Ladies and Gentlefurs, I can proudly announce that I, Shujin Tribble, have finally, after many failed attempts much pre-event pyrotechnical explosions celebration, my little Kerbalnauts have successfully impacted landed on the Munar Surface.... and NOT GONE ALL EXPLODY!

Kerbal Space Center's Office of Public Affairs and Coffee Grind Recycling had this to say,...wait, they MADE it?! Wasn't Jeb supposed to be flying that thing?

The Governor General of Kerbal announced a World Day of Mourning for the lost crew of mission KSP-9000.... but was corrected mid-sentence with the surprisingly close-by appearance of KSP-9000's return module, code named, "It'll NEVER get back - JEB'S on board at the controls!", falling from the sky.

We will have additional details as they become available and a special 15-part expose on Bill and Bob Kerman (no relation) on their Orbit 25 love tryst!

You're listening to K.P.R. - Kerbal Public Radio. At the sound of the tone, the time will be Fourteen Hours, Seventeen Minutes.... Kerbal Coordinated TiOHMYGODWHATJUSTFELLINTOTHESTUDIO?!?!

EDIT - Obviously I found the quote now...

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/07/14329.....ter-dies-at-96

The quote used in the article, spoken by Col. Potter is....
Every month there's a new procedure we have to learn because somebody's come up with an even better way to mutilate the human body.... Tell me this, captain, how the hell am I supposed to keep up with it? If they can invent better ways to kill each other, why can't they invent a way to end this stupid war?

PLEASE - PLEASE - PLEASE!!! I need this quote found - I need the original on YouTube for my news tonight!

ANYONE?!

So, I'm going to finally see about getting a new car.... and the odds on favor is http://www.honda.com/Insight Honda's Insight.

Car #1Years - 1986 - 1989
Make / Model - Ford Granada (Mid-1970's Secondhand)
Cost - Unknown
Color External - White
Color Internal - Blue
Nickname - "The Grenade"
Special - 8-Track tape player (Dad's inclusion), bench seats, used model paints to write "NCC-1701" across the back of the trunk. Vandalized several times in 1987.
Best MPG - 22
Disposition - Sold 1989

Car #2Years - 1989 - 2002
Make / Model - Honda Civic DX (1989 New from dealer)
Cost - $10,000 USD
Color External - White
Color Internal - Blue
Nickname - "The Egg" / "The Shuttlecraft"
Special - Automatic NUTHIN' (except the tape player). Added through-the-roof ham radio antenna mount. Original plan was to mod it to look like a Star Trek: The Next Generation Shuttlecraft. 36 MPG at end (2002)
Best MPG - 50
Disposition - Sold to scapyard for $50. Presumed slagged

Car #3Years - 2002 - Present
Make / Model - Honda CRV (1998 Secondhand)
Cost - $10,000 USD
Color External - Black
Color Internal - Charcoal Blue
Nickname - "The Beast"
Special - All-Wheel On-Demand 4WD no longer functional since driveshaft fell out. Radio non-functional due to Anti-theft Security (Battery Disconnect Lockdown).
Best MPG - 28
Disposition - TBA

Car #4Years - 2012 - ????
Make / Model - Honda Insight EX (2011 / 2012 New from dealer)
Cost - Presumed to be aprox $20,000 USD
Color External - Mediterranean Blue Pearl (?)
Color Internal - Gray (?)
Nickname - ?
Special - ?
Best MPG - ?
Disposition - TBA

I don't need a big car. Don't need a powerful car. But truth be told, I like the Insight a lot.

So... anyone have any real-world experience with this, or other hybrids, in the cold / snow?

....are YOU?!

Base Program - http://kerbalspaceprogram.com/
Addons / mods - http://www.kerbalspaceprogram.net/k.....e-program-mods

ALL HAIL JEB!
NEEDS MORE BOOSTERS!

...that is all!

Some of you know I have a... "Thing"... for ponygirls. Well....

Pony in bitchsuit:
http://fury-fantasy.com/ponytrainer03.htm
http://fury-fantasy.com/ponytrainer05.htm

...and you can't cosplay as pinkie Pie without these!
http://ponyplayranch.com/ecom/ppr_s.....side-super.jpg


....that is all.

Sorry for the late note... please refer to Gallery for listening info

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2776170/

GO READ, NOW!

Just heading off questions ahead of time.....

Just re-evaluating something about myself... something I'm not liking and don't find, at all, flattering about myself.

No, not me weight this time.....

I really, REALLY, need to re-evaluate what I type in comments - I've forgotten that it's not just inflection but prima facie connotation that I need to concern over.

(*sigh*) Maybe I am a little bit.... That Guy.

Going through one of my archive HD's, I'd forgotten to post a few of these.... mostly from  FurnalEquinox. I'm in the process of resizing them right now, but they'll be up shortly....

You Have Been Warned.

(2 Previous versions scrapped... Sorry...)

...are my own.

They will stay that way, for now.

My heart still breaks....

My hope still years....

My mind still does not comprehend....

And, like David, it still doesn't make any God Damned sense.

--thank you, Dave.

Additionally, thank you Penn & Teller...

A friend of mine called me a couple nights again, asking for a favor; To take photos of himself and his wife.... and one of their cats who will be euthanized in the coming days.

Now, I have to say, I understand how painful a decision this is. I have to make the same call for my cat right after AnthroCon a few years ago.

But now I have to do this, for a friend. Use all the skill I have and all the devices I have now.

You know, I've taken a lot of SLR-based photos the last few years, but this will be.... difficult. I'll have my lights, my newly purchased backdrop, newly purchased remote flash....

This is where the rubber hits the road. This is where you buckle down your heart and do what you need to do for the longer-term good.

This is going to suck - but I will do my best(*) possible job for them.

Because they're trusting in me and my abilities.



(* - Oddly enough, I had to correct this word "best" from a typo "bast". how odd.)

(1/4) Shower time then headed to #Fredonia #NY #WoodburyVinyard to buy a case of their Niagara #Wine. It's SO amazingly good! (cont..)

(2/4) After that, to #SUNYFredonia to leave flowers in band room where Fujin and I first met today in '88. #DeathCannotStopTrueLove (cont)

(3/4) Finally getting early dinner at Chinese Resturant in D&F Plaza - Seven Stars Around The Moon. Will have Twitter, FB, Skype, Phone on

(4/4) Where your #TrueLove is concerned, NEVER SETTLE for ANYTHING less. EVER! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2756153/


...see you all back later for my radio show tonight.

It's THAT TIME AGAIN! If you've been watching me and listening to my shows on Wednesday & Friday nights, you would have heard that we're gearing up for the next KARAOKE CONTEST!

To give you an idea on what the teasers have sounded like:
Karaoke Contest Teaser 3
Karaoke Contest Teaser 4
Karaoke Contest Teaser 5
Karaoke Contest Teaser 6

My entry, before I doctored it singing Sir Duke... which turned into a Rick Roll later.

So, folks... if you want IN on the contest, NOW'S THE TIME!

...and Good Luck!


Thank you for your interest in the Seventh Semi-Annual Karaoke Contest (September 16, 2011) here at The Feline Conspiracy. We're glad to see you're interested in participating! This notecard will have all you need to know in order to join in on the fun.

The Prizes:
First Place ---- L$50,000 (Aprox $200 USD)
Second Place - L$ 30,000 (Aprox $115 USD)
Third Place --- L$ 20,000 (Aprox $85 USD)

---

Total Awards: L$100,000 (Aprox $400USD)


ELIGIBILITY:
Staff of The Feline Conspiracy (those formally titled in the group as STAFF) are ineligible from winning, but are encouraged to put in entries for exhibition.

Any person who has ever formally held a recording contract of any kind is prohibited from winning. If you've performed in a local bar or club, that's okay, but if you could be reasonably understood to be a "professional musician", we can't allow you to win - though you're more than welcome to send in an exhibition entry.

The First Place Winner of the previous contest is not allowed to enter in competition, but is encouraged to submit an exhibition piece.

Entries are permitted to be entered anonymously - in those cases, only Shujin and Aaron will be aware of who actually submitted the entry. This is permitted out of respect for those Conspirators whose avatars do not match their real-life gender, and this information will not be released under any circumstances. Anonymity cannot be used to violate any of the other contest rules.

Entries from Non-Second Lifers will be allowed, but for exhibition only.

HOW TO ENTER:
Record yourself singing an established song; a capella, with background music or "over" the original recording. As long as we can hear you OVER the original artist, it's fine. (If you require any assistance with recording, locating or creating karaoke versions of songs or general sound editing, please do not hesitate to contact Aaron Cianci or ShujinTribble Kawanishi.)

This is NOT a sound editing competition. Post-recording editing should be limited to fixing things like timing problems and the like. Do not use post-editing programs (i.e., "AutoTune") to modify your pitch, tone, timbre, or any other vital part of your voice as this violates the spirit of the competition. You are on your honor not to do this. This rule does not apply to exhibition entries.

Entries must be in MP3, OGG Vorbis or WAV formats. (WAV is accepted as a Last Ditch format. Audacity and a wide variety of other free applications can record and save in many other formats.) ID3 Tags for each song will be modified as needed before broadcast.

Entries are to be emailed to: karaoke[at]TFCsl.com and should be no larger than 25 MB in size.

Please use the following file-naming system to make it easier for the DJs to work with them:
TFC7KC - (Your_SL_FirstName) - (Name_of_the_Song) - (Original_Artist).(mp3|ogg|wav)

If you wish the entry to be anonymous, please note this in the message body - not the file name.

Your file MUST be received no later than Thursday, September 15, 2011, at Midnight Second Life Time! If you want part of your submission included in the annual "teaser" file, please make sure we have it by the Tuesday before or we will not be able to include it.

JUDGING:
You do not need to be present to win, but you must be present to vote - only TFC Group members may vote.

Upon listening to the entries, all TFC Members present will be voting on their First, Second, and Third favorite choices. Each vote is weighted: three points for first, two for second, one for third. The points are then tabulated to find a winner. In the event of a tie, the prize will be split between the contestants.

Once the top three contestants are announced, the votes will be discarded.

Any and all decisions regarding how the votes are tallied and the final determinations on votes are held by TFC Management.

MISC / DISCLAIMER:
The Feline Conspiracy reserves the right to replay any karaoke contest entry at any time, unless you specifically request that the file not be played again. Files are always retained for record keeping purposes, however.

FINAL NOTE:
Have fun, enjoy yourself, and submit an entry no matter how good or bad you think you are. Conspirators love humor as much as they love good music, so there's no reason you wouldn't win just because *you* don't think you sound good!

GOOD LUCK!
The TFC Staff

I've been thinking... REALLY thinking hard, recently.... and I'm really wondering if I qualify as, "That Guy".

For those of you who don't quite get it, "That Guy" is the nearly-creepy, nearly-stalker, nearly-dangerous, nearly-virginal fanboy who's social skills are nearly non-existent. The BANE of all well-known folks in a convention.

I've just gotta wonder, if I fall in that category.

I will admit, I do speak to various artists I've met as if we were.... not exactly friends, but not exactly acquaintances. Somewhere in-between. For instance, I might ask about travel, health, jobs.... usually if I know there had been a problem or happy point in those areas that I had heard about. I will talk on an even level - not talking down to someone and not pandering to them either.

And looking back on it, I can see where these actions can seem.... well, creepy! The fact that I'm serious and really AM interested in someone's well being (meaning jobs are ok, travel is safe, health is good) isn't really that important. After all, how are THEY supposed to know I'm honest in hoping they're OK. Especially with who-only-knows-how-many OTHER people milling around and asking questions.

If I've given you reason to think of me as, "That Guy", ever.... PLEASE know that I have never meant to be that way. i would appreciate it if you'd tell me; just say, "Hey.. .Shu? Don't be 'That Guy'."

I don;t mean to be 'him'.... I just, truly, care. (*Shrug*)

--the 23rd is Tiny Tribble's 9th Birthday!


...you may now run around the journal page doing the Kermit-Flail.

I'm trying to read through the entire thread that Cyberhorn pointed me to, and right now I just came across something that was simply.... it FLOORED me:

Posted by "CaptainCool"
fursuits arent(sic) a fetish. its a costome(sic) that you wear for fun. ponyplay is supposed to be humiliating and therefore a BDSM practice.

Lemme get this right.... ponyplay is supposed to be HUMILIATING?! Since when? The people who hold Pony Events would have heavy reservations about this generalization.... not to mention I don't know ANYONE who would claim a horse or pony was a humiliated animal. Quite the opposite! They are usually viewed as regal, proud, noble beasts!

---

And now by "CerbrusNL"
Ok, let's look at certain items' primary functions:

Fursuits:
Dress up as animals to entertain random people. Sold primarily by specialized suit makers to cater the furry community.

Pup/Pony-play suits:
Dress up as animals to entertain your master. Sold primarily in fetish stores to cater the BDSM community.
I thought the "Primary Function" of a costume was to transform what you look like to the outside world; to present the outside world with an image you created. What you DO with that costume is your own business after the fact.

---

Look, bottom line, the mod argument that I'm taking away from all this is this:

...you know what, right now, I can't even tell. Best I can come up with is, "Latex BAD! Tight buckles BAD! Collars GOOD! Leashes BAD!"

..and before anyone asks, I will NOT wade into the forums to plead my case - from the look of everyone on the opposite side of this issue, the claims of close-mindedness are far too accurate... on ALL sides. only a handful of people / posts have been actual discussion / debates, and even THOSE got drowned out by the din of carping and trolling.

(*SIGH!*) Really, REALLY wish there had been FAR more discussion about these proposed changes BEFORE people said, "wait, you got this rule conflicting THIS rule!"

pony Gaelle (  Gaelle ) has apparently had her whole damned gallery of ponysuit pictures (photographs of her in suit) yanked by the admins... who claimed it was because her suit was fetish material.

Her suit transforms her from human to equine-morph....
Her suit has hooves and a head and, as any domesticated horse would have, a halter and reigns....
...and her suit is skin-tight.
There is nothing sexualized in her photos, no exposed genitalia.. hell no HINT of genitalia at ALL.

Apparently her choice of anthro character has raised the hackles on the admins who say this is a Bad Thing and must be purged because it's "Fetish photography" and not artwork.

We're allowed culinary photos (food), drawn images of torture (sexualized and not), stories about love, lust and swallowing whole living entities, 3d rendered animations of characters inflated 'till they outsize the planet they normally inhabit.....but photos of a GORGEOUS Latex Ponysuit is verboten.

I'm sorry... but something STINKS in Denmark and I can smell it over here on the Eastern US Seaboard.

I understand the Admins (and 'Neer, I'm looking to you on this one) have to make sure that we stay within the laws that the servers are based in.. but come ON! If you're going to "clarify" the AUP, clarify them PROPERLY, stick to that set of rules, and have a Last-Ditch Appeals Process if someone thinks an admin overstepped their own rules!


Meantime, folks, go give  Gaelle some love, huh? And tell her I sent you.

Before I get the Flashback Newscast posted later today, I want to share with you a comedian Fujin and I fell in love with: Mister Mark Lundholm.

He's a great guy, a special kind of guy. And.... just...

...just indulge me for 5 minutes. please? And if you feel this is a worthwhile moment, feel free to share it.

So, some of you know about the Green Lanterns now, and their oath, usually spoken while charging their power rings:

In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!

I have, in Second Life, a Violet Lantern Ring, powered by Love. The original oath is this:

For hearts long lost and full of fright,
For those alone in blackest night,
Accept our ring and join our fight:
Love conquers all, WITH VIOLET LIGHT!

And I thought about it... and I didn;t quite like it. But with a little thought about my self-made uniform, I created my own oath:

From Rage and Hope to Death's Black Night,
Becoming a beacon to Hearts in flight.
I Accept my Heart and this ring of Might:
My Love is my Power - My VIOLET LIGHT!


So... I think I did good.

Some of you might have been following the antics of Texas Gov. Rick Perry in calling for a formal day of (Christain) prayer in his state on Aug 6th... using his position as State Governor to formally endorse this event and calling for people to join him in praying for help out of the financial and social and economic mess his state (and the country) finds itself in.

P.S. - He's the one that was steering the ship when it GOT to that mess.

Well, apparently a three-judge panel says that Agnostics and Atheists don't have legal standing to bring a law suit to tell Rick Perry that AS GOVERNOR he's not allowed to do that....
U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller said the Freedom From Religion Foundation argued against Perry's involvement based merely on feelings of exclusion, but did not show sufficient harm to merit the injunction they sought.
(USAToday.com)

So.. lemme get this strait; this rationale of, "No Harm No Foul", assuming for a moment that there really ISN'T harm, is a perfectly valid excuse for blatantly illegal activity? This would go over GREAT in court for other reasons, I'm sure!

"Why, YES, Judge! I was traveling one hundred fifty three miles per hour on the highway! But it's OK - it was three thirty in the morning and there was no one on the highway for over a mile ahead of me! So, see? No Harm, No Foul!"

"I don't know why I'm here in court on a weapons possession charge, your honor. Just because I shot my gun into a vacant building for target practice... surrounded by OTHER vacant buildings that used to be steel mills in the '70's. No one around.... who did I harm?"

I mean.. HONESTLY here! the Top Law Of the Land says, quite EXPLICITLY, And I Quote....
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
(1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America)

Admittedly, this is at the Federal level - it would not be until the mid 20th century that the question would com up about enaction at the State and lower levels and judged on by the Supreme court.... but even THEY wrote, eventually, in '94 that "government should not prefer one religion to another, or religion to irreligion." (Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet, 512 U.S. 687 (1994))

We Agnostics, we Atheists, we FreeThinkers.... we do NOT care if you want to believe in something we find irrational at best and delusional at worst.

Well, ok, no.. that's not QUITE true. We DO care and wish you could see how laughable it all really is.

What we care about is that Rick Perry ABUSED HIS ELECTED POSITION IN GOVERNMENT to specifically Endorse this wholly-Christan event NOT as "Rick Perry, Texas Citizen" for as "Governor Of Texas Rick Perry".

HOW can ANY judge claim they are sworn to uphold the laws and the Constitution one day and completely ignore the law another?!

Oh, sorry - they didn't ignore the law.... it's just that they think no one's being harmed, so it's OK.


Who knew judges were little better than 5th graders.

ok.. some months back, the folks at Fanboy Confessionals contacted me via Flickr to see if i would be willing to donate one of my photos for their show:
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2255793/

they wrote back after I declined:
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2260690/

well, after hearing some of the reviews from folks who were involved with the show, most notably  Roxicat, who gave it a thumbs up... I took the time to write the production group one last time....

Hello xxxxxxx, and all the folks over there at "Fanboy Confessional";

I wanted to take a moment to contact you all, once last time to say, "I'm sorry" and "Thank You!"

I'm sorry for having turned you all down when you wanted my assistance for "Fanboy / Furies". As you all were WELL aware, having been badly burned many times, trust is difficult to acquire at best.

From what I understand, listening to the various interviewees' reviews, you folks EARNED the trust you were given.

I know I would likely not be contacted again since I turned you down before.... but just know that I am NOT above saying, I was wrong about you folks and your production.

As before.... THANK you, folks.... and for what it's worth, my door will be open in the future.

Sincerely yours,
-- Shujin

So... I can, proudly, that I was wrong about my fears. GLADLY so.

I'm thinking about investing in one, plus a backdrop cloth hanger system for next year's AC Furry Femme Shoot.... anyone have an idea on where I might be able to get an external power supply cord for said speedlight?

JUST the cord... I can wire up a power supply of my own with a GelCell Battery. JUST looking to see how expensive it might be to get JUST the DC connector.


...anyone?

**EDIT**
I refined what I'm thinking about - an AA-Blank set, in an "X" config.. just as a spacer system, with the terminal springs so I can run external power into it.... Similar to THIS , only with the Springs instead of 9V Connector... I SHOULD be able to find one that would fit the 580's compartment, or even my current 430, run the power connector out the housing then connect any-ole power source to it.

July 17th, 1993, at 2pm Eastern time I became a married man. I married my One True Love, my Other Half, My Soulmate....

Today it would have been 19 years.

Tiny Tribble and I will have our traditional special dinner - Lobster Ravioli.... this year I invite you all to splurge JUST a little on dinner tonight... I ask you to join us this year in celebrating Love, in all its many facets and wonders.... since next year is the 20th.

...gotta plan ahead, you know...

OpenShot Video Editor + Flashback Newscast + Mevio
Yes, I'm still making the Flashback newscast... but trying to make a video version's made me bump into a little bit of a problem in using Openshot Video Editor....

Seems when I try to dump my Audio Track into OSVE, it doesn;t see the whole audio file - it dumps it complaining about the length.... when I KNOW the audio file is good.

Ok.. get this...
I record using ffmpeg: video from my webcam + audio captured from the mic
Use ffmpeg again to strip out the audio track
Use Audacity to edit / master the audio track with my intro / bed / outtro music then export the audio track: Lo-fi for FurAffinity / Hi-fi for Mevio & Video
Use OSVE to combine NEW Audio Track, Video Track and Static Images for the Mevio Upload....

....but OSVE looks at the audio file and says, "That's not 35 minutes! It's 29! piss off!" (O_o)

So, yeah.. juggling the clips to make it work, now.... it SHOULD work....

Damnit....