I'm gonna go to Arby's. I want a Reuben. That is all.

For those who do not know, I am making it official.

My wife and I are expecting. Some time in May we should have our first child together. Life has thrown a lot of curve balls at us, and has made it very hard for us to have a family. If we wait and wait and wait until we decide we are financially able, we will be in a retirement home. :P So, we march forward with life and hope for the best. It may not always be easy, but we get to do this together, and for that we are glad.

This may eventually cause some interruptions in my work, so for those who wait patiently for new installments of Sirius and such, be patient, it will continue! For now, however, the next few months I will be trying to do more work than ever. We will see how that goes. ^^

Again, for those who fear such a thing happening to them, again, we WANTED this. I worked very very hard for it. Again and again and again, as hard as I could. It was wet, hot, sticky, messy work and I loved all of it. Tiger-breeding can be a vicious, brutal, violent, wonderful thing!!!

Those who wish to mourn our sheets are welcome to do so.

I have some wonderful friends here in Texas who have made it so that I do not have to leave, and given that level of friendship... I don't intend to if at all possible. My wife and I are staying put here in the Dallas area. We will continue to enjoy those friendships and will hopefully make many new friends in the years to come. Thank you all, you know who you are.

Eden, Silvermane, I mean you specifically. You two are awesome.

Here in Texas, it's been 100 degrees F (38 C) or higher for nearly 40 days straight. There has been no measurable rain. I cannot take it anymore. I'm leaving. X.x

In all seriousness, due to economic circumstances and an opportunity for slightly lower life expenses necessary to make it all work out, I am going to be moving, and I am taking my loving wife with me. Where? What lucky place gets a white woofle all for its very own?

Virginia Beach, Virginia.

That's right. Wolf + Beach. I'm going to a better place. <3

Those of you in Texas and surrounding areas that have enjoyed the increased level of happy that I forced upon this searing armpit of the country, I wish you all the happiness and marshmallows that Campfire can crank out. Those in Virginia area... especially in the Tidewater area... get your beach toys and towels ready, I will be there soon.

I like to get to these things as late as possible. So here goes.

At the urging of a friend, I gave the series a try. 26 episodes later, I decided that it gained it's popularity because in the world of animation right now, it competes with shows that are really just half hour commercials for crap companies are pawning off on kids. Cartoon shows these days are predominantly just marketing gimmicks, nothing more. MLP: FIM seems to genuinely be a show about telling a short, cute story and entertaining the people watching it. Even if they do also have associated products one might spend money on, it does not seem to be the only discernible function of the show. In a world full of empty bathroom humor, colorful characters that are just simple shapes made to dance around on the screen and bash one another, its rare to find a show that seems to have had some actual artistic work put into it. It's a refreshing change.

That said, I cannot understand some of the intense fanaticism around it, aside from the assumption that the most extreme fans simply need to be fans of SOMETHING and that's about the only worthwhile thing they could find. The extreme is about extreme people, not an extreme show. The show is cute, refreshing, and upbeat. I liked it, but I don't label myself as a brony. I just feel that perhaps I am a little better off than I was before I watched it. Maybe... 20% better off.

So yeah, I'm on there now. I like it a lot better than Facebook. A lot better. It's like.. the people at face book threw away all the helpful suggestions that their users made, and Google raided their trash can.

Oh! you know what! I bet they just kept all the suggestions that Gmail users emailed to facebook! :D

not everything needs a reason.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LujDQ_dwIAc

In fact... sometime it's just better if we never know the whole story.

http://singularityhub.com/2010/11/0.....ne-miku-in-hd/


I like where this technology is going. Obviously the thought of holographic stardom is a little out there, but consider this...

How many beautiful singers/artists do we never find on the shelves just because they didn't have the face or "look" for super-stardom? The thought that such a mind and talent could breathe genuine life into a virtual star levels the playing field a bit. I actually like the possibility this offers to let otherwise fully capable artists take their fair share. It's promising and encouraging.

Of course, the thought of getting to watch fully holographic, high resolution and ultra-detailed cat-girls bouncing around for my entertainment does not make me sad...

As a species, we are an inventive lot and come up with new inventions and new skills, but canines have, it appears, somewhat kept pace. Sure they are not going to be surfing the net anytime soon, but I sincerely have no basis to say that this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc9xq-TVyHI

... would have happened fifty years ago. Yes, I know its a series of tricks and there are specific cues for the dog to perform each deceptively simple task..

.. but so is beating a video game. :P

Those who haven't seen it yet, watch and enjoy, and those of you who can dance better.. enter the talent contest at your next convention. You stand a good chance of winning.

 yona seems to have been my 10,000th page viewer. She's gonna get a special Yona Card, autographed and sent to her, as a thank you.

I want to thank ALL of you who have supported me these past few years. I hope that I have improved a lot in that time, and look forward to getting better and better so I can share more with you all for a long time to come.

I got a chance to run around in the country a little last week. It was a lot of fun and reminded me why I used to be so outdoorsy.

I find myself wondering if it would be possible to gather a group of furries for something so adventurous as travel in that capacity, convoy up, wander around small towns out in the sticks, go mountain climbing, camping, swimming, running, cave crawling..

But how many of us would survive being subjected to that? Many of my fuzzy friends are not particularly driven to that sort of thing in the first place, due to lack of internet access, and more than a few are very easy to notice in a conservative environment like "hill country" as it were.

It's a fun thought though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ96x5vZ8wA


But I was having so much fun! :3

As a beginning artist, I don't have a lot of "constructive" criticism, but I see something wonderful in almost any piece of art that I see. It's hard to comment on that without seeming like I just pander to artists for the sheer personality merit of it, but I have been wanting ot just kinda.. go through the libraries of a number of the people I watch, and comment on a lot of my favorite works. To me, it's just not enough to mash the "favorite" button. I want to tell them WHY it's a favorite.

But I don't wanna seem like I'm being creepy-fan-boy woofles either. Does anybody think it's likely that it would provoke a negative response if I comment on older artwork of those I watch? I don't mean the dry, "Oh cool!" or "that's neat!" that seem like cut-and-paste responses. I mean going through a person's entire library, picking out the pieces that connect with me somehow, and explaining what it is about that piece I love. But for some of those folks who have been here a while, they'd be getting smacked with 30 - 40 comments all at once.

I just want to kinda run it by other artists before I do something like that. :3

- Alpsie

I have someone who I have blocked from posting on my FA and replying to my comments on my FA, but if I comment on someone else's submission, he feels it is necessary to throw in his two cents there too. I don't need to be told to be quiet or shut up when I am making a comment, and I had hoped that blocking someone from commenting on me meant I was still free to comment on others without harassment. Who do I talk to in order to have this issue resolved, or the user himself banned? I'm sick of it.

I have added some new abilities to my artistic repertoire, so as such, I am revising my commission prices to reflect that and allow those commissioning me to choose from my current ability set.

First, I offer commissions on two levels. Digital and Physical.

Digital commissions are done primarily on computer. These are either done in black and white by hand and then colored in Photoshop, or the sketches themselves are done or enhanced on computer. These commissions are for web-viewing only, and there is not a physical original that I can send. These are less expensive since you can make your own prints, but prints are obviously not the same as originals.

Physical Commissions are new to my selection list. I have recently picked up the ability to color my work with Prismacolor markers or color pencils. These commissions are a little more expensive because you are getting a signed piece of artwork sent to you which is a high quality original and because there is considerably more cost to me in the materials making the picture. All commissions sent to you in this manner are backed in foam board with a black-tape border. this is done to protect the picture during shipping, but also looks rather nice in and of itself. This tape is easily removed and the picture can be taken off the foam-board backing so the image can be framed if needed. Ordering the image without the backing will reduce the price by three dollars, but leaves it at greater risk during shipping. The commissioner can determine what kind of shipping is to be used, but is responsible for the shipping costs in the case of express or greater shipping.

All prices given are for single character images without background, followed by the price modifier for the addition of more characters in a single image, or a simple or complex background.

Black and White Digital Sketch (pencil): $10.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2937739/
Physical Commission: $15.00

Black and White Digital Inked Sketch: $15.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2140129/
Physical Commission: $18.00

Black and White Digital Inked and Shaded Art: $18.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2840890/
Physical Commission: $22.00

Background/foreground artwork for all black and white commissions are an extra $5.00. Highly complex detail may require additional cost, but this is the rare exception rather than the rule.

Additional Characters for Black and White images are an addition #5.00 each.

Black and White Background Examples:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3619869/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1452762/

Color Digital Image (Full Digital Coloring): $20.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3228742/
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3516714/
Physical Commission not available on digitally colored images. All PRINTS are $10.00, and are mailed in the same fashion as physical commissions.

Color Pencil Digital Art: $25.00
Example: (none yet available, coming soon)
Physical Commission: $30.00

Color Marker Digital Art: $30.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3645093/
Physical Commission: $33.00

Color Backgrounds: $10.00 extra, again unless extremely complex.
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3624619/

Additional Characters for all color images are an extra $10.00 each.


Send a note through FA for all commission requests, please. Commissions are first come, first serve.

1. Your Name:
2. Age:
3. Single or Taken:
4. Favorite Film:
5. Favorite Song or Album:
6. Favorite Band/Artist:
7. Dirty or Clean:
8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:
9. Do we know each other outside of FA?
10. What's your philosophy on life?
11. Is the bottle half-full or half-empty?
12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?
13. What is your favorite memory of us?
14. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:
16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace etc' malarkey) - what are they?
17. Can we get together and make a cake?
18. Which country is your spiritual home?
19. What is your big weakness?
20. Do you think I'm a good person?
21. What was your best/favorite subject at school?
22. Describe your accent:
23. If you could change anything about me, would you?
24. What do you wear to sleep?
25. Trousers or skirts?
26. Cigarettes or alcohol?
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
28. Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you?

Furry Fiesta, Addison Texas, 2010!!!

I will be in attendance. My wife's also gonna be with, at least part of the time. those of you who are going, I hope to get to meetcha!

Rawr!

- Alps

My good friend has hurled himself into the world of art. He's of course going in the opposite direction of his least favorite celebrity, being myself, and is going into a more material kind of artform.

Wander over there and give him some support. Support's what made me get off my duff and practice!

Check out Mikase's work here! go Go go!

http://www.furaffinity.net/full/3246394/

He's gonna make it in this crazeh world!

I get lots of questions, especially those concerning some of the writing I have done in the past. Questions about plots, characters,plans for future projects, my feelings on world topics, etc. Some of the questions are repeated among several people, so I saw this page that Zina did a while back, and decided i would get one myself, cause that was nifty. So, wander over here, and take a peek!

All questions left are anonymous!

http://www.formspring.me/sarsis

Try to keep them PG13 Please. Adult-level questions can be asked here. :3

Okay..  Lei-Lani recently posted an interresting thought-provoking article on one of the main sources of furry angst in the community. Non-furries treating furries badly. It was here:

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1064721/

But it made me start thinking about reasons that the furry fandom gets kicked around by the media, which leads to a lot of the stereotypes that we have to deal with, and a lot of those stereotypes are undeserved because it's typical media shock-reporting. But a few are not so undeserved.

Here is one that we share with a few other fandoms, including a lot of the sci-fi and fantasy fandoms alike. Here's the stereotype:

"Those guys are a bunch off overweight, smelly, basement-dwelling slobs."

Let's break this one down.

Overweight: A lot of us do spend a lot of time playing video games, eating pop tarts, and drinking mountain dew with little exercise to speak of. Our hobbies tend to rely heavily on the computer and the like, so yes, a lot of us have tossed on a few pounds. But, it's not the whole fandom. Still, we want our furry friends to last a while, so while I have this point brought up, let's try to go outside and get some fresh air now and again. It wouldn't hurt.

Smelly: Con Funk is REAL. It's not an opinion, it's THERE. Anyone who's been to a convention knows it. Standing in long lines to buy art, trying ot go quickly from place to place, having a few drinks at the hotel bar that night, then forgetting to bother to hit the shower in the morning. This is a pretty simple equation which ultimately equals blow-fly-choking stench after a couple days. Not all of us are like this, but if there's a crowd of us walking by a non-furry, they don't CARE which one fur out of seven didn't have a shower. Let's be tidy. Also, having more than one outfit for a four or five day convention's not illegal. I promise.

Basement-Dwelling: This one's a little odd, and takes some thought. But ultimately, it's not got anything to do with where we live. It's the idea that we don't function normally in public. We "act" in a fashion that doesn't jive with the rest of the world around us. So it is assumed we live out of site of normal people, and don't learn to act in any way but how we might on the net. Sadly, I see this is the case more times than I'd like. It's alright to learn manners, habits, and behavior that's considered socially normal. The Furry Police don't break into your house late at night and cut off your tail if you go out to a mall and fail to bark at the Nextel vendor. It'll be okay. Speak Spanish with Spanish-speaking people. Act furry around furries. And eat your dippin-dots without saying "nom" for each bite in the mall. You too, could fit in nicely!

Slobs: This is one of my biggest furry pet-peeves EVAR. At furry meets, conventions, and anywhere I go where I am looking for the group I am supposed to belong to, I sadly find them because they are dressed like it's laundry day. Always like it's laundry day. And it's really just because we don't have the critical "class" system that many other groups have. No one cares in this fandom if you are rich or poor. We are here to have fun,and the amount of money you have doesn't have to reflect that. This is wonderful, but seriously abused. First impressions mean a lot. If I go out to a restaurant, I put on a nice shirt, clean pants, a belt, and I make sure I don't have dirt under my nails. My hair is neatly cut, my mustache is trimmed and even, my eyes are both on in the front of my face wear they belong. If I were to be the first one at a furry meet, chances are, no one who didn't already know me could pick me out of a crowd in a nice restaurant. There ARE furries who dress well. They show up in conventions with suits, or even just shirt and tie. They look like there are there to make a good impression on someone. And we ALL should take care to do this, especially in places where furries are being socially SEEN. It is alright if you don't care what someone thinks of you, but don't make that decision for everyone else. There are those who want to be regarded as clean and responsible and socially capable. Conventions and furry meet-ups are SOCIAL gatherings, and in those kinds of situations, it's important that you think about what impression you are creating for the entire group, not just yourself. If the fandom is important to you, socially or even spiritually, dress the part. If it makes you happy, take care of it.

Folks, It takes ALL of us to change the public opinion that CAN be changed about the fandom. I'm not talking about the narrow-minded people that only believe what an episode of CSI said. I'm talking about the people who have to visit the hotels, restaurants, and other venues where we gather. THOSE are the people who get to form REAL opinions about us, and real opinions, created by actual experience, are the only ones we have not only the ability to govern, but the responsibility.

We can't shake all of the misconceptions and stereotypes, but there is no reason whatsoever that we can't, at least a little, shake this one.

Thank you.

As stolen from the journal of :iconlei'lani: who stole it from someone else, I think it's not a bad idea. Soooo...

I'm open for interview. I will answer any question to the best of my ability, so regardless of what it is, fire away!

This month, on http://www.Sexyfur.com the Sirius series will be updating with a new chapter. Check it out later this month. Not sure when it will be showing, but should be before the end of this month. maybe we can get back to a normal update schedule for it!

- Alps Sarsis

i will not be attending Oklacon this year due to insurmountable financial difficulties. It will take about two years to get things where they need to be for me to be able to go to conventions and stuff, but once I do, I hope to visit more of them. I like meeting my friends, and just hanging out with more furries. :3

Those of you who do get to go, have fun and bounce around at the various raves and such for meeee! ^^

- Alps Sarsis

I am again opening commissions in preparation for Oklacon in October. I need to make some extra money to be able to afford taking the time off to go. :3 Send a note to me if you are interested in a commission. Payments are to my PayPal account for sarsis@gmail.com. To clarify:

Black and White pencil sketches: $10.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2346429/

Detailed Pencil Sketch: $15.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2205726/

Add Scenery / Background to Black and White Image: +$5.00

Inked Black and White Art: $15.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2346487/

Detailed inked Black and White: $15.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2602888/

Digital Color: $20.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2184517/

Digital Color with Scenery / Background: $30.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2214236/

Additional Characters, Color: $10.00 Each Additional Character
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2184521/

Black and White digital con-badges: $10.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2602888/

Color Con badges: $15.00
Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2161595/

Con badges can be digital only, or you can have a physical print sent to you. Due to materials on hand, color con badges MUST be printed (and will be done on high quality paper on a high quality printer) Badges are in plastic sleeves with lanyards, or can be made to pin on.

Tagged by:  khanaar Khanaar

Rules:

1) Post these rules
2) Post 8 true things about yourself
3) At the end you must tag 8 people and post their icons
4) Go to their page and send them a message saying you tagged them
5) NO TAG-BACKS


1) I'm Diabetic. If I don't take shots every day, I go blind and my paws fall off. sometimes I eat sweets when no one's looking. I have to give myself more shots if I do. ... Sometimes it's worth it.

2) I love storms. Even like.. very dangerous ones. I enjoy photographing lightning. I readily go into dangerous situations "for the experience" and nothing more. My curiosity may be my undoing. :3

3) I hate Tea. no, it's not merely about taste. It's a deep, emotional, almost psychopathic hatred. I resent even being in the same room with Tea. if I could go back to any point in history, it would be the Boston Tea Party, so I could strip all my clothes off, and scream with delight as I rolled around on the ship's deck thinking about all the tea I sent to the bottom of the bay.

4) I got married in an Irish Pub during a televised rugby match. Our priest was pulling for South Africa. South Africa won.

5) I'm a manager at a security company.

6) I live in northern Texas with my wife, a room mate, a dog, and a cat. All are furs (including all three pets).

7) I have an unusual amount of animal affinity. normally wild or non trusting critters have a tendency to be more relaxed, or even curious about me, often readily approaching me.

8) When not talking with friend or playing video games, I enjoy reading random Wikipedia articles. I will start on brown dwarf stars, clinking included links to the next article that peaks my interest, and end on first aid for hemorrhaging, and then try to think, without clicking back, how in the world I got there. Pretty geeky hobby. :3


I tag....

 skiemoonstone

Sorry Skie. :3