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A wild Hedgie joins in the fun this week, as the studio fills with PCs and Raspberry Pi creations uniting for multiplayer Borderlands 2 fun after the show, as well as much Minecraft fun to be had on Tuesday for YouTube.  We start with technology failure as the Podcast machine misses the intro, and buttons don't get pressed in time, forcing a restart - the first full restart of Season 7.  The rest of the show goes without a hitch, much to everyone's surprise.  Starring TK, Xavier, Felis, and Hedgie.  Backing music by Sanxion7.

For Done and Dusted:
Hedgie tackles the slopes of SSX on PS3.
Felis gives us The Middleman.
TK reviews Oddworld:  Abe's Oddysee.
Xavier gives us his thoughts on Binary Domain, and the Borderlands2 True Vault Hunter Mode. 

For Television Talk:
There was no Television Talk this week, thanks to nothing worth watching being on. 

Question of the Week:
If you had a Raspberry Pi, what abomination would you create? 

 

Download the Podcast - Watch the TubeCast

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Season 7 Episode 11 Podcast Uploaded

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TigerTails Radio Season 7 Episode 11
A wild Hedgie joins in the fun this week, as the studio fills with PCs and Raspberry Pi creations uniting for multiplayer Borderlands 2 fun after the show, as well as much Minecraft fun to be had on Tuesday for YouTube. We start with technology failure as the Podcast machine misses the intro, and buttons don't get pressed in time, forcing a restart - the first full restart of Season 7. The rest of the show goes without a hitch, much to everyone's surprise. Starring TK, Xavier, Felis, and Hedgie. Backing music by Sanxion7. From: TigerTails Radio Views: 0 3 ratings Time: 02:34:53 More in People & Blogs

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Yes, we are live again, and bringing you all the things you have by now come to expect from an episode of TigerTails Radio.  With all your favourite hosts (well, apart from Eeve3 and Sal, what with them living in the north now - Oxford is north, right?) in the studio, bringing fun and entertainment to you via our mouth words.

Click on the Listen page to find out how to watch us on YouTube or tune in via your media player of choice.  Or you can join us in IRC, the details for which are on the Contact Us page.

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Walt Disney Pictures have announced several upcoming feature films, and among them is the sequel to the successful 2011 re-launch of The Muppets. Currently titled The Muppets… Again, the new film is scheduled for release in March of 2014. According to The Muppet Wiki, “The film is planned to be a ‘comedy caper’ set in Europe.  Ricky Gervais will star as ‘a male lead whose intentions are always in question’ along with Ty Burrell as an Interpol inspector, Tina Fey as a ‘Russian femme fatale,’ and a ‘slew of cameos’”. [Oh like they ever have that in a Muppet movie!] The sequel will be again directed by James Bobin, and scripted by Nick Stoller, who co-wrote the 2011 film with star Jason Segel.

image c. 2013 Walt Disney Pictures

Scientific research on human sexuality is a relatively new field. The Kinsey Reports, published in 1948 (men) and 1953 (women) (link), were the first attempt to gather data on human sexual behaviour. These were informally updated by Playboy in the 1970s (link), back when it retained some literary relevance, in an attempt to understand the changes brought about by the sexual revolution, and—of course—to provide some salacious reading material.

It took until the early 1980s for researchers to confirm that homosexuality is largely set at birth (ref). This work, controversial at the time, contradicted the prevailing wisdom that male homosexuality came about due to feminization of a male child, caused by an overbearing mother and distant father (the reverse supposedly applied for lesbians). This conclusion was simple enough to make: researchers interviewed a large number of people, asking about their childhood and sexual preference, then looked for correlations. (They found none.) And yet such simple data gathering took more than 30 years after Kinsey to be published.

The science of zoophilia is much less mature. Kinsey asked questions and gathered data (as did Playboy) however the first serious attempt to understand zoophilia was published more than 50 years later, by Dr Hani Milestki in 1999. Miletski’s book suggested that zoophilia may be a legitimate sexual preference: one defined by love, not sex.

Miletski’s book was followed by research from two long-time specialists in the field—Drs Williams (wikipedia profile) & Weinberg (wikipedia profile), who started their careers studying homosexuality in the 1960s. (Weinberg, literally, wrote the book—in 1981—that showed that homosexuality was set at birth.) The two are highly respected in their field, and their results agreed with Miletski when they published in 2003. Research into zoophilia has increased since then.

(The works of Miletski—Understanding Bestiality and Zoophilia—and Williams & Weinberg—Zoophilia in Men—are available in full for free, and are barnstorming reads. They are both recommended, Miletski in particular, although you’ll want to gird your loins for some vivid language.)

The two works are notable for going beyond analysis and discussion of statistics: the authors clearly became sympathetic towards the zoophiles during the course of their research. This sympathy isn’t evident in the results, but it is evident in their discussion of the zoophile lifestyle. They note that the zoophiles face unusual personal and ethical challenges as a result of their taboo sexuality. Williams & Weinberg make a direct comparison with the subjects of their early work, homosexual groups in a less tolerant era:

They reminded us of some of the early gay groups we studied in the 1960s and 1970s, especially when they engaged in banter about sex (in this case, it was not just sex with men).

 

Homosexuals in that era were seen as dangerous sexual deviants, similar to the way that zoophiles are seen today. However it is very clear from the results presented in Miletski and Williams & Weinberg that the relationship between a zoophile and his/her animal partner is based on love, where sex is an expression of that love.

This brings about a special problem faced by zoophiles: if you are in love with a non-human animal, where do you find human contact?

This is clearly a significant personal challenge for the zoophiles, especially given that they must hide their taboo sexuality from most people. Many zoophiles displayed a tendency to anthropomorphize their animals (ref Williams & Weinberg):

When asked “Is being in love with an animal different than with a human?” approximately three quarters answered positively. The features the men mentioned were anthropomorphic in that they described ideal human love relationships. Ironically, humans were often seen as less able than animals to provide those ideal human characteristics.

 

This is a special kind of misanthopy, one where human emotions are projected upon an animal to create an ideal that cannot be met by a real human. This false creation of a perfect, or near-perfect, oxymoronical hyper-human non-human is only going make it more difficult for a zoophile to find real human contact.

Humans are social beings. We have evolved to need one another’s company, and we communicate in subtle ways that meet our social needs. A relationship between a human and a non-human will always be one-sided, regardless of the perception of mutual love.

The zoophiles can end up with an unhealthy misanthropic perspective, a perspective I would compare with that felt by depressed people:

I find the company of animals more pleasing than that of humans – there’s less stress, fighting… Love with an animal is how love should be – a lot less complicated with no strings attached. (Williams & Weinberg)

 

I can identify with dogs a lot more than I can identify with humans. I am thinking a lot like dogs, and therefore I can understand dogs better than humans. (Miletski)

 

I felt I could only trust animals. They didn’t gossip, they didn’t laugh at me, they were available most any time. (Miletski)

 

In these comments you can hear the reflected neuroses of the zoophiles. They feel that humans cannot possibly live up to their expectations, or that they themselves will fail to ‘fit in’ with society, so they regress and find reasons to avoid people altogether.

Marcel Proust, as ever, intuited this, framing depressive misanthropy as a reaction to a need to be part of (an untrusted) society. The following quote is from the second volume of In Search Of Lost Time:

In a recluse, the most irrevocable, lifelong rejection of the world often has as its basis an uncontrolled passion for the crowd, of such force that, finding when he does go out that he cannot win the admiration of a concierge, passers-by or even the coachman halted at the corner, he prefers to spend his life out of their sight, and gives up all activities which would make it necessary to leave the house.

 

The sad irony is that those who have the least social contact are the ones most in need of social contact.

The other issue is, of course, the ethics of sexual contact with a non-human animal. Animal sexual abuse can sometimes be a problem (ref), and such behaviour is commonly assumed to be the act of a zoophile.

According to the researchers, making a connection between zoophilia and animal abuse is wrong. The zoophiles were defined by their love for the animals. Miletski states:

The majority of my subjects love their animal-partner. Some see them as a spouse and will do anything for them. Sexual relations with the animal is an expression of love for them, and if the animal tells them, with its body language, that it is not in the mood for love-making, the majority of my subjects will leave the animal alone. In fact, many of them are members of the Humane Society and other organizations that are taking care of animals.

 

The ethical issues associated with zoophilia are important however I don’t intend to explore them in detail here. This is difficult ground because of the strong moral reaction people often have to zoophilic acts (very comparable to the strong moral reaction some people have to homosexual acts). In general, researchers and ethicists on the topic (notably Peter Singer, author of Animal Liberation, ref) agree that the issue is whether the animal is harmed, and that the sexual aspects are irrelevant. This may be the subject of a future article (although, given my recent article on Why Zoophilia is a Furry Issue I’m a bit concerned about turning [a][s] into Zoophilia Weekly).

There is a small zoophile subculture growing on the internet. Zoophiles are expected to continue to congregate online, due to their small numbers and the benefits of anonymity. Many of them, including some who participated in Miletski’s study, have engaged with the furry community. This makes sense: furry provides what is important to zoophiles, namely a largely online-based culture with strong social connections, an emphasis on intimate friendships, and a safe environment for people of unusual sexual or gender orientations.

It’s no accident that the researchers compare zoophiles today with the GLBT community of 50 years ago. Gay relationships were seen as an exercise in immoral sexual behaviour, however this has changed as homosexual relationships are now largely perceived to be about love. The zoophiles have not reached this stage, but they may find that the furry community provides a social environment where their love is tolerated as unusual but acceptable. If zoophiles can be open within furry, they can provide good role models for the ‘zoo-curious’, helping young people manage and accept an otherwise complex and difficult sexual orientation.

I expect the level of conversation within the furry community to improve over time as the number (although perhaps not the proportion) of zoophiles increases. We will see more intelligent, respected, well-adjusted zoophiles be open about their orientation within furry. Dismissive and offensive language will become marginalized, just like homophobic language has declined in general society in recent years. And conversation topics, online and offline, will move away from the presumption of abuse, and towards the real ethical and emotional challenges of being a zoophile.

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Heya Papabear.

I'm feeling very bothered right now. As to why.......

In my local fur group there was this guy who I think talked the most in the group and had the snarkiest comments out of everyone. Anyway, I had no problem with this fur and I have to say I enjoyed hanging out with him.

Then in the last meet, I had to leave early and he posted a snarky comment about those that left early that I mistook to implying I was lying about my excuse to leave (I basically mentioned my depression was coming on). Anyway, he told me he didn't mean it that way and I apologized immediately. Then he became rather belligerent and rude, resulting in cursing and such. Then he left the group in a huff after giving a final "f*** you" to me and blaming his leaving on me in the main chat the group has.

He came back today and immediately told me in private chat that we should just not talk to each other if we are to get along. I didn't quite understand why and I asked why as politely as I could and never got a response, then he began posting in the main chat every few seconds and I got a little scared to post things because I didn't want to upset him or anything.

So I talked to one of the mods (or admins/person that helps run the place) and she went and put up a warning on the main chat stating that there is no profanity, drama should be kept in private conversations and it is not tolerated to tell someone not to talk. I got a list of angry responses from him then basically asking if I was "serious" and that I needed to "grow up" (which is kind of ironic considering I'm older by a month) along with more profanities.

I told the mod and sent her a screen cap of the conversation, and apparently he lied to her about something and he left the group then, but not before sending me several messages calling me a "punk a** b****" and threatening to punch me in the face the next time he sees me.

I know it's all talk and everything, but I'm getting really freaked out and I'm shaken up pretty badly. I'm scared to go to the next meet with the group since he knows where and when it is and that I travel there by myself. Is that an irrational fear or should I make sure to bring a friend or be in close contact with an admin or someone while going to the meet? Maybe I should bring some mace just in case?

I'm also bothered that all this erupted over that one tiny miscommunication where I apologized immediately after and tried to be nothing but polite afterwards. He probably was going through some other stuff with other people as well (which the admin confirmed vaguely, but I'm not going to push it or anything). However, that shouldn't be an excuse.

Now I'm mainly just scared that he's going to start spreading rumors about me online or something along those lines. I still have the conversation log so I can prove him wrong if he lies again, but I don't want to do that at all.

How do I get out of this and how do I clear my head? I'm scared now for no real reason or do I have a reason? I haven't had any other problems in the group and I know I have support from friends in there, but it's still bothering me a lot.

What would you do in this position, Papabear? How would you get out of it?

-DT

* * *

Dear DT,

Wow, sounds like this guy is the Queen of Drama. He obviously has some serious anger issues and is taking them out on you (would not be surprised if his home life stinks, but that’s not your problem). You are extremely smart to keep those written records of your conversations in which he is threatening you, and if there are more such messages from this derp, save them as well.

The next thing I would do, if you haven’t already done so, is send him an email informing him that you are keeping all these records and, if he continues to threaten you, you will show them to your local authorities; furthermore, if he makes any physical threats, you will contact an attorney and get a restraining order against him. This might sound extreme, but usually just the threat of contacting police or an attorney will shut a bully up.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, people such as this guy are full of crap. They make big threats and act like tough guys, but on the inside they are big fat cowards. Such is the personality of the bully. I would not be so overly concerned as to refrain from going to meets. Do not allow this guy to affect how you lead your life and how you socialize with furiends because then he has beaten you. If it makes you more comfortable, see if you can go to the meet with another friend and carpool or however you get there, but don’t let him get to you so much that you stop doing what you like to do.

The best way to deal with a bully is to stand up for yourself and don’t be a weenie. Bullies cower from people who face them. They are pussies at heart (pardon my French, but I have no tolerance for bullies). So, don’t be afraid and you will be just fine. Keep playing it smart as you have been, though, just to be certain.

Hugs,

Papabear

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http://hoodedutilitarian.com/2013/01/yiff-in-hell-hipster-the-author-gets-over-furrself/

From the comments:

"Ten years ago, snippy people on the internet told furries to stop taking it so seriously, that it was just a dumb fetish and not a subculture.

Today, snippy people o the internet are telling furries to stop taking it so seriously, it’s just a dumb subculture.

Gentlemen, I give you: progress!"

Author: crossaffliction During the early eighties, the FCC began to back off on restrictions on advertisements in children’s television, despite pressure from parents’ groups to apply more. The upshot was a series of Saturday morning cartoons (as well as other children’s shows) that were nothing but glorified commercials for various toy lines. Hasbro was one of [...]

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Author: Fred Wired has an announcement of LOLCat: Teh Exhibishun, avant-garde and funky cat images by 45 artists at the Framers Gallery, 36 Windmill Street, London W1T 2JT, from 23 January to 15 February 2013. Fortunately for those who cannot get to London, the Wired article contains 27 of the pieces, and the link to [...]

Do you like cake? We do, especially if it’s red velvet. Or chocolate. Or cake in general. Today we discuss our favorites and look at a popular cake blog (link below). All this and more, presented in typical WagzTail style.

CakeWrecks

Chocolate Daleks

Hosts: IceFire, Levi, Wolfin
Picture By Daniel Y. Go

Daily Show: January 28, 2012 - Do you like cake? We do, especially if it's red velvet. Or chocolate. Or cake in general. Today we discuss our favorites and look at a popular cake blog (link below). All this and more, presented in typical WagzTail style. - CakeWrecks -

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