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Papabear,

My question is regarding creating furry content, primarily books. Over the course of four years, I have discovered that it is difficult to obtain any success as a self-publishing author. It feels even more difficult when your books contain furry related content.

I love writing in general, whether is furry related or not, but I really had high expectations for this particular story that I meticulously created since high school. Even with all of the doubts and hardships, I've managed to publish at least two of my stories. Sadly, I have no family members or friends who are supportive in buying my story or helping me to advertise it. I get that I can't force them to own one, but the lack of interest does create this cloud of self doubt. Maybe the world just isn't ready for mainstream furry content? IDK. When I see shows like Beaststars and similar ideas, I feel like that should be me also.

Is there some sort of secret marketing strategy that I am not aware of? Or is it just one of those deals where I'm going to have to pay to get noticed?

Ebon Wolf
* * *

Dear Ebon Wolf,

Excellent questions, ones that I'm sure plague many writers of all sorts, not just those who pen furry fiction. Publishing is a very fickle thing. There are many excellent writers who struggle to get their works published and read, and there are many shoddy authors who make a very good living writing garbage that is popular with readers.

If your question is "What sells?" Well, you need to start off with a good story with sympathetic characters that readers can route for, of course. Big publishers like Random House or Simon & Schuster tend to be very conservative; they like to publish stuff that is similar to books that have sold before. Rarely do they take risks to publish something truly original. This is why you see a lot of stuff like "tell-all" celebrity autobiographies, thrillers and detective stories, and romance novels. When someone does have a breakthrough like J. K. Rowling, you can bet that their book will be followed by lots of copycats; this was also true after the Tolkien books became popular.

When it comes to furry fiction and learning what is popular, read what furries find exciting and take notes. For example, when one thinks of a best-selling furry writer, the name that pops to mind immediately is Kyell Gold. Read some of his stuff. But also read non-furry anthro fiction, such as Brian Jacques' Redwall series, Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn, or Richard Adams' Watership Down. The more anthro fiction you read by other authors, the more you will experience an osmosis of technique that will begin to affect your own writing in a good way.

Because it can be extremely challenging to find a publisher to print your works, many authors are going the self-publishing route. For this, you need some money, sure. Or a lot of knowledge about how to typeset and print a book yourself. With paper costs soaring lately, printing has become quite expensive. Another route you can go is the ebook. The good news is that even if you don't know how to create your own ebooks or epubs, there are inexpensive services out there that can help you. Just google "ebook conversion services" and start shopping around for companies that can convert your text into an ebook that you can sell online.

Next problem is getting the word out. One of the best ways to do this is to send your manuscript to a book reviewer, and, when it comes to furry fiction, the place for you to go is The Furry Book Review (https://furrybookreview.com/) which I do believe is willing to review self-published books. You can also take excerpts of your book and post them on various furry social sites with links on how to purchase the full book. You can try to get on furry podcasts for interviews. Some other tips can be found here https://www.editage.com/info/book-editing-services/articles/11-Powerful-book-promotion-ideas-for-self-published-authors.html. However, I do not recommend going through Amazon because they will rape you of all your profit. It's not worth it. They take huge chunks of your money. Now, if you're not doing this for money, then go ahead with them, but I would suggest trying other ways first before you resort to Amazon.

Hope these tips help. Good Luck!

Papabear
​

This is a summary for those wondering what happened recently with Corgi Events in the last few weeks and where we are now as of todays date Feb 17th 2022 NOTE: Not everything I saw on Social Media is being brought up here since this is a summary. Charlie Worthley Announcement of stepping down as con chair https://twitter.com/TekCharlie/status/1487810747124047873 Skunk Stunk announcement of stepping down as con chair and creativity board member https://twitter.com/justboiler/status/1491263413300830214?s=20&t=KjzU8fMCi5TEXjmULqEwFA Aquatifur Social Media Statement https://twitter.com/AquatiFur/status/1491336821057359872?s=20&t=XEyY3R9oBHWSSRRY-HUyvA Corgi Events Main Website https://corgievents.com/ Board Announcement https://corgievents.com/BoardAnnouncement.pdf Ponyville Ciderfest & Whinny City Pony Con Announcement https://twitter.com/WhinnyCityPony/status/1492312093906853897 If you like the work I do please like/follow/share to support the channel I'm on multiple platforms https://twitter.com/GrovelHusky https://www.twitch.tv/grovelhusky https://t.me/grovelreports Subscribe to show support https://www.youtube.com/c/GrovelHusky/?sub_confirmation=1 Grovel Reports Studio made by Kydek https://twitter.com/FluffyKydek Banners used in the channel were made by Slushi https://twitter.com/Slushi3Brushi3?s=09 Music created for Grovel Husky by Whooshagg https://whooshagg.com/ #CorgiEvents #Denfur #Aquatifur Grovel Special Reports Feb 2022 - Corgi Events A Quick Summary

TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 51. 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.

This is v2 of the episode, since things mostly resolved between the recording and today. Links to the various statements below.

Is it really 2013 again? We discuss convention shenanigans, some good news for libraries and wolves, and Savrin gives a brief book report on "Finding Normal" by Alexa Tsoulis-Reay. 

Thanks for supporting us on Patreon, you rock~

LINKS
Skunk Stunk 🔜 SCMC on Twitter: "Here is my corgi events statement. Please take the time to read it, I know it's long. 1/2 https://t.co/k4Dnx6WBW2" / Twitter 

Shellington Worthley on Twitter: "It has been a difficult time watching the toll it has taken on Charlie and my brony friends and family in this period of uncertainty and concern for their beloved Midwestern conventions. So anyway...I bought them.. And named @TekCharlie chair. Happy Early Valentine's Day 💜✌️ https://t.co/9ZeCyCgmHa" / Twitter

PDFC: The Island 2023 on Twitter: "A very important announcement that many of you have been waiting for. https://t.co/KrfV4H7yoi" / Twitter

Finding Normal: Sex, Love, and Taboo in Our Hyperconnected World by Alexa Tsoulis-Reay (goodreads.com) 

Telegram fan chat - https://t.me/+6pbv_U1AY95jOWU5

Episode 511 - Back In Time

Don’t miss your chance to nominate for the Ursa Major Awards – nominations close on Feb 12!

2022 GOOD FURRY AWARD – Nominate furries HERE.

This annual award is run by Grubbs Grizzly to recognize furries who make outstanding positive contributions to the fandom. The first one in 2019 went to Tony “Dogbomb” Barrett. In 2020 the award (and a $500 check) went to Ash Coyote. In 2021, Cassidy Civet won. Each winner gets a check and a trophy.

There’s a few new things for the 4th award:

1. Grubbs is shortening the voting time from January to April, and voting will be in May. He’s hoping to do an award ceremony at a certain Reno convention.
2. Grubbs is asking people to submit photos or videos of their nominees being pawsome, which may be compiled into a video.
3. This year there will be a new Lifetime Achievement Award, selected by Uncle Bear Publishing in addition to regular awards.

Here’s a list of current nominees that can tell you why people nominate. For example, Soatok Dhole helped a library gain over $100,000 in funding.

Grubbs explains why he started the award on the nomination page:

The Good Furry Award is about community spirit. This is not an award for who is the best fursuiter or artist or writer. It is not about being the most popular or being the furry who is seen on news broadcasts. It is about furries who do good works to promote and sustain the fandom and who represent the best in furry. Examples might be a person who does extraordinary work as a furcon volunteer, or who runs a charity, or who has done a lot to help furries in need, or who does something to promote a positive image of furries to the mundane world. I’m sure you understand the phrase “community spirit,” so nominate people based on that concept. The same goes for groups of people, organizations, and even businesses that help out furries.

Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon. Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)

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

Moobarkfluff! Taebyn is very excited about a new branch of math-Homotopy Type Theory. Give our weekly challenge a try this week and tell us about it on the BFFT chat. Lots of discussion on Last Week Today.  Who remembers Cop Rock? Taebyn issues so many challenges this week. Can you do them all? We visit the Trasfurmation Station. How is time reckoned in Star Trek? Frog is starting to sound like a certain mouse. Will Tater accept the commission to draw a wallaby wearing a sock? Only time will tell, and time is what is in rare supply during this episode, so spend some time with us, you will laugh, you will cry (let's face it, you will probably cry more out of pity), you will sigh and high five!   Moobarkfluff!

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Support the show

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 S2E42 - Homotopy Type Theory, Weekly Challenge, Star Trek Chat, Storytime, Transfurmation Station

Heyo Papabear!

I've written to you before, but I used the name StormFolf! Well, when I wrote you, Storm was my first Fursona, and I hadn't fully gotten into the fandom yet. But now I've done my research and things are going great!

My new name is Harmony. I'm a Raptor! Anyway, I took your advice and told my family and friends about being a Furry, and they were entirely supportive. A few days after telling my brother, he bought me a raptor mask, and a few days after THAT, one of my friends that I told bought me some paws, and painted my mask! Its all thanks to you, and I thank you greatly.

I am doing great, except for one thing. I told one group of friends that I was a furry, but they have banded together and won't stop taunting me. They tell me that I'm a f*g, and tell me to stop watching animal porn, when I've made it clear I'm not into that. I've told many adults, but nothing helps. My mom says I may have to stick up for myself, but idk how.

Please help,
Harmony (age 13)

* * *

Hi, Harmony,

Thank you for your letter and I'm very happy for you that your family has been supportive of your furriness :-3

Okay, about bullies: You may have read some of Papabear's earlier posts about bullies, and the same kind of logic goes with your situation. All bullies are alike, and sometimes they glom together in bully cliques to torment innocent kids like yourself.  Bullies behave this way for a couple of reasons: 1) they are insecure about their status in their social group, so they tear down other people to lift themselves up; 2) they have no skills or redeeming qualities in themselves, so to feel better about who they are they pick on others to try to make them outcasts; 3) they are like wolves in a pack, and sensing weakness in others gives them a reason to go on the attack to assert their place in said pack; 4) they are emotionally troubled because they have a lousy home life, which causes anger to build in them and they release this anger on others because they need to vent their frustrations and sadness in some way (even if that is an inappropriate way [this is like the character Gideon Fox]); and 5) they are fearful of anyone who does not adhere to what are considered "social norms," and fear leads to hate, which leads to bullying.

Once you understand some of the psychology of the bully (or bully group), you will see that the flaws lie within THEM and not within YOU. You don't get bullied because there is something wrong with you; you get bullied because there is something wrong with them. 

You describe these people as "a group of friends," but I assure you, they are not. Not if they treat you this way.

The way to defeat bullies is to take away their power. What is that power? The power is the ability to make you feel bad about yourself. This is reinforced by the strategy of trying to stick a label on you such as "f*g." 

The most effective way of fighting back is to show them that what they say has absolutely no effect on you. Yes, at first, this will be difficult, but the more you practice it the more it will be true. When they say things like "You want to watch animal porn" or "you're a f*g," just say something like, "That would really hurt my feelings if I cared at all who you are or what you say. You're not my friend and I have no respect for your opinion." Don't say this with tears in your eyes or angrily. You must do it with great calm and indifference. The more indifferent you are, the more they will see they are not hurting you, and bullying you won't be fun for them anymore. 

Other things you can say:

• "Huh? Did you say something? Or did you just fart out your mouth?"
• "I'm sorry for your social anxiety issues. Maybe you should see a counselor about your mental problems."
• "You again? Don't you have anything original to say or is it the same lame hate as always?" (this sometimes leaves them stuttering searching for new insults, and you can just keep going about how you've heard it all before and maybe they should work on trying to be more original).
• "You know, when you yell insults your face gets all puckery and red. Not very attractive."
• "Do you kiss your Mommy with that mouth? Does she wrinkle her nose because your breath stinks?"
•  (After a long onslaught of insults) Look at your watch or phone distractedly, maybe take a picture of them, smile and wander off, maybe saying, "Sorry, I have someplace to go that's more interesting than listening to you."
• "Gosh, Tourette Syndrome sure is awful, isn't it? You poor kid."
• In a loud voice, introduce the group with a grand gesture and in a loud voice announce, "Ladies and Gentlemen! I present to you, the local chapter of LGBTQ+ Haters of America! Soon to be performing at Kenneth Copeland Bible College and also with Pat Robertson at Regent University!" (a great way to throw the attention on them and away from you)
• "If you're tired of throwing the same insults at me every day, might I suggest you invest in a thesaurus?"
• "You know, I thought you guys were being broadcast in black and white. Turns out, you're just outdated and colorless."
• After listening to them for a while, yawn really loud and look sleepy, then wander off.

​Remember, in NO WAY show to them that you are upset. This is actually where you can take some advice from Nick Fox in Zootopia: "Never let them see they got to you." Don't try to defend yourself with arguments or denials because this is engaging with them and that is exactly what they want. They are not interested in your arguments or in the truth. Their sole purpose is to upset you and pick on you. Don't let them. If you do a good job, they'll get tired of you and pick a new target. Then, you might share with that new person what you have read here.

Get the idea? You can come up with your own comebacks, too, as you feel appropriate. (Remember, if they turn violent, report it at once. I doubt they will because most bullies are cowards, but you never know).

I hope this helps.

Thanks for reading Ask Papabear.

Hugs,
Papabear Grubbs

Don’t miss your chance to nominate for the Ursa Major Awards – nominations close on Feb 12!

There are furry music labels, furry DJ’s for furry dances, and furry bands. Here’s one with a good look. Many of them are like musicians in fursuits… but this is a band with a fursona. A deer duo, acoustic and rustic, and playing with hooves; that’s neat. OK, maybe the hooves are imaginary, but this would go well with furry camping. Here’s what they say about music and fawndom.

Ya know Twitter…The animal kingdom of the 60s produced great music from bands like the Turtles, Beatles, the Animals… and our favorite from the #Monkees sung by the legendary @TheMickyDolenz1.

It only makes sense now that two deer would play it.

“I’m a believer” pic.twitter.com/vHzVKPd5it

— The Buck Ups (@buck_ups) August 30, 2021

From Stagger Lee and Bucket:

Born out of a very chance twitter friendship, the Buck Ups have been making music together now for just over two years. It wasn’t until late of 2021 that the duo began their own twitter page – @Buck_ups. Posting for a year prior under both Stagger and Bucket’s own accounts, the two decided it was time to put forth the effort to centralize their sound. Here you’ll find our love for primarily 60s and 70s feel good music, with some surprises thrown in – as well as our favorite comedic gold unscripted moments and why we’re aptly called, “the Buck Ups.”

In 2018 Stagger Lee had started posting drumming videos to some classic rock songs, when he did a mashup of four Led Zeppelin tunes, and Bucket hesitantly posted his first guitar comment video with the tagline “Hey, wanna start a band?” The two still find it fate, as Bucket noted many times how he debated for a long time about actually posting a response like that. A fast friendship ensued. Bucket has been playing guitar for over 16 years, and Stagger a relatively new comer to the instrument just over 2 years. The two deer have been sharing ideas and songs they find near and deer to their heart for their twitter audience.

We’re probably a-typical of your furry music scene which primarily focuses on electronic music. Never afraid to be different, the two bucks love to share their quick less-than-2-minute snap shots of fun classic songs. It’s about having fun, and not taking ourselves seriously. We get tangled up in our antlers, we forget lyrics constantly, and chords are often made up on the spot. The banter is raw and real, the takes are often many – but we can’t wait to share more music. It’s about keeping music alive and breathing new life into these songs you forgot about.

Like what you hear? Want more? Give them a follow or bring them to a con. They won’t get frozen in the spotlights with stag fright if they have this much fun.

I’m an effort to migrate videos over to our new page, have a throwback of a classic “for what it’s worth” by the Buffalo Springfield.

Stay tuned for new music Monday! Just around the corner pic.twitter.com/vaEbXJmfDL

— The Buck Ups (@buck_ups) August 25, 2021

Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon. Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)

Furry fandom’s Ursa Major awards honor the best, most loved anthropomorphic creations of the past year (2021.) There’s just a short time to nominate what the public can vote on. Get yours in while you can. Movies, art, books, news magazines, and more… which ones will the community choose?

Nominate HERE for the Ursas, but don’t wait until it’s too late! February 12 is the deadline.

• Try here for some works to consider: 2021 RECOMMENDED ANTHROPOMORPHICS LIST.
• Voting comes later. From March 1-31, come back to vote for what gets top nominations.

Volunteers run this. Please support them so they can make a community award possible.

Since 2001, these awards have been run with long hours of unpaid work. The volunteers would appreciate any support you can give to defray costs for a website, making and mailing awards, and more.

Categories:

• Best Anthropomorphic Motion Picture
• Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Short Work
• Best Anthropomorphic Dramatic Series
• Best Anthropomorphic Novel
• Best Anthropomorphic Short Fiction
• Best Anthropomorphic Other Literary Work
• Best Anthropomorphic Non-Fiction Work
• Best Anthropomorphic Graphic Story
• Best Anthropomorphic Comic Strip
• Best Anthropomorphic Magazine
• Best Anthropomorphic Published Illustration
• Best Anthropomorphic Game
• Best Anthropomorphic Website
• Best Anthropomorphic Costume (Fursuit)

Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon. Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)

指称Corgi Events所有人有财务不端行为的电邮在网上疯传

Furry publishing company Fenris Publishings started to sell books from Goal Publications, another furry publishing company. Goal Publications will close by March 2022. For their books they have in stock now, that is it. We do not know how many there are. No more new stock. No more direct orders from their printer. No more […]

If crossed over, things will have to cancel. What’s that? A ‘breakpoint’. That is what German convention Eurofurence’s chairperson Cheetah said in his statement on Jan 25. “We have a break point where we can cancel things – which we really do not want to do – and that is February 15th. To be able […]

Leaving 2022? Not so fast, says New Zealander furcon FurcoNZ. The convention at first cancelled their 2022 in-person event, planned for mid-Feb. But less than an hour later, FurcoNZ says, they are not leaving yet. They will hold in-person May 20-24 this year. Attendees can transfer tickets to someone else, to FurcoNZ 2023 or ask […]

TigerTails Radio Season 13 Episode 50. 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.

Have you ever felt the need to hold something soft and fluffy in your sleep? When you go to the toy section, are you keeping an eye out for a new fluffy friend? Is build-a-bear your favorite store? Or does the idea of being soft and fuzzy, filled with stuffing sound great?

This episode, Sammy, Nuka and guests Sideways (@Sideways_Wolf), Reese (@PineReese) are sewing tags onto their behinds and diving into a bin full of plushies. We’re gonna be talking about being soft, cuddly, and plush.





NOW LISTEN!
SHOW NOTES
SPECIAL THANKS

Sideways (Twitter)
Reese (Twitter)

PATREON LOVE
The following people have decided this month’s Fur What It’s Worth is worth actual cash! THANK YOU!

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Deluxe Supporters Tier

 

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Plus Tier Supporters

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MUSIC

Opening Theme: RetroSpecter – Cloud Fields (RetroSpecter Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Century Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!)
Break: Mystery Skulls – Ghost. USA: Warner Bros Records, 2011. Used with permission.
Closing Theme: RetroSpecter – Cloud Fields (RetroSpecter Chill Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Chill Out Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. (Buy a copy here – support your fellow furs!) S9 Episode 17 – Soft and Squishy - Have you ever felt the need to hold something soft and fluffy in your sleep? When you go to the toy section, are you keeping an eye out for a new fluffy friend? Is build-a-bear your favorite store? Or does the idea of be

Hi everyone! Welcome to the next set of highlights I've seen in the Furry Community in the last week. Links to information mentioned in the video: Furnal Equinox https://furnalequinox.com/2022/02/04/updates-and-covid-plan/#respond Tails And Tornadoes https://tailsandtornadoes.org/ CanFURence https://twitter.com/canFURence/status/1489715338790858752?s=20&t=wlHdtjP3mB5Aw-QvzO6v4w PAWAI https://twitter.com/PAWAI_ID/status/1490183061756993536?s=20&t=wlHdtjP3mB5Aw-QvzO6v4w Furality https://furality.org/ Vibe Night https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5gRnx3tfNPfZUswknNDbvl1ruCBlFpva1Q7g8hweEG7lJnQ/viewform Golden State Fur Con https://twitter.com/GSFurCon/status/1487925502304079873?s=20&t=wlHdtjP3mB5Aw-QvzO6v4w Denfur https://twitter.com/DenFurCO/status/1487925862217314306?s=20&t=wlHdtjP3mB5Aw-QvzO6v4w Aquatifur https://twitter.com/AquatiFur/status/1488212261223104514?s=20&t=wlHdtjP3mB5Aw-QvzO6v4w Furry Invasion https://www.furryinvasion.org/vending-application Megaplex https://twitter.com/MegaplexCon/status/1490180298474233857?s=20&t=wlHdtjP3mB5Aw-QvzO6v4w Fur the More https://furthemore.org/art-show/ Furnal Equinox https://furnalequinox.com/participate/ FetchNW https://fetchnw.com/ Coastal Furry Event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/golfland-roseville-fursuit-friendly-outing-2022-tickets-260827581317 If you like the work I do please like/follow/share to support the channel I'm on multiple platforms https://twitter.com/GrovelHusky https://www.twitch.tv/grovelhusky https://t.me/grovelreports Subscribe to show support https://www.youtube.com/c/GrovelHusky/?sub_confirmation=1 Grovel Reports Studio made by Kydek https://twitter.com/FluffyKydek Banners used in the channel were made by Slushi https://twitter.com/Slushi3Brushi3?s=09 Music created for Grovel Husky by Whooshagg https://whooshagg.com/ Grovel Reports Feb 6th 2022 - New Furry Convention Dates + Event News #FurnalEquinox #FetchNW #Furality

Papabear,

​I'm looking to buy a Bad Dragon toy; I'm a gay furry bottom. What toys do you recommend? I would like something that fills me yet can fit easy and feels good like not a bunch of weird surfaces. Thanks :). New to fandom. How do you cool down in suit in 103 F Louisiana air? It's humid and hot.

* * *

Hello, DarkStorm,

I don't know if this will shock you or not, but I have never purchased a Bad Dragon product. Not that I wouldn't recommend them (they seem like a good company and are very popular with many furries), but I'm not into sex toys. Even if I did use their products, I wouldn't know what to recommend to you, given that I don't know anything about your needs, so to speak. I would therefore suggest you contact their customer service people by following this link: https://help.bad-dragon.com/.

As to your other question, keeping cool in a fursuit is important, indeed. Even experienced fursuiters will have trouble staying in suit for more than a few hours (my max is about 5 hours). But this max is while being in an environmentally controlled room such as a hotel lobby. I would not recommend going out in 103-degree, humid heat and fursuiting. At least, not for very long. 

To stay cool, fursuiters do a number of things. Number one on this list is wearing a cooling vest or other cooling suit tech. There are a number of them on the market (just search for "cooling vest"), including one invented by the furry community's very own EZWolf (EZcooldown.com). Other things you can do include having a small fan installed in your fursuit head (I have one; it helps), wearing a balaclava to help direct sweat away from your face, wearing heat gear (e.g., Under Armour athletic wear), and, of course, keeping hydrated. Be aware of your body and dehead and cool off as often as necessary to keep from overheating.

Now go suit up and have fun!

Papabear

Destroy your root chakra with this one cool trick!

This week - Art and music theft from cryptodorks, furries pushing back against library censorship, Facebook eats shit in the market, and Build-A-Bear has a very different idea of 'after dark' than we do. 

LINKS

Friends of the Ridgeland Library - Madison County MS - Fund Libraries

Southpaws is creating and promoting The Queer Agenda | Patreon 
Telegram fan chat - https://t.me/+6pbv_U1AY95jOWU5 

Episode 510 - Chakra Rooting

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

Moobarkfluff!   Bearly and Taebyn chat about a lot of things including calendars, deeds and IWII! What is an appropriate funeral cake?  What happened on the way to the Math Forum? Can you construct a number with a compass?  Tune in to find out the answers to these and other exciting questions on this weeks episode! Moobarkfluff!

 

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Support the show

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 S2E41 - Awards, This or That, Math, Construction Paper

Papabear,

​I'm in the closet, and if I come out I lose everyone I still care about except for my brother. My mom hates gays but thinks my Greek grandmother molesting me and hitting me and starving me as a kid is ok and says I am being a sissy pretty much cause I don't want to be around her.

[I'm] single, male, no job cause of stuttering, can't drive yet, and severe nightmares. i can only sleep in daytime. These nightmares are so bad I can't fall asleep at night. Every sound makes me jump and turn on all lights. I feel pain, and I can't wake up from them, like, Freddy Kruger-style.

Of course, no marks when I wake up, but my mental health is declining. I feel so alone, and I am starting to see my nightmares when I'm awake, too.  Like, I can see it but only as it rounds a corner or out the corner of my eye. I know it's not real; in fact, I'm an atheist, but this terrifies me. It'ss a deer who wears its skeleton on the outside of its body and stands 12 feet on hinds legs. I'm 6 ft 7, and it holds me down and bites me, causing extreme pain and suffering.

[At] age 21 and a half, [I'm] not sure what conversion therapy they were talking about [Papabear note: this is a follow-up letter of one I received in which the letter writer asks if he should go through conversion therapy; I asked for more background, which resulted in this current letter], but I read and watched vids, so I'm scared of that shock therapy stuff.

Dating site stuff, all want me to pay, and I currently can't. Money issues and no credit card. When I put my mind to it, I can do tough jobs, but my mind has been deteriorating for years now. I've lost hope. Only reason I ain't dead is my brother, and I am too sissy to end it, and idk how to end it.

If you can help that would be wonderful. Also, current counselor is way too queer. I guess I just need someone to tell me it's okay and [get some] advice. Racist south Louisiana, but gay is the new black (aka, gays are being beaten every day, and no cops interfere). I spend time on video games hoping that tomorrow is a better day. Like walking dead, taking it one day at a time.

The way my grandma did stuff was she was like the Baba Yaga in [the Witcher]. She weaved a web of lies and fed off my pain but sexually. Grooming and touching and rubbing and hitting and starving. Now [that] I'm larger, I cant retaliate. Why? Cause she is a woman, and I'm a man, and she is old now. Please help if u can. I don't sleep much, and I fear I may go crazy if I already haven't. 

Solmyr Wizard22 (Louisiana, age 21)

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Dear Solmyr,

Yours is a terribly sad story.  I see why you might ask about conversion therapy. So, we need to be clear here. Conversion therapy does not work and never has. It is, indeed, a form of mental and emotional torture and has been banned in several states (see this map https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/conversion_therapy). People who still believe in conversion therapy consider being homosexual a type of mental illness or social deviancy. This is not true. There is nothing wrong with you, which is why conversion therapy doesn't work (you can't "cure" something when there is nothing to cure). Indeed, as you can see here, conversion therapy is dangerous: https://www.hrc.org/resources/the-lies-and-dangers-of-reparative-therapy.

Being gay and having family hate you for it seems to be only part of the issue. Your grandmother is a huge problem, too, as you know. The nightmares you are having are likely a manifestation of your fears and horrors experienced while living with this horrible woman. She is the deer with the skeleton on the outside of her body. Because your anxieties are depriving you of sleep, these dreams are now manifesting in your waking world. When you do not get enough sleep (REM sleep), you can experience many side effects, including hallucinations, and this appears to be what you are experiencing now.

Of high importance at this time, therefore, is for you to get some sound, restful sleep. Here are some tips from Harvard Medical School (https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/tips-for-beating-anxiety-to-get-a-better-nights-sleep). If need be, try over-the-counter sleep aids (I would avoid ZzzQuil as it tends to exacerbate nightmares). You can also talk to a trained therapist about how to alleviate your anxiety to sleep better.

Speaking of counselors, yours is evidently not a good match. There is nothing wrong with shopping around for a therapist until you find one with whom you are comfortable and who helps you.

Your mental health issues are peaking, which is concerning since you are entertaining thoughts of suicide. For this, I would ask you to please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255. It is a free call and you will reach people who are trained specifically with this issue. And, FYI, it is GOOD that you are "too sissy" to kill yourself. This means you still have a will to live. Hold onto that healthy desire to live.

You also need to start working toward getting away from your present environment, especially your grandmother, but also your gay-hating parents. YOU are NOT the problem. THEY are. You have not done anything wrong. Being gay or bi is not a moral failing.

You don't make clear why, at 21, you don't have a job, but you need to amend that. If the problem is your anxiety, then deal with that first and then work toward employment. If you are disabled and cannot work, then apply for government disability. Do anything to get some money so you can take control of your life.

That's my initial advice to you. You can write again any time when you have more questions.

Hugs,
Papabear