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Hi Papabear,

I have had trouble figuring out my identity as a person. I feel being demipansexual is my true sexual identity but I always have been comfortable with posing as female in various MMORPSs games. At first it was a curiosity of socialization in gender groups but then it felt right identifying as a woman and there are times I feel being male feels right too. I have been confused with several things over the years attraction to male friends and suddenly questioning why I felt that. Then I felt comfortable being a woman in MMORPGs but yet I like being male. It's a very confusing thing to me. I did some research on sexuality and found demipansexual to be me but gender is still a question time from time. I feel like that is why I have two main sonas one that is male and one that is female. That helped a little bit but I am just always questioning this. Do you know?

Anonymous

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Dear Furiend,

Yes, I do :)  You are not confused. You actually know what you like and what you feel. That is not the problem. The problem is you are trying to find a pre-approved label for what you are and get validated by an outside source.

You don't need no stinkin' label, señor. You can call yourself demipansexual or hemi-demi-multi-crossgender-watchamacallit-sexual. Or, perhaps, you are gender fluid, as I explain in this letter. Who cares? The point is, you aren't questioning. That implies you are not sure what you like. But you know what you like is to take on a female character in MMORPGs while other times you take the masculine role. 

Your letter mostly focuses on online gaming, and there's not much about your real-life social interactions, so how do you feel about those? Furthermore, it is my belief that online role-playing is a safe way to explore one's sexuality and work things out. I encourage you to continue to do so and take what you learn from the online world and make use of it in the real world.

Demipansexual has more to do with sexual attraction and indicates that you can be attracted to either gender and to many people as long as you have a strong emotional connection. To me, a simple bear, that would just make you bisexual and there would not be a need to define it further, but you can search for a new label all you like; it doesn't change who you are by calling it one thing or another.

As for gender roles, these are all imposed standards set by society. Society calls one behavior "masculine" and another form of behavior "feminine," and it does the same thing with outward appearances, yet these are all cultural tags. Is wearing a kilt feminine? After all, it's a skirt! How about high heels? High heels used to be fashionable among rich men in the 18th century. As was makeup. Is pink "feminine"? It used to be considered masculine in early 20th century America. Is crying "feminine"? More and more people are agreeing that a real man is not afraid to show emotion. 

Standards and labels established by society are confusing you. You yourself are not confused.

Be you. Labels be damned.

Hugs,
Papabear

IDW Publishing continues to present some unusual Disney-themed comic book entertainment. Listen, you’re going to notice someone who creates a story called The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, right? Well now writer Tom Angleberger brings us Disney’s Doorways To Danger, a new full-color graphic novel. “Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Uncle Scrooge, and all their friends are contestants on a reality TV game show called Doorways to Danger! As they scramble to be the first to collect the magical keys that lead them to their prizes, their grinning game show host might have plans of his own! And what are Pete and Trudy up to?!” As you can see from the cover by artist Jeff Harvey below, Mr. Angleberger isn’t the only one with a… unique take on well-known Disney characters! Doorways To Danger is available this June in hardcover.

image c. 2021 IDW Publishing

Fox and Burger Podcast #8: Furry Vocalist, the Sempai Band + More - Feat Paroto. ---- How many furry musicians do you know? In this episode, we're staying in Taiwan to talk to Paroto about his experience and background as a furry vocalist. Paroto is a blue doggo from Taiwan (currently studying in Japan) with a passion for singing. Also he's been part of the multinational Sempai Band since 2017. Join us as we interview our very first furry vocalist! In this episode, I acted as the interpreter for Paroto. If any native Chinese speakers would like to correct my errors or add to what I said, please feel free to do so! That would be greatly appreciated. ---- Social Media: Fox: https://twitter.com/foxnakh Burger: https://twitter.com/L1ghtningRunner http://www.youtube.com/c/LightningRunner Paroto: https://twitter.com/Paroto_Music https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6SDFVE9reFVTShzoOMvdag https://www.plurk.com/yah117728 https://www.facebook.com/ParotoMusic Footage from: https://twitter.com/Paroto_Music/status/1351128995568492544?s=20 https://twitter.com/Paroto_Music/status/1351028899573018626?s=20 https://twitter.com/Paroto_Music/status/1341371456970625025?s=20 https://twitter.com/Paroto_Music/status/1341027328852299776?s=20 https://twitter.com/Paroto_Music/status/1330124606305398785?s=20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMmzakPsD9g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sboXj9mzt1M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNz_z7CvncY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib6qSdYa8Ac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKSUKWpkT64 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCYcHz2k5x0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J---aiyznGQ http://robioeugene.blogspot.com/2014/07/i-love-dubstep.html Stock images provided by Pixabay

Hi Papabear,

It's my first time writing this letter to your website after I saw your ad on FurAffinity a couple of months ago while I was working at home for a company I don't want to name here.

The thing is I have two dilemmas which I'm dealing this moment. The first one is with the family in which my old brother (mid-30s) finally moved out to a new apartment and live there after we had to put up with so much toxicity for everything, even when I had that job the first 3 months of this year.  It was so frustrating to live together when he judges from the food that my mom serves (who was a lawyer) to the dirt of this apartment. He pretends to be a rich, entitled dude but he goes to the fancy places (so he works as a sound engineer for live events for some artists) wanting to be part of that society. Also he's kinda narcissistic, specially with his previous ex-girlfriends. I tried to understand him about his past when he decided to go and live with his dad (a lawyer, too) after my mom divorced him; and then realize that the wasn't the ideal home to live, amid of the problems are having with the other family, including their finances.  It was an everyday conversation with my mom when she mentions that part and that's why my brother has an inferiority complex due to these problems. But it was a relief to leave the nest and face the reality to live alone and not depending from my mother and I all the time. Leaving that aside, I doubt I could talk with him after he treated and scolded me so badly for being a shy guy and being dependent for my mom. But that's not the way to treat a person like that, even when I'm jobless/unemployed.

What should I do in this case? Should I ignore it or try to forgive him?

The second issue is more personal. As I'm introvert guy and a degree holder with a little experience in Film and Television, I always wanted to be a full-time content creator and live from it, even though I already tried to write posts on my blog and uploaded videos on my YouTube channel; besides of monetizing and earned a few cents. The problem with this one is I feel remorse of getting late to the party and the constant perfectionism of each content I'm creating. Besides that, I have a lot of insecurities and a lot of episodes of anxiety and depression ending to postpone the main project. I told my mom about how these creators earn money from it and I'm aware that it's not easy to get enough followers in order to monetize the content.  And almost always get demotivated (mentally and creative) for this reason, until I wrote a script for a podcast I'm going to make this week. Being a loner has both advantages and disadvantages, so I tried to talk with other furs about the project and some of them was amazed and left some thumbs up, but they never asked me for a feedback or some moral support to keep going and staying afloat. And even I talked with some psychologists and some friends as well.

And I also want to learn to draw again and offer some commissions. So, I decided to undertake this path without leaving aside other projects that I have in mind, staring with the screenplays I'm writing.  Do you know if there's a way to be more confident with the people I surrond it and myself? I want to overcome this weakness.

I'm sorry that this letter is so extensive or long, but I hope this will be helpful for me, Papabear.

Thank You,

Gabbo The Fox (Colombia, age 28)

* * *

Hi, Gabbo,

Your letter is a little difficult to decipher, I fear, probably because English is your second language, but I think I get your meaning. So, the questions seem to be, in summary: 1) How do I deal with my brother? and 2) How do I gain confidence to become a better podcaster and online personality?

Your brother is trying to be a big shot as a way to compensate for his own lack of self-confidence, which probably arose from growing up in a dysfunctional family. In my opinion, he's getting involved with a very shallow, money-grubbing crowd and will likely regret it, eventually. I would not recommend following his lead, and you don't have to accept his criticism of you or your life choices. Whenever he criticizes you, just smile and say, "Thank you for your advice. I will take it under consideration." Then, ignore him and do your own thing. He is a damaged person, and you would be wise not to worry about his opinions. 

Your second question is slightly related to your first because one of the best things you can do to boost your self-confidence is avoid toxic people like your brother and surround yourself with supportive, loving people. This is not to say you only want to have "yes men" around you (people who just agree with everything you say to make you feel better), but you do want people who care about you and try to support what you are doing in life and career.

Another thing you should do, you are already doing: pursue your dream. In this case, you are seeking to develop audio and video content online using what you have learned from your film degree (and congrats to you for completing your degree!). Don't worry if you are struggling at first. Everyone struggles at first! You are finding out that doing stuff for a college class is very different from real-world experience. You are going to have some failures, but the thing is to learn from your failures, grow, and improve. You won't have an instantly huge audience. Audiences take time to build. Be patient and keep at it! If you can do what you love for a living, you will be truly blessed throughout your entire life!

Next, don't compare yourself to others. Everyone has different experiences in their career and life paths. Some will be more successful than you, but you are not competing with them. Work on being unique unto yourself, providing people with something that has your own spin, your own personality, your own content. Be an individual and focus on what you are doing now, in the present. If you work hard now and develop your skills, eventually there will be a payoff.

Learn what you are best at, where your strengths are, and develop those. Meanwhile, keep an eye open for opportunities. You never know when something might develop that will open doors for you and your career. Also, keep learning new things. The industry you are in is constantly changing and developing. If you can keep up with all these changes, you will be doing better than a lot of your peers.

The more you learn, the more skills you develop, and the better you get at your job, the more confidence you will get. One day, you will realize, "Damn! I really know what I'm talking about, and I'm good at it, too!" At that point, you will have arrived.

Hugs,
Papabear​

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another FWG interview! In honor of Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’ve reached out to several Asian furry authors to gain their perspectives on writing, every day life, and more. Today’s interview features Robert Baird.

Robert has been writing and posting stories within the fandom for over seventeen years so there’s no denying their experience. They were born in the United States but are currently residing in Berlin. With the introductions finished, let’s get on to the interview.

FWG: What would you say makes a good story?

Robert: I tend to gravitate towards stories with characters I can relate to, I think. I think a good story should be able to put the reader in someone else’s shoes. Not necessarily just to see new places or have new experiences, but even seeing the familiar through someone else’s eyes. I like that kind of intimacy, I think.

FWG: If you could convince everyone to read a single piece of literature right now, what would it be?

Robert: Okay, talk about being put on the spot. I’ll lead in by saying that I’m not sure there is one single piece of literature that I think will resonate with everyone, or maybe that is important for everyone to read, I find that I come back to A Canticle for Liebowitz often. I find something evocative in the idea of rebuilding, and perhaps also in the idea that we, as readers, might be aware of the cycles of history and I guess perhaps to break them.

FWG: Speaking of history, how would you say your heritage has affected your writing?

Robert: That’s also been cyclical, I guess I would say. Growing up, I never really thought too much about other cultures, and definitely not really my own. My dad was very “American,” I guess—things like Japanese folklore or observations weren’t much of a part of our lives. That fell to my mom to be a bit more interested.

As an adult, though, I’d say I’ve become a bit more aware of the way that other cultures are portrayed in popular culture, and I’ve made the effort to be more conscientious about that myself. It is less, if you follow, so much my heritage makes me want to write about Setsubun as it is that it makes me not want to write about other cultures in a way that is… “flattening,” for lack of a better word?

FWG: Trying to make sure you’re accurately depicting other cultures, making them interesting and engaging so people understand their significance. Something like that?

Robert: Yeah. It sounds funny to even describe dad as “assimilated”—he’s second-generation, we had a very “American” kind of childhood. And so it really wasn’t until fairly recently that I started to realize the kind of subtler ways that representation matters.

Even in furry, I think — maybe because of its crossover with anime and perhaps some of the more exoticizing science fiction — there is a disconnect between, I guess, the reality of a culture and how it’s portrayed. Which from a writing point of view, that also means there’s so much nuance that gets lost. It’s almost like a reduction to the most monolithic common denominator.

FWG: Is there something you’ve learned about Japanese culture through your explorations as an adult you notice people tend to get wrong often?

Robert: I think, bluntly, there can be — or there was when I was in college, maybe; perhaps it’s started to fade — a sort of putting it on a pedestal, or treating Japanese culture as sort of aspirational, in a way that masks some of the maybe less savory aspects? I guess the converse is true as well, though.

Americans in particular tend to view East Asians, I think, as pretty well integrated into the American fabric. I was in my 30s when I realized that my grandparents’ names weren’t actually “Mary” and “Harry,” or that Japanese immigrant weren’t allowed to naturalize until the 1950s. That’s not something my dad talked about. As I said, there’s just a lot of nuance that makes for a great of complexity.

I think the way that cultures get reduced to evocative imagery or interesting stories also masks the extent to which that presentation is a deliberate construct. My dad and his parents were on their way to being interned before a white farmer decided he could use some extra help. But I never really heard about that. I heard more about my relatives who served in the 82nd Airborne at Normandy. That’s part of a deliberate process of constructing one’s own history.

FWG: On another tough issue, a lot of discussions have begun in the United States surrounding the Stop Asian Hate movement. As someone not living in the states, have you been forced to deal with any of the unfortunate bigotry people have been facing since the beginning of the pandemic?

Robert: So. Yes. But—and there’s a significant “but” here—the character of it is a little different in Europe, or at least in Germany. I’ve definitely had people warn me about parts of town it’s best not to go to, but for the most part it’s been subtler. Not overt dislike or even overt racism but more an awkward lack of familiarity.

That said, I know acquaintances here who’ve gotten some slurs or, you know, COVID-related accusations thrown at them on public transit, say. And I have, thankfully, not had to experience any of them.

FWG: Would you have any suggestions on how other authors (or any of our readers) can be allies and support Asian people during this time?

Robert: So I’ll say that in general I’ve been very fortunate, both here and in the United States. Most of it was sort of playground-level nonsense. I’d say that kind of points at my answer to your question.

Two things. One is that, if you’re a kid of the 90s, like I am… y’know, I grew up on the Internet, in this kinda “don’t be so sensitive” environment. I would say do your best to genuinely consider the impact of things that you’d otherwise be inclined to dismiss as harmless or “just joking” or whatever. It adds up, and the thing is, it doesn’t have to. We could be better about that.

The second thing I would say is to remember that cultures are not monolithic. There is no one “Asian-American experience.” I would venture to say there’s not even one “Pacific Northwestern half-Japanese-American experience.” We should always expect to see diversity, and to look for the empathy that lets us understand that there are millions of Asian-American voices and none of us speak for all of us.

So we should strive for the empathy to listen without needing what we hear to be an answer, or a canonical explanation— just another picture of that complex patchwork that is any and maybe especially one that has been in the spotlight so harshly but at the same time gets viewed as “the model minority.

FWG: Any last things you’d like to tell the folks reading?

Robert: No, I would say “thank you” to you for reaching out. And I would say to readers, I hope I’ve said something you can take home as useful or helpful. But also, that not everyone will agree, probably! And you should expect that! I do!

And I think it’s a constant project to, y’know, keep our ears perked to hear why, and listen. I try to do that myself, and to remember that the world is complex, that it is always better to err on the side of compassion, and that I hope we’re all getting better at it.

We would like to thank Robert once again for letting us interview them! You can find their work on their website, Writing.Dog, and follow their adventures in life on Twitter @matrioshkadog. We hope you enjoyed this interview and will tune in next week to see the next author we have to feature. Until next time, may your words flow like water.

At what point or what conditions would have to be met for you to think it's safe to have a furmeet? I just want to get an idea for various people's positions. I want to eventually host some furmeets in my area however with the corona and all I'm concerned about when it would be enough to call

Cold Trailing is the second book in the “Fire Dog Trilogy.” I must preface this review by noting that I did not read the first book, Fire Branded, but only read the Andy Hart review before diving into this second installment.

Here, we return to the lives of Will, who works at the V-town fire department; his love interest, the mysterious mistress Anne; and Will’s friend, a cougar named Davies. V-town is what the residents call the former Vancouver, British Columbia, a place now mostly inhabited by anthros after some kind of Cataclysm killed off most humans. As noted by Hart in his review, the Cataclysm is never explained in either the first or now, the second installment. We don’t know if there was a war, a horrible pandemic, an environmental upheaval, a giant asteroid collision, or what. We do know that some humans have survived, but not many. In this book, we only meet one briefly. Most of the characters are furries. We don’t know how they got here, either. It seems that furries are a fairly recent arrival on Earth and that Will’s mother was human; his father, apparently, was a Dalmatian. We don’t know why or how Will came to be or why or how there are so many anthros now.

Anyway, our story begins with Will and Davies trying to control a fire on a coal-hauling ship in the harbor. It’s nice to start a tale by leaping into action and introducing two main characters. After tackling this conflagration and rescuing a couple of the crew, Will walks (yes, walks) to his home in the countryside where his Mistress awaits. Anne continues to be mysterious and has some sort of power over Will, including a sexual magnetism he cannot resist. We learn here that Anne is grooming Will to rise to department chief, which he soon does, and possibly more.

Suddenly, there is an earthquake that levels much of the city, especially any skyscrapers left over from the Cataclysm, and the City Hall is nearly destroyed. V-town is also troubled by riots, but the reason behind the riots, as with much of the action in this book, is never explained (they began before the earthquake), although it might be an excuse to introduce to the reader the tensions existing between the police and fire departments.

The world Gibbs has created is odd, to say the least. There are no cars, trucks, telephones, airplanes, or even computers in V-town. The water and sewage systems seem to be operating fine, and there is electrical lighting, which is powered by coal (the ship that caught fire in the opening scene is hauling coal, but Will indicates it is being shipped to the city, which is very strange because British Columbia exports over $3 billion in coal annually and has the largest coal processing plant in North America). Why do we have shipping in this world, but no other forms of transportation? Are they sailing vessels? No sails are mentioned, so I would have to say no. Gasoline also is available, so, again, where are the cars? V-town seems to operate in isolation. We never hear if there are other cities, and when the city suffers an earthquake, no outside help comes to its aid. They seem completely alone. Characters discuss how the entire province of Alberta has been evacuated, but what about other towns in British Columbia or down in whatever is left of the United States?

Food is an oddity in this book. The characters eat a combination of fast food from restaurants mixed with raw meats from the fridge, and they also apparently hunt for food. (Some anthros occupy a social stratum of designated Hunters.) Processed foods must be running out, however, and it is also mentioned that, while there are still canned cokes to be had, most of them have gone flat. Perhaps Gibbs is trying to show his characters as half human/half animal in this way. Perhaps the riots are being caused by food shortages. We’ll never know.

Despite the riots and a major earthquake, the bureaucracy of the city limps along. The mayor’s office seems considerably weakened, with the fire and police departments doing most of the work in keeping V-town from descending into complete anarchy. After the quake, Will is made fire chief, and the town gets a new mayor. There is no election here; the mayor is simply appointed. I also found it odd that everyone seems to be drowning in paperwork. Paper is everywhere, and Will spends much of his time filling it out. Where the paper comes from, no one says. I would assume the paper mills are still working in British Columbia, so if I were in this world, I would invest in a paper company and make a fortune.

We get some sex scenes here and there, and if you like S&M and pup play, you might enjoy them. It isn’t really until around page 170 that we get to what seems to be the crux of the novel: a bizarre conspiracy to turn V-town citizens into half-zombie-like thralls intent on taking over the city. Anne thinks she knows who is behind it, but … well, the real mover and shaker is a surprise, so I won’t spoil it. Let’s just say the book ends with lots of action that would be appropriate for any zombie movie.

I’m sorry to say that I, personally, had a lot of problems with Gibbs’ world building and his writing in general. While it can work to tease the reader and imply things are going on that you don’t fully explain, this has to be done with skill, and there should be a payoff for the reader, eventually. We now have two full novels here in this trilogy, and the reader still doesn’t know what’s going on, how these characters came to be, what the Cataclysm was, and how anthros arrived on the scene. (A particular oddity is that, while most of the anthros come from ordinary creatures of Earth, there are two dragon scalies mentioned. Where the heck did they come from?)

The writing—and editing—of the book is weak. For example, the author uses the word “grin” 127 times. Other times, it seems like Gibbs isn’t paying attention to what he is writing. For example, in one scene we are told that it is a cloudy, gloomy day; next thing we know, a character grins and his teeth glisten in the sun. There are grammar and punctuation errors, errors in expression (“much vaulted” should be “much vaunted”), repeated phrases following one after another (“touch of her lips” and then again “touch of her lips”), sentence fragments, and so on.

Technical details are also a problem. In the first chapter, for example, Will and Davies plunge into the ocean with 100-pound (not kilograms? This is Canada!) packs of fire equipment on their backs. If you ask a SCUBA diver, they will tell you that you would probably drown with anything more than 30 pounds to carry. And what is all this fire gear anyway? When a ship is aflame, fire fighters typically start the battle with equipment aboard the ship (carbon dioxide and steam equipment is used), or they heft hoses from their own ship; they do not carry huge packs on their backs. But if this is how they work post-Cataclysm, then it would be nice to learn how these enormous backpacks are deployed.

The above could be easily corrected with better editing. What bothered me more was the loose, meandering plot. A good story is tightly plotted with events relating logically to one another. The opening fire scene and the earthquake seem to be placed merely for action. Encounters with some characters, such as Will visiting his horse friend in the hospital, also do little to advance the plot; and a mysterious wolf appears early in the book, only to disappear forever. They are not essential to the story. But what is the story? Is it the thrall plot? If so, why must we wade through 170 pages before we get to the thrust of the story? Where were they in the first novel?

If you are not a deep, discerning reader and are simply looking for an action-and-sex-filled furry tale, you may enjoy Cold Trailing. Gibbs is pretty solid writing action scenes, and his sex scenes add to characterization and the story. These things I would say are the strengths of this book. Gibbs is, however, weak in plotting and world building. In my opinion, this tale would have been much improved if he had foregone the entire Cataclysm premise and just written a tale about a furry fireman and his love and work relationships. Either that, or make this about the thralls, which should have been brought up in the first book. All I can say to Gibbs is this: with readers investing so much in the first two books, I really hope we get an explosive payoff in Book 3.

Cold Trailing, by F. Gibbs

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The missing person Marquez Duncan was found April 8th, '21.

On March 14th '21, I sat down with Kiri the black academic who's determination drives her to be the best she can be. Her journey through the fandom really shows the magic of it all. How found family, and misfits can make you feel at home and get through tough times. It can be difficult, Kiri tells, to live with the conditions that manifest in painful ways physically and mentally.

Though, as you'll hear time and time again that one act of kindness is all you need sometimes. It can really change someone's perspective. Speaking of change, Kiri discusses how the false pretenses of purity hurt the left. After all, everyone has been guilty of something in the past for one thing or the other. She opens up and talks about how the turning point for her in regards to LGBT+ was the case of Matthew Shepard.

This quirky, and witty dhole really proves the perseverance of her species through her dedication to academia. To keep pushing to understand and learn even if it can be painful sometimes. When it comes to her family and their support for her ambitions, well, you'll just have to hear how touching it is for yourselves!

Thank you for listening!

Cover art done by Vanilla! If you enjoy their art, please consider checking out their Patreon here! 

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Interview With Kiri - Kindness, Academia, & Health Conditions

As the vaccination drive goes on globally, demand for fake vaccination record cards are on the rise; in one instance being sold online, with prices going from $20 USD a piece to $60 USD per four pieces. A related case of such happened recently when a Twitter user called @fubarrdog commented under one of Colorado-based […]

With continued stability on the local COVID-19 situation, Australian furcon Furry Down Under (FurDU) is now set for this weekend. The furcon has recently unveiled their registration procedure for this year’s in-person event to be held at the Mantra On-View Surfers’ Paradise hotel. Instead of playing Nokia Snake to queue for tickets, attendees will be […]

Two furcon updates coming up for you: American furcon Motor City Fur Con, originally planned for the start of April, has deferred to October, more specifically, 8 – 10 Oct. The furcon says they have a ‘strong hope’ that an in-person event is viable based on current projections on herd immunity by the fourth quarter […]

Dance! Move! Get going! Roo and Sammy talk with Cosmik and Rhubarb about DJing and music in the fandom.





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TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 10 Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show.

Hi Papabear,

When I found your ad and checked your website I felt this strange comforting feeling just imagining a kind old bear (no offense if you aren't actually old) giving out advice to those who ask. That's why I'm writing this letter despite not knowing what to ask about. Well, it's more like I have so many things I could ask about that I don't know which! I guess I could ask about how to deal with failure or the lack of success. Sometimes I'll try new things or put all my effort into trying to achieve something and I just can't. I've heard plenty of people say that if you never quit and work hard you can achieve anything. It's hard to believe when the fruits of your labor show little to no results. So how do I keep myself from being disheartened?

* * *

Dear Olwain,

Depending on your definition of "old," I'm 55, so I guess that if I'm not already there, I am getting close. I am currently working on my dissertation for my Ph.D. in Grumpy Old Bear. Soon, I will have to defend my paper in front of a committee of old codgers to get their approval to join their ranks. Wish me luck.

As for your goals and achievements, you are still young and growing as a person. Now is the time for you to explore your options and interests. Failures and dead-ends will be the norm, not the exception. Don't put so much pressure on yourself to succeed right out of the gate. You should do what you're doing right now: try a lot of different things and see what clicks with you.

Meanwhile, remember that everything you "fail" at, or, at least, don't get "measurable success" at is a learning experience. After you have an experience where you fail to achieve something or a project goes awry, take a step back and evaluate what happened, what you did wrong (and also anything you did right but just didn't pay off), and how you might fix it in the future. 

The important thing is to find something you love to do, and then, whether or not you "succeed" at it is a matter of your point of view. Say your big dream is to be an artist, but you never end up making much money at it, so you find "regular" work and paint or draw on the side. If you love your art, and you love doing it, then you are still a success. Would you call Van Gogh a failure as an artist? He never sold a single painting when he was alive, but he loved painting. He was a success. If you are an artist but people say your art is bad even though you have tried and tried, but you love doing it, then you are a success because you have found something that makes you happy.

Heck, take this column. I don't make any money at it. It doesn't win any prizes. But I love doing it, so it is a success to me. Another even more profound example for me is my late husband, Jim. Toward the end of his career, he was laid off as a news director and spent his last years with me trying to succeed as an entertainment podcaster. You know what happened? He never made a dime, but he adored what he was doing. He loved recording interviews and editing soundtracks until the day he died. And he was loved. Oh, how he was loved! Now, THAT was a successful life.

Living life is not about achievement or money or recognition or fame. It's about being alive and experiencing life. Hey, that reminds me, that's kind of the message of Disney's recent movie Soul, which is about a piano teacher who wants to make it big but dies before doing so. He learns the very lesson I'm telling you right now: LIVE. This life is for you. Take time to enjoy the sensations, the friendships, the fun of it all, and stop worrying about being a success. If things happen for you and you become rich and famous, then great; if they don't but you had a nice ride, that's just as great.

Step back and ask yourself this: "What am I trying to achieve?" If it is fame or fortune, then reevaluate what you are doing. It isn't about "success" as defined by our capitalistic society. It's about loving life and finding something you love to do.

I hope that helps.

Big Bear Hugs,
Papabear ​

The winners of the 2020 Ursa Major Awards have been announced on YouTube! Nominations for the best work involving anthropomorphic animals in 2020 were taken this February, and the top five in each of fourteen categories were voted on during March. This year’s winners are… Best Motion Picture: Wolfwalkers (Cartoon Saloon, Mélusine) [Flayrah review]Runners-up (in descending vote order): Sonic the Hedgehog – Soul – Onward – Hayop Ka! Best […]

Welcome back once more for another monthly newsletter! “Wait, don’t these usually go out on the first of the month?” Yes they do, but we waited an extra day so we could share this exciting announcement!

We have had many authors ask for a tool to help advertise being open for commissions. At the same time, we’ve seen many fans of furry literature coming to Guild spaces asking for people to buy them from. So we got to work with the help of some friends in the Furry community to make it happen.

The Furry Writers’ Guild has teamed up with The Dealer’s Den to add the Writers Outlet to the Dealer’s Den Network of chats! The Dealer’s Den has been a staple as the auction website of the furry community for many years so we’re incredibly excited to have their expertise as a partner on this project.

This will be a place to post advertisements for taking custom commissions, openings for markets to write for, selling published works, and for anyone on the lookout for good furry fiction. Please check out the chatroom to see everything it has to offer.

You can find all kinds of submission calls for Furry writing in our Furry Writers’ Market! Currently, these markets are open.

• Selections of Anthropomorphic Literature: Vol 2 – Deadline: May 15th, 2021
• Queer Monsters Anthology – Deadline: May 15th, 2021
• Untethered – Submissions Open June 2021
• Werewolves VS Suburbia – Deadline: June 1st, 2021
• Furs With Benefits – Deadline: June 1st, 2021
• Less Fur-Milliar Spaces – Deadline To Commit: June 1st, 2021
• Werewolves Versus: Suburbia – Deadline: June 1st, 2021
• CRINKLE: A Littles Anthology – Deadline: June 15th, 2021
• The Rebel Diaries: An Anthology -Deadline: June 30th, 2021
• Furward Slash: A Furry Adult Techno-Horror Anthology – Deadline: November 30th, 2021
• Pirating Pups – Deadline: November 30th, 2021
• The Nightmurr Before Christmas – Deadline: October 1st, 2021
• #ohmurr! – Deadline: Ongoing

Make sure to not miss the 2020 Coyotl Awards Presentation! It will be taking place on Saturday, May 8th at 10AM Pacific/1PM Eastern/6PM UTC. Please visit the Coyotl Awards website to get further details. We look forward to seeing who you all voted for.

One last thing: this month is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. In honor 0f this, we’ll be featuring interviews with several Asian authors this month on our blog. Be sure to check these out to gain some new perspectives on the craft of writing and learn the bit about the heritage and culture of some of our guild’s finest authors.

Keep staying safe and offer yourself kindness when drawing on those creative capabilities during these tough times.

– FWG President Linnea “LiteralGrill” Capps

Welcome in the May! And welcome the 2021 Ursa Major Awards for the best in anthropomorphic media from 2020. While there was so much crazy (and let’s face it, sad) going on that year, somehow creative people managed to bring us some fine “talking animal” entertainment — and we love them for it. So here, as nominated and voted on exclusively by you, the Fans, are the winners for the Best in Anthropomorphics from the year 2020:

Best Costume (Fursuit): Zigc the Khajiit, created by Inerri Creatures

Best Web Site: Furaffinity.net

Best Game: Animal Crossing — New Horizons, created by Nintendo

Best Published Illustration: “Cheers” by Lofi

Best Magazine: Pocari Roo (video series)

Best Comic Strip: Housepets! by Rick Griffin

Best Graphic Story: Beastars (Volumes 4 – 8) by Paru Itagaki

Best Non-Fiction: The Fandom — A Furry Documentary, directed by Ash Kreis and Eric Risher

Best Other Literary Work: Difursity — Stories by Furries of Color, edited by Weasel

Best Short Fiction: What Makes A Witch, by Linnea Capps

Best Novel: The City That Barks and Roars, by J.T. Bird

Best Dramatic Short Work: Zoophobia — Bad Luck Jack, directed by Vivienne Medrano

Best Dramatic Series: Beastars (The English Dub), directed by Shinichi Matsumi

Best Motion Picture: Wolfwalkers, directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart

Needless to say, congratulations to everyone — the winners, and all the other nominees. To find out more about the Ursa Major Awards, or if you’d like to volunteer, visit the official web site. And start thinking about what sort of Furry Stuff you like from 2021! The Ursa Major Awards will return next year!

image c. 2021 Cartoon Saloon

Welcome to another episode of Digging Up Positivity. April was a busy month, from Easter Bunnys filling up their cars with gas(?) to the fandom doing amazing things for charity, especially Mark Barks. There is plenty of fun news to wolf down, plus our special guest is Rick Griffin, the mastermind behind the very popular […]

Voting is open for the 2021 Good Furry Award! Now in its third year, the award is our appreciation of the fans who show our fandom’s community spirit. Last year’s winner was Ash Coyote, and the 2019 prize went to the late Tony “Dogbomb” Barrett. This year, over thirty furries have been nominated by their peers. Voting will […]

MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!

Welcome to the first episode of season #2!  Bearly and Taebyn have a great time with this episode. We visit with YouTuber/Author/Podcaster/Furry Matt Baume about his writings and YouTube. Brutus joins us for Five Minute Furs. Taebyn has so many questions. We define a Taebyn Word. Bearly reads a Grimm's Fairy tale that confuses Taebyn. Come join us for some fun and mayhem. Oh, and here is the 'thing' Teabyn wanted in the show notes:  \begin{pmatrix}1&2&1\\ 0&-1&1\\ 2&3&3\end{pmatrix}.  I think it may be a math thing

Vulpine Taproom – Taproom in Lake Forest Park (lfpvulpine.com)

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Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.

You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com

Bearly Furcasting S2E1 - Matt Baume, Grimm Fairy Tale, Media, Five Minute Furs, Taebyn Definitions