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Monday, March 25, 2019

From March 15 to 17, the Canadian city of Toronto played host to the tenth Furnal Equinox, an annual event dedicated to the “furry fandom.” Wikinews attended. Programming ranged from music to gender, science to art, covering dozens of aspects of the varied subculture. The event’s featured guests were visual artists Moth Monarch and Cat-Monk Shiro, as well as the co-owners of US fursuit costume builders Don’t Hug Cacti.

The event raised nearly CDN$11,000 for Pet Patrol, a non-profit rescue organization in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, run by volunteers. This exceeded their goal of $10,000, the funds needed to finish a rural sanctuary. The furry community is well-known for their charitable efforts. Along with direct donations, the funds were raised through a charity auction offering original artwork, and a fursuit design by guests of honour “Don’t Hug Cacti.” Last year, Furnal Equinox raised funds for a farm animal sanctuary.

While only 10–15% of people within the fandom own a fursuit according to a 2011 study, event organizers reported this year 908 of the 2240 attendees at Furnal Equinox brought at least one elaborate outfit to the event. The outfits are usually based on original characters, known as “fursonas”.

Guests of Honour Cherie and Sean O’Donnell, known within the community as “Lucky and Skuff Coyote”, held a session on fursuit construction on Saturday afternoon. The married couple are among the most prominent builders in the fandom, under the name Don’t Hug Cacti. The scale of their business was evident, as Sean had made over a thousand pairs of “handpaws”, costume gloves.

The couple encouraged attendees to continue developing their technique, sharing that all professional fursuit makers had developed different techniques. They felt that they learned more from failed projects than successful ones, citing the Chuck Jones quote that “every artist has thousands of bad drawings,” and that you have to work through them to achieve. Cherie, known as Lucky, recalled receiving a Sylvester the Cat plush toy from a Six Flags theme park at age 10. She promptly hollowed the toy out, turning it into a costume. Creating a costume isn’t without its hazards: the company uses 450°F (232°C) glue guns. They’re “like sticking your hand in an oven.”

Other programming included improv comedy, dances, life drawing of fursuiters, a review of scientific research by a research group at four universities called FurScience, a pin collector’s social, and workshops in writing.

The “Dealer’s Den” hall was expanded this year, with even more retailers and artists. While many offered “furry” versions of traditional products, at least one business focused on “pushing the boundaries of fursuit technology.” Along with 3D printing a bone-shaped name tag when Wikinews visited, Grivik was demonstrating miniature computer screens that could be used as “eyes” for a fursuit. The electronic displays projected an animation of eyes looking around, blinking occasionally. The maker has also developed “a way to install a camera inside suit heads, to improve fursuiter visibility.” He hopes the tech would reduce suiting risks and accidents. Without the need for eyeholes, fursuit makers would have “more options for building different eyestyles.”

• Image: Nicholas Moreau.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Yesterday in Guatemala, the Supreme Court approved the attorney general’s request to impeach President Otto Pérez Molina.

The final decision on lifting Presidential immunity now falls to Congress. The case relates to a corruption scandal known locally as La Linea ^{((en))English language: ?The Line} which has seen Vice President Roxana Baldetti arrested and charged with fraud and receiving bribes. Prosecutors allege Baldetti and Molina between them received half of all bribes in the case.

Congress previously refused to impeach Molina but the investigation has since broadened, with ministerial resignations. Molina, however, has stood firm in the face of widespread popular protests demanding he leave office. Elections are scheduled for September 6.

The Social and Popular Assembly, formed during protests in recent months, allege violations of electoral law by many parties, and want an electoral commission crackdown. One member organisation, the Committee for Campesino Unity, wants a delay until elections are reformed. They also seek a new constitution.

Molina is accused of conspiring to corruptly divert customs funds. He denies any misconduct.

Sunday, September 4, 2005

Tropical storm Maria intensified and became the season’s fifth hurricane on Sunday, September 4. The hurricane is currently growing stronger in the warm waters of the open Atlantic Ocean.

According to MSNBC News, at 5 AM EDT the hurricane had a maximum sustained wind of 75 MPH, which barely qualifies for category 1 hurricane status, and was centered 256 miles southeast of Bermuda. Currently it is moving north-northwest and is predicted to turn northward late Sunday or early Monday. Hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart believes that should the hurricane continue on its predicted route, “Maria should remain well to the east of Bermuda and only pose a threat to shipping interests.”

This hurricane does not appear to pose a threat comparable to the current major US disaster, Hurricane Katrina, as it is expected to move soon into cooler Atlantic waters, which will sap much of its strength.

Maria is the 13th named storm of the hurricane season, far surpassing the typical 4 or 5 named storms at this time of year. The season runs from June 1 to November 30.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Scientists in the UK, have claimed that Summer 2005 has beenthe warmest in the Northern Hempisphere since reliable recordingbegan in the 19th Century.

The claim comes from researchers at the University of East Anglia(UEA)working in conjunction with those of the (UK) Meteorological Office.

Dr David Viner of the UEA’s Climatic Reasearch Unit isquoted (BBC News) as saying: “The data also show that the sea surface temperature in the northern hemisphere Atlantic is the highest since 1880,”

Friday, November 9, 2007

Thursday, November 8, two trade shows, named MEDIPHAR Taipei at the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) and Taipei Audio Video Fair at the TWTC and The Grand Hotel, opened in Taipei, Taiwan. Some politicians and government officials chose these events as an opportunity to promote their parties and campaign-coalitions ahead of the 2008 Taiwan Presidential Elections.

From the incumbent Pan-Green Coalition, President of the Republic of China Chen Shui-bian, Premier of Republic of China Chang Chun-hsiung, and spokesman for the Executive Yuan Jung-tai Cho visited the two shows successively and were innundated by Taiwanese media. President Chen avoided answering questions on the hot topic of commodities prices, addressing only those about the medical industry development, overseen by Sheng-mao Hou, Minister of Health.

From the Pan-Blue Coalition, 2008 vice-presidential candidate, and former Premier, Vincent Siew participated the opening of the Taipei Audio Video Fair at The Grand Hotel. He criticized on the economy policy and remarked: “The ruling party [DPP] doesn’t have a good track record, and some industries weren’t be supported in timely manner so that they lost some opportunities. I sincerely hope the government can appropriately assist the audio and video industries in marketing good brands and products to the world.”

Also, current Democratic Progressive Party legislator Wang Shih-chien was invited to give a violin performance and sing a Taiwanese song. The events at the Taipei World Trade Center proved to be quite a platform for the candidates running in the 2008 Taiwan Presidential Elections.

Saturday, October 1, 2005

New Zealand has relaxed the safety rules imposed on internal airlines in 2002, once more allowing passengers to carry pocket knives with blades less than 60mm long and knitting needles.

Other larger items remain banned, including ice-skates, pool cues, hockey sticks, skateboards, cricket bats and harpoons.

Other countries more at risk from terrorism such as the United States of America and Australia will maintain their stricter rules and continue to ban a range of small, sharp objects from their internal flights.

The airlines have also agreed to help return items seized from passengers before boarding.

Monday, March 25, 2019

From March 15 to 17, the Canadian city of Toronto played host to the tenth Furnal Equinox, an annual event dedicated to the “furry fandom.” Wikinews attended. Programming ranged from music to gender, science to art, covering dozens of aspects of the varied subculture. The event’s featured guests were visual artists Moth Monarch and Cat-Monk Shiro, as well as the co-owners of US fursuit costume builders Don’t Hug Cacti.

The event raised nearly CDN$11,000 for Pet Patrol, a non-profit rescue organization in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, run by volunteers. This exceeded their goal of $10,000, the funds needed to finish a rural sanctuary. The furry community is well-known for their charitable efforts. Along with direct donations, the funds were raised through a charity auction offering original artwork, and a fursuit design by guests of honour “Don’t Hug Cacti.” Last year, Furnal Equinox raised funds for a farm animal sanctuary.

While only 10–15% of people within the fandom own a fursuit according to a 2011 study, event organizers reported this year 908 of the 2240 attendees at Furnal Equinox brought at least one elaborate outfit to the event. The outfits are usually based on original characters, known as “fursonas”.

Guests of Honour Cherie and Sean O’Donnell, known within the community as “Lucky and Skuff Coyote”, held a session on fursuit construction on Saturday afternoon. The married couple are among the most prominent builders in the fandom, under the name Don’t Hug Cacti. The scale of their business was evident, as Sean had made over a thousand pairs of “handpaws”, costume gloves.

The couple encouraged attendees to continue developing their technique, sharing that all professional fursuit makers had developed different techniques. They felt that they learned more from failed projects than successful ones, citing the Chuck Jones quote that “every artist has thousands of bad drawings,” and that you have to work through them to achieve. Cherie, known as Lucky, recalled receiving a Sylvester the Cat plush toy from a Six Flags theme park at age 10. She promptly hollowed the toy out, turning it into a costume. Creating a costume isn’t without its hazards: the company uses 450°F (232°C) glue guns. They’re “like sticking your hand in an oven.”

Other programming included improv comedy, dances, life drawing of fursuiters, a review of scientific research by a research group at four universities called FurScience, a pin collector’s social, and workshops in writing.

The “Dealer’s Den” hall was expanded this year, with even more retailers and artists. While many offered “furry” versions of traditional products, at least one business focused on “pushing the boundaries of fursuit technology.” Along with 3D printing a bone-shaped name tag when Wikinews visited, Grivik was demonstrating miniature computer screens that could be used as “eyes” for a fursuit. The electronic displays projected an animation of eyes looking around, blinking occasionally. The maker has also developed “a way to install a camera inside suit heads, to improve fursuiter visibility.” He hopes the tech would reduce suiting risks and accidents. Without the need for eyeholes, fursuit makers would have “more options for building different eyestyles.”

• Image: Nicholas Moreau.