Badge, now with free meme

[altivo]

Still on the con high, full of hugs and murr, and thus not focusing on work very well. Fortunately it's been a slowish day.

When I listed names, I shamefully omitted iceleopard and aeto who organize the fursuit track and make up fursuit badges respectively. Great guys both, and they make the experience really a plush one (pun intended) for the suiters. For those who don't know, a fursuit badge is a badge with a photo ID of your fursuit on it, so that you can wear it when you are out of suit and people can match you with the suit they saw an hour or two earlier. :)

In keeping with this year's pirate/nautical theme, Aeto crated us all up as "live animal" shipments with care instructions. Though I note, he forgot to say that we should be fed and watered regularly...



Money paid for the badges ($5 each for the last several cons) goes to the charity of the year. I believe Aeto donates the materials and a fair chunk of his time. Thanks, Aeto.


I am NOT promiscuous and never have been. However, I'll take all these excessive compliments anyway because I rarely hear such things. ;p

Lets101 - Free Online Dating

Comments

[wolfgrowl.livejournal.com]

I like that badge! I wish I could have gone to MFF. Seems like a lot of people I know are there that don't go to other Cons.

FC in January will be the first hotel con where I'm fursuiting (I've suited at CampFeral). FC is a really fun con and obviously a great con for suiting. I'm hoping this is the first time I won't feel chilled to the bone (well I do live on a tropical island). The hotel temperature is quite brisk, as is San Jose, in January.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Cute badge. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

MFF is getting too big, I fear. My primary reason other than closeness for choosing it over other US gatherings is disappearing rapidly. Feral is too costly for me, AC and FC too far away.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yep. I thought they were very clever.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Yeah. :)

MFF 'n stuff

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Dear Rider.

You are definitely good in bed. *snicker* In fact, most of these describe you.

I had a blast. Bear did too, other than when he felt alone like when I was in the fursuit discussion. I was wondering why you two weren't there with me but figured you had other things of more interest, dunno.

Oh, and I already bought the fur for Bear's blackbear suit. Yup, fired up just like last year but Bear will have to wait since I am working on the full Steedsuit over the next week or two. Learned a lot in the seminar and fun to meet Brokken and Lion of the Sun.

Oh, heh, Tonka's bridle and bit fit Steed pretty darn well with adjusting of buckles. Perhaps someone might like to take him by the reins some time.

*wide grin chomping around the bit*

Imperator

Re: MFF 'n stuff

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Good in bed? You mean as in "well behaved" I assume.

I didn't do the Fursuit construction panel because I've done it a couple of times already. And I really wanted to see Loriana's new fox suit. She hadn't been feeling well, but was going to suit up then and asked if I'd be around. So I was waiting for her, and it was well worth it. You saw, she was the fox with the working jaws and ears, and a sexy-cute vixen she is too. We toured the dealer room mostly together, and I got a couple of things to take home to Gary. About the time we finished was when you came down and I had to go to the writing sessions. Those were very much worthwhile.

A bit and bridle on Steed? Oh boy, dip 'em in gold then.

Re: MFF 'n stuff

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh, BTW, I think you left well before the announcements for next year. I just got them second hand myself. Total attendance broke 1600, the fursuit parade count was 286. Next year's theme is "North to Alaska" (I'm sure you can think of something to do with that...) and there will be a new venue, the Westin North Shore in Wheeling Illinois (a few miles north and east of this year's site, but not too far different.)

My main concern is that the new hotel is a more high-rise design, which means more elevator stress. That is getting to be a major issue with furry conventions. From their web page, it also looks somewhat more "luxury" oriented, so I hope the per night rates aren't going to take a big jump.

[rustitobuck.livejournal.com]

So that's what you look like!

You don't have to be promiscuous, I can deal with pretty, silly, fun and sweet. And friends.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

So that's what you look like!

Well, when I'm having a good day, yes.

I can deal with pretty, silly, fun and sweet. And friends.

"Pretty" is quite a reach, I'd say. The others I can manage most of the time. ;D

[heavens-steed.livejournal.com]

Cute badge :)

Not to be the wet blanket that I am, but I found it just slightly amusing that your astrological sign said you are PATRIOTIC in capital letters. Somehow I just can't see you going around wearing a button on your shirt that says "God bless America" and waving an American flag while whistling "The Star Spangled Banner." It just doesn't work in my mind.

However, most of the other nice adjectives are quite accurate, I'm sure.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Store below deck?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

There are multiple meanings to "patriotic" of course. You can define it to include setting high standards and demanding more of your country than what it is actually delivering, rather than offering unquestioning loyalty to it.

I believe very strongly in what I perceive as the primary intent of the Constitutional authors. I do not believe that recent administrations have done even a halfway good job of understanding and carrying out that intent.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It's a reference to the way live animals are shipped when they are captured in the wild and taken to zoos. Typically they are placed in crates that can be lifted with a crane and placed on the deck of a ship. Trying to pile them up in a hold below decks would be disastrous for the health of most of the occupants. If you saw the animated film Madagascar there was a fair amount of comedy based on the handling of the crates, and the fact that they could be washed or blown off deck in a storm.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Another way of looking at "patriotic":

My father's ancestors were patriots. The Lees fought in the American Revolution on the same side as George Washington. The Phillipses fought as loyalists, on the British side. Either side would probably have called the other "traitor" yet I see both as patriots who used their abilities and whatever strength they had in support of their beliefs and values.

Likewise, among my mother's ancestors I find some who fought for the Confederate states, and some who fought for the Union. Is it really fair to call either group "traitor" or even to deny that they were "patriots"?

I find good in the United States, but not perfection. I demand more of the United States than it is delivering right now. Does that mean I'm not patriotic? I don't think so.

[ducktapeddonkey.livejournal.com]

Very cute badge. Neat idea too.

Sounds like MFF went off pretty good this year. That's great. It's been a long time since I've been, but I had a really great time when I was there last.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Next year will be interesting. New location, new hotel. This year's numbers broke all kinds of records, highest attendance, highest number of fursuiters, highest total to the wildlife charity... From my perspective, folks were rather better behaved and thoughtful than they have been sometimes in the past, too.

It would be fun to see you there. Dog too, if he could come.

[heavens-steed.livejournal.com]

I honestly do not see how the consistent slamming and attacking of one's country and being so ashamed of it that one would rather move to another country and wave another country's flag than one's own can pass as patriotism. All forms of patriotism reflect one thing: that you love your country.

Definitions of patriotism:

-devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty.
-love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it; "they rode the same wave of popular patriotism"; "British nationalism was in the air and patriotic sentiments ran high"
-devotion and vigorous support of one's country

Every definition I saw when looking up the word included loyalty, devotion, and love, something along those lines. I never saw a definition that included dissenting and being dissatisfied with your country. No, that is not patriotism as it does not even fit the definition of the word. You said yourself that undying loyalty to your country is not your thing, but loyalty is in nearly every definition that I found. Dissent has its place and importance but only where it leads to improvement. Dissent by itself cannot be called patriotism.

The point I was trying to make here, is that of all the attributes it listed, "patriotic" was the only one in big capital letters which I find ironic. Of all the things that could have been capitalized, it was that. You have a lot of good qualities but I don't believe patriotism is one of them, not so much that it should be put in caps like that. But you know, if your really believe your country is that bad, you shouldn't be a patriot anyway. No one should be a patriot of a country that is evil and corrupt. You have a right to feel about your country as you do but please do not call the disdain of your country PATRIOTISM. *puts glowing light around the word*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I make a major distinction between jingoism and patriotism. I definitely do not practice jingoistic nationalism and never will. But I'm not interested in arguing those definitions with you, as you should be aware by now. It is quite possible to love a place without loving the people who control it or invent their own policies to apply to it.

[ducktapeddonkey.livejournal.com]

I seemed to remember a little more "mature" crowd at MFF. But technically I've only been to one, and probably not enough of the others to have much weight behind that opinion.

Once we get our cross border issues sorted out we'll be able to attend more things like this.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Oh, there are still too many twenty-somethings who seem to think it appropriate to slam doors and shout up and down hotel corridors at 1 or 2 in the morning. Kage needs to address that more strongly in his newbie con lectures I think.

Since I've not been to other cons, I can't really address the issue of "maturity" but certainly greymuzzle does hold a well-attended breakfast each year at MFF and if the con volunteers and organizers weren't so busy, quite a few of them might also attend that.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Actually thats kinda cool!

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Good luck on that. Con's need attendees so they aren't likely to
discourage the parties. In fact I'm suprised there aren't advertised
"keggers".

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I don't care if people want to have parties in their rooms as long as they don't behave in such a way as to destroy the con's ability to use the hotel. Making loud noises after 10 or 11 pm that disturb other guests, some of whom are NOT con attendees, is never to be encouraged or condoned. Hotel management that receives complaints about that sort of thing is very likely to say no to future attempts to book their facilities. They have to stay in business 365 days a year, not just for four days when the furry con is there.

In any case, I don't think this was partying as such. It was just childish, thoughtless behavior on the part of some individuals who had the brains of a cockroach.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Heh. The badge or the horoscope?

[ducktapeddonkey.livejournal.com]

Since I've not been to other cons, I can't really address the issue of
"maturity" but certainly greymuzzle does hold a well-attended
breakfast each year at MFF and if the con volunteers and organizers
weren't so busy, quite a few of them might also attend that.


I think one of the reasons I liked MFF so much was that I "knew" a lot of the people involved from my days on alt.lifestyle.furry So chances are that if I were to go, most of the people I already knew would be too busy to spend much time with.

I joined up with Greymuzzle myself. Although I'm not sure what makes one's muzzle gray, other than whiskers. (If I were to let mine grow they'd be salt & pepper now)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Just being a donkey gives you a grey muzzle, doesn't it?

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Both, its a got a rpg flavor I like.

*slips your badge into a deck of Gathering cards*

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Your right about being forward looking with
the hotel.

If the management sees MFF trying to book and
someone says, "Ahhh, last year it was like having
Led Zepplin tearing out walls" then no hotel and
no con.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Heh. You'd better check that yellow card in my user profile. I don't think I'd be much use in that deck.

Finally Comments on the Back Side

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Patriotic? Perhaps but not in any current vibe.

Pretty? Not on your life.

Romantic and easy to talk to? Nice to everyone?

It works.

I'd agree with everything but the "not one to
mess with". I think you can mess with Altivo,
until he stomps your guts out and goes to the
fence and snorts and flicks his tail and farts.

Re: Finally Comments on the Back Side

[altivo.livejournal.com]

See argument above about the meaning of "patriotism". Unfortunately, many people today confuse it with "jingoism" and I certainly do not practice the latter.

[hellmutt.livejournal.com]

Sensitive, silly, polite, fun, vision-y, sweet, likes to dress up? Now wait a moment, that definitely sounds like somefur I know... hmm. ;)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*blushes and hides*