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Episode VI is now LIVE
Any of you fuzzies going to be at Indy Fur Con? My mate Alkali will be Guest of Honor.
He'll be running many Lupis In Tabula games, running Who's Lion Is It Anyway, doing the Dragget Show Live with me, and co-hosting the charity show with Kage.
So, any of you guys going? It should be a fun time! I hope to see you there!
submitted by xandertheblue[link] [24 comments]
Furry Needs Assertiveness Training
It's a common theme in my life that I'm too passive to react to negative situations that people place upon me; indeed, it is a daily occurrence and I am oft filled with regret for not speaking my mind. The background is as follows:
- There are definitely a few remaining-unnamed-individuals that only wish to be around me when I have money and am willing to pay for all expenses. I attempt not to do as such, but it happens every so often. I rarely am around anyone else, so it feels as if I'm paying for their company.
- When someone's plans don't follow through, I'm the backup plan where my compliance is pretty much guaranteed. This often happens in the workplace, where even if I do say something, I end up having to do whatever it was that they desired anyway.
- My living accommodation is quite strict about the cleanliness. I clean every morning, vacuum, dust, take out the trash, organize my belongings and make my bed. I have a roommate. He takes out his trash, makes his bed and puts away his belongings. Other than that, he makes no efforts to help and the responsibility to keep the room clean falls upon me. I've voiced my opinion and have only been shouted at.
- Many other instances
To be short, it isn't so much that I'm weak in my compliance, but that my reluctance isn't a part of me. I find myself being too nice to people and gain nothing from it. What is the point of being nice to others when it only becomes a detriment? How can I go about being assertive while maintaining a passive politeness about me? It would probably be easier just to beat someone with a stick and use that as an example for others, but I'm not allowed to do that.
So, what is a tactful approach to these situations?
Zerink
* * *
Dear Zerink,
It is possible to be polite to people without being a doormat (and without using a stick LOL). Your question, “How can I go about being assertive while maintaining a passive politeness about me?” is phrased somewhat incorrectly. "Polite" doesn’t have to be used in conjunction with "passive." Indeed, you can be very assertive while also being polite, such as, “I really enjoy your company, but when we go out to dinner together tonight I must insist we go Dutch. Everyone will pay for his or her own meal.” Or, “It helps that you take out the trash and make your bed, but if we’re going to be roommates we have to split the chores 50/50. Otherwise, I think we need to find new roommates. And you can yell all you want, but volume alone doesn’t win an argument. You know I’m right about this, so do your share and I promise to do mine.”
You don’t have to raise your voice, you don’t have to use swear words, just explain in simple, clear terms what your position is and don’t waiver. In fact, asserting your position in a calm, cool, and collected manner is much more effective than yelling; if done properly, it can even be a bit intimidating (evil chuckles).
If your current friends only want to be with you when you are paying, and if you refuse to pay and they leave you, then that is the very definition of “users.” You know this, and I know this. It is, frankly, better to be alone than to be around people who just want you for your money. You need to have enough self-respect to see this, and I think you do.
Work situations are a little different from friendships, of course. If your boss tells you to do something, you had better do it unless you have a darn good reason not to, like you just got hit by a bus. On the other hand, if you have a better way of doing something to get a goal accomplished for the company, you should propose it to your boss, which would hopefully impress him or her that you are trying to do what is best for the company and are showing initiative.
I’m not sure what you mean when you say “it isn't so much that I'm weak in my compliance, but that my reluctance isn't a part of me.” I’m sorry, but that makes no sense to Papabear. You are, in fact, being weak by letting people walk all over you, and your reluctance to say “no” is part of you at this current time, so the statement rings untrue to this bruin’s ears.
Now a part of your problem might be in how you try to stand up for yourself. You might be strong in your words, such as “No, I don’t want to pay for your meal,” but if you say it in a very soft, timid voice with your shoulders hunched and your eyes looking at your shoelaces, it won’t come off strong at all. Body language is very important in communication and can send a message 180 degrees the opposite of the words that come out of your mouth.
If this is the case, you might benefit from a very famous book called How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. A lot of what the late Carnegie says in his book seems pretty common sense, but many people don’t realize some very basic facts about dealing with people. I think you might benefit from it, and you could probably even borrow a copy from your local library so you don’t have to buy one.
I hope this helps. Feel free to write again if you have more questions. Good luck!
Papabear
FurAffinity short urls for watermarks and emails
An artist friend of mine was trying to incorporate his FurAffinity url into his signature, so fans could find his user page easily from his art. Turns out the URL is way too long to easily be incorporated into a small space, so I made a really simple URL shortener specifically for FA users.
Its just f-a.in/your-username
Give it a try: f-a.in/fender
Note: I'm not affiliated with FurAffinity or Ferrox Art LLC
submitted by cadekat[link] [25 comments]
Big Bears of Doom
Over the past couple of years, Ethan Nicolle has made a name for himself as the artist for Axe Cop, a full-color comic book series written by Ethan’s pre-teen brother Malachai Nicolle. Now, Ethan is branching out as both writer and artist of a new on-line creation called Bearmageddon. Here’s how he describes it on the web site: “Bearmageddon is a story about a few every-day twenty-somethings getting caught up in an all-out war on mankind by grizzly bears. That’s all I’m going to say for now because I don’t want to spoil anything.” Uh, gee, thanks! All that we can tell is that the bears who attack humanity in this comic do so in some of the most bizarre mutant forms. You’ll have to see them to know what we mean. Bearmageddon updates every Wednesday and Friday. The image below is available as a poster, and a t-shirt is currently in the works.
image c. 2012 by Ethan Nicolle
![Radiant Arctic Fox [X-Post from /r/pics]](http://c.thumbs.redditmedia.com/1BSr_6MoGQaHsEdb.jpg "Radiant Arctic Fox [X-Post from /r/pics]")
Rocky Mountain Fur Con (Help?)
I'm going to RMFC, and it's my first con. Does anyone have any tips? Anything I should definitely do or avoid? I'm just kind of overwhelmed, but totally excited.
submitted by weaselgopher[link] [13 comments]
[Series Reboot]Live From the Hop Inn Episode 209
FursonaPod Ep. 43 – When Does the Fandom Go too Far?
We lost a hero in our fandom
Almost all the time I post for the funny or the news in the fandom’s entertainment. But, tonight I come to you with deep regret and sympathy for a tragedy that struck Sacramento, NM almost 2 weeks ago.
In the night-time hours Gemily and her boyfriend Harison Long-Randall, known as “Elden” to us in the fandom were walking across the street in their neighborhood with their 4 dogs. When Paul William Walden on heavy drugs flew down the 35MPH street at 80MPH and struck the group, Elden pushed his girlfriend from the speeding car without headlights on, however he suffered serious injuries and all 4 dogs were killed on the scene. Mr. Walden then kept driving on like the scum bag he is and police later caught up with him. Walden had a history (like most do in America) of being in out of court for other issues. This time however Walden will likely be locked away from a long time (if not for life). As of July30th we lost Elden from his injuries and he will be simply known as a hero.
If you wish to donate to the family you may do so on their PayPal (longrandallwestfund@gmail.com).
You can make out checks to the Harison Long-Randall/Gemily West Fund and mail them to Pam Dinsmore, community affairs director, The Sacramento Bee, 2100 Q St., Sacramento, CA 95816.
For more on the story see here.
Special thanks to FNN for the pic.
First time Furry Convention attendee..
So.. what do I expect? I'm fairly sure it'll be a lot like most other conventions I've attended, but with the overall Furry theme. I'm just.. so nervous. My Other has been the person who has been my major support through me learning and accepting things, and with me learning about my fursonas as well.
I guess I'm really just nervous, overly shy, and I'm looking for more information, as naturally, I want to know what I'm going to be in for. FYI, I'll be going to Midwest FurFest, and one of my main missions is to find a good pair of ears and tail, and maybe help me relax so I can stop trying to climb up walls, and just get excited and bouncy instead.
submitted by liused[link] [22 comments]
Plush Life - The Bold Italic - San Francisco
I look at my sad, home-brewed bunny ears; they’re like a tuxedo T-shirt at a black-tie gala. What am I doing?
http://www.thebolditalic.com/Jesse_Hirsch/stories/1982-plush-life
Last October, as my birthday party wound down, two mischievous friends suggested we migrate over to Frolic, a monthly event where furries from all over the Bay converge. I was nowhere near drunk enough. “So you’re suggesting I spend my birthday at a gay nightclub, gawking at a bunch of guys in animal costumes? I have a better idea: not doing that.”
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy a little cultural tourism as much as the next guy – monster truck rallies, Ice Capades, etc. – but this was too much. My loose understanding of furry-dom was that people dress up like sports mascots and have freaky anthropomorphic sex. That’s kind of a private thing. It struck me these folks might want one safe night where they didn’t have to deal with outsiders.
So we skipped Frolic that night, but my amigos wouldn’t let it drop. Over the next month, they assured me we would approach the event with maximum sensitivity, and the moment we felt like intruders, we’d bail. They knew they’d planted the seed, and curiosity would get the best of me. I caved.
After the blasé ticket taker stamps our hands with a fluorescent paw, it takes roughly two minutes to feel overwhelmed. The Stud is a Ralph Bakshi cartoon come to life, a psychedelic Noah’s Ark of garish upright mammals. Dozens of furries are grinding, bouncing, and canoodling while club music is spun by a DJ in a pink and green bunny suit. Grainy old cartoons and sinister clips from Donnie Darko loop on the wall. In the middle room, a trio of foxes dry-humps on the pool table amidst piles of stuffed animals. A blind man wearing a rubber suit and leopard headdress canes his way through the crowd.
Suddenly, a long-haired feline the color of a cherry Popsicle locks me in his sights. Dragging his oversized paw down my chest, he growls out a provocative, “Me-ow!” I need a drink.
After a pint glass of gin (Stud barkeeps are brutally generous), my fear is replaced by swelling appreciation for the furries’ mad artistry. An upright horse is dressed in full bus-casual: hooves extended from a pinstriped shirt that is carefully tucked into polyester slacks. A badass wolf wears acid-washed jeans, a leather jacket, and a T-shirt that says “Furr Fagg.” A posse of scary dudes don rubber Doberman masks paired with S&M hardware or skintight wetsuits. I see a dejected-looking skunk moping about like post-heartbreak Pepé Le Pew. One sporty tiger jaunts around in a hoodie (my friend suggests it’s a Treyvon Martin tribute). A wounded giraffe wears a bandage.
But let’s not forget the foxes, lots and lots of foxes. There are foxes with menacing snarls, winking foxes, and foxes with goofy grins. There’s a lady fox, a motocross fox, a Robin Hood fox, and a fox dressed as a Boy Scout. One fox is in swim trunks with a bulge the size of a small dog. A fox with glowing eyes perches on a barstool surveying the crowd with detached arrogance. He has reason to be cocky: We later see him talking, his animatronic jaw moving in sync with every word. This is some next-level shit.
Frolic is the creation of Aaron Merritt, aka DJ Neon Bunny. Aaron is an organizer of Bunny Jam, the now-defunct dance party staged in quirky, off-brand locations (like abandoned fire stations and porn warehouses). The jams were invitation-only, costume-mandatory – if you showed up sans costume, you’d get “bunnified” at the door. There were strong sexual undertones: Stud co-owner Mikey McElhaney says the bunnies hooked up like, well, bunnies.
Aaron also used to organize Further Confusion, the annual furry convention in San Jose. This massive event is about networking and merch, a place to connect with costumers and learn about the newest innovations in fur. There are panel discussions and workshops; everything is fairly PG.
With Frolic, Aaron tries to create an event that spices up Further Confusion’s approach with the free-spirited, dance party feel of Bunny Jam.
A flag on the wall proclaims Yiff!, a verb that can mean anything from snuggling to “straight fucking,” according to Aaron. I spy lots of petting and tickling and hand massages, but there are also some raunchier things going down. I see a dirty dog get a hand job on the pool table. In the bathroom, I stumble on an acid-wash wolf playacting a BJ. From time to time, one furry purposefully leads another by the hand outside the club; I can only imagine what comes next.
But by many accounts, actual fursuit sex is rare. A handful of costumes are custom-built for getting it on, but they aren’t too common. “Those are the tighter costumes, with less padding and accessible crotches,” Frolic attendee and part-time weasel Jack DeVries tells me. For most furry outfits, intercourse would be an unwieldy mess. Jack’s weasel suit, for example, has big muscular haunches that would make sex awkward (if not impossible). And even if it were feasible, Mikey says furries invest too much money and effort to muck up their costumes with bodily fluids. “Have you ever tried to clean synthetic fur?”
Mainstream media tends to focus on the dirtier aspects of furry-dom, all of which are on display at Frolic. Aaron explains: “Frolic is a dance party at a gay nightclub. It’s just one small element of a much bigger subculture.” In the world outside the Stud, furries are similar to LARPers or Renaissance Faire actors; it’s lighthearted role-play.
I meet Patricia Peterson near closing time at the Stud, one of the rare costumed females in attendance. Patricia tells me it took months to build her Ratgirl costume, obsessing over every feminine detail – making the haircut symmetrical, sculpting lush foam eyelashes, etc. She wanted her character to be cute, but it’s not a sex thing. Happily married to a non-furry, Patricia sees Frolic as a night to live out loud behind a protective layer of costuming. “As Ratgirl, I’m more ready to dance, more ready to giggle, more ready to squeak,” she says. “It’s me, but cranked up a little.”
Patricia considers Ratgirl an extension of her natural self (akin to a spirit animal) but some furries adopt totally foreign personas. Jack tells me that many of his friends are nerdy tech guys with passions for anime and video games. Furry outfits lend them a little swagger, a borrowed dose of toughness. “It gives power,” he explains. “I’ve got one friend who likes to play this mean, aggressive wolf. Guy is a total sweetheart in real life.”
The Stud’s Mikey is currently in the market for a new fursuit (he muddied up his bunny costume on a whiskey-fueled Easter misadventure). Though he doesn’t consider himself a true furry, he relishes the chance to be someone else for a night. “When I put on a fursuit, it’s like dressing in drag,” he says. “I can become one scary bitch.”
After my first Frolic, I return again, staying until almost closing. This may seem odd for a straight guy with little interest in role-play – certainly my girlfriend raised an eyebrow – but goddammit, Frolic is fun.
Here’s the appeal: It’s a trippy, vibrant contrast to so many forgettable nights on the town. My fears of being an outsider are quickly assuaged; if you’re respectful, all are welcome under Frolic’s big tent. For a couple of evenings, I have the rare opportunity to be immersed in someone else’s ornate subculture.
Jack asks if I’d be willing to wear a fursuit to Frolic, which gives me pause.
I used to dress up in a plush aardvark costume for my college job at FAO Schwarz, dancing, waving, and hugging kids. I remember my self-consciousness slipping away inside the suit. It certainly wasn’t a turn-on, but that’s beyond the point. I could be a guy who didn’t mind dancing in public, who lacked inhibitions, who was fun and free-spirited. I can understand the allure.
But would I take it to the next level? Sadly, no. I honestly don’t have enough passion for a real costume (not to mention time, energy, and cash). While I’m happy to whip up some construction-paper headgear, drink too much gin, and mingle with the fur-suited masses, I suspect that’s my limit.
No judging.
Fire Dog and Fire Pole
So get this guy, completed by Wookiee this little figure has his member put around that fire pole (wish it were mine) in a handcrafted sculpt. This is his second furry sculpture and he has an amazing talent that’s for sure. There is no real joke to this working, it gave me a hard-on which means you must have an impressive talent. Now, if you want commissions I did ask him about that so look to the post if he response.
FursonaPod Ep. 43 - When Does the Fandom Go too Far?
![[link]](http://i.imgur.com/FiBs8.jpg){kind=link}
![[link]](http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/212/d/8/sunset_by_silverfennec-d59bqu5.png){kind=link}
Re: Confession and such
On 7/23/2012 9:03 PM, This account has been banned because it violated
hi
Re: What happened on [Tard] Phoneyix's LA Love Boat Adventure?
On 7/23/2012 8:30 PM, This account has been banned because it violated
hi