Author Topic: Small Animal News  (Read 187600 times)

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Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #60 on: October 08, 2010, 03:27:19 am »
C's vangaurd consisted of roughly six or seven bunnies.  At the time, no one was quite sure what the vangaurd was up to.  They moved from place to place, passing out leaflets and other information to local small animals.  In the meantime, most of C's forces camped out to the west of L's domain, just slightly out of his reach.

Neighborhood cat L was caught by surprise, he reportedly became very annoyed and suspicious at their audacity.  At first, he gathered up his regulars and told them to pursue and eliminate C's vangaurd.  Not all his regulars took him seriously, but enough did and they tried to chase down C's vangaurd. 

L's regulars were only slightly better off than C's bunnies.  The cats could surely shred a bunny if they could catch it, but the bunnies stayed together in order to deter attacks from single cats.  By the time the cats realized they would have to act as a group, several hours had already passed.  When this happened, C realised that multiple cats operating together would pose a threat to his bunnies and ordered them to withdraw back to the peripheral base. 

Following this action, neighborhood cat L became incensed.  He ordered his regulars to do an all-out attack on C's peripheral base but found few willing to comply.  In the end, any kind of force he could have sent would have been laughable and would have been instantly repelled.  So he took it upon himself to call up his mercenaries.  The expense to call these guys up was significant, but no problem to him.  He simply used the money he had extorted from small animals during his reign over the last several months.

The neighborhood cat's paid special attention to call up mercenaries that were natural enemies of bunnies.  A gang of english springer spaniels, dogs bred for hunting, retrieving and flushing out bunnies and other small animals.   A gang of snakes who had hunted and killed practically every small animal known to man. 

To be continued...

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #61 on: October 08, 2010, 11:23:20 pm »
The neighborhood cat L had planned for these extraordinarily fearsome and well-paid mercenaries to be unleashed on C's forces that morning.  But that morning, C, his bunnies, and any other forces were nowhere to be found.  The cat grew incredibly paranoid, believing they were hiding and that an attack was imminent.  He summoned his two most trusted trusted advisers, his 'right paw cat' known to small animals as R and a 'left paw cat' known only as G.  He ordered his mercenaries to find C's forces and decimate them, but the mercenaries said that 'search and secure' wasn't part of their contract.  The night before, the cats had paid them only to decimate a base that no longer existed.

So the cats had to pay the mercenaries more, this time with a new multiple-day mission to find out where C's troops were hiding, root them out, and decimate them.  Over the next three days, the mercenaries would search for anything, anybody out there who resembled C or any of his force, the bunnies, the (guinea) pigs, the rats, etc.  They had no problem securing the areas that C had operated in, though this didn't come cheap.  The expenditures were putting a lot of pressure on the neighborhood cat's financial state.

After three days, and little to show for it, the neighborhood cat called off his mercenaries. 

Following this, things were pretty quiet.  The neighborhood cat L tried to extort some money from the local small animals, but didn't get very much.  Then maybe a few weeks ago, he disappeared.  It turned out his owner had moved out of town, and taken the cat along with him.

As for C, he became something of a 'living legend' to the local small animals.  Few of the locals even know what kind of small animal C is, much less what he looks like or how he behaves (or even if C is a 'he' or 'she').  But it doesn't really matter.  When I say local small animals, I mean local to that area, not to mine.  C is known for being the one who was capable of standing up to the feared neighborhood cat during his reign of terror.

I can't really say what is going to happen next (I don't know) but I do think we're going to see more of C in the future.  What remains of L's old kitty cat gang is in disarray and is also 'running on empty'.  Small animals who served in his forces are using their reputations to recruit on their own.  I wouldn't say conflict is imminent, far from it.  But at the rate things are going, it's honestly only a matter of time before they combine their forces in order to launch another attack on the remnants of L's gang. 
« Last Edit: October 09, 2010, 02:10:52 am by Sindobook »

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #62 on: October 15, 2010, 02:26:22 am »
I'm still getting PMs about C.  Honestly I've listed pretty much everything I know about C above.  Please stop asking stuff.

C exists, you can be assured of that.  Honestly there's a lot of people asking 'who is he', 'what is he', 'is he nice', 'is he decent', 'is he a good leader' and a bunch of other stuff like that.  In all honesty, C is just a general small animal.  I'm not saying every small animal thinks like every other small animal, but they are all pretty decent and they all pretty much act and think in the same way.  Occasionally you get a real head case like Yue-bing but these are rare and I can assure you C is not one of these.

For those who want to meet the small animals (the local ones), there will probably be some kind of small animal meet and greet at ALA this year.  I'm not making any promises though, not yet.

Offline mamochan

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #63 on: October 15, 2010, 05:06:42 am »
I get messages about MrE. Do something or he'll eat every small animal on this forum.
DVD Backlog: Galaxy Angel (all of them), GITS: SAC, Juuni Kokki, Last Exile, Master Keaton, Rurouni Kenshin TV, Saber Marionette J, Saber Marionette J Again, Saber Marionette J to X, Slayers (The), Slayers Next, Slayers Try.

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #64 on: October 15, 2010, 08:18:32 pm »
Mr. E is long gone.  He lives in Michigan but ran out of cash more than seven years ago.  He can't even afford to have internet anymore.  All for chasing a false dream.  His step-granddaughter (who is also in Michigan) is more of a person now than he ever was, or that he can ever hope to be.  And yet he won't even acknowledge her or his ex-wife.

People were asking late yesterday about the V/U event at PMX.  Yes there will be one, a few of the local chinchillas are looking into it now.  I don't know where, and I don't know how.  It will probably be on Saturday. 

One of the local pigs said he scouted out the venue recently and it was a real mess.  There's no real space inside the venue to hold an event.  Wherever it's going to be, it will have to be outside.  I'm guessing it will be up on the roof.  There aren't any decent open areas nearby or anything like that.  Kinda sucks.

And it won't be hosted by a chinchilla.  They are going to find someone else to host it or be the "spokesperson" that runs it, at least. 
« Last Edit: October 18, 2010, 10:16:18 pm by Sindobook »

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #65 on: October 18, 2010, 10:44:38 pm »
People are asking about whether the mixed tricolor sheltie/silkie/american/??? that replaces the black pig (the original pig's buddy) is related to the original pig.  The answer is probably yes, but only slightly.  If they're related, he'd be like the cousin twice removed and then one generation below that.  So don't get all excited yet.

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #66 on: October 19, 2010, 10:39:29 pm »
I keep getting questions about the remnants of L's old kitty cat gang. 

First, kitty cat dynamics are not at all like small animals where it's basically one small animal equals one vote.  It basically goes like this, some cats get one vote, some get more than one vote, and most get no votes.  The cats fight among themselves to decide who gets the votes, it pretty much comes down to the cat who the most cats are scared of is going to get the most votes, and so on down from there.

When L moved, his right paw cat and left paw cat pretty much dropped off the radar.  The gang's vanguard, numbering an elite 9 cats at its peak had dropped to 4.  Most squads were operating at around half membership, if that.  Cat P, the leader of the vanguard, tried to send his own goon squads out into the city to collect protection fees from local small animals, but the small animals would not pay up.  The goon squads could not overpower the small animals due to sheer numbers, they tried to offer several 'bennies' to get them to pay up (ie. buy 'protection' and a friend gets 'protection' for half off the normal price) but the small animals did not fear them anymore.  When no one bought protection, one goon squad was dumb enough to attack the next night and ended up overrun by small animals.  Only half their number even managed to make it back to base.

Meanwhile the lower level cats were starting to threaten the leadership.  Several prominent members were threatening to rebel.  Cat P recognized that and decided he had to rebuild the vanguard back up to full strength, if nothing else for his own personal protection.  (It's not uncommon for cats to fear their own more than outsiders).

Seeing that Cat P was in desperation to get his vanguard back up to full strength, some of the local cats demanded a say in Cat P's selections in exchange for their continued support of the gang.  P had little choice to agree.  These outsiders had mixed reasons (of their own) for wanting votes.  In the end the 5 cats added to the vanguard were a bit of a joke.  One of them is a known and proven small-animal sympathizer.  Another holds an equivalent position in a rival gang.  Then you have a few others who have basically been sheltered indoor cats their whole life -- no real security or battle experience.  In essense these 5 cats are pretty much unknowns, and P knows it.  They could basically turn on him at any time.

And the kicker for this gang is a lack of supplies.  The cats are basically out of supplies and have no real way to recover them, little to no income.  Baring some rich patron who shows up and 'saves the day', they aren't going to be doing much until the can get some. 
« Last Edit: October 20, 2010, 12:40:13 am by Sindobook »

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #67 on: October 20, 2010, 10:12:32 pm »
I thought the Tofu video was old news but evidently not, I am still getting PMs asking about where to find it.
So here the link, you all can stop asking by PM now.

Tofu Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJYPHm-TlZM

"They're so cute but I wish they'd play together more often.  Tofu doesn't seem that interested in others lately, he is always playing by himself."
« Last Edit: October 20, 2010, 10:24:52 pm by Sindobook »

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #68 on: October 26, 2010, 08:04:11 pm »
No, I wasn't there, so I can't say a whole lot.  According to Molly, a bunny friend of Mr. Sparkles, "the level of drama was about what I expected.  Overall, I was actually a little disappointed.  I went there expecting to see some fights, but instead it was just a bunch of arm-flapping and people yelling at each other and arguing from time to time.  No fights.  Boo-hoo." [1]

For those who are wondering where the small animals are going to meet next, there's rumors that the initial planning kick-off meeting for the interim planning committee (the group that puts on the bunny caucus) will take place at one of the local beaches.  If you want more details, skype the new pig to ask about it (I don't know any more details). 

[1] Rumor has it that there were a few near-fights, where it looked like things were about to get violent but the (possible) combatants were restrained by the people around them. 
« Last Edit: October 28, 2010, 11:39:16 pm by Sindobook »

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #69 on: October 30, 2010, 02:48:33 am »
Continuation of post from October 15, 2010, 08:18:32 pm

Yes and no.  They will meet, we just don't know where.  The time will most likely be Saturday in the evening, after the event.

Overflight and Satellite data on this location is pretty useless (see for yourself).  It's kinda boxed in, lot a lot around it really.

Another small animal scout is heading out to the venue to scout it out, this time with some additional ranging[1] and recording equipment.  Hopefully it will be a productive trip he can get the data that is needed.  If all goes well we will decide after this weekend.

[1] Small animals generally have very poor to no depth perception, making rangefinders pretty popular equipment for scouts and survey teams.

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #70 on: November 02, 2010, 10:42:10 pm »
Continuation of last post.

Unfortunately the little guy they sent in never reported back.  It's been quite some time and no one has seen or heard from him.  Hopefully he didn't get eaten or trapped or anything like that.

I'm sure they'll figure something out.  It looks like a mess, I think I'll just pass on this one really. 

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #71 on: November 09, 2010, 02:35:15 am »
Ultimately you have to ask yourself 'does it work'.  In the case of a theory, this means, does it bring some clarity to something that isn't clear, does it explain something in the (best) possible way, given everything you do know, etc.  Many people get hung up on the question of 'is it true', meaning that they must prove something to be true before they can use it.  When in reality, 'truth' can be a elusive thing with limited information.  Rather people should ask 'is this useful' or 'is this helpful'.  For instance 'is this helpful in determining what to do next.'  For a model that is working or able to predict events accurately, there is no harm in assuming it is true for the sake of prediction.  Likewise for the 'best possible' model available, ie. one that can predict events accurately most of the time.  Just remember that theories cannot be proven true in reality, that's why they are theories.  In other words, use, but don't assume.

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #72 on: November 10, 2010, 01:33:51 am »
It's bad advice.  Don't fear the outer points, they are there for a reason, use them. 

Also get a narrow screen.  They are cheap, $40. or so, and they might be darker, but the images and their focus look more real.  Hence it becomes easier to use the manual focus or to check focus after using the auto focus.  Trying to do this with the default screen can be hard to impossible.

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #73 on: November 11, 2010, 11:14:53 pm »
For a map of the installation, follow this link:  http://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/content/PASPHHF/media/pdf/en_PASPHHF_other_floorplan.pdf

This list refers to _planned_ meets, I can't make any gaurantees.

By 'planned' I mean planned-to-happen, not that I'm planning to be there (most of them I'm not planning on being there).

Apparently one of the Pandas (don't remember which) is planning a UT/VO meet after the Masquerade at 9pm in the San Gabriel Courtyard.  There may be other UT/VO meets before or after the Masquerade, but it's hard to say when or where.  If you are late, just look for a Panda, Pandas are kinda hard to miss.

Someone, I don't know who, or what, is planning a FF meet in the lobby Saturday at noon, basically meet in the lobby and then find a better place.

Some of the bunnies are scheduling an APH meet in front of the CosFest room Saturday 2pm.  I doubt the people in the Cosfest room will be that amused.

Another Panda I know nothing about is holding a smallish panel "Spreading the love for Japan".  I don't know when or where, I would check the provided schedule if you are interested.

Others, no details available: 
Re-born, Saturday 3:30, Pool deck

Kuroshitsuji, Friday 4:00, Lobby

Harry Potter, Saturday 1:30, Unknown

Poke'mon, Saturday 3:00, Lobby

Those of you who know me (irl) should know where to find me, everyone else, stay safe and have fun.  Remember to use the buddy system, travel in groups and watch out for / avoid rattlesnakes and large predatory cats.

Now I'm getting word that a number of large birds will be there on Saturday.  These guys aren't expected to be predatory (probably flightless anyways) but it's still a good idea to avoid them.  Normally you can spot these guys by their coloration, but they might be using some kind of camouflage this time.  So go figure.  Definitely you want to keep a watchful eye out for these guys, especially if they're grouping up.  Some of them might be friendly on an individual level, but don't be fooled into thinking they all want to be your best friend.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2010, 11:09:52 am by Sindobook »

Offline Sindobook

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Re: Small Animal News
« Reply #74 on: November 15, 2010, 11:32:29 pm »
Multi:

1) Yes, I was there but only on Saturday.  Absolutely a mess.  Chaotic, the schedule for panels was running about an hour behind (but no one seemed to know what was up -- ie. was the panel moved, delayed, or something else altogether) and plenty of 'human traffic jams' as people tried to move about in the narrow passages.  Nothing to get upset over though, the staff was very friendly, they weren't malicious or malevolent or anything like that.  They just didn't have a clue, registration was honestly the only thing that worked well.

2) The reason I didn't approach the snake was because this.  It's not him I'm worried about, but more the people that were around him.  One of them could have been someone bad and I'm not going to risk going up to the guy and saying hi only to have one of the people he's hanging out with turn on me.  It's just not worth it, I know so many people that I'm really not going to miss not meeting someone I don't already know.

3) Yes, he was apparently there too, though I didn't see him.  I figured he'd be kinda hard to miss, standing out like he does, but I still couldn't actually find him.[1]

[1] I'm told he was there on Sunday also, but left early as he became annoyed with the smell / stench that was starting to gather.  That is, from having people who did not bathe or shower for the last 3 days in such close proximity.  Pandas have a very sensitive and developed sense of smell.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2010, 01:53:00 am by Sindobook »