With apologies to Elton John

(To the tune of Rocket Man copyright Elton John)

I cleared my bags pre-invite
Zero hour nine p.m.
And I’m gonna be high on Omen by then
My gear’s repaired; I am well fed.
Health pots got five stacks
In such a timeless fight

And I think it’s gonna be a long long fight
popping trinkets and the drums of war
I’m not the elf they think I am at home
Oh no no no I’m a rocket bear
Rocket bear burning up his rage up here alone

Raid leader marks the mobs
I’ve got skull, then square
and a hunters misdirect is in there somewhere
and all these classes I don’t understand
It’s just my job to tank the boss
A rocket bear, a rocket bear

AC loses guildie to recent ban hammer

TJ mentions today that Lamaa, a hunter with Aetherial Circle of Drenden was mistakenly banned in the recent crackdown.  Here is the link to read about it.

New WotLK talents don’t seem to allow balanced builds

While looking at the talent trees as they currently appear I felt uneasy. It’s been bugging me all day and just now I understood why: the new talent trees do not allow a balanced build. That is, to experience the new talents basically all the points one will get from level 71 through 80 will go into a single tree, thereby increasing the percent difference between one tree and another vis-a-vis number of points invested. In other words, as WoTLK builds become normalized I suspect more and more classes will NOT be able to realistically try alternate builds but instead just drop the next 10 points into the tree of choice. I think this could result in a more lopsided play style. This generally doesn’t seem troublesome except that I’m a hybrid class (a druid) that relies on versatility over uber-leeetness. Hmmmmm. Hope I’m wrong.

Ooooooo! Shiny…. (WotLK Druid Talent Tree)

You may know that I’ve been attached to the Sidhe Devil’s for a bit of time and that BBB and Mrs. BBB are the Commanders there. Using sources and methods that I can’t disclose (cuz I don’t know what they are) BBB made available this information: the possible New Druid Talent Tree under development at BARPA (Blizzard Advanced Reseach Projects Agency).

If I get issued one of these new toys I think I’ll do something like this:

I left the standard 11 points in the resto tree to keep Omen of Clarity and shifted points away from earlier feral talents to max out the newer ones, specifically, Improved Mangle, Infected Wounds and Berserk (which is the new 51 point talent, maybe).

Here is a link to build. Please be patient, they’re getting slammed :-). I haven’t been this excited since I went to supply to draw my current cudgel.

-eust

Try not to let this happen to you

Here is a mistake I made while on patrol in the Blades Edge Mountains.

Look closely and tell me what is wrong.

-e

Nothing says Mother’s Day like…

/RL Mode On

I started playing World of Warcraft about 2 years ago. Shortly thereafter my mom came down to visit the grandkids and said she had a great game named Slingo she wanted to show me. I nodded at the right times and asked some questions as appropriate. (For those that didn’t follow the link, Slingo is a combination of Slots and Bingo.) Then I said I had a game I wanted to show her. I fired up WoW and logged on as Eustacius (the hunter) and showed her his pet, the black panther of STV, Bhag’thera. I showed her hunters mark, pet attack, ice trap and serpent sting, followed by skinning and mining and she was hooked.

Fast forward about a year to May 3, 2008. “I know what I want for Mother’s Day!” she says on the phone. “Oh? What would you like?” I’m envisioning flowers, a card and something made by the five grandchildren.

“Thick Armor Kits and a Hillmans Cloak.”

oO. “You want thick armor kits and a Hillmans Cloakfor Mother’s Day?”

“Yep.”

“Lemme guess. You have the quest in Hillsbrad that needs the cloak and you like armor kits and just want them, right?”

“Yep!”

“Ok! You got it!”

The Saturday before Mother’s Day sees me logging in and checking bags and bank for thick leather.

Hmmmmm. Ok…. Knothide Leather, Thick Clefthoof Leather, Knothide Leather Scraps, Light Leather, Fel Hides, Drums of Battle, Rune Thread, Medium Leather, Rugged Leather. No thick leather. No time to get to the farming spots for thick leather. Wait, I have enough rugged leather for 4 kits. I’ll do those instead and hopefully she’ll be excited because she has something to look forward to. Just after sending mom logs on.

/w just sent your cloak and kits

/r I’m so excited! Thank you!

I’ve got a really cool Mom.

/RL Mode Off

Training Exercises: 5/12-5/19

Hey all,

We’re out in the field on an exercise so won’t be posting anything until this time next week. We’ve got a lot to talk about though: Maternal Acknowledgment Day, SSO Airlines, Crocolisks in Stormwind and our new friend Dornaa. We’ll be back soon.

Best,

Eust & Eust

Thank you, Ms. Battery

Read this first

Go Here.

New default ring tone!!!

Gruesome Epithet: Please don’t use it

/Sinjin Mode On

This is the first time I’ve used my real name on this blog. I am using my real name here to show how serious I am about this topic. I have very little tolerance for this type of thing, mostly because it causes me emotional pain. There is a particularly gruesome epithet that I’ve seen from time to time and I for one want to go on record in my objection to its use: DIAF. Die in a fire.

First of all let me be very clear. I am not angry. I hurt and I ache over this.

The children’s sing-song retort “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names/words will never hurt me” is so very incorrect. Words hurt. More than sticks and more than stones.

Die In A Fire is a phrase that is used too often; once is too many. If you’ve ever had a burn or know someone that has been burned you would never state such a thing. Use of DIAF is first and foremost an indication of someone failing to think of the consequences of their actions; failing to see beyond themselves; failing to fully comprehend exactly what the statement is. Many people object to using “a rape” as a way to describe a victory and DIAF is in the same category.

If your child were told by someone to DIAF, how would you feel as a parent? Like it or not everyone is someone’s child. YOU are someone’s child and God willing they love you so much they would literally DIAF for you. Name a parent that wouldn’t and I’ll show you a malformed human being. What offense can be so bad as to result in telling someone to DIAF?

I suppose DIAF seems to be a way to tell someone to go away, leave me alone, piss off, etc. What is wrong with any of those phrases? None of them invoke such horrible imagery as DIAF.

To those that have used DIAF to anyone else: Please don’t do so again. Like love, it can hurt. So Much.

/Sinjin Mode Off

Ding! 70…

4 May 08 @ 11:45 PM, PST

Ok, this quest turn in will put me over!

oh.  I guess not.

No worries! I’ll grind a mob and that will do it.

hmmmm.  Maybe a green mob wasn’t the best choice.

GAH! 83 points off.

/kill

/whooooosh!

there we go!