I was browsing the new submissions tonight, when I came across  isilkenlazerhawkins . It didn't take long to figure out that the images they are posting aren't their own: 3 totally different styles, unrealistic 'times' attributed to their creation and the last one even flat out mentions tracing off a colour original...

I've seen tons of art in my days, and the style of the newest one looks familiar... but that point aside, I'm not sure what I should do in this case. Just flag them a note saying "hey, give credit where it's due"? Report them to Admin? Do nothing at all (which doesn't sit well with me)?

Any thoughts/assistance would be appreciated. I'm not the art police, but I respect them enough to know they wouldn't appreciate someone getting faves for work they didn't really create.

I figured.... what the heck? XD (grokked from  Horlequism )

Where are you staying?
Doubletree Hotel, T.O.

What day are you getting there?
Thursday-evening-ish

Who will you be with?
Confirmed roomies right now are  Gade and  dizzywizzy, with potentially one more that I haven't heard back from yet.

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
I will be hanging out with a fun-loving bunch of furries. That is all. :)

Are there any panels you might be attending?
Possibly, but I'll decide that once I'm there.

Are you attending any stage or public performances?
Attending just means I could be in the audience, so this is kind of a pointless question. But yes, likely.

Will you be suiting?
You'd better believe it.

Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
I'll be bringing my one-and-only self!

Do you draw?
I can draw a crowd - does that count?

What are your limits to drawing?
Depends on room size.

How old are you?
36

How tall are you?
5'10"

Are you taken? Are you looking for a mate?
I'm definitely just there to hang out with friends and have fun, not hunt for prey... well, in that sense at least

Can I talk to you?
Certainly, I don't mind.

Can I touch you?
Uhhhhh.....

How can I find you?
Dunno... look around for a wolf - there can't be more than, what, 2 or 3 of us there, tops LOL

Can I visit your room?
Highly doubtful. Mine is more crash space than anything, so it wouldn't exactly be fun.

Can I buy you drinks?
....I guess...

Can I give you stuff?
Sure....I guess....

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Definitely :)

Are you nice?
Are you?

How long are you going?
I'll be there the whole weekend, returning home on Monday.

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
If I'm in suit, just make sure I can see you, because I may not even know you are there otherwise.

Where will you be most of the time during the days?
I will be fursuiting or out of suit socializing; if the pinball machine is back, I'll probably be playing that too!

What/where will you be eating?
I will be ingesting consumables that provide sustenance. The nature of these consumables has not yet been determined this far in advance.

Can I come with you for food/fun etc?
Ehhhh... we'll see.

Can I look in your sketchbook?
My what?

Can I draw in your sketchbook?
You want to what what in my what what?

Can I take your picture?
Without question!

What’s your goal for the con this year?
To top last year's enjoyment and pleasure as much as possible!

For anyone that was there but hasn't heard... the photoshoot images from FurFright 2011 are finally up.

Head on over to http://gallery.furry-tales.com/main.php?g2_itemId=29275&g2_page=1 to see them

So just like last year, this year I intend to attend Furnal Equinox in Toronto. I'll be driving down from Ottawa on Mar 15 and staying until the Monday (Mar 19) this time... unlike last year, where I came back on the Sunday, this time I intend to stick around for the dead dog and just have fun Sunday night.

Unlike last year, however, I'm not necessarily going to make it a solitary thing. If there is anyone in the Ottawa area who is looking for a ride to the con, I have space. Someone has made a request for a spot at the moment, but they aren't 100% certain they are going yet - and in any event, I still have room for 1 or 2 more, depending on how much stuff you have.

I am going to be booking a room as well, but am uncertain if I want to offer it out for a roommate or not. If you (or someone you know) are thinking about going, and the difference is a matter of room cost, please feel free to reach out to me and we'll talk. I'm looking at it more as a place to relax away from everything and store my stuff - I'm not a big room-partier but I can respect someone needing privacy or downtime.

If you are interested in either getting a lift to/from Toronto or in need of someone to help with accomodations, let me know!

Posting this for  Erisvalgen and  Kyousuke who heard about it last night over Skype... But also because it is, um...yeeeeeeah

http://www.thegridto.com/life/food-.....A6and-waffles/
http://www.thegridto.com/wp-content.....mbs_011212.jpg (for a closeup on the donut itself.)

From a restaurant called the "Glory Hole" of all things. :-O

Happy New Year to one and all - though unlike some, I am actually sad to see 2011 pass. While it wasn't perfect and had its share of downsides (the passing of a few friends, some bad behaviour from others and from myself,) on the whole I came out of last year happier and feeling more complete than I have been in a very long time.

If anything, it was the first year where I actively started to do things for me as well as for others. For so many years before I lived my life by being there for others and putting my own wants and interests aside, this was the year I started to actually take my own likes and expand on them - especially within the realms of the fandom. Attending 3 conventions, fursuiting in public without fear, meeting the most amazing people...

The highlight of 2011, the true moment I will remember forever, was dancing at Furnal Equinox to 80s music with Okwaho, Tara & Flow. It was my first full convention and while it took some time to get over my "shyness", once I was let loose there was no stopping me. The night of that dance everything came together. The music was perfect, the company was perfect, the moment was perfect. In particular, dancing to Gowan's "Strange Animal" with 2 other fursuiters and 1 non - it was amazingly ironic yet completely right. Props to Miami for one of the most kick-ass mixes ever IMNSHO.

I could go on for ages about everything that happened last year, but to keep it simple I'll just put it in point form:

HOME-RELATED
- Finally selling the too-expensive-for-me house (On market: October, 2010, sold April, 2011)
- First - and last - house party there
- New home w/fireplace + "extras" from previous tenants
- Flood in old house that happened while I was away at AC, on the actual closing day of the house
- Fire 2 doors over on Dec 30, 11:30pm

WORK-RELATED
- Having my company bought out by TD bank, so now working for Canadian company at last
- jumbo work cake (12 ft long!)

FURRY-RELATED
- Conventions:
Furnal Equinox March 10 to 14
- First full hotel convention ever
- Zets' unexpected attendance
- helping him with stacking chairs, without being recognized
- telling him later who I was
- Meeting Okwaho, who was one of the inspirations for getting my fursuit
- going out to dinner with him, Panzier, Missy and Takatha
- finding out that Takatha was actually someone I'd met back in 1995 through AHWW
- Meeting Flow, Tara, FireyKitsune, Horrlequism, Elteor, Panzier, Missy, Takatha
- Running into Hiker again and not being recognized
- First fursuit parade ever
- 80s dance ^.^
- Rooming by myself
- Pinball machine hijinks

Anthrocon June 22 to 27
- Drive down/back with Prefectionist, Feather and Lycus
- Border crossing guard in Niagara checking out a fox mask
- clarifying the rules for what/how much to declare upon the return
- Rooming with James Ferret and Dracho
- Huge con space O.o + so many furries
- "All Hail the White Wolf" guy on my first night there
- exploring Pittsburgh downtown
- Meeting Qarrezel, Mateo & other Clockwork Creature suiters
- Our night on the town
- Good vs Evil photoshoot
- Meeting Eris Valgen, Coopertom, Dogbomb + countless others
- Hanging out with Flow in fursuit
- Uncle Kage & 2 charity show
- Hanging out with the Ottawa furs in their room
- Biggest. Fursuit Parade. Ever.
- Fursuit charades
- 'OCTOPUS' ?????
- Being mistaken for Nightfox
- meeting my doppelganger
- Drama Llama's appearance

Furfright October 13 to 17
- Beautiful/long drive down through New York state & others in mid-autumn.
- Rooming with Eris Valgen, Coopertom, Okwaho and Fenrir
- watching Fenrir single-handedly blow the donations gathering totals out of the water
- Seeing Dronon, Elteor
- 2 fursuit parades ^.^
- Watching Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Masquerade fun
- Bidding in the auction on 5 framed drawings
- selling one to another fur who just wanted one image from the set
- packed fursuit Karaoke
- Winning in the fursuit games
- marriage proposal during the charades
- Being mistaken for Nightfox. Again. Thinking of making a sign about it.

- amazing archer photoshoot with Feather
- Fursuiting downtown on Canada Day
- watching Funday Pawpet Show as of 500th show
- Toronto Zoo with Okwaho, Missy, Flow et al.
- Having dinner with Eric Elliot when he was in Ottawa on business


FET_LIFE
- kinky kabaret in Spring
- Breathless auction & closing
- August Pride Parade in fursuit
- finding out that Wolfbard from AHWW was now living in Ottawa

MISC
- Feather 'happening' to have the soundtrack to an obscure 80s French cartoon WITH HIM when he came over to visit
- Nova Scotia trip with Cassia; randomly running into Feather in the middle of a park with a bunch of furries
- Dec 25 one-finger-distance-automotive-skid-out miracle
- Attending Video Games Live with Serith
- Skyrim - most realistic game ever!
- meeting Neeraja at friend's party & everything after that :)
- "dinner" on Dec 2

2011 is now well past but I shall at least fondly remember it. It is the year I truly cast off the weight that had held me back for too long. "Cu Reubha" ("I have broken my hold") is the motto for my mother's family, and proudly adorns the family crest I have in my house. I think I finally lived up to it, and that makes me proudest of all.

2012 is waiting. Time to start Running. ^.^

I understand.

I finally understand.

More to come, but this has just begun...

Try to wrap your head around this one.

4 days ago I was browsing videos on Youtube – specifically, the intros to old French cartoons I used to watch when I was a kid. One of them was “Les Mystérieuse Cités d’Or” (The Mysterious Cities of Gold.) I wasn’t a big fan of the show, but the intro has a very catch Mayan (well, Incan I suppose J) latin beat. For the intro to a kids show, it’s pretty catch in the right way.

I hadn’t watched this show since I was about 10. After hearing the music, I wished that I could find its soundtrack but figured the odds were astronomical – after all, who has the soundtrack to a French cartoon that came out in the early 1980s?

Flash forward to Sunday night, when my friend  Featheredragon came over to hang out for a few hours. As we were talking, he mentioned that he’d brought his portable hard-drive with a bunch of random stuff on it.

Like the original soundtrack to this show.

…

…

O.O

Is this a sign that I should buy a lottery ticket??

P.S. if you are curious, here's a link to the Youtube version, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8oePo9p8rg

 necromuncher tagged me in a meme (first time that's happened :) so I thought I'd give it a nice reply :)

Da Rules
1. You must post these rules.
2. Each person must post 11 things about themselves in their journal.
3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and create eleven new questions for the people you tag to answer.
4. You have to choose 11 people to tag and post their icons on your journal.
5. Go to their page and tell them you have tagged him/her.
6. No tag backs.
7. No stuff in the tagging section about "you are tagged if you are reading this." You have to tag 11 people.

11 things about me:
1) While I have travelled, I still live in the same city I was born in and still love it here.
2) I love wolves (shocking, I know...)
3) While I have always been adept with computers, I intentionally avoiding taking anything related to them in university.
4) I have a deep love and interest in human cultures & subcultures and how they work/interact/exist.
5) I can easily fool people who don't know me into thinking I am a straight-laced, innocent, clean person. It's all in how you don't advertise
6) I love mystery & puzzles.
7) I consider myself something of an anarchist if only because I don't think most current political systems actually work in the long term.
8) Ironically, I come from a rather political family (though none of my family are actually in politics, we love to discuss them.)
9) This year (2011) I have reconnected with at least 2 people that I met 16 years ago before the WWW even really existed in a usable format.
10) I wish I could do more to be with everyone that I care about but I have learned to accept my limitations & avoid burning out.
11) I love my life and almost everyone in it.

The questions asked to me were:

1. what was the reason for you to start drawing and how old have you been as you took your first serious steps in art? if youre not an artist, would you like to learn

drawing and what kind of drawing style would you like to learn? (you can post a link to a picture as an example if you want)
I've never been good at drawing art itself, though I tried when I was a kid. Part of me wishes I could, if only to have the skill to sketch out some of the things that cross my mind from time to time. :) Thankfully, there are plenty of good artists in the furry fandom to compensate for that.

2. are you happy with your style? what style do you like best?
I'm happy as a writer/suiter and with how I write/"act." My favorite style of art is the kind in which the artist actually put some effort into it, and didn't just copy/paste a previous image and change colours or drew a cheap-ass scratchy line sketch and 'will fill in the blanks later.' Art is always equal to the amount of effort that is put into it, no matter the subject.

3. whats your favorite furry species?
Though it's fairly obvious, I'm going to go with wolf (canids in general, but that one is tops. I will say that equines (not MLP ones) have started to catch my eye more than they used to as well... *eyes  buckshaw*

4. what furry species do you really hate?
Ehhhh... Dunno if I hate any species. Not partial to anything aquatic, but I can't say I 'hate' them.

5. what music do you like? is there any particular song you would like to share with us?
Ah ha... love lots of different styles of music, from world to punk to electronic to rock to soundtracks. If I had to suggest a song or two atm, I'd suggest:
- "Dégénérations" by Mes Aieux (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8U-XQYJwDY) just for the way it builds on itself and got be curious about Quebecois rock/folk.
- "Sail" by AWOLNATION for the way it makes me just want to let go. Watch this vid to see how effective it can be :) (http://www.youtube.com/user/jebcorliss#p/a/u/2/TWfph3iNC-k) And watch for the shadow. ^.^

6. whats your favourite quote? is there a sentence / battlecry / quote from you that you still like? (like from a roleplay or p&p game)
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." - Gandhi. Probably my favorite quote of all time, and still very true of the stages of being for those on the outside of standard culture.

7. imagine some kind of alien species would send you back in time and give you ultimate technology, how many years would you go back and what would you do or change in this world?
Tricky question, since it's both loaded AND obscure. :) But if I had to pick something, I'd go back and give the inventors of the gas-powered engine a way to efficiently make it run on water (as in, it uses water to drive with - which then evaporates back into the atmosphere with no loss or harm to the ecosystem.)

8. if you could be a overworldly or magical creature or even a special creature or person from any mythology... who would you like to be?
Well, given that 'werewolf' would be too predictable (and also somewhat irrelevant,) I'd likely pick a phoenix as my second choice, if only for the possibilities of constant renewall and the mystery surrounding it.

9. what season is your favourite ?
Definitely a summer child, though autumn is a very close second. :)

10. do you think humanity will survive long enough to leave this planet or will mankind be destroyed by itself or a catastrophe?
It may end up being more the remnants of humanity that get to leave this planet. I'm not big on apocalyptic theories of any stroke but nor do I believe we'll always pull ourselves out of the fires we keep lighting.

11. if there was the chance to go anywhere you like when you die, what place would your soul visit after ending your first life?
Sure, ask all the easy questions. :) I'd probably go to the Champlain Lookout in Gatineau Park. It's a place not too far from where I grew up that I occasionally still visit and has the most beautiful sunsets in the whole area. I like to let my mind drift back in time, thinking about everyone who has travelled through the lands it overlooks. I think I'd like to go there and watch the visitors to see if anyone else ever thinks like me.

Now then: For my 11 questions, I'd ask

1) Do you feel like being a furry/insert-your-term-of-choice is something someone can ever 'stop being' for good or is it always a part of you?
2) Generally speaking, are you content with the way your life is right now?
3) What is more important: knowing how to listen to someone or knowing how to talk to someone?
4) What is the most beautiful place you have ever been to?
5) Do you dance in public? (furry conventions count)
6) Name someone who was/is a big influence in your life. (anyone can count)
7) Do you own plushies of your favorite animals? If so, roughly how many?
8) Are you looking forward to 2012?
9) Are you afraid of clowns? :)
10) Would you rather have someone write your biography for you or would you rather write it yourself?
11) Can you believe you actually finished this meme? (and do you intend to pass it along?

And for tagging, I choose
,,,,,,,,,,

Well, this is my final convention report for 2011. I would say I kept the best for last, but given that this is the first year that I've really attended cons 'officially' (outside of Feral in 2003 and 1 day of WTF in 2010), I still don't have that great a measuring stick yet.

I will say that Furfright, to me, started off seemingly slow but as time passed I got more and more into it. It's nice that it's another con that is within driving distance for me, so I will likely be there next year as well. :)

The drive itself was interesting - left in rush hour traffic, arrived in rush hour traffic, and saw Amish folk and wild turkeys aplenty in the rural outback of New York state. :) Managed to arrive pretty much at the same time as  fionnadh and  missy_da_dane, although it meant I didn't have a chance to really stop for food on the way. Was great to see them again, though, and I was eager to get to the hotel.

We were all staying in the main hotel, as I was rooming with the former,  ErisValgen,  coopertom and  wolfy87 (who I'd never met before, but who was an overall awesome guy!) For a room of 5 people, we were 9 fursuiters. You do the math on how much space we took up.

The hotel was definitely the most memorable one of this year - the staff seemed to enjoy having us around, the layout was chaotic but in a fun 'explore at your own risk' kind of way, and the beds were the most comfortable ones I've slept in this year by far. No problems there! :) The restaurant was quite good as well. The only real issue was the small-ish bathroom and the fact that the indoor pool made certain areas of the main floor quite humid whilst in fursuit - but hey! We're used to heat.

I found this to be very much a relaxacon. There wasn't much that I really wanted to see in terms of panels (though there were a number of them) and I never felt like I'd have to rush from one area to another in order to do stuff. I got to just hang out and do whatever I felt like. I suited a lot at this con (in both parades as well as in general) and the hotel is definitely well set up for that. I was even able to navigate the stairs in suit, although I wouldn't recommend that long term. :) I even managed to watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show from the atrium's balcony area and enjoyed that very much (although have now had it running through my head for over a week solid >.< )

It was great fun hanging out with Fenrir, Okwaho and Missy, but also getting to just chat with other 'suiters in the headless lounge or some friends from Montreal/Winnipeg who happened to be there as well. The main dances were mostly fun and definitely better in terms of vision that those of AC, so I never worried about running into anyone in the dark. ^.^ The fursuit games were spectacular! I was on the winning Green Machine team and it was a blast - although the thing I'll probably take away the longest was 2 bits of charades: 1) mine was "Conan the Barbarian" (which I had no idea how to do!) 2) one of my wolfish teammates had the answer 'engagement ring' - which turned out to be a rigged card, as he got down on one knee and proposed to his mate during the game itself. *cue wedding music* it was so touching - a great moment indeed.

As with so many things, though, it was over far too quickly. I have plenty of memories that I won't be sharing as they mean nothing out of context and are very much 'inside jokes,' *coughpopufurcough* but perhaps that's the best sign of all - the memories I'll have to remember over time that will always bring a smile to my face.

Not a con newbie/fraidy-wolf like at Furnal. Not overwhelmed and engulfed by everything like at AC. A good balance of fun and rest, furry life taken at your own pace. I can see why a lot of people say this is their favorite con of the year.

Will I be back next year? I'm damn well going to try.

Stolen from  ErisValgen (just because she is awesome and stealing from awesome people is ok.) ((no, it isn't))

Where are you staying?
Crowne Plaza

What day are you getting there?
Thursdayish afternoon sometime

Who will you be with?
 ErisValgen,  coopertom,  fionnadh, &  wolfy87

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
Likely a few of the above usual suspects, but I might wander off to see who else I find. :)

Are there any panels you might be attending?
Not a clue yet, I'll decide when I get there.

Are you attending any stage or public performances?
Probably, I enjoy watching people have fun on stage. :)

Will you be suiting?
You'd better believe it.

Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Ummmm... I'll get back to you on that

Do you do free art?
Yes! I stand around and pose for pictures for free! XD

Do you do trades?
....Can't really trade poses.

Do you do badges?
Badges? I don't do no stinkin' badges!

Do you do commissions?
Nope.

What are your limits to drawing?
More than 1 line and I'm out. ^.^

What is your gender?
I am currently, and have been always, a male of the species.

How old are you?
36 (yes, really)

How tall are you?
5'10" (why is this here? Will someone be running around with a measuring stick to ensure height honesty?)

Are you taken? Are you looking for a 'mate'?
I'm not looking for anything other than a good time. :)

Can I talk to you?
Only if your mouth works.

Can I touch you?
What a random question.

How can I find you?
"Have you seen Windrunner?" to random strangers is a great icebreaker (try it at your next party!)

Can I visit your room?
No idea.

Can I buy you drinks?
Ehhhh... you can try, but I'm a die-hard polite Canadian - I may decline just because I don't want to inconvenience you.

Can I give you stuff?
"Stuff" is a vague concept here. Ask first is probably better.

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
I don't mind hugs for sure.

Are you nice?
Possibly. :)

How long are you going?
Thursday-Monday morning

Do you have an artist table?
Nope.

Do you have prints/CDs?
I do at home of the music variety - do those count?

Will you have art in the Art Show? General or Adult sections?
I do not.

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
If I'm in suit just walk up to me and talk - but make sure I see you. Standing behind me and waiting for me to notice is a great way for me to not notice.

Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
I will be at the convention, with everyone else (duh!)

What/where will you be eating?
I fear my psychic powers do not extend to 'knowing what I will be eating 3 weeks in advance.'

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
Maybe; sometimes, I just like some downtime by myself, otherwise it's ok.

Can I look in your sketchbook?
That will not be present at this convention due to its non-existence.

Can I draw in your sketchbook?
That will not be present at this convention due to its non-existence.

Can i take your picture?
You wouldn't be the first, you won't be the last, but you may be the latest.

So this has been the first year that I've started to attend major cons... My own previous experience had only been Feral! back in 2003 (which I kept forgetting, but it's not a regular con) and WTF! in 2010. So far, I've done Furnal Equinox in March, and Anthrocon in June. Definitely going to repeat them next year if at all possible. :)

At first, I was thinking that would be it for me for 2011 since I didn't want to push it and ruin what's been an amazing year so far. As well, I knew my summer was going to be busy as it was and didn't want to try and plan in any other events (and boy, has it lived up to that :)

However, I've started to think about maybe attending FurFright in October for a few reasons:
1) I still have a bit of vacation saved up that could be used
2) There's enough of a break between AC and FF that I won't feel like I'm pushing it
3) It's in Connecticut, which it only 7-8 hours away - closer than Anthrocon by a little bit for me.

Now I'm not set on it, one way or another, but it might be a nice way to round out the year. What are other peoples' experiences with FurFright? Did you enjoy it? Good venue/good events?

****NOTE: I've decided that yeah, I am going to attend FF this year. It'll be the last convention for me until Furnal Equinox in March, but this will be a good way to balance out the year. Plus, MFF is just too damn far - I can get to FurFright and back for the same distance one-way to MFF.

See anyone who's going there! I already have roomies and am registered with the con, so I think I'm all set. :)

I love these sorts of tests, so when I saw the one that  clemfox posted, I thought what the heck! This is similar to the Kiersey scale (for those that are familiar with it) but still a fairly accurate representation.

Feel free to take it at http://www.signalpatterns.com/psych_central/


Passionate

You are in touch with your emotions, and sometimes you react before you think. The good news: you don't tamp down your feelings. The bad news: you sometimes say or do things that you later wish you could take back.

You do not live your life on an even keel; you do not go for long periods without experiencing some mood swings.


Original

You are constantly coming up with new ideas. For you, the world as it exists is just a jumping-off place; what's going on inside your mind is often more interesting than what's going on outside.

You don't feel that the road to success is to be a realist and stick to the program; you never stop yourself from coming up with new ideas or telling the world what you're thinking about.


Aesthetic

You appreciate art, beauty, and design; you know that they are not superficial but absolutely crucial to living the good life. You have good taste, and you're proud of it. Those with a high score on the "aesthetic" trait are often employed in literary or artistic professions, enjoy domestic activities — doing things around the house — and are enthusiastic about the arts, reading, and travel.

You don't think it's pretentious to be moved by art and beauty. You're not one of those who believe it doesn't matter what something looks like as long as it does its job.


Creative

You are good at solving problems, coming up with original ideas, and seeing connections between things, connections that most other people miss. People with a high score on the "creative" trait often are employed in such fields as finance and scientific research, and enjoy avant garde and classical music as well as literary fiction and scholarly non-fiction.

You do not shun abstractions and concepts in favor of the concrete and tangible.


Intellectual

You are thoughtful, rational, and comfortable in the world of ideas. People find you interesting to talk to. You're the living embodiment of the saying "You learn something new every day." In general, those with a high score on the "intellectual" trait are employed in such fields as teaching and research, and are enthusiastic about reading, foreign films, and classical music.

You do not avoid abstract conversation, experimenting with new ideas, or studying new things. It bores you to stick to the straight and narrow of what you already know.


Curious

You like to get to the bottom of things. You're not content knowing what someone did; you want to know why they did it.

You don't simply take things as they are and move on; you're not content skimming along on the surface; you don't feel you're wasting time by digging for the meaning of things.


Understanding

You are willing to take the time to find out what's going on with other people, especially if they're in distress. You're a good listener, you don't criticize, and you offer unbiased, respectful, honest advice when it's requested. With a high score on the "understanding" trait, it is likely that you are enthusiastic about charitable work, helping others, and making the world a better place.

You don't feel the need to impose your standards on others or say things that, even though true, cause pain.


Organized

You like to think a task through before you embark on it. If it's the slightest bit complicated, you make a list (even if it's only in your mind) and methodically work your way through it. When you have a goal in mind, you're not satisfied until you reach it.

You are not one of those people who ignore the details, and you don't understand how anyone can get anything accomplished without thoughtful planning ahead of time.


Warm

You have a genuine interest in other people. You're a natural host, and are always thinking about how you can increase the happiness of those around you. When friends have problems or are in trouble, you're usually the first person they turn to for aid and comfort. Scoring high on the "warm" trait suggests that you are among those who enjoy domestic activities — doing things around the house — and are enthusiastic about charitable work, helping others, and making the world a better place.

You don't always say exactly what you're thinking; you don't like the idea of causing anyone pain because of your criticism.


Scrupulous

You are an honest, fair person. You don't lie or cheat to get ahead. You treat others with respect and hope for the same in return.

You do not feel that you are above the rules that everyone else follows; you are definitely not willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead.

Where do I even begin? (be warned, this is kinda long)

At this time two weeks ago, I was in another world. Time mattered, only in so much as it was going by too quickly. And it ended far too soon.

But to gain some perspective on this, I need to take a step back.

When I committed myself to going to AC this year, I knew getting there would involve a) planning, b) timing and c) effort. The route was planned (and then overriden by a Quebec GPS with a fear of toll roads,) the timing was digital and the effort, well... was effortless, but in a good way. It all worked out, better than I could ever have hoped.

I thought came to me, a day after returning home: Sometimes you are the dreamer, sometimes you are the dream. That very much describes what I experienced at AC this year.

I was the dreamer: the paths I followed over that weekend were ones I chose to walk, either alone or with others. I had an amazing time hanging out with the Ottawa furs on

Thursday. I loved spending a lot of time with  3245kat for most of the actual con; seeing her find Epic and watching that new bond between puppet and player grow was a treat. I was thrilled to meet so many of my fellow the Clockwork Creature fursuiters throughout the con and enjoyed our photoshoots along having dinner with them after exploring downtown Pittsburgh for a bit. Rounding it all off at the end of all things Sunday evening/night with Flow,  wynderkind and her BF (both of whom I had been trying to see all weekend) was the proverbial cherry on the parfait.

I met so many fursuiters and furries that I've just known from online, and all of them were a pleasure to meet or meet again, as the case was. Some were ones I was hoping to hang out with more but only got to spend a few moments with ( erisvalgen  coopertom  torrle  dogbomb being the prime examples), whilst others I befriended there and hope to see again soon ( jibade  gyrhawk  Tenseicat  Kittiara to name a few). Dancing in suit, at one point I felt truly connected with all the energies of everyone present and it was one of the most wonderful moments I've ever had.

While I missed both 2 and Kage's personal shows, Flow and I had almost the best public seats in the house for their joint charity show and I laughed so hard. I even ran into Kage a couple of times just casually over the weekend. Seeing a young fur gush and squeal at getting a chance to have her picture taken with him was amusing in a good way - a sign of another dreamer having a good time.

I was the dreamer, living in a world that couldn't exist yet did. A world where furries became a living, breathing part of their surroundings. I didn't want to be anywhere but there.

But then, I was also the dream.

I was a part of the world with everyone around me, the circle complete. My initial hesitation at going out in fursuit vanished so quickly Wednesday night as the dream I was entering claimed me and said "Hold on for the ride of your life." Going out in fursuit, I was able to bring a sense of wonder, of magic to people around me - and as a relatively new fursuiter and long-time dreamer, that's still a big deal. Wednesday night suiting in the lobby of the Westin, I ended up blowing the mind of a friendly drunk guy so much that he loudly proclaimed "ALL HAIL THE WHITE WOLF!!!" to everyone present (to much amusement, worship by fursuiters and, secretly, embarassment.) I stood for so many photos, both with fellow furries and also normal Americans and likely tourists as well. :) One woman on Thursday was so overwhelmed that she was afraid to even touch me because I was almost too real for her. The thing that seemed to catch the most people off-guard was when I talked to them - they weren't quite ready to see my muzzle move. It happened on the street, it happened at Furnando's, it happened at the convention... it was fun. :)

I was a talking wolf, silhouetted by fireworks in the middle of a foreign city. I was a Long Scout incarnate to a Lordly Lion from Metamoor Keep. Sunday night, having to guide 3 cat fursuiters in search of food I was in full Alpha mode - a fact noted and noticed by a friend we ran into on the street. I was not an octopus. I was able to help a friend out when they needed it. I was able to reveal more about myself without having to reveal more about myself (odd drinking questions helped in this case.) I was able to help 3 furs get to and from the con without having any real issues (especially at the border.) I was a lone human-yet-not, wandering around the rooftop of the convention centre at 1AM, taking in the night air and just existing without a care in the world. I was a part of a parade of 854 fursuiters that walked past countless people, becoming a part of history in the process.

There were more fursuiters in the parade this year than attendees at the first AC. Tell me that isn't someone's dream come true.

I am a dream and yet I am real.

Real life could wait. Acknowledging "real life" for what it is doesn't mean having to be in just one.

See you next year.

In my dreams. <3

If I ever had to present proof that the gods are watching out for me, this is it. The timing is… astounding.

I had a call from my lawyer last night that the new homeowners were having trouble with the stove and they were hoping I could chip in with some cash to buy a new one. I passed on my phone # (so that we wouldn’t have to deal with a middle-man) and said I would talk to them and sort it out.

I thought they were just having trouble with the old oven. The true story is a little more complex than that. A basic timeline:

On June 18-20, I moved out of the old house and into the new duplex, along with the cats. All the paperwork was signed by Monday and the keys passed on.

On June 21, I finished up whatever I could in terms of cleaning and then closed and locked the door behind me.

On June 22, I left for Anthrocon in Pittsburgh and didn’t look back. Over the weekend, I checked the news, and saw that there had been a heavy rainstorm in Ottawa, with a funnel cloud spotted in the west end of town. I thought no more of this.

On June 24, the new owners took possession of the house. They are Portugese, have a lot of possessions which meant they moved in with 2 26’ trucks worth of stuff. So much stuff that one whole truck was basically unloaded right into the basement.

Then came the flood:

Not long after moving things into the basement that Friday came a torrential downpour. So much so that it half-submerged the air conditioner in the back yard and the basement had about 2 feet of water in it. They couldn't actually turn on the AC because that would cause water to come back through the pipes. It took out a lot of their things in boxes, ruined the already-bad carpet and affected the washer and dryer as well. The backyard was flooded for about 2 days they said.

And the stove issue that originally brought us together? They noticed a problem with the door, in that it was missing a bolt. Upon trying to fix it, they had issues getting the door back on and it would no longer close completely, spilling heat into the kitchen. As this couple has a 2-year-old granddaughter who visits, they didn’t want to take a chance with it - and apparently a SEARS technician was way overpriced just for a simple inspection (~$200.) Ergo, they went ahead and just bought a new one of those as well to add to all the other new appliances they had to purchase, and were basically just asking for a bit of help given the rather unexpected nature of everything that happened.

In all the years I lived there, I saw many a torrent of water in the road but never had a full on flood. If I our closing date had been any later, I would have been stuck in the middle of that right at the worst possible time.

Yet another reason to go to AC - it motivates me to get the f*ck away from town just as bad things are about to go down. :D

Wow.

For those that were in it or those that are curious, here's a link to what the whole group of us looked like before we marched out to the parade itself.

http://www.dragonscales.com/gallery.....c2011group.jpg

For those looking for me specifically, I'm in the lower-left quadrant, near the front of the group.

It warms my heart in ways near indescribable to see such a diverse group... A moment never to forget. :) <3

My first ever AC... I will post a more detailed journal tomorrow, but just wanted to send a quick thank you to everyone that I met there; even if we only spoke for a few moments (as it was with some of my old friends) or several times over the weekend... or even if it seemed like I wouldn't leave a certain someone alone for her own good *glances around for a kitty*

This weekend truly was magic. I know PCD will hit me hard tomorrow, but for tonight I have nothing but a smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart. It wasn't a perfect weekend, but it is the flaws that make the masterpiece and this was certainly one!

More tomorrow with details. Goodnight, one and all, and all my love to you.

My friend  wynderkind has a new wolf mask up for auction on Furbid. For those that appreciate the most realistic style, it's pretty sweet!

Journal with details: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2437414/
Image: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5934940/

Because this is such a big event, I thought I'd put this out there...

Where will you be?
At Anthrocon (duh! silly meme can't even get its first question clear)

Where are you staying?
I managed to find a room at the Westin (yay!)

Who will you be with?
Unsure... guess it will depend on who I find. Otherwise, all by me lonesome when walking around. I am staying with  james.ferret

Do you do free art?
I will pose for pictures for free. Does that count?

Do you do trades?
... Not sure how one would 'trade' poses. LOL.

Do you do commissions?
Well, if you *want* to pay me to stand around...

Do you have prints/CDs?
Only for the drive down. I will possibly be returning with some.

What is your gender?
100% Male.

How old are you?
I'll be 36.

Are you taken? Are you looking for a 'mate'?
*raises eyebrow*

Can I touch you?
*raises both eyebrows*
I don't mind hugs or being petted or playing around with other fursuiters, but beyond that... mmmm... we'll see.

Can I invite you out for food/fun/etc?
I tend to only want to eat with at least 1 person I know nearby. Being invited to join a group of total strangers is kinda...weird.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
Not unless I ask you to. I may need some downtime occasionally, and peace and quiet's likely gonna be at a premium. :)

Can I talk to you?
Most certainly.

Can I give you stuff?
I suppose...

Was browsing a random auction site tonight, when I came across this little tidbit. For those of you interested in Qarrezel's work, I just found someone auctioning off the Copper Beast. ( http://www.clockworkcreature.com/ga.....pper_beast.jpg )

If curious or interested in bidding, head on over to

http://www.thedealersden.com/auction_details.php?name=Copper-Beast-by-Qarrezel-Clockwork-Creature&auction_id=104402

So, while I was trying to get my newly built PC to work, I heard this awful animal squeal from outside.

I thought my male tomcat had caught a mouse and was trying to bring it home as a present, so I opened the window to yell at him.

That's when I smelled the skunk spray.

That's when I panicked and ran downstairs.

That's when I flung open the front door, hoping to save my cat.

That's when a huge (but invisible) cloud of residual skunk spray got sucked BACK INTO MY HOUSE!!! >.< AND I WALKED THROUGH IT.

I called out for my cat, hoping to save him... and watched a skunk crawl out from under the porch and run away. Thinking he was hiding under there to recover, I went and got a flashlight and checked it out, calling out the whole time.

...

That's not a cat face under there!!!!!

Backpedalled quickly, to avoid being the next target, and could only laugh at it all. 2 skunks, fighting under my deck. No cat in sight (thankfully, he wasn't around, so didn't get hit.)

Went for a quick walk around the block. Came home to find the spray scent had permeated the entire main floor. Broke out my fans and my Febreeze, but they only worked so well. Lather rinse repeat, hoping it'd pass quickly.

And the punchline?

Was at work the next day, when someone randomly nearby said, "Does anyone here smell skunk?" *blushes*

(thankfully, it's not that bad, and my nose is totally desensitized to it right now.... but still. I love skunks but NOT LIKE THIS!!!!)

Ok, I have to put this down here just so I don't forget... last Thursday evening was odd. Really odd (and funny, so read on!) I had a lot of things planned and they actually *worked* for the most part.

Work itself was fine, all went normally, nothing really to report - with the exception of the huge windstorm that was going on outside. Winds up to 90kph meant I was watching trees, light posts, hydro poles sway in the wind. O.O I kept hearing stories about trees falling around town, and my first fear was that the one outside my house would fall.

Thankfully, my tree was fine - just a bunch of branches knocked down. Fence out back was intact as well - challenge #1 passed.

Headed to a nearby computer store, picked up the parts I needed for my new rig - including the last video card and motherboard I was hoping to get. Perfect timing FTW! :) Challenge #2 passed.

Drove out to get my dad's birthday gift - he'd said there was only one DVD left in the store, but I found 3. Yay!!! Challenge #3 passed.

Headed over to Beechwood to check out a potential new apartment. Basically the bottom floor of a bungalow. Nice guy who owns it, not a waste of time, still considering it but at least I went. Challenge #4 passed.

Got home safely, made dinner, spent a couple of hours building my new PC... nothing breaking, all is well....

Almost.

After putting it together, I booted it up. I *thought* WinXP says "You have 3 days to reactivate your copy of Windows because this is too new." Ok, fine I says. Fix up drivers, reboot. Message shows up again, ignore it, install more stuff, reboot.

Message shows up a 3rd time. Try to get into my PC, it logs me out. Try again, logs me out again. WTF?

I try activating it... Huh. Now I don't have an Internet connection. >.< That didn't show up again until 12:30am, 3 HOURS later. And even then, I just managed to register with Windows before it went down again. At this point, I just played around offline to fix up what I could before giving up. It was working, that was enough - time for bed.

Oh, and I should mention the skunks. But this is a long journal, so let's do a new one for that.

Ok, I gotta post this somewhere, and here's as good a spot as any.

Last year, when Clockwork Creature started to make my mask, I signed up for a Twitter account to follow along whenever Qarrezel would be working on it. I've since started using it like a normal fur, and have several interesting folks that I watch on it.

However, I also am caught in the Twitter Time Vortex (#TTV) it seems. I tweet mainly from my phone, which means I'm generally sending out quick text messages to it or replying to friends' ones. As a deal with my cell phone provider (Rogers), there's a short number I can send it to and have it post on my behalf.

Or at least, that's how it's suppose to work. A few months back, everything suddenly stopped. Everything that I would send to said number took at least 3 days to show up - which meant that all my friends were reading things out of sequence and being totally confused (just like me.)

I spent 2 hours online with a Rogers support agent and we did EVERYTHING to my phone, and it didn't fix it. The only way I was able to get it to work was to send my messages to the USA number.

And then suddenly the Canadian number started working again without warning. Until it chooses to randomly (and I mean that) select messages I'm sending to get sucked into the vortex, to be spit out a few days later to everyone's confusion - while other messages sent moments later get through just fine.

I dunno if anyone else has ever had this happen, but it's reallllllllly confusing things out there (since suddenly my bad day from 2 days ago is getting sympathy after all is well again.)

I'm Canadian so I'd like to keep using the CDN number, but if this keeps happening then there's no real reason to, eh? *sigh*

tl;dr If you see messages from me on Twitter that seem out of place, then they have been sucked into the Twitter Time Vortex - feel free to ignore, or at least understand where they came from. #TTV

Those of you who were at Furnal Equinox this year likely remember seeing a realistic grey wolf partial wandering around, created by the very friendly and wise  wynderkind. I know she's had a lot of interest in it since then, so thought I'd help people take notice of her talent. For those that haven't seen it, check out:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5468211/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/5468204/

This was her first attempt at making a wolf mask (a fact that still amazes me to this day,) and personally I think she blew it out of the water!

The reason I'm posting this, however, is because she's actually decided to auction the mask off! That's right - if you have the cash and the interest, you could actually be attending the next con in it!! Head on over to http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2265098/ for the details. Even if you don't plan on trying to buy it, at the very least I recommend lending her your eyes (by watching her, of course

Though it took about 6 months from start to finish (Oct 27 to Apr 8), my house finally was sold as of last Friday at 11pm at night. The closing date on the deal was 1 hour later - so it was right down to the wire! Their home inspection found issues with the roof (didn't know about them) and the wiring (kinda knew about them,) but thankfully the couple buying my place had the wisdom to see the value that was still there. We agreed to split the cost on the repairs, and that was that. On top of it, I managed to stay above my watermark in terms of price, so I came out quite happy at the end of it.

I now have a stack of business cards from all the realtors that showed my place and it's over an inch and a half high. If anyone in Ottawa is looking for a real estate person, let me know - I have many, many, many names to offer. I'm guessing at least 80 people have beeen through my place before it finally was sold - why it took so long to sell, I'll never know.

The closing date is June 24, so I'm aiming to have a new place by June 1. That way, I can easily move during the month itself and will be able to still attend AnthroCon at the end of it. ^.^ (Thankfully, I've already paid for my room there so I don't need to worry about that cost; just need to ensure I have gas, food and furstuffs money :)

Already planning to have a party here before I move out in mid-May. Hopefully, it won't co-incide with anything else going on, but we'll see! Either way, the wait is over - time to focus on the next steps and take them.

Tl/DR: House sold. Me happy wuff. XD Party soon. Stay tuned!