Mists of Jumping-The-Shark?

I've played World of Warcraft on and off (mostly on) since it's release in 2007.

• Vanilla was challenging, and a pretty new MMO experience for me overall. I'd only before played a very small, very underdeveloped game that had graphics circa 1997.
• BC was new, exciting. Space Goats?! Another Planet?! It was a change up that I think everyone was excited about, simply because it was the first one.
• Wrath blew my mind. It had a great leveling experience, fun (though easy) raids, and the addictive achievement system. I wasn't around for the disappointing ToC days, or early ICC though.
• Cata was a disappointment. The leveling took me 21 hours, with no rested. The raids were at first way too hard, then WAY too easy. Firelands and its million dailies didn't really fix much, and the whole system just seemed a bit disjointed. Blizzard lost a mess of subscriptions, and then announced THE FINAL PATCH about eight months in. Granted, it hasn't hit yet, but I think they are getting desperate... which is sad when you still have like 10 times the amount of subscriptions as the next MMO.
• And now we have Pandas and Pokemon, which seems like a massive shark-jumping attempt to pull in more casual players again. I'm so... mixed about these announcements. 
• The talent system sounds interesting. And the challenges and stuff are a neat twist... But I don't like that there is no progression of plot, we still have the Burning Legion running around, I was kind of hoping for a return to that whole deal. 
• Instead we get a totally new continent, that was irrelevant that the entire previous story, under the guise that it will drive that war between Horde and Alliance. Eh.
• The Pandas themselves are just.... meh. I'm more excited about a new class than a new race. It's just so gimmicky right now, I hope they give us more int he coming months to change my mind. The only think I'm really compelled by is the whole "picking your faction at level 10" thing.
• Pokemon? Really? I suppose it's like their way of adding in a new profession?
• I do think the 12 month WoW = Free Beta + Mount + Diablo 3 is genius. I'll sadly end up playing this expansion just for that reason. 

WI vs. IN

I think these stats say enough.

Indiana Leaders
Passing: Wright-Baker - 80-129, 925 yds, 4 tds
Rushing: Houston - 54 car, 219 yds, 1 td
Receiving: Belcher - 23 rec, 265 yds, 1 td

Wisconsin Leaders
Passing: Wilson - 83-111, 1391 yds, 13 tds
Rushing: Ball - 93 car, 511 yds, 13 tds
Receiving: Toon - 25 rec, 447 yds, 6 tds


And you know, the whole fact that last year's match up resulted in a 83-20 thwomping by my favorite Mustelids.

I am so ready for this.

While not especially ferocious looking, Tink is a pretty awesome Badger at the
Milwaukee Zoo... if you ever get to see her. She's stupidly elusive.

The Bird Wall

Before moving, I was inspired by post on Apartment Therapy, "How to Create a Salon-Style Wall." Well now, two months in to the new place, I've created one of my very own. 

My initial plan was to get all kinda of crazy jumbled frames... but Goodwill ended up being disappointing and actual assorted frames are rather expensive. But you know what are cheap? Plain colored frames from Ikea. I think I was able to get my whole mess of frames for about $35. (Don't quote me on that, I bought them in multiple trips and picked up some of the 5x7's at Target also)

Anyway, I decided to go with a theme. Birds. Obviously. I bought some actual prints and art cards while at the National Gallery in DC. Then supplemented those with some fancy photo-paper images off the internet. I'm a fan of the natural history "classics" like Audubon and John Gould, so a bunch of those ended up in there. 

I still have a few patches to fill in, and some more to add in general, but I ran out of frames. (Another Ikea trip will happen at some point in the next few weeks) I also need to actually find a leveler so things look more straight. 

Oh, and I mounted it all using 3M Picture hangers. They are basically velcro strips that you slap on the wall, then on the frame. Keeps the walls from being destroyed by nails (a good thing when you are renting) and lets you move and adjust pretty easily.

Moving Woes, cont.

I've not been writing much, but that's primarily because I was in the process of moving, didn't have internet, and didn't really have a whole mess of time to do anything other than unpack.

But now most of that is complete, except for a jaunt back to Chicago to clean the old place up and get the few remaining bits and pieces out.

Unfortunately the management, and all of the stupid companies they've contracted to show the place, are being indescribably annoying.

For instance: I was always under the impression that you needed to give 24 hours before entering an apartment. Apparently not so for my place! Since they began showing it around a month ago I've gotten maybe 5 or 6 "courtesy calls" that were more than a day in advance. Usually it's around 2 hours. Or, in the case of the last night, 15 freaking minutes.

While I could just say no, I think it would drive me even more insane. It's not just one company, it's 4 or 5. ALL of them pull this garbage.

And we haven't even gotten to my management company itself. I moved two hours away, I can't just drive back there whenever it tickles my fancy. When trying to find out where I should turn in my keys, I was told that I need to schedule a checkout appointment. You know, the time where they go through your empty place to assess crap for the security deposit return? They want me to be there for that. Why? I've lived in a lot of different apartments, and have never once been required to schedule a check out appointment, is this practice normal?

Oh, and if they can't come on Sunday, I'll have to drive back down there yet again for what I'm sure will amount to a twenty minute awkward walkthrough. I just want to be done with those assholes forever.

The Rite of Spring

I'm a huge fan of the How Stuff Works podcast, Stuff You Missed in History Class. I am also a big fan of Igor Stravinsky and his 1913 ballet, The Rite of Spring. (For those Disney kids, the Dinosaur bit from Fantasia).

So when the podcast put out an episode about the riot that occurred during the ballet's opening night, I got pretty excited. The music was strange, the costumes were unorthodox, and the dancing was primitive and "vulgar." Love it.

The costumes, set design, and choreography were lost for decades until some dance and art historians were able to piece the performance together in the late 1980s. Luckily, PBS made a special! And it's on Youtube!

It's around 30 minutes long all together, but if you want to watch something truly strange yet amazing, it's posted after the break.

Tapfish

Why yes, every morning before work I take care of my electronic fish. I admit this, I don't care. I love my fishtanks full of happy clownfish, gigantic lionfish, and fun decorative treasure chests.

Plus I'm obsessed with levelling up to unlock new fish and decorations. And did I mention the trophies for making all kinds of weird combinations? Skinner Box? Is that the correct term?

Anyway, Tapfish is available free through the Android marketplace. Looks like it's on IOS as well.

And if you too play the Tapfish on the Android, friend me. Name's Byelka.

Holy crap there are other Tap animals too.

Damn, appears on Tap Ranch is on Android so far. Tap Bird. Port it over Gameview. I want that now.

License to Pawn

In the absence of summer scripted television I've begun watching a lot of strange reality-type shows on History, TLC, A&E and the likes. Including Pawn Stars, which, according to commercials, is the most watched reality show on cable. Or something like that.

I want to be his friend.

I love that show. I love all the weird facts, the strange people, the crushing disappointment in finding out your super-rare-it-was-$20,000-on-eBay item is a total and complete fake. Amazing.

And now there is a book!

License to Pawn is part memoir, part behind the scenes, part weird facts and stories. Most of the book is told from Rick's perspective, though the other three stars of the show are each given a chapter apiece. Because of that, there is some repetitive and duplicated information. It's not anything masterfully written, and the book goes off on a bunch of tangents (but I can't really blame them for that), but overall I really enjoyed it.

It was interesting getting some background on the people you see on TV; who they are, how they got into the business. (And how they seem to know so darned much)

If you're looking for a quick, but thoroughly entertaining read (I honestly don't think I've read a book that fast since I powered the Hunger Games trilogy in a weekend) pick this up.

And hey.. now I know even more useless information!