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Historical debates

Furry retailers deploy deals for 'Cyber Monday'

Your rating: None Average: 2.8 (8 votes)

Looking to stock up on presents for the holidays? Several furry retailers are participating in 'Cyber Monday', including Rabbit Valley (15% off $100 or more, in-stock only, to Dec. 1, code 'Cyber2011'), FurPlanet (15% off everything, 'FOXES') and FetishZone (NSFW; up to 50% off).

Bad Dragon had (NSFW) 40% off black, medium-firm toys for Black Friday, but sold out; a 10% global discount remains in effect for the next ten hours. [scottbob3/reddit]

Review: ‘Happy Feet Two’ should have been about krill

Your rating: None Average: 3 (9 votes)

Happy Feet Two

There's a long tradition of horror stories set in Antarctica. H. P. Lovecraft set In the Mountains of Madness in the white continent, featuring a race of giant cave-dwelling albino penguins who shrieked “Tekelili!” over and over.

Happy Feet Two continues the tradition of Antarctic penguins repetitively crying out horrific noises. Instead of shout-outs to Edgar Allan Poe, however, these penguins cry out dated pop songs. The horror, the horror.

Has the financial crisis affected your furry spending?

Yes, I've cut to the bone
33% (7 votes)
I'm pickier with purchases
24% (5 votes)
I buy what I used to
33% (7 votes)
I'm buying more - furry is a cheap thrill!
10% (2 votes)
Votes: 21

Japanese company developing brainwave-controlled cat ears

Your rating: None Average: 5 (9 votes)

Neurowear is developing a pair of cat ears which respond to the brain activity of their wearer.

Called "necomimi", the ears are mounted on a headband containing sensors, which pick up brain activity and move the ears accordingly. As the wearer concentrates, the ears point upwards, and when they relax the ears flop down and forwards.

Furnal Equinox summons the 'Wild Magic'

Your rating: None Average: 4.3 (3 votes)

Canadian convention Furnal Equinox held its second edition this weekend in Toronto, cementing its place as Canada's most well-attended furry event.

Over 450 registered in the course of three days, and 110 participated in the fursuit parade.

The charity auction raised CA$4,000 for the Mississauga Humane Society, with a commission from South African Guest of Honour ZEN selling for $450. Fellow Canadian Guest of Honour FirestormSix provided fursuit photography and hosted a panel on fursuit care.

Congress may remove Rocky Mountain wolves' protection

Your rating: None Average: 5 (2 votes)

WolfThe repopulation of grey wolves in Montana and Idaho led to their removal from the Endangered Species List in 2008, concerning many conservationists. But last August a U.S. federal judge ruled this kind of subdivision of populations illegal.

Now Michael Brune of the Sierra Club says lawmakers seek to withdraw this protection through a budget amendment. [tip: Ezno]

Furp killed in collision with drunk driver

Your rating: None Average: 4 (3 votes)

Furp, who was recently killed in a collision with a drunk driver

Furp, known outside the fandom as Patrick Reed, 29, was killed on the evening of February 18th, 2009, when his motorcycle was involved in a collision with a vehicle being driven by an intoxicated Marine.

Furp was an Iraq war veteran and regular staff member at Anthrocon, Califur, FurFright, Midwest FurFest and the Rocket City FurMeet; regularly providing operations and first-aid assistance. He was travelling on Highway 62 in southern California when he was struck by a vehicle moving at 65mph (104 kph), he was thrown from his motorcycle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hundreds of memorials have since been left on news articles and his LiveJournal account. A memorial community has also been set up for people to mourn the loss of Furp.

Should animals have a right to privacy?

Your rating: None Average: 5 (3 votes)

A researcher at the University of East Anglia thinks animals should not just be seen as "fair game" for filmmakers, but should be granted similar privacy rights as humans.

Dr. Mills says animals sometimes withdraw from "public" areas, and appear to want privacy:

When confronted with such 'secretive' behaviour the response of the wildlife documentary is to read it as a challenge to be overcome with the technologies of television. [...] The question constantly posed by wildlife documentaries is how animals should be filmed: they never ask whether animals should be filmed at all.

The story came a day before the release of an amateur documentary from a group attending Midwest FurFest in 2008 and 2009, including covert footage of furs in their natural habitat.

Furry Night Live skit causes laughter, offense

Your rating: None Average: 4.2 (11 votes)

A recorded skit parodying a popular SNL short brought raucous laughter to this year's Furry Night Live. However, some found the work by fursuit studio Furr Happens deeply offensive, and have been making their voices heard on Further Confusion's LiveJournal.

The three-minute video parodied Saturday Night Live digital short The Shooting/Dear Sister — itself a parody of The Dearly Beloved, The O.C.'s second series finale. Two years ago, the same group provided a take-off of DNL short "Dick In A Box" (comparison), winning a popular vote.

Those complaining about the video felt it trivialized domestic violence and the use of guns. As of Thursday night, Frysco had moderated FurCon after posts which "degenerated into name-calling, personal attacks and flame-wars," in part due to an unrelated staff incident.

What are your furry comic book reading habits?

I read as many as I can find
15% (21 votes)
I read several titles
28% (40 votes)
I read one or two favorites
18% (26 votes)
I occaisionally read one that looks interesting
26% (37 votes)
I never read comic books
13% (19 votes)
Votes: 143