I'm a mid-30s bean counter (🐾) by trade living in the Toronto area. Married since 2022, furry since 2004. Like to go fast as a runner, triathlete, and motorsport watcher.
I don't actively post here - for more active spaces, check profile or Linktree:
I have a confession.
Everything I’ve done in the fandom in the last ten years, including being a con chair… I never mentioned a word of it to anyone in my family.
That changed this past weekend when I told my mom. (Thread)
Hot take: If you see a Code of Conduct violation at a con, your first reaction shouldn't be "I'll take a video and post it to social media".
It should be "I'll take a video and let Security know."
As a conrunner, I always greatly appreciated the latter.
Yesterday marked a precious day for
@OlefinTheHusky
and I.
We were married in a private ceremony, in the presence of immediate family.
We are so grateful for the affection and support to us, as we turn this new page together. 💍♥️
I just want to point out between all the cons happening this week, they have raised over US$60,000 for charity (assuming 25k euro from EF, probably more).
You are a damn amazing fandom and NEVER FORGET IT.
I've been reflecting a bit after
@furfest
's hotel opening last weekend and some other various encounters I've had, I'm going to make a comment that may trouble some, but hopefully comes from the right place:
We need to stop normalizing conrunner abuse. (thread)
With credit to Lin-Manuel:
And love is love is love is love is love
Cannot be killed or swept aside!
We celebrate a horse and wolfdog's story
Now fill the world with music, love, and pride! 🎵♥️🏳️🌈
Congratulations,
@one_horse_dodge
and
@RhyeRhythm
. ♥️💍
Apparently because this is Discourse now:
Being old in this fandom is not a bad thing.
Not learning, evolving, and responding to a community that too is evolving, when you're in a position that is community accountable, is a problem.
(19) To
@OlefinTheHusky
, thank you for giving me the courage to have this crucial conversation in my life. I have been so enriched by the events of the last ten years, but even if I wasn’t, just having you would be more than worth it. ❤️
-- end thread --
This is a remarkable statement from Arnold. Sharing the effects of fascism on his own family is a vulnerable story, but necessary.
It's tempting to skip the process of "tempering the sword". We can't. It means self-examination, accountability, consequences, improvement.
(12) Ten minutes later (there were many more words), I stopped.
“And you never told me all this?” my mom asked.
“I guess I’ve always been pretty modest…” (I had my reasons.)
“You should be proud,” she said, “and I’m glad you’ve told me.”
We embraced.
The gryphons at our Lillian H. Smith branch have a new look! Edgar and Judith are reminding Torontonians to wear a mask by sporting custom face masks of their own.
Learn more about TPL's reopening plan and services at .
Yesterday, we marked 1 year since the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also at this time last year that we made the difficult decision to cancel
@FurnalEquinox
2020.
I was there.
In a spirit of openness, this is the story of how it happened.
Some public health reminders as conventions (
@FurnalEquinox
included) get closer:
- Practice 6-2-1 before AND during a con.
- Also, handwashing. Lots of handwashing.
- Listen to your body and don't dismiss symptoms.
- Please do not go to a con if you are sick!
Thank you. 😊
As
@AnthroEventsON
's Board President, I stand with
@FurnalEquinox
's leadership as they address this public health concern.
This is one of the most challenging situations that FE has ever encountered. We are all appreciative of every bit of support we're getting right now.
(10) "Look, I'm just like the characters from the Big Bang Theory who go to conventions and dress as superheroes. The only difference is that I made my own superhero up and he happens to be a walking, talking animal."
I got to be a plush critter this week! A big thank you to
@wolfwithdances
for allowing me to fill his cute coyote for a couple of hours!
#FursuitFriday
Also going to be very direct - helping to bring this FE to the finish line over the past seven weeks was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do.
I'll probably be quiet for a while. Going to need some time and space to debrief, and heal.
A name we may not all know, but one could say Fred Patten was a Stan Lee within furry; he was instrumental in providing a voice for furry creators in the pre-digital age, and built a strong foundation for today's fandom. He passed today at age 77.
*deep breath*
I've accepted a new job at another employer; making it official as I've just given my resignation.
Officially joining the ranks of management in a few weeks.
Thanks
@SyberWuff
for inviting us to celebrate
@MadeFurYou
's anniversary this weekend! It was a pleasure to see where the magic happens in person.
Congrats on 12 years of bringing characters to life and here's to many more!
📸
@OlefinTheHusky
(15) Your life is a whole masterpiece. Every component of it means something, and contributes to your whole story. Every experience you have builds the whole you. Don’t ever feel like you must put part of it in a box and hide it from the world.
This was the most gut-wrenching decision. But at the end of the day, twelve other people in the same Telegram chat all agreed it was the correct decision.
I'm so proud of them, the hard work of all FE staff, and the community for their support and love.
FE will return.
ATTENTION:
It is with great sadness that we must cancel our 2020 convention until further notice on the advice of both health officials and business partners. Our attendees’ next steps are our priority and we want to make sure you’re informed. Read more:
(8) “I met a mom once… her daughter was shy, withdrawn, not doing well in school… this event turned her into an outgoing, creative girl, and I remember her mom looking at me and telling me how grateful she was for the difference we made.”
(9) “In this fandom… no matter where I was, I’ve never been alone. I've always had friends. I’ve had the privilege of meeting fellow CPAs, Jeopardy champions, engineers, entrepreneurs…”
(7) “I had the privilege of presenting a cheque for $11,000 to a charity that finds homes for retired racing greyhounds… and watching their representatives cry as they received that money.”
(14) But please learn from my experience. Maybe this is a conversation that you’re holding back on, and if it is, please don’t. There’s never been a better time to speak about the things that you love, and why you love them.
(11) “Remember a couple of years ago when the Syrian refugees came to Canada? They happened to be sharing a hotel with another event in Vancouver, so some of the costumers went to cheer up the kids…”
A lot has changed in five years -- three different jobs, chairing a con, buying a home, moving from Kingston to Toronto. But some things don't really change -- like cuddling in the morning.
Happy anniversary
@OlefinTheHusky
<3
🎨
@nicnak044
I can understand that
@AuburnFx
and
@dogwithspawts
' message here is not comfortable, and the tone is challenging. But the underlying message is still sound. (Thread.)
And let’s make an effort to change the culture. One of the things I love about our fandom is that we are fans of one another – as fellow artists, fursuit makers, performers, musicians. We should be fans of our conrunners, too. /12
Some reflections shared with
@avwuff
after
@furrykerfluffle
this weekend -- in a spirit of gratitude for an amazing event that the Toronto furry community has been privileged to have for the past five years.
(16) A big objective of my life is to build a world where people feel more included, and what I’ve done in furry has been a key part of that. FE has opened up innumerable friendships and social circles for this community, and that is not by accident.
(13) I know some people may have expected that for somebody who ran a convention for several years, I’d be a better ambassador for the fandom in my personal life. I feel I could have done better, and I’m truly sorry that I couldn’t speak up before now.
(17) And the same goes for me as well. You are all the reason I have never, ever felt alone in my life over the past several years, because no matter where I travelled, I could always find you.
Hey... Who invited a wetsuited otter into my bedroom!?
I guess I'll have to keep him entertained until he starts his triathlon training...
(Technically, this counts as
#TMITuesday
,
#TriTuesday
, and
#TauTuesday
all at once!)
(3) And when I rejoined, I kept things very close to the chest. But this time it was different. I had years of stories and positive impacts to share. And furry has been crossing over more and more into my personal life. So eventually, the floodgates have to break.
(5) “I have something that I wasn’t comfortable sharing with you, but I’m comfortable sharing now. For the last several years, I’ve been running a convention with almost 2,000 attendees, it’s raised almost $50,000 for charity, and that was also how I met my boyfriend."
(18) Lastly, there is one big reason for all this – someone showed up at an FE Christmas party many years ago with a promotional video in hand. We kept talking in the months that followed, and it eventually blossomed into a relationship that’s been going for over five years.
(2) For perspective, I tried having this conversation when I was much younger. At the time, I was a lot younger, and I really couldn’t speak to the positive impact furry was having on my life. It went poorly, and I actually withdrew from the fandom for a little while.
Resharing the quote shared at closing:
"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world."
-- Jack Layton
(6) “Is this the furry shit?” she asked.
Okay… a bit on the defensive. So I started telling the stories. There are hundreds that I could have drawn from, but I only needed a handful of them.
Equally hot take:
Any decision made by a con should be anchored in two questions:
- Does this serve our community?
- Will it be received well?
They are not an afterthought. And they should not be something you figure out answers to after hitting Send on a communication.
I am very entertained by the fact that
@FurFest
's publication department lampshades the temperature controls in the skybridge, in comic form.
#furfest
"Be a character."
@DontHugCacti
's motto. What I wanted out of suiting when I commissioned Tautoru six years ago (yes, I was nervous about getting my primary 'sona done!)
Six years later, he's literally seen the world.
📸
@prplhaze
#FursuitMakerAppreciationDay
Most of the American Gladiators jousting battles were quick and decisive.
Here we have
@Adler_the_Eagle
demonstrating "How To Fall Forward Off The Platform".
To my fellow Canadians:
You are entitled to 3 consecutive hours to vote today! If your work schedule doesn't allow this, your employer must provide you with enough paid time off work so you can vote.
Your vote is important. Know your rights and use them.
#elxn43
#CanadaVotes
This guy was definitely well received here at
#ANE2018
.
He will be back at
@FurnalEquinox
in a few weeks!
Thanks to
@blu3scale
for the hard work of bringing him to life. :)
(4) One night, I finally broke the ice and asked “Hey, did you want to go for a walk?” while we were up visiting family for the weekend. I brought the boyfriend along for the walk, barely enough light from the half moon to illuminate the gravel road. He didn’t need to say much.