Is Where I Issues A Challenge

So, Pandemonium done been announced. Looks like most of the preliminary stuff be done, and knows Blizz be hard at work flushing out the details. Were one detail what were rather noticeables in its absentia - no female Pandaren art work. Obviously, is gotta get done 'fore MoP ships. Or, as the Tiz put it so eloquently on Twitter, "TITS ON A PANDA!" (If you were with us in Black Leather Undies, ya gets the reference). Now, I's jus' a simple orc, but I believes I remembers goin' through this in Cata too. Weren't 'til they was nearly done with the beta testing what they finally picked a design fer the female worgenators. And it pretty much jus' looked like they smashed a anime wolfhead onta a draenaninny body and lost the tail. In other words, looked rushed and cheap. I assures ya, you ever gets a chance fer ta get some horizontal refreshment time with a worgen lady, yer gonna see what they don' look nuthin' like in real life. Is the panda ladies gonna git the same treatment? Would not surprise me.

So, me challenge, issued this here thirtieth day of Octoberilizings, be this, now what the concept artists prolly be gettin' readies fer ta start inta WoW 6.0, whatever that's gonna turn out ta be: Whatever new races ya be designin' fer ta be central, whether is a playable race or not, try designing the female of the species first. Is gonna feel weirds at first, I know, but I has faith what ya can do it. Will be quite the feat if'n ya can make yerselves do it, but i'll be worth it. And us buggers what like our wimmenz exotic, we will thank ye fer it.

Is Where There Is Some Good News

Tipped off by readers Fletcher and ScottH, I goes ta the bunghole known as "the forums" and I see what the lame, anonymous, non-apology from the band be gone, and instead is a message from Mr. Morhaime, president of Blizzard Entertainment (and a member of the band). Is a quotification:

Dear members of the Blizzard community, I have read your feedback and comments about this year’s BlizzCon, and I have also read the feedback to the apology from Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftain. I’d like to respond to some of your feedback here. As president of Blizzard, I take full responsibility for everything that occurs at BlizzCon.  It was shortsighted and insensitive to use the video at all, even in censored form. The language used in the original version, including the slurs and use of sexual orientation as an insult, is not acceptable, period. We realize now that having even an edited version at the show was counter to the standards we try to maintain in our forums and in our games. Doing so was an error in judgment, and we regret it. The bottom line is we deeply apologize for our mistakes and for hurting or offending anyone. We want you to have fun at our events, and we want everyone to feel welcome. We’re proud to be part of a huge and diverse community, and I am proud that so many aspects of the community are represented within Blizzard itself. As a leader of Blizzard, and a member of the band, I truly hope you will accept my humblest apology. – Mike Morhaime President, Blizzard Entertainment

Is the world all perfect and roses now? 'Course not. Is still plenty of fuhgwads and hatemongers out there. But Mr Morhaime's apology fer encouraging them is a victory fer everyone what believes in grownuppery and respectin' each other, including the people at Blizzard. I applauds and thanks everyone what contributed ta makin' this happen, and I accepts Mr Morhaime's apology.

And now, I's happy fer ta move on ta other grown-up issues. Likes, resolvin' the question: is this a Flyin' Broom in me bags, or is I just happy fer ta see ya?

Why Yes There Is A Petition

Daniel done asked if'n there be a petition what he could sign fer ta get Blizz ta aplogify fer they's dumb decision ta endorse hate mongering by playin' that stupid video. Answer be yes, is right over here.

Yes, Maurice Is Still Maurice....

As Lady Jess can testify

Fuhg Bigotry

Few days ago, I made a point of sayin' in a comment on another blog what I done has called Blizz out fer the times I think they done wrong, and I would again. This be one of those times.

Piercing Shots done wrote a post where he relates an incident at BlizzCon few days ago. Is also a video. You buggers should go reads and watch. Short version - the Blizz in-house band Level Whatever Tauren Whatevers were gettin' ready fer ta play a bit, and they brought up some rock star guy fer ta join them. On the big screen, they showed a interview he done did a while back which were heavily bleeped out, but he clearly were sayin' some nasty stuff and laughin' 'bout it. Piercing also has the unbleeped version, and is pretty vile. Now, I gots no problem with glubbernuggin' bad language, and I realize what some buggers takes the Horde vs Alliance thing way more personals than I, and I accepts that. But vicious, violence-tinged homophobic slurs is wrong. It is wrong even when ya bleeps it out. It is wrong even when ya sez "ha ha I was just joking." And Blizzard chose to make it a part of their annual convention because they thought it was funny.

This was not a joke. It was a mean, hateful attack on a segment of the WoW-playing community. And an attack on a segment is an attack on all of us. And so I's figgerin' out some responses.

Bashiok's "We're sorry you can't take a joke" non-apology on the forums indicatifies what complainin' there ain't gonna get much satisfactions. So I's workin' on a letter ta his bosses at Activision. They prolly don' care much about pvp on the Elemental Plateau there, but they does care about money and reputation, and perhaps they'll be mispleased fer ta hear complaints about they's employees have a jolly laugh over some homophobic fuckwaddery in a public setting. Or maybe they won't. Either way, I's gonna find out. I'll let you buggers know.

Meanwhiles, closer ta home, I Like Pancakes done put up the rainbow banner with a link ta a list of LGBT and LGBT-friendly guilds. Is a good protest of Blizz's endorsement of bigotry, so I's puttin it up too. And if somebody finds it helpfuls, so much the better.

Lady RNG Can Be Cruel. Likes Someone Else I Know

"You want to see it? It's very pretty sitting in my bag."
"No."
"Do you want to come watch me sell it?"
"No!"

So fars, Team Shianti done gots five Helms of Evil Laughter. One fer Morani the paladin, which be right and propers, one fer Cameron the shaman, one fer Tempestad the hunter, and flubbernuggin' two fer Shianti what be a drood. Meanwhiles, on Team Ratshag, with no fewer than four plate wearers? None. Zip. Butkus. Diddly. The big goose egg. Nada. The null set. Zilch. One less than Garrosh's braincells. Same odds as Ragnaros gettin' invitified ta the Stormwind Ladies' Noblegarden Cotillion.

And every day Shianti done reminds me. "You should be on Team Shianti. Team Ratshag is poor buggers."

And Now A Word From Dead Cairne Bloodhoof

...is this thing on? Are you sure? Oh!

Ah. I've been expecting you.

I apologize for not appearing in a more ... substantive ... form, but it has been about a year since Garrosh and Magatha put me out to pasture. And there just isn't much left to work with. One takes what one can get.

The reason I am here is to express my outrage over last week's announcement. Blizzard, I am very disappoint. Pandaren? Really? This is your idea for the next expansion? These people are nothing more than an overblown April Fools joke, and we all know it. How could anyone take them seriously? Would you follow a tank into battle that was based on a species used to make cutesy slippers? Would you want a healer based on a species known for being slow and dim-witted? Would you want a dps'er based on a species that eats grass??!? Forget about the annual pass, I'm bloody going to cancel my account! I-

What? Wait, what? Are you sure??? Well, I, uh, well, um ..... well.

This is rather embarrassing.

I think I am going to go back to being dead now. Yes, I think that is what I would like to do now.

Ancestors be at your back, and, um, winds watch over you.