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Despite the fact that Sony and developer Sanzaru Games won’t commit to a release date, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is still shaping up to be one of the more fun games of 2012. And I’m sure I don’t have to tell most of you to look forward to a game about a suave raccoon thief, but in case some of you haven’t been paying attention, here’s a refresher course on why Sly 4 is looking sweet.

You get to meet and play Sly’s family, including a medieval knight, Arabian thief, cowboy, and this awesome ninja, Rioichi. He owns a sushi restaurant because yay stereotypes!

Oh hey, sometimes Sly dresses up like Robin Hood, in case you felt like animals being Robin Hood was an underexplored theme.

Did I mention Carmelita the Fox is finally playable?

And let’s not forget that you’re trying to stop a super powerful, cigar-chomping evil tiger named El Jefe, voiced by Nolan North (Nathan Drake from Uncharted).

All of this takes place in multiple huge free-roaming environments in different locales and time periods like Medieval Europe, Feudal Japan, Arabia, Paris, and the Old West. Add on to that it’s the first Sly game to get a portable version on the cool, but underselling PlayStation Vita. Now all we need is a freaking release date.

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so i ended up wearing my tail to school and reactions included 4 what the fuck 3 oh my god 1 can i touch your tail 1 thats adorable 7 you know youre wearing a tail 3 why are you wearing a tail and probably 1000 comments i didnt hear in my opinion a success

submitted by cobracol
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Food, like sex, sometimes has a complex political subtext.

The politics of food made from animals can be especially complex. There are ethical, environmental, moral, and health arguments for and against the consumption of meat.

There are also gender issues associated with meat consumption: why is meat, particularly red meat, associated with masculinity? For example, check out these adverts from Australia, the UK, and the US: all satirical, and all accept the premise that masculinity is inexorably connected with meat consumption. Some feminists believe this connection reinforces objectification of women, arguing that it casts women as the passive supplier of flesh, and men as the active devourer.

Regardless of your own point of view, this seemingly simple basic need for the sustenance of life – the need to eat – has become a complex political subject.

And it’s complicated further if you’re a furry. If you identify as an animal person, it’s impossible to ignore that we live in a world where animals are commodities.

Furries tend to celebrate their animal identity in varied and creative ways. Most furries create an alternate personality – an anthropomorphic animal avatar – and accept this identity as a version of themselves. We furries ‘become’ this identity, because we act like we genuinely are our avatar. This belief in our alternate self makes our furry identity real.

Our day-to-day actions are often interpreted through the lens of our furry identity. This extends to the food we eat. So a furry who identifies as a carnivore might enjoy eating meat. Or perhaps a meat-lover might choose to identify as a carnivorous species.

The arguments for and against meat consumption can be summed up succinctly: meat eating is bad because it causes suffering; meat eating is good because it’s tasty and a societal norm.

These points of view (both of which are valid and true) can be given a furry twist. A carnivore furry might be drawn towards eating the natural prey of his species, such as a cheetah with a taste for venison. Or a vegetarian might make a connection with their herbivorous avatar. And if your furry species is available for human consumption… it gets complicated.

The four most common furry species available for human consumption are listed below. This data, as ever, comes from the Furry Survey.

• dog, 8.4% of furries
• rabbit, 2.7% of furries
• horse, 1.4% of furries
• kangaroo, 1.0% of furries

All other species commonly consumed by humans are chosen by less than 1% of furries. The full league table can be found on an old Livejournal post of mine, here.

Some of these furries go out of their way to eat their spirit animal. I can personally think of two examples: a friend of mine once species-hopped to kangaroo largely because of his affinity for roo meat; and a deer friend who was thrilled to find venison ham for sale.

But for other furries, eating their spirit animal is taboo. In many cases, the reason for their revulsion is closely tied to their choice of species in the first place. For people who work or live with animals, and feel a strong affinity for them based on that social experience, the idea of eating those animals can be akin to cannibalism.

It’s also common for the taboo meat to be one that is not normally culturally considered to be food. It’s especially likely where the species in question is normally thought of as a pet or companion animal. In western-centric furry circles, this often applies to dog meat and horse meat.

Horse is a common meat in France and Japan, among other places around the world. Dog is a common meat in parts of Asia and Africa.

The ethics of raising dogs or horses for meat is no different from other animals. Whenever an animal is raised as a commercial enterprise, there will sometimes be a conflict between the best interests of the animal and the greatest profit. Sometimes the best interests of the animal will come second. This is true even where the animals are not being raised for meat: it’s true whenever there is a profit motive, including work animals (such sheepdogs) and animals raised for sport (such racehorses).

This ethical argument does not apply when there is no commercial interest, such as raising a pet.

There is suffering involved in the raising and slaughtering of any animal. There is no reasonable argument that raising horses or dogs for meat is ‘bad’, but raising, say, cows or pigs is ‘okay’. Horses and dogs are domesticable and intelligent, but so are pigs: pigs can be domesticated as pets or as work animals (truffle farming for example).

The commonly-held taboo on whale meat is similarly flawed. Whale is eaten in Japan, Norway, Iceland, and elsewhere. The arguments against whale hunting and consumption are hypocritical unless you are applying the same arguments to mainstream meats.

The arguments against whale meat can be roughly condensed into:

• Whales are intelligent creatures who suffer during the hunt. (It’s likely that more suffering is caused by pig farming, as they are very intelligent and often subject to poor conditions during life.)
• Whales are endangered due to overfishing. (Much like many fish species around the globe.)

I’ve always thought that arguments against consuming whale, much like arguments against consuming dog (or horse), often smack of racism. Firstly, I don’t think people would hold such opinions if they lived in a culture where whale or dog meat is the norm. Secondly, the argument is often framed such that the target (eg Japanese for whale; Koreans for dog) is presented as a barbaric ‘other’, a subtle dehumanizing practice common to much racist hatespeak.

That said, there is no problem with having an aversion to the idea of eating a particular type of animal. The emotional response associated with eating your spirit animal can be particularly strong. For many people, this is an important part of being a furry.

There is no requirement for any personal choice to be irrefutably logical, be it religion or politics or attitude towards food. It’s natural to think of one’s self as rational, but this is wrong: we are animals and therefore driven by basic survival instincts. There is only one requirement for a personal choice: don’t try to enforce your choice on other people.

..but I don't know where to look. Can someone point me in the right direction?

submitted by Dominoko
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Papabear,

So I've been seeing this guy since January and we met in October, we are an online mateship that is in the progress of moving in together, I did go and see him in March and we more than hit it off; I can honestly say that I am and fell hopelessly in love with him; I would do so much for him!

Anyway so were in the planning stages of this move and he doesn't seem to want to talk about it a lot, We had a fight over it; in which we became closer after it. Then we moved the date closer from December to this summer or ASAP. I just don't seem to know where his head is at, At first I thought I was pressing it on him and making things move to fast and then he wanted to move the date up. 

I'm very concerned because I really don't want to lose him. What should I do?

--Dominicus

* * *

Dear Dominicus,

From what Papabear understands in your letter, you have met “this guy” once in October and again in March, and all your other conversations have been online or perhaps by phone/texting. You’ve also only known this person for about seven months, yet you are planning to move in together.

Bad plan. It is waaaaaay too soon for a major move like that. Papabear thinks, too, that your potential mate is acting rather erratically because he, too, senses things are moving too fast and he is unsure about living with you, yet he changed his mind and moved the date up because he is afraid of losing YOU just as you are afraid of losing HIM.

Do yourselves both a favor and slow things down. What you need to do is spend more actual time together—you know, as in face-to-face NOT on the Internet and NOT on the phone.

In this Internet Age, Papabear is seeing more and more cases like yours. Forgive an old bear for looking old-fashioned, but you can’t have a genuine relationship in a virtual world. Oh, sure, SecondLife is cool and all, but it is still not reality. There is a world of difference between talking to someone who is miles away and actually sharing a living space with him or her. HUGE difference. 

So, Domincus, again, slow it down, and while you’re doing that, spend much much more time with your boyfriend in a world where you can touch each other, kiss each other, share a meal together as you gaze into each other’s eyes and all that romantic stuff. Remember the ancient proverb “the eyes are the windows to the soul.” You can’t get that in a digitized universe.

Good Luck and Bear Hugs,

Papabear 

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So I went to the Irish fair today and it was fantabulo-tastic (just made up that word right now) and i noticed that a booth was selling some kick ass weapon so i went for a closer look. I saw that they were selling black/white wolf tails that go on your belt loop for $15!!! they were about 14-15 inches, too. I looked but I only had $13 on me. I considered asking friends but decided not to because they might make fun of me :/. Then by the time we almost left, i finally asked, and he was like, for what, i said "for a hat" [lie] so i got the money and was super excited and when i got to the booth, i pussied out and got a hat and thought, I could probably buy a better one online. As I was driving home i thought, 'those are WAY more expensive online' I regret everything, it would have been worth a bit of embarrassment... To be fair, it IS an awesome hat...

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At AC still for all you all that have wondered what happened. AnthroCon2012 is amazing thus far and it closes up tonight, at which time I’ll be right back to posting on Tuesday! I will even tell you my short story of how my name now should be Sparks.

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Redditors say "when does the narwhal bacon?"

Airline pilots say "have you ever been inside a Turkish Prison?"

What do furries say when they spot a fellow furry in public?

EDIT: Has anyone tried "Do you have an FA?" I've yet meet another furry in real life so I haven't tried that line yet!

submitted by liaojaypooch
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Papabear,

I've recently made a friend on FA that told me about your column. He said you have amazing advice on all things furry/non-furry related. After reading about 30 questions and answers I agree entirely! Now, having said that, I thought that maybe you'll be able to help me with a little predicament of my own... Sorry in advance if I'm all over the place...

I've been a furry for about 5ish years now and, like many others, have yet to feel like I belong in the fandom. I draw realistic drawings of wolves, foxes, cats etc. etc., and post them to FA. I talk to people and interact with other furries, but no matter how hard I try I feel like I'm out of the loop and nobody cares about me. What am I doing wrong?

Anyways, that's the least of my worries right now. Don't get me wrong, I still worry I'll never be in the fandom, but what I have to say next is what concerns me the most.

I've been a closet fur for the whole 5 years. Nobody knows I'm a furry except my mate who I love so very much. Although she is not a furry, she still accepts me and my furriness in every way shape and form :). But the problem at hand is the fact that nobody knows I'm a furry... and its killing me to hold it in any longer. You maybe thinking to yourself at this point, "why don't you just tell people then?" Well... This is why. I live in a family of 5 with a sister and a brother. I'm the middle child, my brothers the eldest, sister the youngest. We all grew up in a Catholic house hold that had very strict rules on "Normality". My parents HATE different. They don't let us see our gay uncle... because he's gay. So how in the world do I tell them? or should I not tell them at all?

I am 19 years old, and I'm currently extremely dependent on my family. My parents are paying for my education and my shelter... They provide me with food to eat and a bed to sleep. And besides my one uncle, my entire family is VERY close. There are always family get-togethers at least once a month. So what I’m trying to say is if I said I was a furry to my parents... My entire family would know.

Oh and if you think that's bad... I have a couple close friends who I know for a fact HATE furries... They look at them as (excuse my language) animal fornicators. The only close friend I have that doesn't hate furries doesn't even know what they are. You see, my friends are /b/tards if you know what that is. It's basically a forum board dedicated to random stuff. And sometimes the stuff happens to be furries, and they HATE that. So tell me, how do you think I should break it to them or if not at all?

I've been dying to be apart and to feel apart of the furry fandom. But I have so much on my plate I just don't know what to do. I have parents that don't accept me, friends that don't accept me, and I live in an area that seems to lack any furries at all... So please what should I do? I would greatly appreciate your advice, thanks. 

Wolfkins

* * *

Dear Wolfkins,

Thank you for your kind words. Papabear will try and help as best he can. Yes, you are a bit all-over-the-place with your letter, but let’s see what can be done here. Also, you say you’ve read 30 of my columns, so I would have to guess you came across some of my readers who have similar problems to yours.

In one column I advised a furry who was closeted and financially dependent on a narrow-minded family that he keep his love of furries hidden until he was in a position to fend for himself; then, once that happened, he could be himself in front of his family and, if they rejected him, still manage on his own.  In another column, I advised a furry to go with what I call the “furry light strategy.” That is, to ease his mother and father into the idea of his interest in the fandom by making his life an open book: leaving furry books around the house and making his browser history easily accessible to his parents, making sure all the while that NONE of this material contained anything prurient. He was not interested in furporn, so none of this was dishonest. The idea was to let his parents figure out for themselves that his hobby was not dangerous or offensive.

While some similarities can be found in the lives of every furry who is dealing with a family that has a bad opinion of furries—and some of the above might apply to you, Wolfkins—everyone is different, every situation unique. Some parents and family members might “hate” furries because they don’t understand what furries really are, but others may dislike them because they have a very narrow view of the world and insist that everyone around them should conform to their personal standards of “right and wrong.”

Reading your letter, it sounds to Papabear as if your parents fall into the narrow-minded category, while your friends fit the uninformed category. The good news is that your friends can be educated and learn that furry does not equal zoophile. You can explain to them what a zoophile is and further explain to them that furries are simply people who like anthro characters, such as in Brian Jacques’ “Redwall” series, which is definitely PG, or “My Little Pony,” which is a hard G.

Your parents, sadly, are not so easy to deal with. Papabear is about to say something that many might find offensive, so if you are a strongly religious person, you might want to stop reading now.... There are two types of religious people: those who are intolerant and ignorant of other belief systems, and those who have the true spirit of a loving God in their hearts. Papabear has met both in his lifetime. For instance, he has a very very dear friend living in Michigan, an elderly woman of Japanese descent who is a devout Christian. When I came out as gay to her, she opened her arms to me and told me she still loved me as I am. She did not say that being a homosexual was evil and that God and Jesus now hated me. She knew I was a good person and a good friend. She is, to me, the epitome of what a good Christian should be.

Sadly, many of the religious are not like her at all. They are indoctrinated at a very young age to hate other people who are not like them, and they spread their hatred to others as much as possible. Here is a case in point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8r7SoLdKd8.

That your family has cut your uncle out of their lives because he is gay tells Papabear that they belong to those who cling to the underbelly of a distorted and twisted faith. Indeed, such people have a corrupted view of life, and they become that way because of their fear and ignorance. This is a shame, because they limit themselves to a very dull and colorless view of the world and are unlikely to become truly enlightened people.

The ugly truth of the matter, Wolfkins, is that Papabear does not believe you will be able to undo the learned behavior of a lifetime and convince your parents that being a furry is okay. Looking at your letter, I see the word HATE in capital letters three times. There is a lot of hatred in your household just beneath a veneer of religious piety. Few things are more abhorrent.

So.... how do you deal with this? You have already started on the right track by finding a wonderful girlfriend. That she is not a furry and accepts you totally as you are is, in its way, even better than finding a furry girlfriend, and Papabear would urge you to treat this woman right because she is exactly what you need in your life: someone who loves you for you.  A person like her, too, may even lead you to more friends who will accept you. Papabear is willing to bet she comes from a loving, non-judgmental family, and he hopes you will try and meet them if you haven’t already. Spend as much time as you possibly can with your girlfriend and, hopefully, if things go well, her family can become yours and her friends can become yours as well. Papabear has a good feeling about her, if you can’t tell already.

In the meantime, try and see if, through education, you might correct your friends’ warped viewpoint of furries. Those with whom you have success you can keep as friends; those who still think furries are perverts and zoophiles, you would do well to dump them.

As for your family, you will need to keep things on the furry light side. Get your furry fix around them by watching Disney movies or other films they would likely find inoffensive. You might try something else, too. Have you talked to your priest? If not, you might talk to him about your furry side. Be honest and note that you are aware that there is furporn out there but that is not your interest. See how he reacts. Tell him it is merely an interest of yours. Perhaps he even knows something about furries. See if you can get him on your side. If so, then you might take the chance and see if he can serve as a kind of moderator between you and your family. Your parents are not too likely to take your arguments to heart, but I bet they will listen to your priest. If, on the other hand, he agrees with your parents, then you’ll just have to keep quiet about your furriness a bit longer.

Papabear hopes that you will not remain dependent on your parents much longer. The best way to handle such disagreements is when you can argue your viewpoint from a position of strength—that is, when they can’t control you with purse strings.

And as for gaining acceptance among other furries, well, sometimes that takes time. Papabear was a furry for years before he started feeling some acceptance. Even then, that acceptance is with a limited number of furries. Try and find one or two furries you can get close to as good friends, and slowly work your way up from there. You are not going to win over the entire fandom in one fell swoop, but don’t worry about it. You can’t interact with thousands of people at once anyway. Start with small steps.

Whew! Papabear hopes HE didn’t ramble too much for you.  I hope this helps.  Yours is not an easy situation, and there are no easy or simple answers to it.  Life is a process, not a Q&A.  Like anything that is worthwhile, it takes a long time to hit your stride.

Good Luck. Bear Hugs. Godspeed.

Papabear