A message to my Amateur Radio friends here on LJ to please review and provide your input in a recent post and poll on the furryhams community here:
http://community.livejournal.com/furryhams/35310.html

Thanks and 73!

Swift Fox
Pittsburgh, PA
KS3IFT - Extra

Pittsburgh's Monthly Fur Meet!
When: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Time: 7:00 - 9:00PM
Where: Panera Bread on the Blvd of the Allies in Oakland

Thinking about joining us? Great! More information may be found here: http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/523937.html

[Please pardon the x-posting]

Hello everyone!

This year we are reaching out to regional artists and writers to offer the opportunity for some exposure by having their works included in our Event Program or on our Website. We're looking for submissions of black and white line art and/or poetry/prose to be considered for inclusion in these two event media.

The theme of the Western PA Furry Weekend is "Fur and Fun in the Autumn Sun."

Deadline for submissions is September 1, 2008 and may be forwarded electronically to publication AT wpafw.org; subject "Submissions." If you require your submission to be sent via alternate means, e-mail the address above. Art submissions should be in high quality .jpg. Written submissions should be a half page or less in .rtf formatting.

Regional artists and writers, from Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Western New York, will be considered first as our goal is to recognize and promote regional talent. All submissions will be retained for the exclusive use of the Western PA Furry Weekend.

Thank you for your interest. Save 20% on your basic registration; visit our website and pre-register today.

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2008

October 3-5, 2008
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
www.wpafw.org

Q. So, what will you be doing with all your time over the 7-10 days FA is scheduled to be down?

A. Making so much artz that when it comes back up, it will collapse under the weight of my uploads! Muhahahahahaaa! :)

Go ahead and post this in your LJ and see what you're friends will be doing with their new found free time?

Pittsburgh's Monthly Fur Meet!

When: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Time: 7:00 - 9:00PM
Where: Panera Bread on the Blvd of the Allies in Oakland

Come and relax with friends old and new; break out your sketchbook and be creative over a warm cup of chai; play cards and other games, or open your lap top and play WOW over the free wireless connection.

The meet is what you make of it, so come on out and have some fun with fellow Pittsburgh Area furs and don't forget to wear your badges if you have them!

For more info and directions, go to http://www.swiftsden.net and scroll down to the section for the "Monthly Fur Meets!"

Hope to see ya there!

Swift Fox

For the benefit of everyone on my friends list I will attempt to just convey ( the highlights of my experience at Anthrocon 2008. )

So that was my Anthrocon 2008 in a nutshell. Overall, not a bad weekend, but that doesn't mean I don't long for the small cons where I can feel more relaxed and have the opportunity to spend more time with folks. If it wasn't in Pittsburgh, I'm pretty certain you wouldn't find me there. My next con will be MFM in late August, followed by the WPAFW in October, and wrapping the year up with MFF a month later.

*Hugs*

Swift Fox

...for an hour over lunch today.

There are around 100 or so furs milling about the atrium and various quiet spaces in the Westin. The hotel has opened up the Pennsylvania Room on the second floor as a "temporary Zoo" but only a couple dozen folks have taken advantage of it.

There seems to be some kind of mathamatics group having their convention Monday through to tonight. The New York Yankees are also holed up at the Westin while they're in town getting their tails kicked by the Pirates. :)
Whoot! Go Furries...keep them damn Yankees up and playing badly! We'll make the papers again, like we did last year keeping the Brewer's awake. :)

So I ran into Giza, Aris and Darkpaw, Tigerwolf, Lockdown, CJ and a few other NEOfurs. I also had the opportunity to talk with the Hotel Manager who happens to also be a local Volunteer Firefighter with 40+ years under his belt at various departments. He's a state fire instructor, so I have to make a few FD business cards and slide him one next time I see him.

I'll have to walk down over lunch again tomorrow. I'd go and hang around tonight, but I still have to double check that Ashes is all ready for AC and make sure the telescope and all it's stuff is together.

So...the furry wave is slowly cresting over Da'Burgh!

Welcome everyone! :)

*Hugs*

Swift Fox

A.L.F./Greymuzzle Dinner.
Sunday June 29, 7pm
Buca de Beppo in Station Square.
(followed by a trip up the incline
and ice cream on the Mt. Washington Overlooks.)
Meet in Westin Lobby at 6:00pm to take the
trolley across or meet at the restauraunt.
("T" is $.75 each way. Incline is $2.50 w/ transfer.)

*Hugs*

Swift Fox

Oh wow!

Pittsburgh is like so awesome!

It's cool and sunny in the mornings, with the fog rolling down the valley with the river currents. It's refreshing to sit outside with a hot cup of coffee and just enjoy life.

Then, it warms up to a nice comfortable temperature throughout the day, with only a hint of humidity, then pow! the dark, ominous, clouds roll in and nature tosses in a superb light show to end the day.

Ahh, it's so worth the while to be here early...before the convention. It's quiet at the hotel and really nice to take out the sketchbook and draw. Especially down by the river under the convention center.

There's a bunch of old guys wandering around the Westin for some "Coal Power is Good Power" conference. I heard there was a protest by an environmental group here yesterday. I wonder if the group will be here again to protest Anthrocon?

Oh well, I just wanted to let folks know I'm in Pittsburgh.

*Hugs*

Swift Fox

Last week was a busy week in Da' Burgh with the monthly fur meet rolling right into two opportunities to see "Kung Fu Panda" with furs on Saturday and Sunday.

The Movie Meet I was involved in hosting on Saturday afternoon went very well. Big thanks to Karl, Karen, Kyr, Flanowa, Dobe, Silaria, KC, Josh and EvilKitty (?) for joining us for the movie and dinner at Steak n Shake afterward.

At 9:30 pm we said our good byes to Karl, Karen and Dobe. The rest of the gang stopped back at our den for about an hour and a half to hang out and socialize a little more. We had to shoo folks on the road at 11pm since Sil and I had an early morning responsibility to the FD Flea Market on Sunday.

The movie was excellent, even with a few, young, future furries, expressing excitement at their favorite characters during the movie. :) It was made even better having the company of friends.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us Saturday!

*Hugs*

Swift Fox

[xposted to anthrocon, astrono_furs and my journal.

Hello friends and fellow astronomy buffs.

I'm here to announce that we have once again been given the opportunity to share astronomy with the attendees at Anthrocon 2008. Programming has given us two time slots over the course of the weekend, Friday and Saturday evenings from 10pm until Midnight, on the North Terrace of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. (Look for the signs, and take the glass "Wonka-vator" all the way to the top.)

From there we will endeavor to fulfill our goal: "Show people that meaningful astronomy can be done in the middle of the city and under light polluted skies."

In years past we've had Jupiter, king of the planets, to focus in on, however this year the largest of the gas giants will be low in the southeast during our sessions and likely out of view behind city structures. Good news is that Saturn and Mars will be up and fairly well visible for the first hour of observing.

For a second year now the moon will not be adding to the local light pollution. We may be able to find M13, The Hercules Cluster, M27, The Dumbell Nebula, and M57, The Ring Nebula and Brocchi's Cluster, (Collinder 399, the Coathanger Cluster) if we're lucky or use our setting circles to get close.

Failing that, we should be able to capture a handful of bright double stars to showcase in Lyra, Cygnus, Ursa Major, Bootes and Canes Venatici. I'll have to remember to find the RA and Dec for Polaris to align the setting circles along with those for those deep sky objects and double stars.

I'll give a brief tour of the night skies at about 11pm and with luck we'll get a couple Iridium Flares and maybe an ISS pass on those nights. I'll create the usual hand out for convention attendees along with a few with more information for those of you bringing scopes up or assisting.

Sil and I will have our 100mm f/6 refractor,15x70 binoculars, star charts and resources. Who else may be attending Anthrocon this year, can bring along a telescope or binoculars, and is willing to assist with the star parties? Even if you're not comfortable assisting us, if you have a pair of binoculars or a telescope you can bring up to the star parties, we'll be happy to help you utilize them to their fullest extent and further hone your astronomy skills.

Here's looking forward to clear skies over Anthrocon!

Swift Fox

( 2008 AC Meme )

See ya there!

*Hugs*

Swift Fox & Ashes

[x-posted...]

Howdy friends!

Wow! Is it the second Thursday of June already??

It sure is! Come join us for,

Pittsburgh's Monthly Fur Meet!

Thursday, June 12, 2008
7:00 - 9:00PM
Panera Bread on the Blvd of the Allies in Oakland

If the weather is nice, we'll be out back on the patio instead of inside where we normally are.

For more info and directions, go to http://www.swiftsden.net and scroll down to the section for the "Monthly Fur Meets!"

Also I'd like to take a moment to remind folks...

Pittsburgh Furs Movie Meet

Cinemark Theater at Pittsburgh Mills
Saturday, June 14 - 4:30pm
5:30pm showing of "Kung Fu Panda"
Cost: $5.75 Matinee rate!

After the movie, we'll drive over to Steak n Shake for some after-movie munchies and milk shakes.

Thus far I have a half dozen furs who have expressed an interest in the movie meet. If you're interested, e-mail me at eventsATswiftsden.net so I know to look for you, or just show up at 5pm, in the mall, outside the theater.
We'll likely go in and get seated at 5pm, so if you don't see us, get your tickets and go on in.
(http://www.cinemark.com/theater_showtimes.asp?theater_id=357&show_date=6/14/2008)

Hope to see you there!

Swift Fox

[X-posted for Con Chair Max Goof.]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Morphicon Corporation is in need of a website designer. Our website, www.morphicon.org, needs to be snazzed up, add new bells and whistles, and modernize it.

You don't have to be able to do graphics. We have a number of people able to provide that. You just need to plan the layout of it, and be able to give a rough idea to the person who does the graphics of what goes in there.

You also need to be able to design and impliment an online store, where people can order t-shirts, DVDs, and other memorabilia, eventually getting it hooked up with a company that would burn the DVD on request and mail it out.

Compensation isn't much. Nobody makes a living helping out a furry con. You would get free registration to our convention for each year you are our website designer.

If you are interested, send me a link to a sample of your work.

If you know someone who might be interested, spread the word.

Max Goof
maxgoof@gmail.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello friends!

As has been tradition over the years it has fallen on my shoulders since AnthroCon is now in my home town to continue to coordinate the Alt.Lifestyle.Furry & Greymuzzle Dinner.

We continue to have a great turn out hosting the dinner at 6PM after Closing Ceremonies on Sunday and heading over to Station Square to Buca de Beppo for some family style Italian food.

So I'm giving everyone a heads up and attempting to get a rough head count on how many to expect.
Please RSVP by placing a reply to this message. It'll be cross posted to my journal, anthrocon, homestead and greymuzzle. Please pass the word.

Silaria and I are looking forward to seeing all of you again and sharing this wonderful and friendly meal together!

Peace and be well!

Swift Fox