Comic Conventions, Beach, and Wow

I’m on top of things, really, I am.

Yea, even I don’t believe that statement right now. If I was this would not be my first post in all of July! July would have passed us by and I would not even notice that I didn’t have an update.

The Spawn went to her first San Diego Comic Con this year. She completely enjoyed all the people. At the same time, she hated all the people. It was a bit overwhelming. The second day was much better for her. Here she is at the DC Comics booth checking out the DC comic app on the iPad.

She liked making the comic really small on the screen. Once it was tiny she tried to pick it up with her very strong pinching.

YES! That is an “Evil Baby” shirt The Spawn is wearing. You can pick it up here. If you don’t know about the Oblongs go find out. I met Angus Oblong at the Anaheim Comic Convention this year. You know this baby shirt was a MUST BUY NOW!!!

Not only have we been hitting comic conventions this month, but I think we went to a few different comic stores, in three different counties. (This is a new realization. … I don’t know how I feel about it yet.)

We also have been biking to get more active. The Spawn likes being in her trailer while riding. I got a hitch for Husband and my bike so we can switch off. We go out for a couple of hours. We try to do this before it gets too hot. I have a tendency to freak out about The Spawn’s hotness after a while.

The Spawn has also gone to the beach. She has eaten a lot of sand. I watch like watching her think. I am pretty sure I hear her say. “Maybe this stuff tastes different from the last stuff. Nope.” crawls a bit. “Maybe this stuff tastes different. Nope.” crawls a bit. “Maybe this stuff. Nope.” etc.

This makes for interesting diaper changes the next day.

On the WoW front…

The guild has split into two 10-mans. I’m not in either. I just cannot guarantee that I can be on when I am needed. A part of me is a little grumpy about this. But see above… for all the stuff I have been doing.

I am committed to at least start playing again, even if it is for only an hour. There was weeks there I was on Twisted Nether Blogcast more then I was playing the game. I’m working on changing that. And you can always hear me chat about WoW happenings there.

First thing was to do the quest chain to get my Panther Cub. I had no idea this was a quest item! I was upset I didn’t do it before Firelands came out. If you didn’t know it came out back in 4.1.

The next thing I am doing is finishing off questing in Twilight Highlands. I married off the dwarves but then stopped at helping the dragons. I was more interested in the political ties between the dwarves then the dragons. I am trudging through that, forcing myself to read the quest text. Well some of the time.

Evil Check: Averted Guild Drama

The guild did a 10 man raider shuffle. We had a three and a halfish 10 man teams going. With the transfer of a few players off server a few weeks ago things got rearranged.

Just because I am not involved doesn’t mean I will not make myself involved.

Husband is nice. Shocking as a rogue, but if you met him you will just know it. Any sarcasm he has is from spending 20 plus years in my presence. We don’t complete each other (I never understood that line and actually hate when people use it.) but we do balance each other.

Husband helps a Tree in guild co-raid-lead a 10-man group. For purposes of this blog I will call it Husband’s 10 man. He will correct me by saying he just helps… so we acknowledge that and are moving on.

Officers worked with Raid Leaders to rearrange groups. Balance classes and styles.

The toughest part in all of it was tanks. In a 25 man raid guild there are two primary tanks and then a short list of off tanks.

Two of the officers trying to “help groups out” were coming in to Husband’s group and tanking. This worked out great … except for one thing. They have their own 10 mans on their mains. In our raiding schedule they only had one night a week available to them. This left the other eight raiders with no tanks the other two nights.

Somewhere in here I started talking to officers.

Here is where I had to decide my involvement. My evil check was this...
1) I had a moment of KNOWing I could watch things blow up.
2) I could start some things so when people start getting heated they have actually have thought about it a bit.

With the second option... there is the benefit of maybe having my opinions in their head.

I was concerned about WTF is going on about the tanks. Husband’s group was told they were getting one of the 25 man main tanks into their group. But after three weeks … it had not happened.

Then … not only were the two main tanks in the guild leader's 10 man raid but also the two geared off tanks (as dps).

We see the problem with this correct?

BEFORE anyone flipped a lid… though it didn’t prevent some steam... I had already continued conversations with most all of the officers. Admittedly I didn’t talk to the guild leader. I respect the GL to much to think he had devious plans. I wanted to understand if this was a conscious decision by all officers or just a tanking spiral of potential guild drama.

I enjoy a good bit of drama… but not near me. I will not tolerate it. I also know the officers are not a fan either.

Most of my conversations went like this (not exactly but close enough)…
[Hydra] Hey. So who are the tanks in guild?
[Officer] That would be Uberpally and The Bear. There are some more…
[Hydra] You could include the Lolret going tank and the DK. They both have great off sets and know what they are doing.
[Officer] Yea. Them too. That is not a lot of tanks is it?
[Hydra] Nope.
[Officer] We need to work on that.
[Hydra] Agreed. Just out of curiosity whose 10 man are they running in? ‘Cause some of the ten mans are looking for tanks.
[Officer] ummm… they are all in the …same …group.

It was about this time that Husband and co-RL were starting to realize the current state and health of their 10 man.

Extended conversations happened. I was not privy to them all. Which I don’t need to be to know what was going on. I was focusing on Husband’s sudden grumpyness and cussing. (He apologized to co-RL for later *eye roll*).

These things take time to address. No one involved had intentions of making anyone angry or lie to them. It was just a situation.

In a night or two some conversations between officers and Husband and his co-RL happened.

I stuck myself into vent. Put myself in-game. I than stuck a “/AFK” comment in my vent comment …And listened in.

No one was deluding themselves that I was ACTUALLY /AFK. It became quite evident when I started whispering them.

Whispering Husband about points he told me that he was NOT telling the Officers. Whispering Officers that the offer of help they gave and Husband and the co-RL pushed off as no big deal was ACTUALLY a big deal to them but were to NICE to say so. Everyone pretended I was not there… which made me laugh.

Ultimately everything was worked out.

This is the thing I love about my current guild. They are adults. They act like they are adults. Adults can be wrong, but with communication and understanding it can be fixed. People can have fits, but it is how they react after them that makes them mature or not.

At no point would I feel I could call this guild drama. This was a growing pain that had to be addressed. Sometimes to do that it takes time and communication. Without either of those this could have been HUGE.

While /AFK listening in … I did have something reinforced by an officer to Husband and co-RL.

“You guys are lucky to have Hydra as an advocate. I would want her on my side too.”

Which got me a whispered “I love you.” from my husband.

Evil Check: If you DARE

I was chatting with Lady Jess about her scrapbooking. Her husband is away to Afghanistan or her technical term was “Afghanisuck”. You can check out more over at A Touch of Tude.

She was linking stuff to me. Pages she has finished with neat little boxes. Places next to pictures for her husband to fill out when he gets back form being deployed. There are news article pages. A bunch of stuff that made me feel warm and fuzzy about how much she loves her man.

THEN …

Then I saw it again.

She has done it before.

Tempted me.

I couldn’t resist. *click* Bahahahaha

Now should I share it with you? My dear wonderfully bored readers.

Yes! Because you have free will to NOT click. I am telling you to NOT click on it.

May the song be stuck in your head randomly as you drive home.

Evil Check: Melee Falls

Kologarn is only funny when melee falls off the edge.At said time you are aloud to laugh so hard you cry. To soften the blow you are just not to open vent while you do it.

You are required to let any locks NOT on the run know about which said melee fell off the ledge. This will let them make comments next raid like "Mr. Melee watch out for the ledge." To you know... be helpful.

Evil Check: Pre-Raid Pvp

It is raid time.

We are gathered for a heroic Obsidian Sanctum under Wyrmrest Temple. Standing between us and the portal to our planned dragon killing is a Blood Elf Paladin.

Standing there… Flagged.

A majority of the raiders run past him into the portal.

Decision time!

I run past. I feel my fingers hover over my spells wanting to. I start to strain under the pressure of NOT killing him.

It is raid time.

I have not tasted yummy Belf Pally in a while. There is also really big bouncer guys with axes to consider. The axe guys may protest my pally killing efforts. As I am thinking about being *shiver* good...

The last few of the raid come toward the portal. I see them hesitate. I hear…

Kill him.

Who am I to argue with the raid leader. *grin*

Shammie, The Mage, and I smoosh the pally into the floor, I think I had time to blink. I am not quite sure.

I watch as they “tea bag” the pally. He must have liked it because it took him a while to release his spirit.

If I killed him on my own that may have been bad. But group bonding? That works.

Evil Check: JC My Shinny

Diamonds maybe forever, but Spell Power gems are a girl’s best friend.

Is it evil to make someone else get reputation just to get a pattern for you?

I am currently waiting on my Jewelcrafter to finish his Kirin Tor reputation to get the Runed Scarlet Ruby pattern. Oh. I could get another JC to cut the gem for me. I even have another in guild who can do it. I have sitting in my mail 8 gems to be cut. So I wait.

Why am I making this ONE crafter do this?

Is it the pastel wussy mage tabard? Nope, but a bonus.

Does he owe me gold? Not a copper.

It is cute when he grumbles every time I ask “How much more rep?” No, but It warms my heart.

Then why? …*grin*

He abandoned his lock to be a Death Knight.

Evil Check: Birthday Run of Mag’s

It is my birthday today. Yea me. I got to another year.

Here is the question though. Is it evil to use the fact that it is my birthday week to coerce, beg, guilt, and blackmail twenty-four others to go with me on Saturday on a Magtheridon's Lair and a (I don’t really care about but it is something else to do) Gruul’s Lair run?

It is my birthday. And I have been sitting on this final quest for the last two plus months to get my Champion of Naaru title. During this time I have dragged warriors through Heroic Shadow Labs without a mage. (Which the warrior said I made the seduce, fear, and banish at the same time look easy.) I have pointed out what the daily heroic was so people could get extra badges and their trials quests done at the same time. I have about seven that now need this final run through Magtheridon’s Lair. So it is not ONLY for me.

Well at least I am straight forward about my intent. “It’s my birthday week. Sign up for the Mag/Gruul run on Saturday so I can get my title. NOW.”

Saturday the 20th is an open raid for alts and friends. Right now I have 12 sign ups. So for the few of you that are on the Farstriders server whisper me so I can put your name on the list. It’s my birthday you know.

Evil Check: WoW Identity Theft

Long time readers may remember the person I dubbed Jack. Since then he has forgotten that I never really cared for him. He tended to whisper me occasionally to gloat about something. When he does it is like a CRT monitor in sleep mode. You know what I am talking about, there is that buzzing of it still on you can barely hear. It is annoying. For me, prolonged exposure gives me a mild headache, same with this kid.

You may wonder why I don’t /ignore him. Well he is a known ninja on our realm. He has picked up items to vendor where someone else in the group could use it. I have more than once been able to warn people about going on Kara PuGs with him. He seriously whispers me “Hey I just got two people from your guild to go to Kara!” Then I warn them. It is an easy system. This kid is bad news in any group.

My friend Rushie is co-GM of Farstriders Elite (FE). He is known in the Emberstorm battlegroup. Has over thirty-thousand kills in the 19 bracket. And right now is in the Army and hasn’t been near a computer in about two months.

So after I get out of Mount Hyjal and SSC, after three plus hours of raiding… I snuck over to another server to get my level 30 her mount. Husband runs into my room. “Rushie’s account just got hacked. They may have disbanded all of FE!” I got shivers. I immediately switched over to Aurum. This was our friend. His toons are in all my guilds. My chest was tight at the thought of his toons being pillaged. Husband was freaking out on me. I needed to focus him, had him open a GM ticket.

First thing I checked was FE. It was still a guild. Length of time Rushie last was on was a VERY long time. I couldn’t demote him because I was one step below in rank. First time I ever regretted NOT demanding the official rank I was suppose to have.

Two of his toons had full access to a large amount of twink gear and pure gold. I took screen shots of contents. I then proceeded to the website to make a copy of the guild bank list in on the website. I at least had an inventory. But a hacker could wipe us clean and I had no way of stopping it.

I talked to Ms. Rush who was freaking out in War Machine guild chat. Husband was talking to her. I did too. I asked if she tried changing his password on the website. She went off to do that and was able to. I started to breathe.

Jackyll with GM rights in FE finally logged on. I filled him in and was able to get Rushie’s toons demoted just in case.

What connects this kid to my friend’s potential account hacking? Identity theft.

You heard right.

This kid made a twink 19 human rogue named “Rushìe”.

… you see what he did …

He used the lowercase “i" with a grave above it. Then proceeded to think it was okay to recruit for a twink guild using said toon on MY server in the trade channel. This kid was using the real Rushie’s reputation to recruit and pretended to be him. The unsuspecting would believe him.

Most knew the real Rushie was away. No one should be on that account so the first thought was “account hacking” which triggered damage control. You had an entire raid guild and twink guild thinking a friend’s account got hacked.

I was whispering everyone letting them know that was not the real Rushie in trade and that it was this kid. Then I found out the kid and a friend of his stole a bunch of twink items from a friend’s son’s guild just the other day. The kid even admitted to stealing from our friend’s son’s guild to Jackyll. The kid then threatened Jackyll with making a toon using the likeness of his name. *yells incoherently at the screen.* This kid is a piece of work.

But is this against Blizzards terms of service? All I could think of was that it maybe against a RP realm’s naming convention to use special characters in the name. Weak I know but it was 2 am server time at this point. So I went with that in the GM ticket.

I am livid. No one messes with my friends.

Here is the thing. What if they don’t make the kid change his name? How would you feel running around Azeroth with someone with your name, using your reputation. Possibly destroying the good reputation you have built.

Evil Check: Here’s the deal. I am giving Blizzard 48 hours to make the kid change this toons name. After that… what I am going to do you ask?

I am going to have a little contest and post it on the forums. Any horde that can SS this Rushìe having more than 3 deaths then anyone else in a BG will get 70 gold. After that each SS is worth 20 gold. Not much, but maybe enough to keep it interesting. Plus I will need to earn it on some realms.

It is not totally evil because I am giving him an out… maybe mildly evil. After the worry he caused my friends, I don’t care, he is lucky to get a chance. I am refraining from doing many other things. I am holding onto them for another day.