Visiting the Pound, or why I hate humanity.

So, we’re on a quest for a new Service dog.  Becca needs something bigger than a Jasper for mobility work so we’ve been looking.  She’s been thinking Mastiff, I’ve been hoping for something smaller, and admittedly fluffier, like a Mastidoodle.  Either way, it would be a tight fit in the Hermitage.

Of course we’ve kept our options open.  I’ve read The Dresden Files, I know how this ends with a Mastiff.  “Thomas?  Why did you buy Large Breed puppy food?”  To that end we’ve been checking the animal shelters in Franklin, Licking, Delaware, and Fairfield Counties looking for suitable dogs.  Becca thinks she found one so back to the Franklin County Animal Shelter, where almost four years ago, we brought Jasper into our lives.

I felt the anxiety hit me as soon as we stepped into the shelter.  And the sadness.  All these dogs.  While we were there, we saw at least two surrenders.  One may have a happy ending.  Man had to return a dog because he didn’t get along with his girlfriend’s dog.  Fate had it that a couple of guys were there who were interested.  So hopefully Scooby will have a new home.  It’s still got to be traumatic for the poor dog.

And so many dogs who have the odds stacked against them.  We found a couple that looked to meet the size/weight minimums, but they were too old (too long to train vs use) or too hostile (couldn’t be around kids or pets) or in one case, one guy who was happy and cute, but had a broken leg before, meaning we’d have to worry about weight bearing.  We may have found a suitable dog.  He’s not Mastiff sized, but strong and smart.  The question is, is he Jasper compatible.  Watch this space.

What overwhelmed me was the cruelty.  Not in the shelter, the cages were clean, the staff nice and polite, and you can see they care.  They know what it is like for these poor dogs, and their possible fates.  It is the cruelty of people who would abandon their dogs to be locked up in the shelter.  Talking with the staff, I found most of the chipped dogs they find, aren’t picked up.  Literally, people abandoning these beings that rely on them, that their world revolves around.  I could no more abandon Jasper than I could cut off my arm.  Losing Rocky was just as painful as losing his mom.  If I could I’d save them all.  But what can I do now?  We can’t release all the dogs to roam the streets, we can’t take them all in.  And their previous owners don’t want or don’t deserve them for the hell they’ve been placed in.  How can these dogs not be traumatized to see people every day, and not go home with them?  We’ve spent maybe thirty six thousand years breeding socializing and training them to function alongside us.  And then we turn our backs on them?

What kind of monster drags their pets off to be incarcerated, lost in the system, or destroyed, with some lucky few like Jasper who find the homes they need?  I’m reminded again of a quote from an old TV show, War of the Worlds.  It has stayed with me for years, and as a card carrying mutant I think of it often.

“I have nothing really against humans. Some of my best friends are humans. But as a group, they stink, and you know it. I say, kill them all.”

Prove me wrong, donate to an animal shelter, or a service dog support group.  Or go for yourself and see them and take them into your home, even only one.  Don’t expect the county to do it. 

Origins and Endings.

Well Origins 2018 is over, now begins the ritual detox from soda (had to tap the Mt. Dew) and regaining of sleep.  To quote Murtaugh “I’m too old for this shit.”  This also looks to be the last Origins for me, unless there are changes.

First and foremost, let me start with the good. 

• ·         The Columbus Convention Center continues to be a great venue.  Spacious, clean and welcoming. I lost my phone (bad) Hyatt security found it (good) and held it for me.  Of course this blew my sleep schedule to hell, and I quickly became one of the walking dead (see above quote)
• ·         Paizo and our local Pathfinder/Starfinder Society continue to do a bang up job of support.  Of course we have several out of state GMs, Venture Officers and others to help run things, but a lot of the set up falls on our local core of people, as well as the breakdown.  Of course without the player base, we’d all have nothing to do.  Also kudos to Crystal Frazier
• ·         The dealer room.  While full of dealers, stores, publishers and other vendors, I didn’t feel crowded or overwhelmed on Friday (Wasn’t there to report on Saturday)  Of course I visited Iron Wind Metals and Catalyst Games.  Very enjoyable meeting, we talked minis at Iron Wind, and economics of scale, which Becca would have enjoyed.  I also cursed Harmony Gold, and wished they die in a dumpster fire.
• ·         Becca and Beth.  For hauling my fat aft back and forth to Origins and the like.

Of course there’s also the bad.

• ·         Paizo.  Seriously guys, what the hell?  We get apparently record breaking tables and you don’t have a booth?  “Oh, you enjoyed the game and want to buy our stuff?  Ummm, I’m sure someone down there will have it, good luck!”
• ·         Timing.  Having Origins on Pride weekend just makes traffic a mess.  Factoring in VP Pence’s visit on top of it… Glad I wasn’t there Saturday (aside, guys he wasn’t there to rain on your rainbow party.  You want to keep calling the first president who was for Gay marriage before he became president, the man who nominated Richard Grenell ambasador to Germany, the man who said he “will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology” (and looks like he means it with Iran) anti-gay.  Go ahead.  I’ll keep laughing at you.)
• ·         Lack of sleep.  Yeah I could have used more.

And then there’s the ugly.  The reason I won’t be going back to Origins, and that Becca didn’t go.

For those of you who understand conventions, there are guests of honor.  This year, Origins invited Larry Correia, a successful writer, gamer, and gun nut who has his own game coming out soon (we couldn’t afford to join the kickstarter.  When the social justice whiners started badmouthing him, John Ward disinvited him.  Note, he didn’t call up the man he invited, nor did he even do his research himself, he just caved. 

Hell, my knee put up more of a fight when it went out from under me and the tendon was shredded.  This isn’t the first time the cowards have shouted down people they don’t like.  ConCarolinas and John Ringo came to an agreement that he wouldn’t come.  Because the people who said that he made them uncomfortable were threatening violence.  Of course at the end of the Con the staff apologized to John Ringo. The same cowards who threatened to disrupt the Con put up a petition to have the management removed, it got as of this writing a measly 107 signatures.  David Weber’s petition for free speech and assembly?  Looks to be closed, but already had 3704 signers, including me, in a week.  That’s 3704 people who put their names where there mouth is.  When David Weber and Eric Flint (and Jim Butcher and Sarah Hoyt and Salena Zito and David Gerrold ….) say you fucked up?  You done fucked up.

I was looking forward to meeting Larry.  So was Becca.  I even have a copy of book one of the Grimnoir here, that I was hoping he’d sign.  Instead, Origins pulled a bait and switch, giving in to cowards.

Another thing to think of.  Those numbers.  107 anonymous signatures, vs 3704 public.  That’s the kind of fuck up they caused.  Not only that the people supporting them outnumber those who don’t 30+ to 1, but those 3704 aren’t afraid to hide.  Aside, I wish I’d seen those numbers before tonight, as I’d have raised them to Tonya Woldridge, when I told her why this was likely my last game.

The reason is all of the above.  Origins dis-invited without warning an award winning author and gamer.  When called out, they double down and said there were threats of behavior as protest.  Larry himself breaks it down here.  It’s all nice and vague “some fans” “disruptive” nothing solid.  And I was there, nothing of the sort happened.  But John Ward basically called me (a fan of Larry, and his work) unwelcome.  Well fine, I’m unwelcome.  I went this year because I’d promised to GM, and, unlike Origins apparently, I honour my commitments.  I did protest.  I proudly wore my Monster Hunter’s International hat and had my Professional Monster Hunters sticker on my laptop.  I didn’t make a scene, I didn’t yell.  Indeed, I met other fans of MHI who recognized my hat and we talked about the books.  I explained calmly that it was my ‘protest hat’ and what I was protesting and why.  My goal of catching a picture of me and John Ward together with my hat on was a goal unfulfilled, but I at least educated some people.  Whether they take action or not I can’t control, but at least they’re aware.

Finally, today, I told Tonya that I enjoyed it as always, but this was my last Origins.  I explained I loved GMing at conventions, stress and all, but I won’t be back.  When she asked why, I tapped my hat, then explained.  I told her what I said above on why I still came at all, but can’t do it again.  I think she was surprised, likely thought I was insane but we left on good terms as far as I can tell.

So that’s it.  I’ll continue to play, I’ll continue to support Paizo, even though they’re way to the left of me as a whole, because I can talk to them.  But Origins?  If they don’t want Larry, if they’re happy that David Weber won’t be accepting any guests of honor positions?  Yeah I look around and I’m in good company.

Matthew C. Morris.