Advice, or "To Listen or to Ignore?"

You run across people in pugs who like to tell you how bad you are and that you're doing everything wrong and that your gear and talents and hairstyle all suck.

But what about a person who gives you good advice and doesn't disparage you in the process, but who isn't very good at giving advice?

I was on Windwhistler today, trying to get a bit of her rested ground off while finishing some instance quests.  My shaman healer felt the need to tell me I wasn't holding aggro well enough and that I should [Rend] before I [Thunderclap] on groups.

I've never claimed to be an expert on Warriors, but I know that [Rend] is a single-target ability, so this advice made me reply "It doesn't seem as if rend would help with group aggro."

To which the shaman replied that the new way of doing things was "weird."

Female Worgen Dance, or "Lady Gaga Poker Face"

Original by Lady Gaga.

Cataclysm Launch, or "Where Will You Be?"

The day of Cataclysm, I'll be at work.

Yep.  I'll be schlepping eye charts to ye olde Opthamologists.  There's no "I" in Opthamology, after all.  Just glasses.

I've considered taking that day off.  Not so much to play the game as to make lots and lots of gold.

But when you think about it, I'd be passing up real money in order to get fake money.  Somehow, that doesn't seem to even out.

Game gold, for example, will not get me my dream house by next September.  Nor will it help me to actually buy the Cataclysm expansion.

I can set my auctions the night before, and if I'm really dedicated I can subscribe to the auction-from-your-smartphone service for that month.  Or I can ask Husband's Best Friend to keep up with my auctions for me.

It's cool, he owes me.  Less than he owes husband since I made HBF climb a steep hill to get home instead of taking the bus and therefore "almost killing him," but I think I have enough left over for this.

Yeah?  Yeah.

Hallow's End Latecomer Guide, or "Husband Is Nice and Doing Holidays With Me"

This is to help anyone who wants a quick list of what they need to get done but doesn't want a huge explanation.

Preparation:

• Handfuls of Candy: Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms, Outland
• Southshore Quests: Alliance / Horde
• Headless Horseman Kill
• Hourly Trick or Treat
• Stop the Fires / Let the Fires Come

Keep these items:

• G.N.E.R.D.S.
• Tricky Treats
• Tooth Picks
• Jack-o-Lanterns
• Wands

Crappity, or "I Made Husband Level a Druid for Nothing, I Guess"

4.0.1 Change:

You can farm Anzu in heroic Sethekk Halls for his epic mount even if you're not a druid.  (Boubouille)

Normal Mounts = Fast Now, or "I Bet Everyone Else Already Knew This"

So you know how you get 60% ground mounts at a certain level and you ride around on them and they're fun and awesome?

And then you hit another level and can train for 100% epic ground mounts and they're slightly less awesome because they're covered with armor but are also slightly more awesome because they're fast?

Yeah, there's no difference anymore.  Once you train your 100% mount speed, you can use the old 60% mounts and they're 100% now.

I bet everyone else already knew this.

Husband just told me about it and it blew my mind.

Squee!

Hallow's End 2010, or "Fun With Headless People"

Even if you don't do holidays, note that A Long Strange Trip will continue to give you FREE super-max flying speed.  No need to drop another 5k gold if you prefer spending time over money.

Hallow's End 2009, 2008

Sorry this post is so lame this year.  I have work in a half hour.

Zul'Gurub Pets and Mounts

Removed in Cata
Zul'Gurub is being removed as a raid, so the mounts and pets are going.  You'll still have them if you have them.  Polymorph: Turtle will still be available "through other means" (no details on that).

May Return In Future
"Although we have no current plans to introduce new ways to obtain the Zul'Gurub mounts, pets, and the tribute mounts, they may return should we find a place where they fit in the future." (Lylirra)

Bird's Hypothesis
ZG mounts and pets will be available again someday, but you should absolutely farm the ZG pet to sell for massive amounts of gold after ZG is removed.  I'm not joking, people will pay a fortune in the "I can't collect this anymore" panic, and I'm betting the pet will return some way or another and then they'll feel stupid.

Hallow's End Reminder

Hallow's End starts this coming Monday the 18th!

AH Thieves, or "1c Deals Woooo!"

I'm in the pet trade.  I switch pets over the Neutral AH using a friend (usually my husband or brother) once every few months.  I mailed my brother a huge mountain of horde pets.  His bags filled with Prairie Dogs, he listed 5 at a time for me to pick up using good old-fashioned search spam.

By his second listing, I'd already told him "Stop."

"Stop?"

"We have an AH bot.  I bought the first Prairie Dog and the rest were just gone.  Poof.  Way too fast for a person."

"Report him."

"On it.  Then I'm switching to Birdfall and killing him.  A lot."

"Heh."

Pet Photos Up, or "No Time to Post Images, Follow Link"

They all look really awesome.  I'm particularly interested in Hardboiled Egg, which right now is a blue baby murloc.

Yes, a baby murloc.  Just like the Blizzcon one.

Usually, they change the skin on things like this, but even if they do... it's a baby murloc.

Good God, I want a pink one.

Dance News, or "Studio Delay Explained"

Dance Studio - Blizzard promised me a (dancing) pony!

New dances remain a work in progress and we do not have plans to implement them prior to Cataclysm.

[...] We absolutely wouldn't advertise something in a trailer if we have no intention of including that feature. The trailers are virtually always created more than a year prior to the release of what they're advertising. All of the features are planned -- or work on them has already begun -- but we never know until much closer to the release date what features might have to be shelved to ensure bigger features are polished.

We announced new dances for Wrath of the Lich King and a good deal of work went into them, but we weren't happy with the feature overall as we got closer to release. We decided we would hold off on trying to push it out anyway and focus on bigger projects.

This is the nature of good development, even if it leaves some disappointed. (Source)

(from MMO Champion)

Outfit of the Month, or "Don't Toss Your Direbrew Remote Just Yet"

The Circle of Flame is a cloth drop from Flamelash in Blackrock Depths (1% droprate). You'll want a Direbrew Remote (or a friend willing to share theirs). This headpiece is popular due to a dramatic Use effect described as a "fiery evocate" and the fact that anyone can wear it.

You can farm this boss 5 times an hour or, if traveling with only your own Remote, once an hour.  Don't forget to reset the instance before you enter.

Cute Photos, or "Mountses and Petses"

Guild: 55 unique exalted reps

Tol Barad Faction Exalted: Alliance

Tol Barad Faction Exalted: Horde

Questline: Peacebloom vs Ghouls

Also note that a Goblin cinematic is up!

(warning: spoilers)