Recently I received the following email from trafficluxary dot com

“Hi,

We would like to post a sponsored article adjusted to your site
furrytimes.net content that would contain a do-follow gambling link.

Would you accept a guest post with us? If so, what are your prices for
such kind of advertisement?

We hopefully look forward to hearing back from you.

I sent the following reply

I would admit the money would be nice. But I can condone gambling and porn links. Call it I have been online for a longtime and I have seen abuse with these links. Often leading to malware and ransomeware. Besides with the agreement I have with my site host doesn’t allow for ads. And if I ever change my plan if has to be something I believe in.

I believe in independent makers of content.

I would be interested in content only if it was furry related, as that  is what my readers expect.

I respect them and everyone is having a hard time currently. I never want to ad to their misery.

*************************************************************************************

I wanted to make it very clear to my readers that I care about what you see here. Some my question my taste, hey that’s just an opinion. I will never subject you to the countless spam we see everyday. It has literally gotten so bad that we tend to ignore it.

We are in fact better than this, some might think I am foolish for turning down free money.

But let them think what they will, I am an independent and always will be.

First of all despite some of the criticism I found that The Mandalorian series on Disney Plus is just one of the plain best series on any streaming service period and it does not matter if it’s in the Star Wars Universe or not. As the series touches aspects that you would not plain see in any of the movies. Like what is it like out there for the average person and there is so much more. I have found that the season finales and I include the first season are nothing short of amazing. The more you get to know The Mandalorian the more you honestly love and care for this seemly nameless figure.

I know by even just the title The Rescue the basic plot of is rescue Grogu from what is left of The Empire. It’s also safe to say things don’t go as planned. But who comes to the rescue, just left me speechless. Beyond that I can’t say anymore it would be a HUGE spoiler and it is such a high point in the series.

Now I hear with the new Star Wars series that have been announced that there will be crossover episodes. I for one can’t wait.

Good thing I post in the early morning, because my yesterday afternoon I was a wreck. My dog Jake, who is in the far left in this photo died yesterday of cancer. I don’t know what to say other than 2020 has been a shit year for the most part. Jake went from a healthy happy dog in April to dead Dec 1st. I lost my brother to cancer back in 2013 and for a time went through therapy at Gilda’s Club for almost a year. I guess that is the only reason I am handling this as well as I am. In that you want to do more or some how blame yourself to why your loved one got cancer. But really things happen that is beyond out control, like this pandemic.

If your reading this and have a pet, the best thing you can do for me is show your love to them. Because they won’t always be around…sadly.

Coronavirus Update:
☣️️ Total cases: 55,466,741 (+38,145) ☣️️
⚠️ Current cases: 15,501,412 (-14,703) ⚠️
⚰️ Deaths: 1,334,671 (+893) ⚰️
🏥 Recovered: 38,630,658 (+51,955) 🏥

Updated every 2 hours#Coronavirus #COVID19 #COVIDー19
Source: https://t.co/nFY1lZJJ2I

— COVID-19 UPDATES (@subgap) November 17, 2020

I hate to start off with the cold hard facts but there we are. We have 2 vaccines both of which are 95% effective, which sounds great. But then you realize you might not be able to even get the injection until next summer at the earliest. They both have to finish their trials which should be sometime around January 2021. Next up 1st Responders and those who work in Nursing Homes and hospitals. Even then these companies have to make enough vaccine for everyone. If anyone thinks this is going to be over at the end of 2021, think again. I know a lot of people, including myself are just plain sick and tired of this. According to the current vaccine distribution plan they recently announced. Areas will only get enough vaccine at first to cover just 10% of the population, and later more as more is produced.

Even then by this time next year I would not be surprised if some cons actually limit attendance to those who have been vaccinated. This actually have been spoken about in several convention groups, although nothing official yet.

It’s just plan too soon…

It is finally election day and if you haven’t voted already PLEASE VOTE!!! I would say this is the most important election the USA in more than 50 years. Although I have made my feeling clear who I voted for, I want to show you something and there is actually a story behind this photo.

This photo was taken on Sept 23, 2019 and in case you don’t recognize it. This is the closest anyone has gotten to the White House in the past 4 years. Yes I will admit according to authorities it has been open on occasion, but this area is closed off 98% of the time. I just wanted on my Washington, DC trip back in 2019 was just to see the White House. I was not going to protest, I just wanted to take a couple of photos and that’s it.

But also did you know that there are parks just north and south of the White House? Look it up on any map app. They were closed too, and all of this is pre pandemic.

I was told by the locals when Obama was in office you could actually have a picnic in either park or eat your lunch during a break. But not since trump has been in office, they were closed the day he was sworn in and have not been open since. Except for workers who mowed the grass.

You know most Washington, DC city employees have a security clearance…

You could argue about a lot of things. But what is the harm in opening a park? Ask Donald Trump who simply ordered them closed. I even heard a rumor he wanted to build a wall around them.

I know there are a bunch of these lists seemly everywhere on this topic. Except mine will not include this person or that. Nothing personal, but in the 2 I reported recently. I knew nothing about them before they died. Also this is mainly focused on public events.

1. The COVID-19 Pandemic

Seriously can you think of anything else that has shutdown the fandom. Except for a few places, most furry social media is dead, in addition a few cons have gone under. I can’t think of anything that has ever done this before and it took a world wide pandemic to do it.

2. RAINFURREST 2015

Ever come across something that literally no one wants to go on record to talk about. Believe me I have tried, and everyone has backed out. I can understand why, because either they will come across as either arrogant or stupid. Frankly I don’t see any middle ground. But in short Rainfurrest 2015 was the worst thing to hit the fandom until this pandemic. Despite that Internet Historian video, there are still rumors that even I can’t post. Literally of everything imaginable. Recently on Reddit I saw a post about someone at that con seeing another bring stray dogs in to their room. For what I won’t say, but we all kind of know and to this very day I can not find a single person, except those on YouTube to even admit they were there in a public forum. I also can’t blame them.

3. Hate Groups Furry or Not

I know this is kind of a touchy subject with some. But I am sorry to say the fandom has it’s share of hate groups either causing problems or threatening to cause issues. One of the reasons that they have increased security at the major cons.

4. Furry Drama

Given my own experience and those who vented on various social media. Furry Drama which includes politics has actually killed meets, destroyed friendships, and dare I say has gotten people fired over false claims. It’s the one thing I hope dies with this pandemic. But I fear it won’t.

5. Stupidity

I know this might seem petty, but still stupidity at furry events still amazes me. Did you know someone actually brought a gun to a fur con? I am sorry to say that is quite true. Add in the cops and real jail time, plus the loss of the weapon… it really wasn’t that good idea. Then there is the case of this idiot tossing cash from a balcony at this one hotel and there is a YouTube video on this one, that shows the cash toss. But not what happened to the tosser, getting kicked out of their hotel room, plus a multi year ban from both. I got that from the idiot himself. Then there is what happened at another convention, I heard this at one of those Con Horror Story Panels. Where this genius decided to toss a frozen turkey, and it landed on the hotel’s glass bar. It cost a few hundred which the idiot had to pay for.

The worse part is that there are endless examples. So please lets make 2021 better… for everyone.

If your reading this congratulations you have survived most of 2020 unharmed… I hope. With so much bad news, most of us fear we are losing our minds, we have mixed emotions. Yours truly is no expectation, I so want to get out an do something… ANYTHING!!!

It being October, by now I normally have my MFF badge preordered, and start to make basic plans. Waiting to the release of the schedule (which normally happens in November) to finalize them. Yes I really do this and have for the last 5 years and I have rarely missed anything I wanted to see and do. I will admit now that being a Sponsor last year threw me off. I missed some photos I would normally take. Usually crowd photos, and of course more fursuiters. I hope to correct that mistake for the next MFF. Also make more videos covering little things that are usually unplanned but will make you smile.

Like this one…

October also for me, that usually means that a good friend and I would head off to the biggest of the 2 local zoos for their annual Halloween event. No fursuiters due to no masks for anyone over 12. But my friend and I usually have a great time. We bring our own picnic.

But that isn’t happening this year obviously.

This past year with little else to do I have been thinking about my life and places I like to go. In fact I was thinking about going to another convention in addition to MFF. Which one? I rather not say for now, except it won’t be in Illinois.

But from what I have seen from social media a lot are doing the same. I even seen someone who actually swore of cons in general. Actually say they need to go to this one con, once this is all over of course.

All I can say and keep in mind this is what I have been told. Smaller cons are better than the big ones. Simply because you can make friends, which given the number of MFFs I have been to is impossible for some at bigger cons. I have never made a friend at MFF. Although I have met some real nice furries.

As to local events if you live in a area that has them. I hope you have a chance to decide for yourself is it something you STILL want to be apart of. I know of excellent ones, as well as some terrible ones, are they worth coming back to once this is all over? That is up to YOU.

Speaking of which I really want to go to @FurlifeNW, a Seattle Bowling Meet that is so large they literally take over the entire bowling center. One report I saw said their were over 200 at one meet. Over 200?!!! I would make a special trip to Seattle just to cover it once.

That for me means a 2 day trip on Amtrak one way.

No MFF, no anime con, no special challenges for me this year. Not until this pandemic is over. I am very grateful to those who have stuck around. I know I haven’t posted much, frankly very little is happening. For example in September I could only find 5 news stories in total.

I did get a surprise recently when I discovered the place I use to play laser tag has been torn down. The company that operated it, Laser Quest is now out of business.

A victim of this pandemic.

Which I hope you aren’t. Wear a mask, and stay healthy if you can. For once this is all over it will be time to party.

What a morning, woke up to find out trump has COVID-19. I say that is 100% Pure Karma, go around without a mask, mock people who do, threaten to fire members of your own staff who want to wear one. Plus Tweet, God will never allow me to get sick, was simply asking for it. No one ever mocks TBO, and gets away with it.

Now for a little HARDCORE truth time. trump is in the high risk category of dying, given his age and health. Not a lot of people his age make it. Think this is a lie look it up yourself.
Has this election gotten any weirder? I say this is only the beginning.

First of all, why did I decide to take Amtrak, I love trains and really hadn’t been on one since I was a kid… admit-tingly things have changed.

So what was my actual experience like?

We might as well start with Baggage Check. I arrived roughly an hour before my train was set to leave. Turns out they are like the airlines you need to check your bag early. I was in the middle of policy change, they took my bag, but warned me next time to make sure I did at least 90 minutes before departure. Turns out you can check your bag a day early for a fee.

I traveled Coach and on this route there was an optional First Class, which includes a Roomette and all your food is included. Including the option to wait in The First Class Lounge where snacks and drinks are FREE.

I went Coach so I had to wait until I was called. Because of track issues my train would leave an hour late.

Once I was called, an Amtrak employee escorted us to the gate and we waited until the 1st Class passengers boarded before us. You do you get a seat assignment as you board the train this is where you have to sit until the train pulls out, and when it arrives at your Final Destination. Otherwise you can get up and move around.

I just have to say something about Amtrak that you don’t even get with airlines and that is ROOM. So you’re limited to the Coach car, the Observation Car and it’s the Cafe for the most part. But if you want to walk around you can. Besides you get massive leg room for someone like me who is over 6 feet tall, it was wonderful.

Unless your traveling First Class, Food is an issue, not as bad as Greyhound, but you do need to know that these days most trains only have a Cafe. Meaning limited selection, but you can get a pizza, it’s frozen until they pop it into the microwave. You can check Amtrak’s website for more details.

But I say bring your own food, especially things to snack on. I suggest smaller bags vs the bigger ones… less of a mess. Also anything that does not need a fridge. But there are tables available and besides you do get a nice view.

You really need to bring water at least a liter per day. They have places you can get water, but they weren’t working on both legs of my journey.

Washing Your Hands, the Restrooms are decent and you can wash your hands. But frankly I didn’t feel clean, Hand Sanitizer was a must for me. Wet Wipes also help, if you feel a bit grimy.

Remember unless Amtrak states you have Wifi you don’t. Also getting a cellphone signal can be spotty at best. When your in a city or a town, no issue. But in rural areas or mountains nothing. There was one part of my journey that I didn’t have a cellphone signal for 6 hours.

You need to bring your own entertainment that doesn’t need an internet connection. My Laptop really helped me, and there are power sockets so electricity is no issue.

You get very good air circulation. Some actually got cold, meanwhile I was fine.

The crew was friendly, I saw some amazing sites, really enjoyed the view.

Special Mention: As we were running some 3 1/2 hours late, Amtrak doesn’t get priority. Freight service goes 1st. They did hand out boxes of small packages of snacks.

I did find out what would happen if someone got into trouble on the train. They get kicked off and arrested, depending on what they did they may or may not be allowed back on. Also the train doesn’t wait.

So getting into trouble is really not a good thing.

Overall I would not hesitate to use Amtrak again. I really enjoyed my trip, want to do others once this pandemic is over.