I was just sent this fantastically written article about furries and I it really resonated with me:

"My First Furry Convention Helped Me Feel More Human"
https://intomore.com/culture/My-Fir.....d942abba3b4807

I absolutely love how he wrote the article. It's one of the best that I've seen on the topic and it mirrors a lot of the reasons why the fandom attracted me into it in the first place, and why I don't see myself leaving it any time soon. The community is so open and accepting in a lot of ways, allowing people the freedom to just be themselves even if broader society normally wouldn't accept them as they truly are. When I first joined the fandom back in 2009 I was welcome into it so quickly and openly that it was actually pretty jarring. There are a lot of friendly people in the community to where it's basically one big family.

Even though I was a part of the fandom for over 4 years beforehand, going to my first convention felt like I was introduced to the community all over again. It was unforgettable and entirely indescribable, and I feel that it was really the turning point in discovering who I am and who I wanted to be as a person. Of course, being a part of it in the first place was a substantial part of that as well, but being physically immersed in it and surrounded by such an incredible community, it does something that I'm honestly struggling to put into words. I'm not being pressured by common society to fit some norm. I'm just, well, myself. And, amazingly, even going into my 6th year of conventions, I'm still excited to be a part of it and always leave the conventions feeling refreshed and at peace with where I am in the world.

Well, Megaplex 14 is over. Had tons of fun, met some awesome new people and met up with some awesome old friends. Wish I had gotten a bit more from the dealer's den this year but there really wasn't too much that caught my eye. I did get an awesome new Splatoon hat which, unknown to me when it was purchased, is UV reactive! Just makes it so perfect! I unfortunately didn't make it to any Werewolf games and didn't really get a chance for other board games this year, but I was having so much fun doing other things anyway so it wasn't a bad deal. Importantly, I very much wiped the floor with casuals' tears had tons of fun playing Smash Brothers both casually and in the tournament. It was double elimination, and though I didn't rank too highly, I got knocked out by a fellow Ness and then by an amazing Snake player, whose name I believe was Rei. He knew what he was doing and had full control of the stage at all times. Playing against him was an experience in itself. If anyone knows who I'm talking about, I'd love to get into contact with him.

This year's Megaplex is definitely going down as one of my favourite experiences, right up there with Megaplex 12. I'm already looking forward to next year, especially with what's in store for the new hotel. Free breakfast in the morning, free alcohol in the evening, every room is a suite, and a full hotel buyout? I can't hold my excitement! I have a feeling next year's gonna be the best Megaplex yet!

Gonna be there! I'll be there Thursday to Monday, so if you want to meet up you should message me! I plan to be in the game rooms pretty often, so you're very likely to see me there. I know I'll be playing Werewolf again (last year we ended up playing Werewolf all night on Sunday night), and probably going to be playing Smash Bros quite a lot. There'll be a Super Smash Bros tournament on Saturday at 3PM, so come if you wanna watch me wipe the floor with filthy casuals' tears! Don't know what shows or panels I'll be attending (Kage's Story Hour is a must), but I know I'll be showing up to some of those. There's a Programming and Technology Meet & Greet apparently but I'm awful at meeting other programmers so we'll see how I feel when the time comes around, lol.

Also, hugs, snugs, touchings, pouncings, breakfast/lunch/dinner invitations, room/party join invitations, game invitations, et cetera are very much welcome!

fwa? yes
with?
room? con hotel
gender? yes
mated? yes
hug? yes
hang out? yes

see you there yay

FWA is approaching faster than I thought it would! I'll be there with my mate, . Contact me if you wanna hang out!

Dear friends, family, and fuzzballs,

my computer dun borkd

If you've tried contacting me in the past week or are wondering where I am, there's your answer. My RAM was faulty apparently (can't find any warranty information *whines*) and my hard drive has now started failing. The good news is that I've recovered all my important files, and now I have a dead hard drive to play with! It's more fun than it sounds, I swear! Or maybe I'm just easily entertained. Anyway, I'm probably not going to order any new parts for a little while despite the part hunting that I've been doing this week, as it's been kind of therapeutic to not have information overload every waking moment. I'd highly recommend trying it some time. If you need to contact me, note me! I might not get to it immediately, but it's your best bet on me getting it.

It had only been about 4 months and already my grandfather has joined my grandmother. Like last time, my parents and I had gone to Philadelphia to see family and attend his funeral. Two of my cousins didn't make it this time, though, because one had work and the other had school.

I'm actually doing quite well this time. When my grandmother passed, I was heartbroken beyond belief and almost couldn't stop crying. I loved my grandfather a lot but I never really knew him all too well. He was an artist, I know that, and loved a number of other things that I also loved, but didn't know about until recently. I've come home with a few of his paintings, including the last thing he was working on before he went to hospice. I'm just hoping that none of it got damaged in transport, and now I need to find out how to frame that last piece of his.

Interestingly, this is the first time in many years that I've gone to see family up there without my depression bothering me. Usually it would torment me and leave me feeling pretty empty for the duration of the visit, but I was actually really happy to be there and was fairly active. A bit of a digression, but still something I wanted to note.

I'm now back from there, and settling back in to normal life again. This year is crazy.

RIP, grandpa. Wish I had gotten to know you better while you were still around.
December 16, 1930 - August 28, 2014

Created based on http://meme.fursuiters.net/ and the "Megaplex Meme" that's floating around.

Where are you coming from?
Panama City, Florida.

Where are you staying?
The convention's hotel, the Orlando Airport Marriott!

What days will you be there?
Wednesday afternoon to Monday.

Will you be at the bowling event Thursday night?
I sure hope so!

Means of transportation?
Riding with , , and , with driving.

Sharing a room with:
, , , and

What is your gender?
Bigendered. Physically male though! Feel free to use either pronoun. I really don't care.

Relationship Status:
Taken by

How old are you?
21

How tall are you?
5-foot.. 7 or something??

What do you look like?
Imagine this without the suit: http://i.imgur.com/EPJRRsG.jpg Also, that picture makes me look MUCH taller than I really am.)

Will you be dressed for the Megaplex theme?
I won't, but I may have something else for it ~

Where will you be most of the time during the day?
Probably in the game room. =^.^= Come see me and CHALLENGE ME TO SUPER SMASH BROTHERS

Who will you be with?


Will you be suiting?
Nope, and I don't have a suit anyway.

Can I look or draw in your sketchbook?
Not really much to see in my sketchbook. However, if I do bring it, you may draw in it if you wish!

Can I talk to you?
Of course!

Can I touch you?
do it

Can I hug you?
DO IT

Can I snuggle with you?
YES! I FREAKING LOVE SNUGGLES

Can I visit your room?
As long as my room mates don't mind it!

May I kidnap you to my room?
Yay! Sounds like fun!

Can we hang out?
Definitely!

Can I take photos of you/with you?
I'm not very photogenic, but go for it!

Can I dance with you?
I can't dance well, but we'll see what happens ~

Can I buy you lots of drinks?
aw yis free drinks

Do you drink alcohol or smoke?
I drink very lightly, and smoke is a big "no"

Will you be going to parties?
Probably one or two!

Attending any events?
Don't know which ones yet, but I will! There seems to be a Brawl Tournament. If all goes well, you'll see me there! >:3

How can I find you at the con?
If you go to the game room, I'll probably be playing Super Smash Brothers. You can also try calling me at [phone number removed] to meet up!

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Pounce! Or just say hi.

Can we go out for a dinner?
I was already planning on it, so yes! Just give me a time and a place. ^.^

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
Definitely!

What do I have to watch out for, when I am meeting you?
I can be super shy and I have major social anxiety. ^///^ Other than that, nothing comes to mind.

What is the best way to contact you?
Try calling me! [phone number removed]. If I don't pick up, I'll call you back when I see it, but it's probably a good idea to leave a message and try again a few minutes later.

What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
My main goal is to make new friends! The thing that really made Megaplex for me last year was the people. I had a blast, and I doubt I would've enjoyed it as much as I did without the people that I met. Secondary goal is to not get sick from all the sugar that's sure to be involved. =^.^=

You look pretty tired, are you ok?
I'm a night dweller. Gimme caffeine or a Monster and I'll be just fine!

Last time/last con/last meet/last chat we talked so much and now you forgot my name? Why???
I'M SORRY ;^; I have terrible memory when it comes to faces and names, but I can almost guarantee that I remember you and I would love to talk with you again!

Will you tell me your room-number and can I surprise visit you?
I have absolutely no idea what my room number is right now, but ask me at the con! I'm not sure how keen my room mates will be to the idea, though, so it'll depend on that.

I have a personal question for the convention. May I ask you that?
Go right ahead! I don't mind at all.

It's that time again! After such and AMAZING time last year, I'm determined to go to Megaplex again this year. Who's going? I WANT TO HANG OUT.

After someone else made a journal of this nature, I decided to share this as well.

My grandmother passed away on the 16th. I got news on the morning of the 14th that she had a stroke and was in the hospital, and by noon we were told that she wasn't gonna make it. We booked a trip up to see her for the following morning and stayed there for a week. She was actually technically gone before I got there; she was breathing and her heart was beating, but only because of the life support that she was put on. She had almost no brain activity whatsoever. It was, needless to say, really hard for me to deal with. As soon as I saw her lying in that bed, knowing the machine next to her was the only thing keeping her alive, I couldn't take it. I just started bawling and had to leave the room. We went to see her again the next day to say our final goodbyes and during my time alone with her I just couldn't leave the room. I just couldn't say "goodbye" to her. She meant so much to me and it didn't entirely feel real that she was gone.

I have a lot of good memories with her and not a single bad one. She took care of me when my parents were busy. I remember her walking me to school after watching Pokemon at her house. I used to play her piano when I went over and she'd love it, even though it probably sounded terrible back then. She was someone who would accept you no matter what, and always knew how to smile. She could cheer you up, even with just her smile alone, no matter what mood you were in. We moved away when I was 7 so I didn't get to spend as much time with her as I wanted, but just the thought of going back to see her would always make me so excited. About 2 years ago she had her first stroke and hadn't been the same since then — she started having memory problems and other complications — so in a way I'm glad she finally doesn't have to deal with that anymore.. but it still hurts so much.

Seeing family was nice though. My cousins, friends of family, and I played games and had fun despite the circumstances of our seeing each other, and that really helped with coping. I'm also in better touch with one of my cousins, whom I love to see but rarely get to see. I spent time with my brother, who has been taking care of our grandparents for 2 years. I also got to see my great aunt, the twin sister of my grandmother, and though she was hurting the most out of all of us, I'm sure seeing all of us together made it easier on her. The time there was somehow pleasant, even though the reason for it definitely wasn't.

With the good and the bad, there is balance. This is one heck of a setback.. but there is balance. I'll still miss my grandmother like you wouldn't believe though.

RIP, grandmom. I love you and I'll always remember you.
July 29, 1932 - April 16, 2014

Got a friend giving away a free horror-themed watercolour painting, and it includes having the original painting shipped to you! He's an awesome artist, so go check it out!

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5185880/

Okay, I didn't think I would end up writing a post-con report for Megaplex. But then Megaplex happened. This is probably going to be long because the experience was just so incredible that I HAVE to share so much of it.

First off, let me reiterate that this was my very first convention and that I was SUPER EFFING TERRIFIED to go, even though I was still extremely excited. I legit almost passed out from a panic attack in the dealer's den on Friday morning. That wasn't fun.

Let's see.. um.. the four of us sharing the room were  chago,  roco (whom Chago and I picked up on the way down),  rondogator, and I. Evidently, I only take up a very very small portion of a room. You could seriously room with like 6 of me in there and there'd still be space. Very easy to keep track of my things though!

So Chago and I left on Thursday about an hour later than we should have but all was still well. Roco and I ended up sleeping during most the drive (poor Chago xD) and some mishaps made us not get in until about 11PM so we missed bowling, much to all of our dismay. Something else happened in its stead, but I'll upload something about that later. This was my first time meeting Roco and Rondo, both of whom are really awesome. Rondo and I didn't talk too much (darn my shyness <:D) but I think Roco and I hit it off pretty darned well! We had some interesting conversations.

Friday was.. very interesting. Had breakfast at the Marriott's buffet (I only got an omelette), which was oh so delicious. Headed over to the dealer's den after that.. and almost passed out. The entire con had so many people, so much movement, so much going through my head (and yet still so cool!), that a panic attack kinda-sorta happened. That was probably the worst of it, thankfully. I managed to find Chago again and calmed my nerves before going back in, where I met… … … chago help i don't remember her name. She was a dealer in the middle of the room and seemed pretty darned cool, but I unfortunately cannot seem to recall a name (EDIT:  KiraLoup THANK YOU CHAGO). I then headed over to the game room (there was a freaking game room!) where I met up with  mr.huggles and  rukario71, both of whom are ALSO really awesome! Huggles and I just kept on talking for a while. It was great. After that and playing some games.. I had a bit of an issue. Between my nerves and my neglecting drinking anything, I ended up sick in bed for an hour or two. I missed the pool party. I missed. The POOL PARTY. I was so excited to go there, too, but I was just not feeling well at all. I was feeling a lot better by Uncle Kage's Story Hour though, which was hilarious! After that, Roco, a bunch of other furs, and I all went to eat at Chili's, where I met  zember. He and I ended up going to his room to play card games for hours, waaaay longer than either of us expected. Wish we had hung out more after that, but it was still great. This whole day felt like a few days though, since it was split a few times from my bed rest. I'm not complaining! That just meant I had more days!

Saturday morning I was feeling pretty down, probably because I didn't get back until really late the night before, but as I was eating I managed to catch a familiar kroko in the lobby! It was so nice to finally see  wanikami in person. We didn't chat too much, but it was enough to cheer me up for the parade soon after. Which, by the way, I have video of it! Only half of it though. Apparently my camera was almost dead and I didn't have a charger so I only got half of the parade. That kind of sucks, but half is better than nothing, right? I mostly hung out in the game room (besides when I went to the shows, of course), and I met some people who make me wish I had the foresight to have exchanged contact information. I talked with one of them about games and game game creation, and he told me of a ridiculous game he was making. He's the boyfriend of someone in the dealer's den and actually wore a piece of paper that said "I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND" but I cannot remember either of their names. The other person was a girl that I played Super Smash Brothers Brawl with. She played Metaknight and wore a Homestuck hoodie and seemed pretty cool. If anyone remembers who either of these people were (or at least knows who was dealing that day (EDIT: I found the dealer list! Still clueless)) and could tell me, I would really appreciate it. I managed to go to most of the shows on this day and had a BLAST! The show Fosgate was nowhere near what I was expecting, but I think it was pretty entertaining overall. That night, Roco, some Jeff person, and I headed over to Sonny's where I met.. um.. some Jeff person. I gotta say, my mood still wasn't 100% but Jeff really filled in the rest. We ended up talking for a while and having a great time for most of the rest of the night. That caught me off-guard.

Sunday morning I woke up amazing, took my shower, and OFF I WENT! That morning, Fursuit Games was going on and it was ridiculously fun to watch. Ended up back in the game room with Jeff after that, and I gotta tell ya, he plays Ness in Brawl and is pretty darned good! So we played that for a few hours before he had to leave and I headed over to the Funday Pawpet show and the closing ceremonies, where Chago didn't even see me from 5 seats away and also after passing me twice down the row. Jeesh, boy, gotta be more observant! After that, I went to Golden Corral with another group involving Roco, where I met two pretty cool furs (Bandit and I don't remember the other fur's name but I'll get them sooner or later) and finally got to meet up with  foxxel. It being his first convention too, I was really surprised to have seen him at dinner with us. After dinner, the two furs I met and I had fun talking about stuff before parting for the night. I'm really liking going to dinner with Roco. Later that night I handled Roco in his suit around the con and passed out cookies that Chago made, which were absolutely delicious and everyone loved them. I also met up with some others that Chago was talking to, but I don't remember their names either and really wish I did. One of them was dressed as the Warden from Superjail. Best. Hug. Ever.

We left on Monday. It was pretty uneventful, aside from Chago and I chatting away during the trip back home. I got home and went right to sleep.

I really wish I got and remembered the names of more people I met, but I'm glad to have gotten the ones that I did. I had also planned to meet up with  bucktowntiger and he actually went looking for me too, but no such luck. Always next time! I saw  azflip and  sh3w0lf around the con too but we didn't hang out at all. We totes should've though. Mm.. oh, and I got a super awesome Haunter necklace from  leiliak, who is a really awesome sculptor! You should seriously check out her stuff!



I think that's it. Am I doing this report stuff right? :I

Hey guys! I'm heading to Megaplex! This is going to be my first furry convention, and I'm really hoping to meet up! Anyone else going? Gonna be rooming with  chago and a few others. Hit me up if you wanna meet up! :D

P.S. I'M SUPER NERVOUS SO KNOWING PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING WOULD REALLY HELP LOL *nervous sweat*

My cat Coco passed away last night..

I went out of my room to get a drink and I saw him lying the ground with my parents around him. They were trying to get him into a cage because he couldn't use his back-right leg and could only drag himself around. He probably started having an anxiety attack or something because he started panting heavily, and his other back leg stopped working. We called the vet and he said it couldn't be helped without a lot of surgery and a lot of time, so he offered to come into the office even though it was so late and.. he was euthanised there..

It was so heartbreaking to see him like that. I didn't want to lose him.. I knew that it would have to happen sooner or later, and he was getting old, "a grumpy old man" as my mother puts it.. but I still wasn't ready for this. It happened so fast. The vet said that it's common and happens rather quickly. It's essentially a stroke. I don't remember the exact details but a blog clot forms and their back just gets disabled. After that, no way to get out of it unless we spend $10k and send him away for 10 months (maybe it was weeks?) to the university for just a chance that he might make it. He's a stubborn one, though, so I bet he would've made it out.. but that's still a lot of money for just a chance. The vet even said that he literally gave him enough sedative for a 50-pound dog and it barely affected him. Also said "That was enough for a horse, buddy!" so that gave us a bit of a chuckle to relieve us for a bit..

I remember when we first brought him in. My father was allergic to cats but saw Coco and seemed to have fallen in love. He wasn't too allergic to him so he brought him home. This was back in.. 2002? He was a just a kitten. I remember him climbing all over my father as we were discussing keeping him. I was so excited to possibly have a kitten, so you can imagine my glee when we did keep him. Remembering how cute and tiny he was back then.. it's so surreal to think of how large he had gotten. He was overweight now and had arthritis and a very sensitive spot at the base of his tail. I remember being afraid of him, though, because his playfulness involved his claws and I had a very low tolerance to pain. I thought he was attacking me a lot of the time when I pet him when he probably was actually just playing. Maybe if I wasn't so afraid of him so easily he wouldn't have been so grumpy and lethargic later, but that's just speculation and really can't be helped. I also remember when he was still a kitten I trapped him under the bed for fun. I heard my parents talking in the other room about my mother taking her car to go out. I thought they were going out to try to look for him, so I quickly moved things out of his way and rushed outside crying to tell my mother that he was fine and in the house. Turned out she was just going for pizza. Then there's the countless times that I trapped him under a laundry basket. This was still when he was fairly active, so he'd meow and move the basket around the room. Nowadays he'd either just lay there or swat through the basket hole. And oh god, his eyes would get so wide when he was stimulated with a toy or just playing or something. Whenever he saw one of us peeking around something, he used to crouch down, his eyes would dilate, his butt would wiggle, and he'd pounce. It.. really doesn't seem like that was too long ago, but thinking about it, I don't remember him doing that any time recently. Just lay around the house in one of his favourite spots. I also remember playing with him when we had a bunk bed a long time ago. We put him on the top bunk and my parents and I were on the bottom bunk, and we'd peek our head out and he'd chase where we were. Or another time when I was on the top bunk with a fishing rod cat toy and I played with him like that. Later on he started catching the toy and chewed on the string so it broke a few times though. And then there's several times when I tried catching him in a box by propping it up and pulling a string when he went under it, and when I would try getting him in my blanket as if it was a sack. The latter one.. didn't work out well. It ended up with him either getting out before I closed it off or he was too heavy and managed to slip out the side. God.. so many memories of him..

Last night was so.. fast.. so sudden. Like I said, it was heartbreaking. When my mother got off the phone she said "you better say your goodbyes now because this may be the end," visibly trying to hold back tears. He peed himself on the way over, which might be why he was trying so hard to get to the other room, so that's.. really sad to me. The vet wrapped him in a blanket and sedated him, talking about how this condition works. Hearing him start talking about euthanasia and.. "what we wanted to do with him" was way too soon. It didn't immediately sink ink that this was the end. Whether it was grief or my depression, I don't know. I think I was the first to start crying, though. I told Coco how much I love him, and how much I'll miss him. I remember making the mistake of not saying goodbye to my dog, so I made sure that I did it to Coco. I gave him a kiss and.. the vet put him down.. We were all crying around him. Even my father was crying. I.. I don't think I've ever seen my father cry before. Seeing him cry made my crying worse. It really helped me to see that this was it.. that he really was gone..

I'm still crying over him.. I keep wanting to go out and pet his soft, fluffy fur, but then it hits me that I can't.. I love you Coco, and I'll miss you so much..

Sorry, I just really needed to get this out..

Happy New Year everyone! My resolution for this year is to practice practice practice! I'll get something on here, this year for sure! Anyone else make a resolution they'll never be able to keep? :D

From  SkyeThing who took it from  StealthHeart, because it looks fun.


Using whatever browser you have open now, write the first URL your browser prompts when you type each letter into your address bar. No cheating!

A: about:air
B: blockz.net
C: chat.deviantart.com/chat/MunchChat
D: deviantart.com
E: e621.net (I CAN EXPLAIN THIS ONE.)
F: furaffinity.net
G: google.com
H: hackthissite.org/missions/basic/8/
I: ip-address.org/lookup/ip-locator.php
J: [nothing]
K: killerkyote.tumblr.com
L: llamatrade.deviantart.com
M: maps.google.com
N: nyan.cat
O: owasp.org
P: panel.byethost.com
Q: [nothing]
R: rorroh.tumblr.com
S: secondlife.com
T: twitter.com
U: ulearn2.com (I honestly have no idea what this is.)
V: voice.google.com
W: witchforum.net/forum/index.php
X: xbox.com
Y: yahoo.com
Z: [nothing]


:3c

Accompanying image (click) [Old image got taken down for going against ToS: "The 'Photobucket' Policy." Joke's on them; I use Image Shack. >:3]

I sit there thinking of what I'm going to do later. "No sense in thinking about what I can't do now," I finally conclude. I reach over to my bag labeled "Ninja" in bright golden letters. A little tacky, I suppose, but it was from inside a convention grab-bag -- and was $40 on the counter. Besides, it reflected my style: nerd for life.

I open it up not expecting much new. Same papers, same books, same DS(es). I have two -- the new one being the DSi -- but my good ol' DS "Phat" has always been trusty for me, and so I decide to end my boredom with the numbing powers of a game. I reach in for it, move a few things out of the way, and pull it out. It wasn't until I started to open it did it finally occur to me that something was wrong.

I start to open it, ready for any passersby that try to snag it like usual. I'm still a little zoned out, lost in other thoughts, but I feel myself opening the DS. It doesn't open easily after getting halfway. My breath starts to shorten. I hear a "crick," and I'm in attention, an unsettled feeling starting to form in my gut and my head starting to feel lighter.

I stare in horror as I immediately see what's wrong: the right side of my DS has cracked and looks like it has been rendered unusable. I'm speechless, the only thing able to come out of my mouth is a shocked gasp.

After trying to process this for a few brief moments, I realize it was inevitable. It was bound to break some time or another, and although it wasn't at the best time, it was a lot better than it could have been. There are many ways that it could have died, as well, and I'm glad it was as peaceful as it was. I slowly and carefully place it back into my bag until I find a proper place for it, but not after one last press of the power button...

??-??-2005
01-07-2011, 3:25 </3

I know it sounds cheesy and/or pretty pathetic, but seriously, this hurts. D:
Spoiler: That last press of the power button? It turned on. I turned it on again in the picture. It still works, but I'm deathly afraid to mess with it.

Free "[action], I'm a friggin' [animal]" picture drawn live. It's funny and really cute. x3

Go here. http://community.livejournal.com/fr.....day/27910.html

Stoled from  ElectricTalia

Comment here and I will...
1. Tell you something I'll learn about you by looking at your FA page for 13 seconds.
2. Tell you which color you remind me of.
3. Tell you my first memory of you.
4. Tell you what Pokemon you remind me of.
5. Ask you something I've always wondered about you, and your answer has to be as vague as possible to keep the suspense.
6. Tell you my favorite thing about you.
7. Give you a weird nickname
8. Tell you what's on my shirt right now.
9. Challenge you to post this on your journal