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2008 was a bit of a banner year for Califur.  The little pet convention started by infantilist AlohaWolf (Robert K. Johnson) and OG Furry Sy Sable (Mark Merlino) entered its fourth official year.  True to its ConFurence roots the convention has been hitting lower notes with each successive iteration.  Complaints (and complaints about complaints) have been flooding the official LJ comm.  Hotel treatment of the convention was abysmal.  Staff was inept.  First though, a concise list of issues from Kaysho.

"Califur IV overall was reminiscent, I hate to say it, of the ConFurences that killed ConFurence," writes Kaysho.  Hyatt hotel staff did everything but sign a formal letter that stated they did not want the furries there; genius programming had scheduled a large wedding and apparently a high school prom at the hotel along with the convention.  This problem they solved by forcing the furries to hide behind a black curtain.  The entire furry convention, its hundreds of attendees, parties, parades and all were sequestered behind a curtain.  Warnings were posted on the furry side of the curtain around the exits stating that "You are now entering the Neutral Zone."  Furries never felt quite so much like second class citizens.

The second problem was the documentary filming in progress.  Typically, anyone caught in shot of a film on private property like the hotel has to sign a release to give the filmmaker permission to use that shot.  This makes it nearly impossible to get any footage of a convention, however filmmaker Rabbit Hole Films seems to be good buddies with Merlino.  Signs were placed in convention areas stating roughly that by remaining in the area all participants give explicit permission to be filmed.  The explanation was offered: "The filming was not because of the hotel. They were invited in by the convention, and had already been filming for the better part of two years at events all over the country. They also filmed at the Prancing Skiltare, Rod & Sy's home."  Supposedly there was also a photographer/pornographer from Swank magazine on the site.  Convention staff eventually asked him to leave.

What I just love is the post from OggyDoggie: "Don't complain if you are not willing to be on staff yourself."

Convention staff also generated one awesome debacle, reported in Discrimanation at Califur.  Native Spanish speaker Exdra and his sister are harassed at the registration desk.  A staff member, the convention co-chair Trapa in pocketed vest and lion pants, hears him speaking something other than the American language God Bless The USA.  He asks for passports.  This is natural to ask, because everyone in America carries a passport everywhere they go.  Exdra's sister (age 15) did not have ID on her and so staff checked Exdra's registration information and made it clear that if she was a member of Al-Qaeda then he would be held responsible.  He claims this is reasonable because he is Canadian.  The other comments are yet more depressing.

You don't bring an underage kid to an event with adult-themed material and then not have ID on her. They have to give her a special under-age badge based on her ID. If she (or anyone else) has no ID at all, then they should NOT be allowed to enter the con. I'm surprised the staff let her through...it was a huge liability on their part. ...  How does the staff know that she wasn't trying to pass as an adult and sneak into the adult-themed areas?

So according to Christian Conservative furry Xian Jaguar, it's perfectly reasonable to ask for proof that a child is allowed to be in the country, and further that the child needs to have an ID proving that she's underage to qualify for the underage badge.  I think the staff would know she wasn’t trying to pass as an adult because she was 15.  Perhaps things work differently in God's Country.  More sycophants to the staff and nonsensical warbling appear in this thread, where being rude while tired isn't actually rude, and that discrimination didn't happen because FACT discrimination is unlikely to happen.

But in summary it is hard to really ruin a furry convention, so long as there are friends and alcohol and bad music in abundance.  The next Califur has a lot of make up for; while 2008 couldn't be a complete loss, it was still a fantastic death abyss.  Nowhere to go from here but up, I guess.

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Edited to note: Since taking Trapa's side of the story I've corrected the events as he seems to be merely ignorant and not bluntly racist.  He did have the good sense to apologize, and I applaud him for that.  Xian on the other hand still hates brown people.

It's pretty amazing furry staff can not only ruin a con, but manage to do it the fifth year in... Of course this was the first year they really tried anything event-wise from the sounds of it. I have a goon friend who went to and was even a GoH in the first two Califurs and he got a blast out of it.

The hotel hostility in a lot of ways can't be helped. Staff will hate who they hate regardless of how much a con-chair smoozes up to the manager, but the curtain bit seemed a bit much. Even North Korea doesn't put a curtain around the South to hide it... they just have a huge fence.

The inept handling of a documentary is probably based on a kind of urge for Merlino and his co-horts to 'redeem' themselves, just in the most ignorant way they knew how, with plenty of cam-whoring for themselves. Mark "I discovered my own bisexuality through furry" Merlino just can't run a con. He apparently could manage a very large hotel party without too many fuckups, but barring and staff restructuring this seems to lead to the primary rule of furry meet hosts. Anyone can host a meet where you do nothing, and anybody can host a meet where you do nothing but one another.

Also damn you Kindi and your naming of threads after songs. I assume you're saving 'superbeast' for a very special bestiality announcement?

I wanted to post on this.

The convention has since changed staff in a major way. I have been put in place as the co-chair and I am really pushing to change the con in a major way. email me directly at rainhopperroo@adelphia.net and let me know whats wrong, I need to know what its like on the other side so I can fix whats messed up and make it an awesome con.

Call it a proactive approach to managing a furry con something most people think is lost these days

Fuck the haters, the Apartheid Wall separating the furries from the wedding folk was hilarious.

SEPARATE BUT EQUAL


ANTI-FURRY IS THE NEW RACISM

I saw this post and thought I'd comment on it. I was there for this con and saw what was going on. Having been to a few Conventions, I can say that this one was in fact the worst. That being said, Califur rebounded from this horrible year really well. Most of the mistakes with this mentioned year, were due to the hotel's booking issues.

As for the issue with the minor, I was standing in reg line when it happened. It had nothing to do with her race and everything to do with Califur's age policy.

1. Eligible Minor
A Minor is defined as a person under the age of 18. All minors must have their Parent complete this Agreement and mail to Fennec Adventures prior to attendance, or have Minor present this letter at the time they pick up their registration. All minors without parental consent will be refused admittance. Minors under sixteen (16) years of age are not eligible to attend Califur 2010 unless accompanied full time by Parent.

Some people sadly, when they do not get their way wave the race flag to try and get what they want. Myself being mexican, I thought it was a shitty move on her part.

XianJaguar, was not any where near the situation when it happened. So her weighing in on it means nothing.

At the time of this convention, OggyDoggie was not on staff. I asked her what the meaning of her quote was, and she stated the following. " I wasn't on staff then, I GOT on staff because I really love this convention and I didn't like what was going on in regards to the issues. So I stand by what I said, complaining helps no one. It's action that helps."

The filming I did not agree with at all. Rumors are that that was the brain child of Mark, and deciding to do that against many people's complaints. Rumors also have it that a lot of the staff that was removed from Califur for causing many of these problems have now created a convention in LA called Antheria. Mark is going to be making a guest appearance. ( Surprise Surprise) I wonder how long it will take for everyone to realize this.

The last two Califur's since this horrid year were amazing. I decided to give the con one more try, and was greatly impressed. The staff rebounded from their issues with the hotel by getting a new hotel and getting rid of many Califur staff members. Replacing them with fresh blood, and new ideas. I've noticed a big shift towards adult themed events. With the main stage Cabaret leading the way I can see why. Not many cons allow full nude dancing. I admit that I have the most fun at this convention, which is why I return.

Why in the flaming flying fuck does California have/need three goddamned furry conventions?

Since when is 'mexican' a race? Unless you're talking to an asshole Texan.

[Whores]

Why in the flaming flying fuck does California have/need three goddamned furry conventions?

they're that gay