Got back from BLFC around midnight last night, and definitely missing the con already!

BLFC was a blast for the most part, got to meet many awesome people, make new friends, and saw several suiters, artists, and makers that I never expected to see! I roomed with  katanaredwolf and her husband, and had a ton of people from both the Utah Furries and EIF show up for the con az well.

Highlights of the con: Almost too many to mention. Being a handler for katana was awesome. Met Doryuu, Leo, Telephone and Radio again, Kilcodo, Soki Twopaw, Beastcub, Kai, Ruby Coyote, Splat Fennec, and the folks from Bad Dragon at the con. Met a ton of lovely artists and people, and got to meet Troj, an old friend from the Fur Affinity Forums.

The suiters were all fantastic...and most of the suits were of spectacular quality.

Conversations with  crazyjoe1952 were especially rewarding...I must say I was very happy to see him bring so many of his suits. My favorite remains the Silver Fox...so much detail and so realistic. Joe is always a friendly guy, talk to him if you ever get the chance. :)

Dinner with the Utah Furries was great, hanging with Spacebear Sparx and Roo Fox for the first time was also a pleasure, as well as Tim, Plain Jane, and other Utah Furs that I'd been meaning to meet. From EIF we also had and in suit.

Speaking of suits...the moment I ran across  redlumas' suit I was impressed...never have I seen a spider -wolf before, and I was so amused I kept calling him Spider-Woof for the whole con. :) Both Lumas and bestie  takodawolf21 were super sweet, super awesome people and it was an absolute pleasure to get to know them.

Other things I loved: Fursuit parade was fantastic. ..though a battery in my camera blew up halfway through causing the loss of the whole first half of the parade video :(.

Music was awesome...found the courage to dance by Saturday night and had an absolute blast making a fool of myself along with using my Fox Powers to get Katana and Claymore dancing too. :) and speaking of music...HOLY FREAKING DANCE COMP FINALS. I've never seen people lose parts of their suit while competing and still BRING IT the way these suiters did. and were especially amazing!

Had many chances to talk with  askMomoMouse and helped build a box fort and towers for the kiddies running around with her, talked airplanes with and . Also hung out with a few times, and finally had the pleasure of meeting in his adorable suit.

 ArtemisBobcat joined  coreshot,  evoavulpes,  troj and myself for a stimulating discussion on geology and nuclear science, which somehow turned into a discussion on skiing and chainsaw safety. XD Coreshot and Artemis also had amazing suits, Coreshot's bomber panda is seriously one of the best Red Panda suits I've ever seen. Also had a chance to hang out with Kitami Kitsune, a good friend and excellent suiter. I love his button nose fox!

Most everyone was down to earth, sociable, easy to talk to, and fun. Go karts and mini golf were available, though I only videoed the Go-kart competition which Katana entered. Met  DoubleOFox there as well as  Sokitwopaw in his Lou Caribou suit..who hillariously trolled me in the process. Later met  Roguewolfclaw at the dance comp prelim, a suiter I've been wanting to meet for a while.

The food at the con was bad...and very overpriced...except for the Cantina...seriously...the Cantina had the best food in the entire resort. Johnny Rockets was okay as well and many meetups were held there.

Bowling was fun as well, I sqeaked out a win at the very end with Kitami and Remi Tentacle...and let me just say that Remi was super fun to keep running into and to hang out with. Also wound up at a room party at one point which we left pretty quickly after things got a bit...heavy...shall we say? XD Also kept running into and getting chocolate moose hugs haha.

The only real downer about the con was a few select flakey people who were friendly one minute and kind of rude the next. There were also far fewer hugs at this con than there were at FurFright. A shame really. Finally I wound up very ill on Friday, but made my best effort to get through the day regardless.


I know I am surely leaving some things out...and as I get some time ill fill in this journal with clickable names...but in the meantime I'll say the con was great and I'm looking forward to next year for sure!

Anyone else going to BLFC?

I'm looking forward to catching up with some furs I haven't seen in a long while. Post here if you plan on going. :)

....And the name is: Furpocalypse! I'll have to dig back into my archives to find out who originally submitted the name, but for now, congrats!

See Bios' journal with announcement here:

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5550548/



I like the choice for a few reasons. Firstly, it was none of the names along which lines were drawn between people back during voting, which helps avoid controversy. It's also close enough to the FurFright name to carry on the legacy, while being different enough to be new. It works. And I'm looking forward to seeing how it does in its first year.

Sorry for the long wait you guys all had. Glad they finally have it settled!

-Blue

After a long wait, details are fnally coming on the con that will be replacing FurFright. Have a look at Bios' journal here, and mark the date: Feb 28 the name goes public!

www.furaffinity.net/journal/5532329

....maybe.

Just found out about Miley Cyrus introducing fursuiters in her Vancouver (and perhaps other? Fill me in) shows...and not the cheap, ugly, poorly-done hollywood interpretation of fursuits...these look like actual suiters from the fandom itself. Take a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_765hhHOqY

I've been busy with organizing local meets. Has anyone else who's been more in touch with recent events heard about this?

At least one web website isn't happy about it: http://www.straight.com/music/58801.....ndly-spectacle But frankly I am. We're no strangers to controversy. But despite Miley's controversial image right now, gotta give her credit for breaking down some barriers, especially where it pertains to us.

Finances are pretty tight...and....really it comes down to a choice between commissioning a fursuit...or going to AC. I don't think I can afford AC. Not with a $600 airfare (!!).

Maybe FAU or MFF though. :)

Starting to hear this rumor being bandied about. For the upcoming Dr. Phil episode on Furries, it is being said that Evil Sibe was selected to represent the furry community.

Anyone know if this is true?

Here is why I hope it is not. Evil Sibe would probably have the goal of making his appearance a massive troll attempt, either on Dr. Phil or on the Furry community itself. However, the humor, if any, would be either edited out or completely lost on the uninitiated. A troll is not what we need right now on the Dr. Phil program...what we NEED...but sadly will not get because it doesn't bring ratings....is a level-headed rational person to appear on the show.

But Dr. Phil isn't about rational discussion...Dr. Phil is about intervention and addressing dysfunction. People watching it don't see a parade of happy families talking about how enriched their life is...they see people coming on whose lives are falling apart in one way or another. I fear this episode will simply be another diagnosis of "Furry is the problem."

That said, I use the term "fear" loosely. Whatever happens, our fandom will survive, as it always has, any time something like this comes up. Dr. Phil, being one of the most popular daytime TV programs, will likely deal us a very large blow, the effects of which could last for a long time...but...the fandom will still be here, and it'll be here long after the episode is forgotten, so take heart in that.

Just registered. I'll be at BLFC March 27-31, 2014! Anyone else going? Maybe we can meet up?

So, as 2013 has come to a close, many people have been summarizing what 2013 meant for them..and for me, 2013 can best be described as "The Year Everything Changed".

Coming into 2014, I'm barely recognizable from the way I was even a year ago. I kind of want to share these changes..and you're welcome to read..as it's pretty surprising how much one year could change a person. If not, you can stop reading now. :)


Here's what 2013 did for me:

January- Decided to publicly identify as a furry (outside of FA) for the first time. Was worried this would cost me friendships and respect...that did not happen.

February- My four year relationship with my fiancee from the UK comes to a close. Though we remain friends, a difficult adjustment period follows.

March- I move off of university campus for the first time in three years, and start a new relationship with a local fur. I get back into scientific things again, as well.

April- Move off campus completed.

May- Relationship with local fur ends. I decide to stay single for the forseeable future and work on building my own confidence back.

June- Friend of mine helps me realize that I suffer from codependency. I resolve to be my own man going forward and stop sacrificing my emotions so much for the sake of pleasing others.

July- Building on my resolve, I march in an LGBTQ Pride parade as a straight alliance supporter. I also wear a tail for the first time in public at the parade. I set a goal to conquer my own fear, and send a signal to any other furries that might be hiding in SE Idaho that they are not alone.

August- I move in with another friend of mine whose perspective and approach to the world is completely opposite my own...pure logic and efficiency versus my "from the heart" approach. This helps me learn a bit more balance in dealing with others, especially with difficult people.

September- I begin preparing to attend my first furry convention ever - FurFright

October - Stayed for a month in the Northeast...found even more self esteem as I navigated New York with relative ease, and found myself all over again as I attended the con and experienced so much positivity from the experience. I begin riding an emotional high that once again changed my worldview...now I know for certain that I want to help people in the fandom and through the fandom...and take an interest in charity work as well. I made a large number of new friends many of whom are still talking to me daily. I then attend my first furmeet about a week after FurFright, and start considering creating a furmeet back home in Idaho.

November- First week of November I set up East Idaho Furries on Facebook...unsure of whether there really would be many furries if any in East Idaho. I am surprised when 12 join in the first week..growing to the now currrent 35 group members. I fly home, stopping in Salt Lake for a day. In that one day I meet up with the Utah furs and wind up making about 6 new friends almost instantly, some of whom I now hang out with pretty consistently. By the last week of November the very first Fur Bowl is held in Pocatello, with furs of both Idaho and Utah attending. Several more friends are made at the Furbowl.

December- FurFright's demise is announced. I volunteer to help the replacement con and set up a name selection poll. This temporarily brought a lot of attention to my page, and brought a lot of drama with that attention. Lost many friends during early December over furry drama. By mid-December I had recovered though, and was actively seeking charity work locally. Meanwhile, after some recent events caused me to realize things about myself, I came out as a Bisexual on December 24...expecting to lose friends but losing none. I also expected to gain some creepers but that didn't happen either...only honest discussion about feelings ensued.

The year ended with an awesome furry bash in Twin Falls celebrating the arrival of 2014..surrounded by people who a year ago I had never met. A year ago I would have been afraid to discuss being a furry. Now...I run a fur group, wear a tail in public, and am an out of the closet bisexual. This year definitely changed me..
and for the better I feel!

......yeah there goes my productivity for the next few weeks. XDD

http://www.housepetscomic.com/


Anthro comic! :D

Saw that my friend  nashida had posted a meme and decided to fill it out too.

In the meantime, Merry Christmas you guys. Thanks for sticking around. :)


AGE MEME

[x] You know how to make a pot of coffee.
[x] You keep track of dates using a calendar.
[ ] You own a credit card.
[ ] You know how to change the oil in a car.
[x] You've done your own laundry.
[x] You can vote in an election.
[x] You can cook for yourself.
[x] You think politics are interesting

TOTAL SO FAR:6

[x] You show(ed) up for school late a lot.
[ ] You always carry a pen/pencil in your bag/purse/pocket.
[ ] You've never gotten a detention.
[x] You have forgotten your own birthday.
[ ] You like to take walks by yourself.
[x] You know what credibility means, without looking it up.
[x] You drink caffeine at least once a week.

TOTAL SO FAR: 10

[x] You know how to do the dishes.
[ ] You can count to 10 in another language.
[x] When you say you're going to do something you USUALLY do it.
[x] You can mow the lawn.
[x] You study even when you don't have to.
[x] You have hand washed a car before.

TOTAL SO FAR: 15

[x] You can spell experience, without looking it up.
[ ] The people at Starbucks know you by name.
[x] Your favorite kind of food is take out.
[x] You can go to the store without getting something you don't need.
[x] You understand political jokes the first time they are said.
[x] You can type pretty quick.

TOTAL SO FAR: 20

[ ] Your only friends are from your place of employment.
[ ] You have been to a Tupperware party.
[x] You have realized that practically no one will take you seriously unless you are over the age of 25 and have a job.
[x] You have more bills than you can pay.
[x] You have been to the beach.
[x] You use the internet every day.
[x] You have been outside of your home country 3 or more times.
[ ] You make your bed in the morning.

TOTAL SO FAR: 25

[x] You have filed a tax return
[x] You have used a pay phone
[x] You have been served alcohol without being ID'd
[ ] You have purchased stamps at the grocery store
[x] You have purchased a lottery ticket
[x] You still have and use a VCR

Total: 30

Real Age: 28

Never done one of these before so feel free to ask me things. :)

Friend of mine shared this link with me last night...and all I can say is that for those who wish to bring their character to life in even more ways than suiting, this is a WAY cool idea!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/facerig

More info: www.facerig.com/

This program on Indiegogo needs your support! What it does is render your motions and expressions on webcam (such as on Skype calls) to a 3D model of your character. That means you can see and experience the full concept of visual virtual roleplay as your fursona or other famous characters! This isn't a cheap poorly made 3D model either, but very detailed! Surely this is a furry dream come true for many!

Take a look and help fund it if you can. But more importantly...spread the word! If you think this concept is cool, will you share it with your followers to help get it the funding it needs?

Disclaimer: I am not involved in this project in any way, I just think it's cool!

Hello everyone!

Good to see you again after the week plus of downtime. And yes, FA does seem to be a bit faster now!

That said, I decided to go ahead and create a Weasyl account in FA's absence...and my goodness I've been extremely impressed with it so far. Let me tell you what I love about Weasyl:

-Fast. Site is very fast, less bugs, and more intuitive.

-Folders. No more need to create separate accounts for separate characters, fursuiting, etc...Weasyl has a Folders feature similar to DeviantArt, and displays those folders right on your main profile page.

Here's how to create a folder: After setting up your account, simply go to "Settings", and then click on "Submission Folders". To create a parent folder, simply type a title into into the "Folder Title" box, and then click "Create Folder". To create sub-folders, now use the drop-down box titled "Parent Folder" and select the parent you just created. Now type a new title into the "Folder Title" box, and "Create Folder". Now you've created a parent and a child folder! You can also create children of child folders!

-Upload Multimedia and Youtube videos!! - Ever done any kind of work with music, videos, or have some videos on sites like Youtube and Vimeo that you'd like to share with your furry friends? You can upload and embed all of that work on Weasyl, which means your Youtube channel can now be featured on your art gallery? How COOL is that? And for the musicians among us, upload your music files like you would on FA!

-Friends! Weasyl features a really cool "Add Friend" feature, which like Facebook, allows you to manage WHO can see certain things you might not want the general public to see, or read, on your gallery or in your Journals! By having the ability to add friends and make friends, the user gets the added extra layer of privacy that they wouldn't otherwise have on FA, where everything is essentially public!

-Characters - You can create BIO PAGES for your characters so that anyone and everyone can easily find art and references related to your character creations!

-Less Artifacting - PNG uploads do not suffer from the horrible compression that FA imposes on uploads here.

-Familiarity with FA - There are many Weasyl features that take their cues from what we are already used to on FA. Editing your profile presents you with a page very similar to FA's profile editing page. Adding tags also works similarly to FA, and much of the formatting we're used to also shares commonality with this site. This makes the transition much easier. Weasyl also features filters just like FA, which you can tweak here: http://www.weasyl.com/control/editpreferences

-Custom Thumbnails - While FA has the ability to upload a custom thumbnail, Weasyl allows you to do both...either upload your own or, drag and crop a thumbnail right from the image itself...giving you more flexibility in how your image appears on the main page and in your gallery.

-Banner Images - Want to make your profile look even cooler? Create a custom banner for it! This neat feature helps you display a bit more of your art and creativity right on your profile page. :)

-Growing - Weasyl is growing exponentially. In the time that FA was down, over 12,000 people migrated to the site, per day, and that number is climbing. I have also received more hits on my gallery over there than I did on my other backup account on SoFurry. This makes Weasyl the clear alternative to FA and DeviantArt.


Finally, and most importantly:

-The leadership:

Weasyl features several checks and balances to prevent moderator abuse. No more "if you don't like it then leave" attitudes from the leadership. Got a problem with a feature on the site? Talk to a Weasyl developer and it might be fixed within 5 minutes. Got a feature request? Send a quick Tweet over to WeasylDev and they will respond within minutes, often adding the feature right then and there. The site is still technically in Beta and those who run the site and write its code are eager to make the site as user-friendly and intuitive as possible. Never have I seen an art site run with such a user focus. I am thoroughly and completely impressed with the leadership of Weasyl!

To talk to a Weasyl developer and receive a response quickly, simply go here: http://twitter.com/WeasylDev

Also, when Weasyl has to take the site down for maintenance, they do it in the middle of the night, and so far, seem to have their act together in getting most things taken care of in a timely fashion. No 9-day outages for this site! :D


In fact, the only controversial thing I've encountered is that Weasyl "encourages" people to add art that was not drawn by them, but rather drawn for them, into things called "Collections". This prevents duplicate uploads. Many people don't like the idea of not being able to upload art that was created for them...but...what most people realize, is that you are not required to use the Collections feature. It is only a suggestion, and users are welcome to upload gift art, commissions, and other art that was drawn for them, into their gallery, provided the original artist is okay with that. That's the same as here at FA!


But....I don't want to move...all of my watchers and friends are on FA, and I don't want to upload to a dead website

Well, good news! There's a handy little tool right here to help you find your existing watchers and people you watch who might be on Weasyl!

http://projects.weasyl.com/soft/

Simply input your username from FA and Weasyl, then copy your whole list of watchers into the box. Then watch Weasyl do the work for you as it attempts to locate your friends on Weasyl!


Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, we are in the midst of a mass-migration to Weasyl, so if your friends aren't on there yet...invite them! As the site grows you won't have to worry about things being "quiet."


Okay, okay...but I have a HUGE gallery and I just don't feel like re-posting everything, it would take days! And even if I did, I don't really want to have to take care of TWO art galleries at once!


Again, Weasyl has developed a fantastic tool for you to use in which you can not only manage both galleries with ease, but also post your existing FA (and DeviantArt) uploads to Weasyl without ever having to re-upload a single file!

Check out Waxpost, an extention for Google Chrome, at this link: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/.....l=en&gl=US

This FREE addon for Chrome works as follows:

When you open up an image in your FA or DA gallery, a little icon with the Weasyl logo appears in the upper right corner of your browser, right next to your Chrome Bookmark "star". Click that little icon, and immediately your image is uploaded to Weasyl as a new tab opens. In the new tab, all information including your image description, tags, and even the title of the artwork are automatically filled in, based on what was on your FA or DA image! No re-typing of tags titles or descriptions!

You can then select a folder on your Weasyl gallery to upload the artwork to, then select a custom thumnail, and voila...your art is copied to Weasyl with no headache and no fuss involved. The site uploads directly from your FA or DA image, you never have to find the original image on your hard drive. :)


In this way, you can continue to upload to FA, and then simply transfer the upload to Weasyl. Manage two galleries in barely more time than it takes to manage the one, and still snag all of your followers who may have migrated to Weasyl themselves! It's win-win for everyone. :D


There are other Weasyl projects available, as developers of the site create and share tools to make it easier for all of us to use the site. Those tools can be found here: http://projects.weasyl.com/


Wait...do you work for Weasyl or something? Why do you care?

Nope, I don't work for Weasyl. But I have listened to lots of my friends in the FA community wish for better leadership, a more reliable site, a cleaner interface, and the ability to make suggestions and actually see them implemented. Weasyl fits that bill, and so now I'm spreading the word. If you haven't noticed from my past activities, I tend to be something of an organizer in our community, running groups and spreading news, and this is my attempt to spread awareness of what is shaping up to be the clear alternative to FA!

I hope you'll give it a try, and if you do, please feel free to let me know you signed up so that I can follow and friend you there! My Weasyl profile can now be found in my profile information above, as well as here:

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


Happy uploading!

Was listening to this just now...and thought...man...this is a really good track to share. Very uplifting tone and just...good for moving forward.

Have a listen? You might like it. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72vZWR_7eis

As some of you may know the last few days I've been kinda deflated over the way things went awry recently, but I just want to thank those of you who took the time to write, note, or IM me to offer their support.

As always, my first and foremost concern is the people that make up this fandom, and it's very important to me personally to not only make my best effort at being a good friend to everyone, but to also help where I can. Recent efforts were an extension of that, and it means a great deal to me that many recognized the intent for what it was.

Thanks so much. And I hope that in the future I can assist in other ways, and continue to be a good friend to those of you who went out of your way to be a good friend to me. I came out of this feeling very damaged, but thanks to your support, I'm feeling much better.

As some will know, I don't like drama, and don't like to fuel it...but I feel that there are always those times when even the strongest among us face moments of weakness in which they need the support of their friends.

I am not above anyone else, I'm just another fur trying to do some good in the community, and like anyone else I too have my emotions that sometimes take away from the larger goals at hand. This isn't weakness, it's simply being human after all. Thank you for understanding this.

News!

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5317868/


Tonight the former members of FurFright staff came together and selected a name for the new convention, which will be revealed in two weeks time to allow things to settle down, as well as to allow paperwork to process and avoid any potential name squatters.

Additionally, $1,500 was donated from the community towards the con setup, which of course means that the con is a GO officially!

I do not know the name of the new con. Only staff know the final selection. I am glad there will be time to allow things to blow over before it's announced.

Due to increasing drama, voting has terminated at this time. Staff has instead chosen to select a name by board decision tonight.


In the meantime, $940 of the $1,000 goal towards covering filing fees for 2014 convention space has been reached. Only $60 to go before we have our new con. :)


See this journal here for continuing updates:

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5312493/

Okay. Everyone...just...stop, for a moment, and let's talk.

I am hearing now massive reports of fights all over twitter and hordes of pissed off people over the way things are being handled with the replacement of FurFright.

We've got two days until the papers need to be filed, so let's discuss your concerns.



First and foremost...I want to describe my role here:


Initially, I had seen the twitter discussion regarding name ideas for the new con, and put my two cents in. However some, myself included, felt that it would be more fair to have a vote in a more open space than a twitter thread.

I offered up an FA poll, as I had access to large amounts of contacts for the last FurFright, thanks to those friends I made at the con and others who contributed to the Fursuit ID project. This seemed more fair, and the idea was endorsed. Hence the public polling over the last two days.

Because of time constraints and the need to choose a name quickly, the poll was organized as a three day thing...with open voting the first day, finalist voting on the second, and then con staff making the final decision after reviewing any trademark or copyright issues on the third. That would keep us on schedule.

Where I admittedly went wrong was with (no offense) agreeing to the suggestion of a third round of voting with reset vote totals due to multiple changed votes and names that had to be removed towards the end. In hindsight, it would have been better to simply inform those that voted for FurightFest that the name was problematic and that they could revote. While the idea to have a third round was not mine, I apologize for not forseeing the problems it would cause.



Finally...I am only a volunteer. I did this because I wanted to help keep the FF community together...and hold on to that feeling that FurFright instilled in me to go back to Idaho and start charity work and create a fur meet where there was none before.

Since I had resources, I wanted to put them to good use to help you, the Furry community, come together and pitch in as a family of friends in preserving our con. It seems, unfortunately, that this original intent has been overshadowed by infighting and disagreement.

So...I turn it back over to you. I feel as if I've come out of this having lost some of the good feelings I left FF with, and definitely having lost some friends as well. It truly pains me to see friendships strained over what was meant to be a positive community effort. :(

It has been suggested that an offsite, anonymous poll with a wider reach be formed to select the new con name. Considering how many have already voted several times, I wonder if there would be a backlash if we started over, using all of the ideas suggested so far, for the public poll. I'm open to your suggestions...though honestly considering handing the job over to someone else at this point, especially where my integrity has been called into question (for me, an accusation I do not take lightly at all, especially considering the positive intent behind my efforts).


It also bothers me intensely that by not being a full-time New England resident, people are upset that I'm even involved in the effort. To be honest, this hurts and surprises me a great deal considering how many friends I made at the con...and I don't think help should be refused, regardless of where it's from, so long as the person has the right intent and goals in mind...which was, and is...to properly represent a New England con. Likewise, name suggestions came from all over, not just from me...but a majority were suggested by none other than New England residents. As far as proper representation goes, I think I did a pretty good job of contacting everyone I could who came to the con itself (I contacted over 500 people). But it is falling back on me that some of the more regional New England names are losing out to more vague names.



Seeing us all come together to save the con was something to be admired. But this...drawing lines in the sand and bickering and excluding people....this isn't the spirit of FurFright....it wasn't the spirit of this effort. I'm sad that it's come to this. And frankly...if this is how it's going to be then I'd rather have no part of it. I appreciate the good feelings that FF gave, but seeing us tear each other apart over the name of the replacement con just....really depresses me when contrasted with how much we seemed to care for each other at the con. Surely we're better than this? Surely our friendships are stronger? Surely we don't judge over the pettiest of things? Maybe? I don't know. But I'd like to think so.

Hopefully we can all come to a workable solution. And hopefully our friendships can heal.

Regretfully,
Blue


Voting has ended at this time. Staff have instead chosen to select a name by board decision tonight. Thanks for all of your votes.

Guys!!! Check out this twitter feed!

https://twitter.com/bioswoof


It looks like BiosWoof may have signed contracts with the Crowne Plaza to host FF 2014 under a new name and management, and it looks like Belic supports the effort to create a descendent of FurFright to continue in the spirit of the con!!


FF may not be lost after all! Keep your fingers crossed!!!!

Just announced on FurFright's official Facebook. No longer a rumor...FF 2013 was indeed the last FurFright. :(

https://www.facebook.com/permalink......96948207011416


Everyone I met at FurFright....I want to keep in touch with you all and see you at future cons...can we decide on a suitable replacement? MFF? Fur The More? FA:U?


Update: A glimmer of hope comes from Nashida that perhaps another con chair could step up and create a replacement con for FF. This is certainly the most desirable option, and I hope it can happen. But if not...I'd still like to figure out which alternative existing con would work best for us all to meet again.

I really...really hope it isn't true that this was the last FurFright ever....

http://www.flayrah.com/5474/news-fu.....h-leaked-email


FF 2013 was my first con...ever. It was my first time meeting other furs in person. I lived for a month in Connecticut and connected with FurFright attendees at the Town Line Diner meet in Rocky Hill. I made tremendous friends and had my life change before my eyes.....and after coming back to Idaho started my very own regional fur meet and facebook group.

I found new purpose at FurFright...came home a different person by everyone's account...I simply cannot believe that it could just be gone..and still hope that this is only a vicious rumor.

To all of you I met at FurFright....what would be the next most convenient con for you to attend instead? FAU? MFF? I can't believe I have to ask...but I don't want to lose touch with you all.

It now becomes even more imperitive to finish uploading photos and video from FurFright, as well as finish the Fursuit ID Project....what may be the last in FurFright history :(


Someone needs to step up and replace this con...if only the folks from the Rocky Hill meet could do something.

I just want to post this journal to clarify some things, as I encountered three instances in the last two days of furries either unwatching me due to me watching someone else they dislike for one reason or another....or for not responding with a thank you for the watch soon enough...or other unrelated things that kind of took me by surprise. So let me just say this:

I generally like everyone until they give me a reason not to like them. I'm not involved in any cliques, and if I interact with a popular artist or fursuiter I treat them like any other human being whose work has earned my respect.

There are some artists and suiters who flat out avoid talking to new people because so many become friends with them JUST to see if they can get free art and stuff. I've never been that way. If I friend someone popular and attempt to speak with them, I treat it the same way as I would speak to any other friend who had a talent for art...generally encouraging their work and progress but not fanboying and elevating anyone to god status either. We're all people and I have tremendous respect for those who persevere with their art...but I dislike it when someone becomes aloof of cliquish about it, too.

I'm in this fandom for the joy it brings to both me and others, the friends I've made, and the freedom of expression I've found.

I also note that there are a lot of people who have some sort of drama going on...and frankly I don't know much about it...I just want to be a good friend to those I come across and who take the time to share in conversation with me.

If I actively observe someone being dickish to me or a friend, then I'll get involved. But hearsay alone can be very hurtful, as evidenced by the recent slander of Telephone...one of the most happy suiters I've met.

As for not responding...I have limited time at the moment because I work retail and it is black friday weekend. I am also doing assignments for college. So I tend to prioritize responding to people's comments and journals...keeping up with how friends here on FA are doing. I am also trying to get more FF stuff online since you guys have been waiting.

But yeah....I realize there can be a lot of drama in our community, but I love our community and the people in it, and I try not to exclude people unfairly or judge prematurely. And when someone does give me a reason to be upset, I don't lose sight that the vast majority of you all have been wonderful people.

I'm proud to be a part of this community. And while there are those who cringe at the idea of furry pride...I see no reason to not feel proud of being part of something bigger that has done so much good for me and the charity work I care about.

Peace to you all. I hope you have a good Friday. :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. :)

Sorry I've been so silent on here lately...working retail this time of year is positively crazy. Tomorrow I face the Black Friday crowds and it's gonna be quite demanding!

I miss you all and am so glad those of you who went to MFF had a great time. :) I have more photos and videos from FurFright on the way, but its gonna be a few days before I can get back into the swing of things.

In the meantime enjoy your Thanksgiving and remember to thank your retail workers this weekend!!

The holiday season has arrived and that means lots and lots of hours at work, but sadly less time for FA and other things...so if I am slow getting back to you that is why!

Couple of updates:

Fursuit Parade video from FF2013:
Still not complete. Hope to do some work on it tomorrow. Also, heard there were over 900 suiters in the MFF fursuit parade! WOW!


EastIdahoFurries:
My new group on Facebook now has 16 members, just had its first meet in Twin Falls, and we'll be having a Fur Bowl in Pocatello on the 30th! If you know any furs from Idaho spread the word!


Cons:
Ahhh all the tweets from MFF make me want to go next year. So basically its FWA versus MFF (can't do both), and BLFC versus RMFC (one or the other).

Anyone going to or have gone to any of the above? How did they compare?

Looks like Unthrocon is a shoo-in since it's local, FurFright is a given, and FA:U is almost set since a certain blue husky  nashida wants me to come :)

So thats at least three cons for 2014 and maybe up to 5. Depending on what I can afford!