Good boy, Dogbomb. Rest easy, Tony.

Please forgive any glaring typos in this journal as I've stayed up for the past 36 hours straight. It's also really damn hard to type when my hands are weak and I'm looking through a waterfall of tears.

Where to begin...

He's known to some as Tony, and to many others as Dogbomb. But to me, he is, quite simply, the most awe-inspiring, wonderful, kind-hearted superhero of a man that I have ever met, although we've never met in person. He is a force of nature who will stop at nothing to brighten the lives of everyone he meets. Many people like myself have never actually met him, though he would not hesitate to call us his friends. He is just that kind of guy.

After being diagnosed with ALS in early 2018, he took it upon himself to see that the incurable disease that afflicted him would not remain incurable for long. Even though he knew he was dying, he constantly joked about it and stirred up laughter and a healthy dose of mischief every day since the diagnosis. He was also involved in many charity events, walks, and marathons dedicated to curing the disease. With the help of a few close friends, and the furry fandom as a whole, he managed to raise absolutely staggering amounts of money for the ALS Association. I would even dare say that the ALS diagnosis was a blessing in disguise, if only because it has led to him getting a massive platform from which he could help motivate and inspire others to do good. And by God has he done so spectacularly. And he has made many thousands of friends along the way.

All of that from a humble vet tech who randomly decided to say hi to a girl in a wheelchair one day, leaving her with a smile that could be seen from orbit.

Now, about that commitment...

I realize that I am not the best "me" that I can be. Tony wanted us all to be better, both to ourselves and to each other. That's easy enough to say, but not so easy to do, to be honest. So I've laid out a bit of a plan to improve myself and grant myself more opportunities to improve the lives of those around me. I sincerely hope it works, and I hope you guys will hold me to it.

For myself:

1. For those who don't know, I am very politically-minded. I have moderately conservative views, and I wish to share my views with the world, as would anybody else. Not so much anymore. I will still be following political Twitter accounts, as I do like to keep up-to-date on things there, but I will try not to let myself fall into a flamewar with someone over it. If and when I do comment on them, I will be as respectful and honest as I possibly can. Please call me out if I start being an edgy shitlord again.

2. Spending less and saving more, at least where it counts. Less fast food, more grocery store meals. I'll be on the hunt for a better paying job that affords me more independence as well. I currently live with my family, who are very much against furries. I love them, don't get me wrong. But I really want to get out so that I can take a more active role in the fandom. I want to meet new people, make new friends, and maybe even fall in love. I want to go to furry conventions. I want a fursuit. I want to shake hands with and/or hug Dogbomb's friends. Particularly Trip E. Collie, because he's the cutest pupper in the bunch and he has rightfully earned the title of Good Boy.

3. Spending less time gaming and more time socializing. Or cuddling my dog. This one's tough, because I have met a lot of awesome fantastic people through online games, and I can't see myself letting that go.

For others:

4. Donating more money to charity. From now on, whenever I purchase a case of beer, I will record the price. If I can afford it (and if I remember to do so) I will donate an amount equal to that price to ALSA. Please forgive me if I skip on this. I don't make much money right now.

5. Consumption of said beer will be done in honor of Trip E. Collie and Tony's other friends, and in dedication to the memory of the man himself. (That's an easy one. I love beer!)

6. I will make every effort to help others when they need me to, as my friends have done for me. In particular, I would like to thank Tony for being such an inspiring and awesome person. He truly is God's gift to the furry fandom. I would also like to thank Stixil Fox (twitter: @StixilFox) because, although he probably doesn't know it, he's an absolute angel as well. Even the little things he does and the jokes he tells really help to cheer me up when I'm feeling depressed. Don't cry, Stixil. No crying. Only wagging.

If I can think of anything else, I will try to remember to add it here. Please feel free to help keep me on track. Don't forget to hug your pets. Thank you. I love you all.



Oh, and one last thing:

"Go rest high on that mountain.
Son, your work on Earth is done.
Go to Heaven and shout
Love for the Father and the Son."

Do not waste your life by being afraid to live it.