage you guys to look at  nimrais' published illustration of Black and White in February - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7456620/ or http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9576450/

 keovi's illustration of Fox News - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7278535/

 tsaiwolf's illustration of Trust Among Otters - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7304386/

 jailbird's illustration of Dance of Pride - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7374252/

And for Best Magazine,  summercat's Anthroview issue 1 and Tales from the Neon Phoenix Issue 0 are eligible.

And I think that's about it! Again, I know it's pretty late in the game, but I figured I'd still say something about it anyway. And as I said before, you CAN still nominate other things even if you've nominated something already.

In any case, I still want to say thank you to anyone and everyone who takes the time to read my stories, comment on them, favorite them, or anything. And not just me, but all the fandom's authors. It's something we, or at least I, truly appreciate. :)

For weeks I've been going on about posting this science fiction epic I wrote back in 2011, and I'm happy to say, here it is! - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9985250/ Go check it out. I think a lot of you guys are gonna like it. As I said, think Firefly meets Mass Effect. :3

It's all here and more in my newest story! Check it out - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9935917/

Also, next week I'm posting something very, very...different and unlike any story you guys have seen from me thus far. It's that one science fiction epic I was talking about a while back. Yeah. I'm posting it.

Think Mass Effect vs. Firefly.

(Wanted to bump that last journal off...)

This morning, I received the terrible news that  lemonadecoyote /  blueeyedcy had been killed last night in a traffic collision. Even typing this out right now, I'm so at a loss for words, so devastated, I hardly know what to think.

He used to be a close friend of mine, one who I never really got to reconcile with when things went downhill. But hearing about this...just...knowing that someone I deeply cared for is...gone...it's surreal, yet incredibly frightening. I don't know what it's like to lose a friend, to know that I'll never be able to see them again, talk to them again, laugh with them, hang out with them, etc. It scares the shit out of me, and I spent a good while crying this morning. Even now, I'm almost in tears again.

I put forth the idea on Twitter of having some kind of vigil at FWA for him, which was met with a really positive response, and I'm very happy about that. We'll see what we can get going at the convention, since I'm sure Lemonade would've gone.

Until then...

RIP Lemondde Coyote

Hey, all! So, if you haven't heard by now, I'm going to Further Confusion again! This is gonna be my 3rd FC, and I'm extremely excited, especially now that I get to bring Valentine to such a huge con. I've got some really high hopes for FC, considering how the con was for 2012, so here's hoping for an awesome con!

Staying at:
Marriott Hotel

Arrival and Departure:
Arriving on the 17th and leaving the 22nd

Mode of transportation:
Flying Delta Airlines!

Rooming with:
 wolfpuptk  grapefruitbat  utosa and  skroy on Monday

Who will I likely see you with?
EVERYBODY! Not really, but very likely  wolfpuptk  ratherdashing1121  doryuu  phorphaux  apollonighthusky  tibolf  divio  crygus  skroy  charmhusky  deusexbestia  ticer  kartfox  streakthetiger  alastair  mattpanther and PLENTY of others!

Con Plans:
Do what furries do. :P Seriously, though, meet up with friends, hang out, meet new people, go fursuiting, and dancing! You can catch me wandering around in Valentine throughout the con, and I'll be at the dances EVERY night, so it shouldn't be hard to spot me. I'm also going to be in the the fursuit dance competition.

How can I find you?
Look for a bright orange/creamy tan dingo with faggy blonde hair! If you don't know what Valentine looks like by now, what the fuck are you doing? :P Or just look here - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8518678/

Do you do free art?
Sure, dancing is an art and you don't even have to pay to see me do it!

Do you have prints/Cds?
Nope!

Will you be fursuiting?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwxnWi3mn6o OBVIOUSLY BITCH

Will you be going to parties?
Maybe! If I get invited to some, I might!

Will you be performing?
Hell yeah! I'll be in the fursuit dance competition!

Smoke?
No, sir! Never smoked anything in my life. Though I am very curious about hookah...I'd try it if given the chance.

Drink?
Absolutely!

Gender?
I'm a guy. :P

Can I hug you?
Of course! I can't get enough hugs when fursuiting. :D

Can I talk to you?
Please do! I love to meet new people. :3

Will you be at any panels?
Not sure if I will this time around. I have a mind to just skip the panels and just hang out with my buddies or go fursuiting.

Can I touch you?
Possibly. :P That depends on a few things. :3


Can I buy you drinks?
By all means, go for it! :D

How old are you?
24

Are you nice?
I certainly try to be. :)

Single or Taken?
Single, but eyeing a certain Husky. :3

Cliquey?
This question always amuses me. Just about everyone at cons is cliquey, and I certainly am to an extent. I have a lot of friends I don't often get to see, so I try to make as much time for them as I can. But that said, I'm always eager to meet new people!

How tall?
5'7"

Can I take pictures of you?
If I'm in suit, absolutely! Valentine is a total camera whore. :P If I'm out of suit, I'd strongly prefer you didn't take any pictures of me. Seriously. Don't.

Will you get anything commissioned?
Not likely.

How can I get your attention?
Yell out 'Valentine!' or 'Rahne' (Ronnie), or tap me in the shoulder.

Can I ask you to dance at the raves?
HELL. YEAH. Bitch, I own the dance floors! I'd be insulted if you DIDN'T ask!

So, by now, my readers know me as someone who writes almost nothing but romantic dramas. That's been the defining genre of my work ever since I started posting stories on Fur Affinity. And I truly love that genre, I do. Romance will always be my thing, and that's not going to change.

However, I have felt as if my work was becoming...stale. One of my biggest fears as a writer is that people will start to think I'm stagnating, that I'm basically doing the same thing over and over again with every new story I write, or that I'm simply not pushing or challenging myself as a storyteller. I don't want people to think that, just because I'm so dedicated to the romance genre. I don't want to do the same thing over and over again. Sure, if you go through my gallery, you'll find a couple stories that specifically aren't romance-based, but I'd like to give you more than that.

I want to entertain my readers in any way I can. As such, I've been wanting to step out of the romance genre to give you guys something special and different. Something you wouldn't necessarily expect from an author such as myself. Last year, I wrote an action-based science fiction epic for a publication that was calling for submissions. I styled it as "Mass Effect meets Firefly," as those were the two sci fi properties I was taking the most inspiration from. I was very proud of the story at the time.

In the following year since, I still haven't heard back, and I have no idea what's going on with the publication. But the more I think about that story, and the more I think about the lack of stories I put out this year in comparison to last year, the more I think about how wonderful it would be for me to just withdraw that story as a submission and post it on here for my readers to see. As I said, I want to treat you guys with something special, something different, I want to show my readers that I can deliver something other than romance and drama. And this sci fi epic is undoubtedly the kind of story I'm talking about.

As I said, think Firefly meets Mass Effect, and you'll probably be on the right track. There's plenty of action, with hints of romance and drama, but this story is definitely an action vehicle. I'm very excited to show you guys this story, as I do feel it's incredibly different, yet still recognizable enough to seasoned readers that you will all enjoy it. At least I truly hope you do.

Yup, here's my new DJ mix I put together last night.

http://db.tt/FITjy2Sa

This one is shorter than my first one, but I think it's better since I'm actually using DJ software now. I hope you guys enjoy it. :3