Posts

Posted on

Final Wishes, or If I get hit by a beer truck

…please read this web page.

This page is here so that if something happens leaving me in a state where I am no longer able to run my websites, people will know what to do.

While I have no plans of buying a farm anytime soon, sometimes accidents and sudden illness happen. That also means that if I am in a persistent coma of some kind, or have a terminal condition, please don’t keep me on life support for months or resuscitate me–just let me pass on peacefully.

Designation of Executor

I designate Samuel C. Conway, PhD as my virtual executor to organize such things. In the event that Sam is not available, then I designate Tom Geller as virtual executor. They’ll know what to do, or know people who will.

My Websites

This beer truck from Denmark could be the very thing that takes me out. Who knows?

All my websites – Including (but not limited to) this one, IsSeptaFucked.com, and SeptaStats.com, Sam (or someone he designates) should be the new webmaster/site admin. Please keep the websites operational where possible. Where appropriate, pages should contain a note about what happened. Please update this page with a link as well.

Social Media

I would prefer that my social media be kept in situ. If you don’t speak Latin, that means “leave it the hell alone!” My Facebook security settings allow anyone to post on my wall, and having had a few of my own friends pass away in recent years, it was really nice reading comments and notes left by their friends and loved ones. I’d love if my friends did the same for me on my Facebook wall.

In a little more detail, that means I’d like my Facebook account to be memorialized. For Twitter, if you’re able to get control of my Twitter account, a pinned message will work nicely. If not, some tweets from friends mentioning my passing and funeral stuff that show up when searching “to:dmuth” should suffice.

Source Code

Anything that is publicly available on my GitHub account should already be available under an open source license. If it’s not, please consider the Apache 2.0 License.

Funeral, Grave, and Memorial Service

My family has a series of plots purchased in a cemetery, I will leave it to them to bury me there. I expect something about cheetahs written on my tombstone. I mean it! While friends are welcome to come to my funeral, I’d rather there be a Celebration of Life held weeks/months after my passing so that friends can travel from further distances to attend. A hotel would be an ideal spot for this. Having alcohol on hand for guests would be a really good idea. I expect my friends to laugh, cry, and damage their livers while talking shit about me.

For anything else, contact Sam or Tom.

Oh, and I’ll miss all of you. Even the cheetahs.

Updates:

  • 26 Mar 2021: On second thought, forget the Free Software Foundation. Not after this behavior.
  • 11 Mar 2021: Expanded on on social media stuff a little.
  • 2 May 2019: Changed URI from /beertruck to /final-wishes. Added headings and blurb about social media.
  • 15 Dec 2018: Moved the website over to WordPress, and I’m still around!
  • 1 Apr 2017: I’m not dead yet! (and that’s no joke)

(Based on Aaron Swartz’s page)

Posted on

I hate pennies. I *really* hate pennies. What to do with them all?

I really hate pennies. Let me count the reasons:

Here, look at my pile of spare change that I’ve collected from the last few years:

I really hate pennies

Just look at it. Half of that pile is pennies! The pile of pennies is worth what, $5? $10? The pile of nickels and dimes on the other side is probably 7 or 8 times that. I seriously think that if I take that many pennies into a bank to deposit that the security guards will shoot me just on general principle. Can’t say I’d blame them.

Continue reading “I hate pennies. I *really* hate pennies. What to do with them all?”
Posted on

Dial 1-800-GET-ZERG!

We, the Zerg Swarm, believe that our special process, known as “infestation”, can improve your life in numerous ways! Being a part of a group like the Zerg Swarm means that you’re never lonely, and there will always be someone there for you. Your body will become more powerful than you have ever dreamed before; with our patented improvement system, you will be able to lift more, run faster, and eat nearly anything! Many sentient life-forms consider the Zerg look to be attractive:

“He just wants hugs!”

“Wow, that’s gorgeous“, says Tserisa, a dragon who later opted for infestation. “Kinda handsome“, says a clockwork gryphon.

Usually, when a being opts for “infestation”, it is a permanent process. But we are prepared to offer, for a short time only, a free 30-day trial infestation! We will send a personal representative to guide you through the metamorphosis, and in adjusting to your new abilities. If at any time you are unsatisfied with the trial, the representative will either correct it or reverse the change.

If you wish to keep the infestation, we accept all major credit cards, Terran credits, Minerals, even masses of glucose! We will make all steps to make the Zerg work out for you.

You will be covered in a toenail-to-eyebrow warranty for the first three years. After market parts, unless obtained from a registered Zerg dealer, will not be covered.

Side-effects: May cause extra limbs, chitin, altered color, and odd looks from others.

[Shamelessly reproduced from http://home.att.net/~sparhawk_YMBAW/Textual/Get-Zerg.html]

Posted on

Conventions I’ve Staffed

Here is a list of conventions I’ve staffed over the years, and positions held (the full spreadsheet is over here):

  • Anime Central
    • Security in 2009
  • Anthrocon
    • Community Team (Discord): 2024-present
    • Registration: 2022-2023
    • Communications: 2018-2020
    • Board of Directors: 2003-2018
      • Technology Director: 2016-2018
      • Operations Director: 2004-2016
    • Sysadmin and Webmaster: 2007-2019
    • Operations Staff: 2002 and 2003
    • Internet Room Staff: 2000 and 2001
  • Anthro New England
    • Guest of Honor Liaison: 2018 to present
    • Commerce Operations: 2017
  • BronyCon
    • VIP Relations (VIPR): 2019 (Dispatch)
    • VIP Relations (VIPR): 2013 and 2014 (VIP Handler)
  • Camp Feral
    • Staff member and workshop instructor in 2001
    • Past webmaster (2001 or so)
  • Confluence
    • Security in 2011 and 2012
      Security in 2007, 2008, and 2009
  • Dorsai Thing
  • Eurofurence
  • FurFright
    • Security in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013
    • Assistant Operations Director in 2006
  • Furry Connection North
    • Webmaster and sysadmin in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013
    • Security in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013
    • Security in 2008
  • Furry Migration
    • MNFurs Board of Directors: 2023-present
      • Elected to a two-year term starting in April, 2023
    • Guest of Honor Liaison: 2020-present
    • Registration in 2018 and 2019
    • Operations in 2017
  • MagFest
    • Security in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2015
  • MarCon
    • Art Show Security in 2007 and 2008
  • Midwest FurFest
    • VIP Relations: 2016 to present
    • Operations staff from 2011 through 2014
    • Artshow staff in 2008, 2009, and 2010
    • Artshow staff in 2003

How I Decide What Cons to Work

Often this is done on the basis of referrals–if I think a con is interesting/cool, there’s a chance I’ll know someone who is on staff and inquire through them what the staff experience is like. If I receive positive answers, I’ll inquire about joining staff.

If it’s a convention where I don’t know any staff, I’ll volunteer first and see how I like it. If I have a positive experience, I’ll inquire about being on staff in a future year.

Why Do I Work So Many Cons?

Many reasons. First, it gives me a chance to make positive contributions to the community. Second, it provides me with a bit of structure to the convention–having to be in certain places at certain times helps me better organize how I spend my time at the con. And finally, it gives me an opportunity to meet people–I’ve made many many friends over the years just by staffing cons… and getting to see these people again at future cons makes the experience just so much more fun.

The full spreadsheet of conventions I’ve attended and staffed can be found here.

Posted on

Conventions I’ve Attended

  • Furry:
    • Anthrocon: 1999,  2000,  2001, 2002,  2003,  2004,  2005,  2006,  2007,  2008,  2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
    • Anthro New England: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024
    • Anthrohio: 2022, 2023
    • Camp Feral: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
    • Eurofurence: 2004, 2014
    • FurFright: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
    • Furry Connection North: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013
    • Furrydelphia: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
    • Furry Migration: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
    • Midwest FurFest: 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
    • New Years Furry Ball: 2023*
    • Pine Fur Con: 2018, 2019
    • Western PA Furry Weekend: 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Non-Furry:
    • Anime Central: 2009
    • BayCon: 2001
    • BronyCon: 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019
    • ConClave: 2005, 2006, 2007
    • Confluence: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012
    • DexCon: 2006
    • MagFest: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015
    • MarCon: 2007, 2008
    • Otakon: 2003
    • PhilCon: 2006, 2012
    • Setsucon: 2014

The totals from the above cons are as follows: 115 total conventions. I staffed 82 of those cons (they’re in italics), most (but not all) of which were also furry conventions.   The full spreadsheet of conventions I’ve attended and staffed can be found here.

If you’re looking for artwork of my fursona, that’s over here.

Many of my convention pictures can be found on my Flickr account.

* I am counting this one as a con because I worked there on Dec 30 and Dec 31, making it a multi-day endeavor.

Posted on

History of the Thundercats Outtakes

I’ve finally got the story on where the Thundercats Outtakes came from. It is best told by Scott Raymond, who sent me this email recently:

You probably don’t know me, but for a number of years I used to run a website called SoundAmerica before I sold it to the folks at advances.com.

On that site is a collection of outtakes from the Thundercats and Silverhawks cartoons:

http://soundamerica.com/sounds/cartoons/Thundercats-Silverhawks/

When looking at your collection, I realized they must have migrated from SoundAmerica, since they are the same quality settings as the original WAV files – which, by the way, were converted using the MP3 codec, effectively creating MP3 files with RIFF waveform headers. I even know exactly when I originally put these files online – just over 8 years ago on August 15, 1997 – the day after they were given to me by Larry Franke, the sound editor for both cartoons. Here’s a page captured on the wayback machine at archive.org:

http://web.archive.org/web/19980420051041
http://soundamerica.com/sounds/cartoons/Thundercats-Silverhawks/

I bring this to your attention, not because I want credit, but because you might be interested to know where they came from and who provided them – Larry Franke. You can see his credentials here:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1647770/

So, I think that settles the matter of where these outtakes originally came from. What an interesting bit of history!


Posted on

Pictures of Giza

Pictures of Giza, my leopard (and goat!) “fursona” in the furry community.

Some of these pictures are gift art, others are random sketches and conbadges that I’ve gotten over the last 20 years or so.  Starting in about 2010 I began dressing up like a White Mage from Final Fantasy, it turned out to be a really cool idea, and now I get art of me drawn as a White Mage.

Were you looking for the list of conventions that I attend? That’s over here!

Featured Artwork

These pictures are the most popular ones I’ve had over the years, as they were used as icons on Twitter, Facebook, LiveJournal, and other places, as well as actual conbadges at conventions.

Giza White Mage Drawn by Mahrkale
Giza White Mage Barbie YCH, drawn by PineTreeLionCat
Giza White Mage Barbie YCH, drawn by PineTreeLionCat
Giza Kidd Barbie YCH, drawn by PineTreeLionCat
Giza Kidd Barbie YCH, drawn by PineTreeLionCat
Drawn by Story Trail
Giza White Mage Drawn by Siyahamaba
Giza White Mage Drawn by Kitchiki
Giza White Mage in Pride Month drawn by Mimosonioni
Giza Summons Xilimyth drawn by Titus_Weiss
Giza Drawn by Taurin Fox
Giza White Mage in Pride Month drawn by Floofy Kerry
Giza Drawn As A White Mage By Chillymouse

Continue reading “Pictures of Giza”
Posted on

Final Ultimate Solution to the Spam Problem (FUSSP) Response

I got this form letter from this Slashdot post, and it has surfaced in countless other incarnations, too.

FUSSP stands for “Final Ultimate Solution to the Spam Problem. It’s used to describe ideas put forth by people with little sysadmin/email/spam fighting experience who think that they found the magic problem to stop spam. More examples of FUSSPs can be found here.

Enjoy!

Continue reading “Final Ultimate Solution to the Spam Problem (FUSSP) Response”