Racists are largely, um, people like you and me, actually. I couldn’t honestly look you in the eye and say I’m definitely not a racist. I don’t mean I go around thinking less of people because they’re not the same colour as me, but the problem with being about as privileged as you can be is that, half the time, you just don’t notice shit. Every thing I watch, every book I read will have people in it who look, act and think like me and have a similar background to me. I genuinely don’t know what it’s like to not be me, to not be nestled to the breast of the dominant cultural ideology.

So perfectly said. Seriously. ILU TAM. It is so bloody refreshing to come across someone getting privilege and expressing it in such a way.

As for loot, in 25 mans we run with a KP system and we expect people to 'build up their main spec'. If they waste their kp on offspec items, they risk losing raid spots because their dps will suffer through their main spec not being upgraded. In 10 mans we tend to run Main Spec/Main Char > Main Spec/Alt Char > All offspecs are equal. While I understand, but grumble at, because the alts offspec will be even less used than mine, and i'm trying to gear my offspec so I can heal in situations where we are missing some healer signups.

Even when I heal, I will roll/bid only when main spec healers have passed.
My recent post [Spoilers Within] Enchants and Earthquakes and Flames, Oh My!

Racists are largely, um, people like you and me, actually. I couldn’t honestly look you in the eye and say I’m definitely not a racist. I don’t mean I go around thinking less of people because they’re not the same colour as me, but the problem with being about as privileged as you can be is that, half the time, you just don’t notice shit. Every thing I watch, every book I read will have people in it who look, act and think like me and have a similar background to me. I genuinely don’t know what it’s like to not be me, to not be nestled to the breast of the dominant cultural ideology.

So perfectly said. Seriously. ILU TAM. It is so bloody refreshing to come across someone getting privilege and expressing it in such a way.

As for loot, in 25 mans we run with a KP system and we expect people to 'build up their main spec'. If they waste their kp on offspec items, they risk losing raid spots because their dps will suffer through their main spec not being upgraded. In 10 mans we tend to run Main Spec/Main Char > Main Spec/Alt Char > All offspecs are equal. While I understand, but grumble at, because the alts offspec will be even less used than mine, and i'm trying to gear my offspec so I can heal in situations where we are missing some healer signups.

Even when I heal, I will roll/bid only when main spec healers have passed.
My recent post [Spoilers Within] Enchants and Earthquakes and Flames, Oh My!

The internet IS a great equaliser, but it is also a reminder that everyone is starting from a different point of view. I'm British (English even) and I've lived in Scotland and the Netherlands in the past. There is nothing like living in a different place to make you check and re-evaluate your national identity and how you present yourself. "standoffish" is something I, for example, would apply to Brits because 'overly polite' is sometimes seen as cold or standoffish.

When I am online I find that Americans are as apt to be as different from one another as they are to be different from Canadians. The attitudes and values of someone from Oklahoma can be as different as a New Yorker and a Yorkshire Lass. I think it is completely natural to look at yourself again when encountering new cultures. The trouble is not everyone is as expressive of their culture online, or even adept at expressing themselves.

AVR is indeed interesting. and I think you've got it bang on the nose with 25 man raiding and guild advancement. By raiding 25 man, I love the idea of being able to benefit our non-raiders!
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Everything is better with alliteration!

I might have to remember 'Twinge of Whinge' for the next whiny post day. Even if my spellchecker keeps telling me that 'whinge' is not a real word :(

I think that every when you are made about something, the enjoyment of writing about it really shines through, somehow. And all your readers respond to that ;)
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I love mah white hippogriff, and am contemplating the CE grind to get the Blue/green/orange one because it is SERIOUSLY PRETTY.

And hey, this is your blog - WHINGING IS ALLOWED.

Also your most entertaining posts all have a twinge of whinge.
My recent post Shared Topic: When the raid is cancelled I…

I wish Hippogryphs and Griffins were...bigger. They just feel a bit underwhelming, because of the lack of colour choices. I always associate Dorfs with Gryphons because of wildhammer - they just seem right together. But there should be more choices of colours.
My recent post Shared Topic: When the raid is cancelled I…

Well, we already have that issue in our guild, where several of the 25 man tanks can't stand ICC and the last thing they want to do is raid 10 man. Alternatively we've seen a lot of guildies level tank alts that could help alleviate that issue. I wouldn't say a 'bench 10 man' would be entirely made up of mains. Currently we raid Thursday, Sunday, Tuesday, so this might be an opportunity for us to review our raid nights anyway.

Man those worms. They induce Headless Chicken Syndrome in SO MANY PEOPLE. STILL.

I totally had that syndrome. The only thing that took it away was practise, sadly. Even now, pretending to be a cool and calm raider, I still get WTF WHAT THE HELL DO I DO MOMENTS, even though I know intellectually what I should do. Firefighter causes this in me often.

Congratulations on the Blake Drake!

Disqus or ID? SO CONFUSED
My recent post Cataclysm Raiding – I have more than 10 friends

oh ho, was it really THAT bad? xD Can't wait to find out
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