http://www.facebook.com/duino.duck

I'm super tired and gonna regret it later, but hey! Come scope out some wackiness or something! It's a lame character account to mess around with and nothing more, so don't add me with "real" accounts and whatnot. Check that crap at the door, cuz. Yeah.

But yeah, Facebook, fun, ect. you know what's up.

Have you ever been reading a book or watching a movie or playing a game and having a good time, enjoying yourself, until they introduce a character who is so bad, so outrageously terrible, that it ruins the entire experience? It's the worth thing. Like how one bad apple can spoil and entire bunch. If the game was simply bad then fair's fair, but to ruin something good with one such horrible element is just depressing.

The reason this is on my mind is because I've been playing Star Ocean: The Last Hope. I loved Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, and this game started off pretty strong- interesting concept, decent if not cliche protagonists, good visuals, the works. But then the fourth party member is introduced: Lymle.

The granddaughter of a village chieftain you meet on the first planet you explore, Lymle is about six years old. Her voice is horrifically irritating, as the actress sounds not only young, but flat and grating. Her lines are also irrelevant half the time, commenting on how something looks "yucky" or "spiny," while the other characters explain what the object/creature is. She says "kay" after every sentence, which makes me want to stab my own eardrums. And in battle, she's supposed to be a summoner, which is totally wasted because the Cerberus she can control is pretty cool but I never see it because I took her out of the party as soon as I could. Not to mention her other main purpose is to be a healer, which becomes redundant as soon as other people learn healing methods.

Just... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zmnUi5NzTc Skip to 2:30 to see what I mean. That voice alone sells it. Lymle has effectively ruined this game for me, and I need to take a break from it AND her.

So, with my rant out of the way, are there any characters who've done this to things you might have liked otherwise?

(this rant is really sappy so skip over it if you want to maintain your vision of me as a cold-hearted dickwad)

I gush like this on Twitter all the time, but I really ought to spread the love over here too.

You guys are awesome. From the people who I talk to daily to the tertiary acquaintances and even those watchers I don't know because you never comment on anything, it's from the bottom of my heart I thank you for watching me, and moreover, dealing with my shit so often. I'll readily admit, I'm difficult to be friends with, and anyone who manages it has certainly performed a feat. But never before have I felt so involved, and really so loved, by a community.

I launched Rainer's page about 36 hours ago, and since then have gotten nothing but positive feedback. I'm flabbergasted. Even in the earliest stages people said they liked his design, but I never thought you guys would all take to him so quickly. Maybe I'm just hopped up on fumes over here, but even with all my showboating and shoving him in peoples faces (look just like this watch him if you haven't) I never thought the reception would be as warm as it is. I love Rainer- I love his design, his concept, and I look forward to playing him. And I'm just glad everyone else likes him too.

Honestly, the past two months have been a torrent of bad health and depression, and I've felt fat and sad for a long time. But the past three days have been a huge, huge turnaround, and it's all thanks to you folks. I'm incredibly blessed to be here. I know I don't respond to every comment, but I just want you guys to know that every time you fan my ego, I really appreciate it. It doesn't go unnoticed and its truly appreciated.

...and let's face it. I at least deserve it a little bit. <3

Lately I've been messing around with a new character, and after everyone seemed to really like his concept and run with it, I commissioned a few pieces of art and finally set him up with his own FA:

 rainerrabbit

He's a toon, a rabbit, and a happy-go-lucky boxer who gets hurt frequently. Only good can come from this.

It's still under construction, but I'll be posting the art of him I've accumulated over there in the coming days, as well as doing my best to flesh out his personality. Duino's not going anywhere (I'm going to ignore that collective sigh), so don't worry about that! Rainer's just a character concept I've had since I joined the fandom and I'm really happy he's finally getting a life of his own. :D

So go watch him! Hijinks will ensue post haste!

Had a shit weekend, today turned out to be not great in retrospect. So who wants to help me vent?

Two Stipulations:
-I reserve the right to not insult you (my time is more valuable than you are, after all).
-If I know nothing about you, I'll most likely skip you. Address this however you wish.

Leave a comment, get made fun of. That's all you gotta do. Step right up, dorks and losers!

So, at the behest of certain friends in a Skype call, I was urged to write up a description for an old rabbit character I've made up but had no art of. They also said to post it somewhere where they'd remember it, so a journal seemed like the easiest place. Ignore this unless you're Taiko or Dingoroo or whoever else who asked:

Rainer Rabbit:

Dutch Rabbit- typical markings. Black around the eyes/ears and from the waist down, white everywhere else. Bandaged often- a cross of Band-aids on his nose, a bandage wrapped around one of his ears, one wrapped around one of his feetpaws, and whatever else the artist feels like drawing. Worth experimenting. Only clothing is a pair of red gym shorts, and can often be seen with a pair of boxing gloves. All other times he wears traditional toon gloves.

His main characteristic is an "unlucky" rabbit's foot, where random stuff will befall him for no reason. Still a scrappy and tenacious person, he'll take the falling objects and explosions off the cuff. Picture Fall-Apart mixed with Glass Joe. And make him cute. :D

...well, it's a big deal for me, alright?

Figured I ought to do it before I talk myself out of the deal down the line. So I need to worry about the hotel situation first, and then the innate panic that comes whenever I leave the house compounded with my fears of cities, crowds, and having fun.

Whoo! Gonna be a good time.

Since I've been Skyping way more with people recently, I've been bridging the gap between text and "real" conversations a lot. Being someone who's always been much more comfortable with text, it's still a little unnerving, but so far everyone's been patient and I love everyone for it.

The next step is actually seeing someone in person, which is daunting, but as everyone knows by now something I'm working on. Introvert's baby steps, all that crap. But I've been curious about everyone addresses each other in person. Real names? Character names? Something else entirely?

I realize there's no standard, so it's mostly personal preference, but I'd like to see what those preferences are. For me, I always wanted a cool nickname as a kid, but never got one that didn't involve a pun about my being a ginger. (Those jokes are still hilarious, by the way. keep telling them.) So when I got into the cyber community and people started addressing me as "Duino" and not "Tim" I was like "MAN this is way cooler."

So I guess in person, I'd rather be called Duino, if only because I think nicknames are awesome. What about you guys? And I'm especially interested in people with multiple characters or who have different usernames and fursona names. This is a rambling question, but I'm sleepy, deal with it. Discuss.

It's a pretty reasonably-known fact I've never been to a furry convention/meetup/anything. The reasons are numerous, but thanks to a bunch of badgering from friends (thanks, jerks) I've come to the terms I'll eventually have to.

As fat as a first con goes, I'm looking at Furfright, since I've heard some decent things, and more importantly, it's close so I could just drive down for a day and it'd be cheap as anything. But the stipulation is that without a group to cling to for the duration of the day/con I'd be bound to have a miserable time. And heck, even then I can't promise anything.

The group who's convinced me to try my hand at going are all in places where their attendance would probably not be an option, so that leaves me floundering a bit. The question remains, then- is there anyone I know going to Furfright this coming year? This is more an idle "testing the water" idea, since I'm curious. I can't confirm my going until it gets closer, but hey, never hurts to plan ahead.

I think you're intelligent, funny, and a joy to talk to. You make me laugh and I really like your sense of humor. You may not be the best-looking but you look fine, and honestly, you could be much worse off. I thank my lucky stars for every IM you send me, every comment you post, and every doodle you draw me. I can't get enough of you and I hate it when you're sad. I hate it when you're lonely or depressed or upset. Because you shouldn't be, and don't deserve to be. You are amazing and I'm extremely lucky to have you in my life, as limited a facet as that may be. Don't ever forget how much you mean to me, because I sure as hell won't.

You guys know who you are. I love you, all of you. And I hope that you're happy. :3

Over the past few weeks my sleep clock has been acting crazy. The combination of class cancellations and late-night projects has quite literally nocturnal, and I really need to correct that if possible. So, after waking up in the late afternoon yesterday, I stayed up all night in an attempt to fix it. Now comes the hard part- making it until late in the afternoon. That's where you guys come in:

Entertain me while I slowly turn into a zombie! Have a good joke or a favorite YouTube video? Feel free to share! Do you enjoy RP? So do I! Are you tired of journals where I'm needy and beg for attention? No? Fantastic!

In the meantime, I'll be running to the store to buy some soda. Think I'll be needing it.

These are my favorite kind of journals. It proves people are interested in me AND lets me talk about myself. That's an egotist's double whammy.

Ask me stuff! Questions about me, my character(s), jokes, fashion expertise, whatever you'd like. Or tell me what you think of me! Also tell me something about yourself! Because I like hearing these things about you guys.

Honestly, it's Tuesday and I'm bored. Let's generate some conversation! :D

Hey guys! It's been a while since I did a "Free X" journal, mostly because they can get pretty exhausting. It amazes me how you guys clamor for such lame things from me, but I suppose if the price is right, anything seems appealing.

I also noticed earlier today that I hit 300 watchers, which I'm sure is a clerical error, since there's no way that many people care about my dumb stuff. But, since I have a free weekend thanks to the Hell on Earth of having so much due this past week, I figured I'd thank you guys for following me with one of my "Free Whatevers" journals. But since I couldn't think of what I wanted to do, and doing the same thing for a bunch of different people gets boring, why don't you guys just tell me what you want to see from me?

Ask me for a favor, be it something I've done before (insult or compliment, a crappy doodle, a dumb poem, ect.) or something totally new. Maybe a dramatic reading, advice, an opinion, whatever you can think of! Within reason, of course. Don't be afraid to be creative, either!

I really just want to say thanks to all of you for watching me, and for welcoming me into such a vibrant community with open arms. Like I always say, I'm hard to get along with, and the fact you all at least tolerate me blows my mind. You all rock, and I couldn't be more grateful for your support.

I was without internet for a day and a half and came back to this:

http://i957.photobucket.com/albums/.....ps7ba06ea2.png

http://i957.photobucket.com/albums/.....ps77aa76bf.png

...seriously, what happened?

EDIT: It's been resolved. Apparently I wasn't in on a joke. FA remains the same level of broken as always!

I'm looking to you guys because I'm both totally stumped, and you're all more creative than me anyway.

I'm taking a class entitled "Advanced Fiction Writing" this semester. It's exactly what it sounds like- creative writing. I've taken the intro creative class before with the same professor and thought it was great, though wound up getting very little out of it since my story and description ideas were all awful. Now, I have a short story- 1500 words or less- due in a few days and inspiration has yet to strike me yet again. If any of you guys have ideas, I'd love to hear them, since I'm stumped. The only stipulation is that it has to be realistic fiction. Other than that, as far as I know, there are no limitations.

So, to summarize: Does anyone have an idea for a very short story that could happen in real life?

This is a random topic, but something I've been reflecting on lately- I love video game pistols. There are games where I'll stow my rifle and carry the sidearm through town or out in the world just because I think it looks way cooler. If the question of offensive effectiveness was removed, I'd probably use nothing but pistols and magnums across all games. I've spent this morning playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and it's gotten me thinking about some of the best and worst sidearms in video games.

The Fallout series has a great set of handguns, though I always liked the 10mm the best. It was the only pistol in Fallout 3, if I remember correctly, but New Vegas added the 9mm and 12.7mm. The prior was a pea-shooter and the ammo was better spent in an SMG, and the latter was a lot harder to find and maintain. The 10mm was right in the middle, and you could add a laser sight and a silencer, both which were awesome.

Halo is another series with good pistols, though only in ODST and Reach (I haven't played 4 yet, so I can't talk about it specifically). Any weapon with a scope in Halo is capable of getting a headshot, which is a one-hit kill, which is awesome. They made the magnum viable, and even preferable- a pistol was a much better choice than an assault rifle when playing the campaign on Legendary difficulty, where you'd need to expend an entire clip of AR ammo to take out even the weakest enemies as opposed to one well-aimed magnum shot. In ODST especially this was important, since ammo for good main weapons like the shotgun was a lot harder to find.

Though the one I always hold as my favorite is the 10mm pistol from Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I remember picking up that gun for the first time on the first mission and swapping to it only because my assault rifle had no ammo left, and then never wanting to use another weapon. It was light and didn't take up much inventory space, but could take out anyone with a well-aimed headshot, even armored enemies. The bonus was that you could aim and see behind you even in cover, so you could calmly line up a shot, pop up, take out someone, and then pop back down. It also had a laser sight and silencer upgrade, along with damage and magazine mods that I poured into it. Because of the way HR paced things, a lot of enemies stopped carrying the 10mm later into the game, so I had to ration it for emergencies. It really bugged me, since every other gun in that game was functional but just not as much fun.

Though there are bad pistols too- most of the sidearms in the Gears of War series were mediocre at best, saver the Boltok revolver. The pistols in Left 4 Dead were meh as well- using two at once is nice, though only good for support fire at best, especially when tier two guns come into play. The magnum could one-shot common infected, but the pace of that game rarely permits careful aiming, so precision weapons are out the window. The fact that the pistol exists in Assassin's Creed is neat, but I never liked using it since stabbing guys is way more fun. Even S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has some pretty underwhelming pistols, since the bullet spread on them is massive and rifles not only do more damage but are far more accurate.

All in all, I think sidearms are rad. If they're kept accurate and are capable of headshots, then I have way more fun using them than assault rifles or whatever else there is. I'd go on with more, since I know I'm forgetting some neat ones, but this random sidebar is enough for now. I need to go contemplate trying an all-pistol run of Human Revolution, even though my first one basically already was.

"Community" is a weird word for me, since I've never really been active in one before. I love talking to people, don't get me wrong, but the prospect of being in a large group never openly appealed to me. I prefer a close bond to three people than a mutual interest to three hundred, if you follow the logic. So it's an interesting position to be in when I've become so embroiled in the furry fandom.

As I've stated before, it's in the recent months I'd finally found my niche in the fandom, and made the friends I'd been looking for over the two and a half years prior. I'm hardly a "popufur" or whatever crap we call that, but there's no doubting I'm at least established, and I have all of you to thank for that. I'm still amazed anyone cares what I have to say a lot of the time, so the fact over 250 people liked me enough to stalk me means a lot.

I've felt extremely good about the past few months especially since it became the point where I got to communicate with everyone in the fandom I wanted to. It may shock you guys to find out how long I've been watching some your accounts- a few were in my search history even before I had an FA. So there's a period of bliss in that I had accomplished a goal of sorts, both in getting my name out there and especially to the people whom I wanted to know it.

What has me thinking now (aside from having stayed up all night playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. with a few cans of Coke) is future involvement. I knew the fandom was big, but I don't think it was until I got a Twitter that I realized HOW big. Hundreds, even thousands of people I've never met but seem cool roll by in my "You May Know" sidebar daily, and while some I recognize, the majority are people I've never heard of, though at least a few of you have.

My activity in the fandom is kept exclusively to FA. I talk to friends on IM services and Twitter, but as far as meeting new people, it's all on this site. I'm not very involved in the fandom at all, in that respect. Most of you know I've never been to a furry anything- no cons, no meetups, none of that. And I'm getting a nagging feeling I should, because it's become such a big part of my social life.

Though I dismiss the notion pretty quickly, for a few reasons. Mostly because I tried the "local scene" concept when I was studying clowning, and was disappointed beyond measure. There's a certain mystique to the fandom when it's all online, and I get the feeling talking about the stuff I do here out loud in all seriousness would leave a sour taste in my mouth. There are other reasons, too- I'm extremely hard to get along with and just because someone's a furry doesn't mean we could be friends, for examples. Plus, I'm interested in the fandom for a very specific subset, being the cartoony, and I don't really have an interest in much else, so people who don't like cartoons in the same way and I are going to have very little to talk about.

Again, this might just be my paranoia. But I imagine showing up at a Massachusetts fur meet or whatever, being surrounded by a group of people who all already know each other and know nothing about me nor I anything about them, and being way too nervous to say anything. And as a result, having a terrible time. I'd love to meet a few people in person; that's not an issue. I still want to attend a con at some point since I'd like to meet all the cool bros I've become friends with here. But beyond that... I just don't know.

I guess the point is, am I crazy for wanting to involve myself more in a community which is 95% people I have no common interests with or would rather not meet anyway? And if I was crazy enough to do it is it worth it? Any one of you I talk to regularly I'd kill to hang out with for an afternoon, but anyone else I'd rather just stay home. With taste so particular I really don't know if I'd be wasting my own time.

I think I'm gonna try and take a nap now. Proof-read this when I wake up to see if it even makes sense...

I couldn't wait for the big day. It's too exciting!

So, what did you get me, huh? It better be something good!

Yup, I'm gonna try this again! The last round went poorly due to my scanner malfunctioning and no time/energy thanks to my actually having a job. However, this time, I'll be doing it differently: Nothing but MS Paint and a mouse. That's right, baby. We're heading to the shit tier in no time flat.

Simply comment below and I'll whip out a doodle for you. Now, these tend to get old fast for me, so please don't be offended if I don't do one for you- that's the nature of my "free" journals. It also helps if you give me an idea for a joke or an action, so long as it's not complex and involved. Include a ref and understand that I'll most likely be making jokes at your expense.

What to expect:
http://imm.io/PYkU
http://imm.io/PYl7
http://imm.io/PYlb

These are supposed to be hilariously awful. Let's all gather around the fire and poke fun at my lack of artistic ability. :D And these also make great Christmas gifts! Post them around the house for all your family to see!

So I can freely admit: I love all of you. You're all great, lovely, fantastic people.

It's a good thing we're not gonna live past tomorrow or I'd never heard the end of that one... phew!

This is a journal I never really thought I'd have to write, but recent observations have prompted it.

I'm sure a lot of you know me for my ability to be an ass. I'm grumpy and sour and mean to everyone for no discernible reason. But there's a method to my madness, and it's a lot simpler than you might think: it's because I think it's funny.

The reason I became such a grouch online was because I thought we needed one. This fandom is obsessed with being cute, cuddly, and friendly. There's nothing inherently wrong with that; you might be shocked to know I enjoy cuddles and being nice as much as the next guy. But when everyone is happy and nice, then conversations are like watching paint dry. It's lifeless and boring. Adding a difference of popular opinion stimulates conversation.

I became the grouch just because it comes naturally to me. I've always had a dry sense of humor and have been slightly egocentric, so it worked nicely. Plus, being someone so radically "different" to people who are all about portraying themselves as nice makes me stick out like a sore thumb, which is something I'll openly say I enjoy. But at the end of the day I like being a grump just because it makes me smile, and I know it makes a lot of my friends smile too- either from the jokes I make, or more often, the ones made at my expense.

Though there's the issue I've encountered with playing this character: some people don't get it. There seem to be two schools of reaction, the first being the sensitive and the second being the inflammatory. The first take what I have to say at face value, and even if they know I'm joking, become uncomfortable and offended. The second I have to believe think I'm completely serious, and call me out for assuming me an ass with no comedic intent.

I understand either reaction; it's one that stems from differences in humor, or at least not knowing me as a joker. I can't really gauge someone's sense of humor until I've tested it like that. Granted, I'm meaner to some people than others, depending on my mood. I've ruined a potential friendship or two with people over a botched choice to make fun instead of make nice. Now, that's not to say I'm easy to get along with; I'm actually very quick to annoy and if I can't poke fun at you then we're going to have very little to talk about. But maintaining the facade of a grouch has just taken its toll in some places and I wanted to let everyone know, formally and totally out of character:

I'm kidding.
Mammals are alright.
Paws are OK.
Hugs are appreciated, and at times, quite necessary.

This has been one of the best days I've ever had in a long while, so I wanted to clarify this point for those who don't understand. I know I'm intimidating and I really can't help that. I apologize in advance to anyone whose feelings I hurt, because I know I eventually will. But please believe me when I say that's my way of telling you I like you. :3

Limericks are easy, and much fun to compose
Comment bellow if you want to impose
I'll write one for you,
and once I'm through,
You'll find you're an idiot and everyone knows.

There are a lot of things in this fandom. A lot. And while some things I think are way beyond my realm of knowledge (or I just flat-out don't want to know what the deal with them are), a few are relatively commonplace and I just don't see the rational behind them. If anyone can help me understand the appeal/reasoning behind any of the following, please give me a hand:

-Transformation
-Having a Pokesona (as a main fursona, I see the appeal in a Pokemon OC)
-Having a character with multiple tails
-Making your fursona an extreme badass
-Fursuits that have six-pack abs on them
-Adoptables (why some people buy them, ect.)
-Centaur characters
-Having a large cast of characters (10+)
-Macro

Keep in mind, these are not things I hate, I'm just confused as to why they're so prevalent, or why someone might add them to their character. Is it just something I'm missing? Or am I just overthinking it?

I'm feeling a little down and kind of bored so I could use some entertainment. So send me a note, guys! A little private message with anything. Maybe a joke you think I'd like, or something you've always wanted to tell me privately. I don't know, you guys are the creative ones here.

I don't know what the policy is with these but a lot of people seem to want mailing lists and I want to be on some. Guys, send me stuff, I love it when you do that.