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April 2023

Newsbytes archive for March 2023

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Contributors this month include 2cross2affliction, dronon, earthfurst, GreenReaper, Rakuen Growlithe, and Sonious.

Review: "In a Dog's World" by Mary E. Lowd

Your rating: None Average: 2.3 (6 votes)

In a Dog's World cover. Is In a Dog's World set in a dog's world? Well, yes and no. Humans have vanished from Earth, and several species are now "uplifted," gaining human-level intelligence and an anthropomorphic form. The story focuses on dogs and cats, which are now the main inhabitants of North America, and there, if you'll pardon the expression, dogs rule the roost.

Everywhere she looked in the world, it was dogs on top. Politicians, CEOs, the biggest celebrities, even the most innovative scientists -- they were all dogs.

Our main character, Katasha, is a tabby point Siamese cat, preparing for her high school prom and awaiting the results of her college application. She is not happy with the status that most cats have and wants to be a success. As dogs are successful, that is her aim: not to be a dog but to be a part of their world. She wishes to emulate the traits that dogs possess, wants to go to a predominantly dog college, and desires to date a dog.

Voting for the Good Furry Awards Is Now Open

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Good Furry Award The fifth annual Good Furry Awards voting is now open for all who wish to participate. There are 30 nominees to choose from, including four group nominees. Voting will remain open at our website through May 5, 2023.

The awards are designed to acknowledge furries who are active in the fandom who are helpful to their communities and are examples of the true spirit of the fandom.

Four prizes will be awarded based on voting, including three honorable mentions who receive trophies and a first-place winner who receives a trophy and a check for $500 from sponsor Uncle Bear Publishing.

Review: 'Dissident Signals' edited by NightEyes DaySpring and Slip-Wolf

Your rating: None Average: 2.5 (6 votes)

Dissident Signals cover Dissident Signals is a compilation of post-apocalyptic furry fiction published by FurPlanet and edited by NightEyes DaySpring and Slip-Wolf. The individual stories are (very) loosely linked by short paragraphs, written by Slip-Wolf, that relate all the stories as broadcasts intended for any survivors of the ruined world to use to understand what went wrong and how to rebuild. It's an idea which would've been more effective had all the stories been set in the same universe but which does serve as a nice bookending device.

There is a lot of variety in the stories themselves: while most go with a science fiction premise, others include aspects of magic or worlds that barely differ from our own. There are stories where humans and furries coexist (to a certain extent), worlds which are completely furred, and even one story where all the characters are human and the furry aspect comes in a very unique way. Despite all the variety in settings, ideas and originality, nearly all of them are excellently written, though most are quite bleak.

There are a few stories which really stood out to me and which I would like to highlight for various reasons. I will present them in the order in which they appear in the compilation.

Montana amendment seeks to target minor's exposure to "transspecies" content - a word lawmakers do not properly define

Your rating: None Average: 2.9 (7 votes)

A proposed amendment to a Montana bill to protect minors from pornographic materials, and assist in the lubrication of civil lawsuits against corporate adult entertainment entities, has updated the language to include in the restricted materials to include materials that deal with the concepts of transgenderism and also “transspecism”.

It makes this amendment in a clunky manner, basically placing this “transspecies” word under the umbrella of “transgenderism” and never adding how Montana would define what “transspecies” itself means within this law. This can be found in Section 7 [Glossary of terms], section D [Material that is defined as harmful to minors], subsection L [“Transgenderism”]

(l)”Transgenderism” means a person being in the mental state of believing to the person is transgender or transspecies.

What is the largest factor you consider when choosing a furry convention to attend?

Guest of Honor
1% (2 votes)
Location
54% (84 votes)
Cost of attendance
12% (19 votes)
Program schedule
1% (2 votes)
Friends / acquaintances in attendance
22% (35 votes)
"Tradition" [never missed the con / attendance streak]
4% (6 votes)
Other (comment)
5% (8 votes)
Votes: 156

Digging Up Positivity - April 2023

Your rating: None Average: 4 (5 votes)

Welcome to a new episode of Digging Up Positivity! This month we feature Kijani, a truly wonderful role-model, and straight up lovely lion. We also cover a bit of animation, but first, all those wonderful charities the fandom has been supporting!