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James A West
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ShardofConfusion ShardofConfusion is an artist and creator of the web comic Chasing Bolide, found HERE

To date, Shard has been doing all of his art for free. Shard is a Navy veteran and has been living modestly on his disability pay from Veterans Affairs. Shard has been using art as a means of self therapy. Due to a recent turn of events with the V.A. reducing his disability pay, Shard is now having to seek out alternative methods for supplementing his reduced income.

Over the years, Shard’s art has improved considerably, to the point where he is proficient enough to be able to take commissions for his work. That being said, Shard continues to use the same outdated equipment as he did when he first started. Shard of Confusion has been unable to take any commissions for his art to date, due to concerns that his outdated equipment is vulnerable to a data security breach. 

This campaign is to raise the funds to purchase a respectable machine for Shard of Confusion to not only be able to go professional as an artist and conduct business without a reasonable fear of a data breach, but also to be proactive in replacing his current equipment before it finally gives up the spirit and gives the blue screen of death.

Any help, either by donating HERE or by signal boosting would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: we were able to raise $500 for Shard of Confusion and he was able to purchase a new computer and has begun to get set up professionally
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First off, thank you so much, each and everyone of you who has donated money, donated time and or art, spread the word, and even those of you who are keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. I'm actually somewhat overwhelmed with the sheer amount of support from everybody. I would love to give each and every one of you a hug, if it were possible.

That being said, what I will be doing is giving art to everyone who has donated financially. Think of it as doubling as commissions. Those of you who have already donated, feel free to reach out to me via PM and let me know what you want. I'll add y'all to the list.

As far as an update, we were able to sell one of my wife's photography cameras to get an extra $600 to meet the $2,500 minimum requirement to get the lawyers to start working her case. 

We've signed a 10 month payment plan to pay the remaining $2500 retainer fee, which comes to $250 a month. And that is if we DON'T go to trial, which could be upwards of another $5K. So that puts us right now at approximately 25% of goal. 

Also, my wife has gone to a mental health counselor this last week and was diagnosed with severe Depression, severe Anxiety, and EXTREME PTSD. We've started a complete overhaul of her medications to try to get this under control, but in the meantime, she is not eating or sleeping with any regularity.

Also, the first court date of May 4th has come and passed with little to show for it, The way the lawyers explained it was basically she checks in on a monthly basis to show she is not a flight risk. 

And this post would be remiss without the link
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Furry Ambassador
May 2018
NIIC the Singing Dog

If you ever walk down the streets of Philadelphia, and if you happen to spot a green and white dog singing and dancing on a stage, chances are it might be NIIC the Singing Dog. NIIC NIIC, which is pronounced “nice”, is an anthropomorphic akita inu character created by Kyle McCarthy in early 2013. The name NIIC originated from a husky of a relative named Nicki, and the main color of green was chosen to express his own lively personality. Describing himself as a one-dog band, NIIC has made a splash in Philadelphia's music scene and has performed on several live events such as Outfest 2016 and The Cave at Temple University. In this way, NIIC is showcasing the musical creativity that is present in the furry fandom with an assortment of original songs. NIIC mainly focuses on creating Indie-pop music with a synthesized electro-rock beat and provides the songs with his own up-beat vocals.

“...Over these last three years he’s single handedly made furry an accepted culture in Philadelphia. While many of us have done what we could to help bring furries into the public light ... he literally will go and perform in fursuit at local events, bars, parties, and just general non-furry related community events where he’ll be asked by organizers to show up because he’s become such a well-known figure in Philadelphia. If it wasn’t for his constant interactions with the public I doubt if we’d be this well accepted by Philadelphia residents, and mind you this is not a small city, it’s among the largest in the country.” – noose357 noose357 aka Ezra Robles

However, through touring and performing at furry conventions and venues across the US, NIIC has created a platform for his music that reaches further than the city of Philadelphia. Below is a transcript of NIIC when asked about what it's like being greeted by Pittsburgh at Anthrocon 2017: “I think it's fantastic... In working with these guys and bringing the city together... is all awesome. I love that the city is behind us and supporting what we're doing... all work together and make sure... we bring everyone, even outside of the fuzzy stuff [furry fandom] and bring them in on it. I think it's all gonna be fun for everyone, not just us.”

Many of the songs that NIIC performs have been written and scored by himself, as well as performed live. Some of which are created directly to the furry fandom, such as Let's Run (Flash Hound) and arguably his most famous composition Paws to the Walls. NIIC is also credited with providing the theme music for the furry themed graphic novel game Major/Minor, contributing with original and relatively complex music to the game. NIIC also takes song commissions, which lets his fans be directly involved in his song making process, and many of these are publicly available.

Regular live performances are a staple of NIIC the Singing Dog's persona, and touring across the United States has already left a mark on the music scene. This catches the attention of the crowds with his unique appearance, and keeps hold of their attention with his high energy personality. It has been proven to transfer well onto the stage, as several associates can attest to:

“I have been friends and have known him for past couple of years. NIIC is a big sweet heart, he is very active in his local community, putting on public performances and being out and about at events … He puts the fandom in a positive spot light when he is out performing, he has done events that benefit the local animal rescues and SPCAs.”

NIIC has been able to bring more acceptance to the fandom in the mainstream. Why do you think he has found success where others have tried and failed?

“I think it is because he started local and is very persistent with events … He is out all the time, sometimes multiple times a week. Last week I met up with him for a bite to eat, he had driven an 30mins [to an] hour just to perform at a telethon benefiting a local dog shelter on a Wednesday night. His work is very influential with younger furs and those new to the fandom … his personality makes him super approachable and his demeanor is that of a dog really lol he is a very happy go lucky kind of guy … He forges that bond between fur suiters/furries and the public.” - demonlord261 demonlord261

“I’ve know[n] him for a long time. And he’s just a great guy in general. For a while when he did shows he was doing them for free. I don't know of many who would be willing to do that ... He does a lot of performances in Philly. Not many [people] knew what a furry was until then. Primarily, his songs are not directed at furries at all. Veryyy few songs are. But yes, NIIC really is all for his fans. I know some, okay most, popufurs, [that] are very snobbish. He’s not in the least. He will go to [great] lengths for his fans....“ - Nebulous_Dark Nebulous_Dark

“NIIC and I were both involved with furdelphia raising over $2,000 for Bella Reed Pitbull Rescue. I would imagine he's been involved with other charities as well, but I can only speak to the ones I've directly been involved with.
NIIC lives up to his name. He is not only a kind and supportive friend to all who are in the arts & music of all backgrounds. He has a talent himself that grabs you beyond his appearance...It’s time to recognize a dog in the community that has always been there for us. Showing up to my music video shoot and shows that no one else would when i first started, have stuck with me, and I know he does the same for others.
His talents are reflected by his on and offline support he has...he does differently is he's truly not afraid to be himself, but he isn't going to be in your face about it. He's respectful & patient. Not a lot of people are as well balanced and collected. He can play guitar and whatever instrument he needs while being barely able to see. If that’s not talent, then idk what is.” – Twitter user TheKenzVariety


In Summary:

Through live musical performances, locally and around the US, NIIC the singing dog is doing something very uncommon within the furry community, performing not only for furries at meets or conventions, but more importantly for the fandom's mainstream reputation, performing to the general public at events and festivities not related to the fandom. His positive, energetic, and sincere performances are a shining example of exemplary behavior in the furry fandom. This has had an obvious effect on the city of Philadelphia on how the furry fandom in general is perceived in the city.

“... NIIC brought the idea of furries among non-fur related festivities and such to people all over this city. I can walk down Broad street in fursuit and people might ask me “'Hey you know the green dog?'”. He made furry so generally accepted here and it’s truly an amazing thing. … I truly believe even though he wasn’t looking to make a huge impact, he’s single handedly the furry that made the fandom as accepted as it is in a major US [city] that doesn’t have a convention, and the closest furbowl is almost an hour away.” - Ezra Robles

With an assortment of original songs in his discography, NIIC is inspiring people within and outside the fandom with his upbeat and rock and electronic beats. His musical style is suited to influence a lot of younger furs; but while a few of his songs are directed to the furry community, a majority of his songs are written to be enjoyed by the general public.

“...People have a lot of fun with it, whether it's Philly or whether it's Anthrocon or beyond. It's a really fun thing to get everyone in on.” - NIIC the Singing Dog

NIIC is dedicated and works continuously to bring out the furry fandom's creativity to the outside world. He is showing, through his songs and performances, that there is a lot of talent for music in the fandom, which is a medium that is easy to forget among the fandom's more visual forms of expression. NIIC does fundraising for various animal related charities, as well, he is commited to and sacrifices a lot for his friends. This has made him an excellent candidate for a Furry Ambassador. We thank you for your hard work and wish you the best of luck in your future musical endeavors. Keep being awesome!

Sincerely: FurryAmbassadors FurryAmbassadors
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Going to be doing an art stream from 8 pm to 12 am CST on April 26th, 2018 on Picarto to see if we can drum up any more money for my wife's legal defense fund. It's going to be Pay What You Want, and I'll be willing to draw anything reasonable. Payments to be made at www.gofundme.com/iamthevictim1

Note:
- Adult Work depends on request
- No Animation or 3d images
- No Nazi / Alt Furry / Furry Raiders
- No NSFW characters that are minors
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Hard Times

3 min read
Friday, October 13th 2017, my wife was raped by a minor. After going to the police, he said it was consensual, so it became a he said, she said affair. In the state of Texas, when there is a report of sex with a minor, the police are compelled to seek an arrest. Even though the minor is a physically fit football player, and my wife is a disabled woman, she is not an ideal victim because she is an adult and he is a minor. As such, she has suffered from victim shaming and has had a second victimization by the police. The perpetrator is not even being investigated, much less charged.

When my wife reported the rape, she was given free counseling by the state. The counselor turned out to be a Texas Woman's University student, who basically went down the list of questions on the clip board. Not helpful. My employer also offers counseling for free for the first 3 visits, and on the first visit alone, was met by a professional who was able to provide her a number of tools and tricks to help with coping with her PTSD. My wife was also given info on free legal aid provided by the state. To date, she has yet to meet the actual lawyer from legal aid.

My wife has found an excellent lawyer who can give her a fighting chance of not only clearing her name, but also to throw the book at the perpetrator who committed the crime in the first place. But like anything around these parts, if you want something good, you have to pay. A hefty $10,000 attorney fee is beyond our ability to afford, especially after the $2,500 non refundable bail to get my wife out of jail on April 3rd when the sheriffs came by with a warrant. Yes, she is given a public defender if she cannot afford a lawyer of her own, but you get what you pay for.

My wife has started a go fund me to try to come up with the money, for lack of any better option available. It is embarrassing to put this much of our personal information out in the public realm, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

www.gofundme.com/iamthevictim1 Here is the link to the go fund me. Any amount that can be donated would be greatly appreciated. Even if we don't hit the lofty $10K goal, if we can at least get to $3K so that we can retain the lawyer to represent us prior to the May 4th court hearing, it's a step in the right direction. I understand not everyone can donate. A signal boost would also greatly be appreciated.
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Featured

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