Tilt Longtail’s Announcement: He is Right

Why I agree and will limit my Furcon attendance.

Some time ago I watched Tilt Longtail’s announcement that he will no longer attend furry conventions. I will leave a link to the video below.

I do agree with him on two points Furcons have become expensive and boring.  When I go to any fan convention, I go because I want to learn something new or have a new experience; something I cannot do at home. I do not go to conventions just to hang out.  I have a big problem with Furcons for lack of content. My local Anime and Science Fiction convention has approximately three times more content and panel space than the largest furry conventions like Athrocon or Midwest Fur Fest. I do attend my local furcon or thought of Anthro NW because I have a fallout with my local furcon. For me as further I must travel to a furry convention, the higher personal investment in a fur con, and less return for dollars spent. As a highly introverted person I room alone. Anime Expo, Dragoncon, and World Science Fiction Convention offer a bigger return for me. I can only see visiting a small fur con as part of a longer vacation.

My response to Local Convention COVOD-19 Policy

I have a big announcement  for the rest of 2021 and 2022 and beyond. I will not be attending  any  fan conventions  in 2021 and beyond until Kumoricon, Orycon, RCCC, Anthro Northwest   come to their  senses and stop forcing  unnecessary  medical test or  divulge private  medical information as a  requirement to attend a convention. It is wrong  for those who are and force  others  to surrender their freedom and privacy for three  days of fun deserve nether. I do believe  health  and safety is the issue but the 900 LB ogre call government  Lockdown. There are those who willing to  throw other’s privacy   under the bus to keep the lockdown ogre at bay.

Do not  get me wrong I am centrist  in the  vaccine debate. I am against any government  mandate but  realize for me and other  the vaccine is needed.  I  frown on both  force mandates and the anti-vaccination crowd. I can poke hole in both arguments. Some people  may  not need vaccination while others  it a life saver. I do not believe  the false narrative  of herd immunity. It may not happen We just need to live with COVID-19. Private organization can make  rules regardless how  bad as well of  my choice not to attend.

Foer those who are putting  such restrictions in the name  of protecting immune depressed and people with auto immune condition like me, you are doing us no favor. I must board a bus and max trains  with vaccinated  non-vaccinated I am still here.

I  am willing to help support alternative  and events. The rules will be  just use  common since and that is it.

Furcons and COVID I

BetaEtaDelota, a  fury YouTube  made a video that was on target that many  furcon will cancel  and never return but miss  the mark  in his criticism of  state reopening and  relaxing  lockdown and  mask requirements. The post below is  bade on my response to him.

The  good news  many furry conventions will not make it or  should downside and keep it local.  As a furry 14  years I find  the fandom is oversaturated with  furcons are nothing  more than glorified and expensive  meetups. The content at most furcons is  lacking compared to my local Anime, Science Fiction and Comicon.  For me farther the con, the greater the  expense,  thus the greater of my  requirement for theses  cons to provide a unique  panel and event experience  that exceeds  my local fur or anime convention. My pet peeved is a small fur con advertising  in Orgon, thinking  I going to spend $2000 (I fly first class country (I am 6,4) and  room alone) to a small furry convention the east coast.   I can see spending that much and more for  Dragoncon or San Diego Comicon.

I also wonder post COVID we will still  see a decline of attendance at fur cons due   to unemployment due ill-advised lockdown strategy or  simply realize the cost of attending conventions by all the  money saved 2020. In addition, another barrier to attendance is local travel  restrictions, such as  14 quarantine if one travels out of state. That is if the travel restrictions are not lifted.

Another threat  to fur cons and hotels  is  liability and litigation. An Anglican News source brought up the  brewing  legal mess.  They are going to be a lot of opportunist lawyers pushing   class actions lawsuits. “Did your love one died  of COVID-19, you may be entitled   to compensation” While  some fur cons  are too small, ambulance chasers will see  the deep pockets of hotel chains as  big targets.

Finally, your covid remake  are  off the mark. Let took at Covdi-19; it a disease  while, very contagious, has an exceptionally low infection to death ratio, about  2% or less and  the vast majority of deaths are  those 65 and older  with  underlying heath conditions.  80% of known infected persons experiences mild to no  symptoms.  Many in furry  community, according to demographic studies, are young and fall within the 80%  of minimal to asymptomatic group.

At the same time  a study, comparing California, with the most draconian lockdown,  to Florida, with little restrictions, show  that lockdowns have a minimal impact; both states show the same  growth of  COVID-19 cases. The lockdowns cause more harm  than good  if  one account for thousands of businesses permanently  closed  ,and jobs  lost, the increase of mental illnesses, and  domestic abuse.  Furthermore,  dire predictions in the past have not  panned out in a spike but trended like the rest of the country.    With vaccination of  more vulnerable elderly,  opening  up more seem prudent.

Some thoughts about Coronavirus and Fan Conventions.

This post is  a response to a question about the future of fan Conventions  in light of  COVID-19.

This is a speculation about the future of conventions if we can control COVID-19. I use my experience as a Sanrio fan.  One option is similar to Hello Kitty Friendship Festival and the recent Hello Kitty Around the World tour. In each case one bought a ticket for a session lasting two to four hours.  Only a fixed amount of tickets was sold per session. The session could have a show, panel, displays and a trip though the dealer’s den.

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Rose City Comic Con Mini Report

The convention:  Rose City Comic Con

The place: Oregon Convention Center

The dates  7 – 9 September.

Sorry for the long delay but due to leaning  a new job I have not had the time to  put a full report. Also since I do not se much interest I going the keep things short.  All three of  my Plushies were my companions for the con.

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