An' It Be a Holiday!

If'n ye 'as an ounce o' sense in yer barnacle-'fested, landlubber brain, ye'll 'ave already seen 'Ripides' warnin' an' perpared yerself. If'n not, then ye deserves ta dangle from th'mizzenmast by yer rotted toes, ye blitherin' slackjaw squiffy!

T'day be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, an' ain't nothin' like an 'earty chorus of avasts an' ahoys t'make th' lowest jack be feelin' like a swashbucklin' 'ero with a wench on each arm, I tells ye.

So, hoist the mainsails, ye scurvey sons o' a biscuit eater. Tis time t'be takin' th'ways of the sweet trade t'yer black 'an twisted 'earts 'til ya be loaded t'th' gunwales an' caterwhaulin' loudly 'nuff what t'send th' lilly-livered runnin' fer shore. Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!

An' be makin' sure ye raise at leas' one mug o' grog t'th' cap'n an' 'is best mate. They be deservin' th'honor, says I. 'Sides, Cap'n Slappy an' Ol' Chumbucket been knowed t'put th' black mark on scalliwag's fer less'n that.

'Appy Talk Like a Pirate Day, ye pack 'o scurvey dogs!

Piratical linkin's:

• The Official Home of Talk Like a Pirate Day


• The Official Pirate Booty


• Talk Like a Pirate Day's official British HQ


• The news column that launched a thousand Pirate ships.
  
  
• Talk Like a Pirate Day on Wikipedia
  
  
• Lady Jess tells us how to be a Pirate for a day in WoW
  
  
• Anyone else feelin' a bit like Ratshag be infestin' they brain? >_O

The Name of the Game

A blog's name is a very large part of its identity. It is the author's 'face' to the masses, her signpost on the busy highway of webbitude, and the map that gets drawn whenever someone wants to spread the word about her blog. That's why, when wise bloggers write about how to get yourself started, they draw attention to the importance of choosing a name.

What's in a name?

Points of Convergence was named for a relatively simple concept. We who play World of Warcraft with the kind of love and dedication that has kept us in the game for literal years face a challenge that is new to modern society. We live in two worlds at once, bound to each by responsibilities both assigned and assumed. We need to go to school or work. We need to go to raid or gain levels. We need to pay bills and make soccer practice. We need to grind Badges and study Hunter specs.

Demands from the real world become comparable to demands from Azeroth and Outlands, forcing us to walk a very fine mental, physical, and emotional line between one and the other.

That's why I wanted to create a blog to write about the points where these two worlds meet; to try to remind everyone that there is more bridging Azeroth and Earth than a login screen. The inspiration that comes from our second home can create beautiful art, touching fiction, wonderful crafts, and even lively social discourse. The every day needs that come from our first home can be met in healthful and intelligent ways without forcing us to sacrifice one life for the other. It seemed only natural to me that a blog about these convergence points between our two homes was named... yes... Points of Convergence.

However, with the self-hosted blog in the works, I've encountered an unexpected weakness in the title: it doesn't translate very well to an ergonomic URL. Now, at this point, we could digress into a discussion of what makes a good, 'ergonomic' URL, but I don't want y'all to fall asleep and drool on my web page. Suffice to say that I want to adhere to three simple rules for the new site's URL:

1. It should be clearly evocative of the blog title.  Bonus points if it can also be evocative of the blog's purpose and its larger affiliation to the World of Warcraft.
2. It should be reasonably short and easy to type. Length is more acceptable than it used to be, but I would like to adhere as much as possible to a K.I.S.S.philosophy in the new blog. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) Shorter is better. Also, if you have to pull out a dictionary to spell my URL, I have done something wrong (and possibly educated you :) ).
3. It should be available. More and more, people are 'speculating' on the URL market, which means that the finite combinations of meaningful URLs are slowly being claimed. A lot of perfectly good options are not options because they're already taken. 

A PoC by any other name...

Herein lies the problem. www.pointsofconvergence.net (.com is taken) rather forcefully violates the second rule. It's long and tough to spell. Of course, every possible version of 'converge' or 'convergence' or 'PoC' was claimed back when the internet was a baby at Al Gore's knee.

Thus, I have been stretching the old right-brain to try to come up with some decent (though perhaps less obvious) alternatives, either through creative rescramblification of Points of Convergence or through... yes, renaming the blog. It's not something I would choose to do lightly, but when your ergonomic URL is at stake, you need to consider all feasible options.

Here's some of what I've been brainstorming:

URL:  pointsconverge.com	URL:  ptsofconvergence.com	URL:  weconverge.com
Name: Arcane Tomes URL:   arcanetomes.com	Name: Beneath Two Skies URL:  twoskies.net	Name: Nexus Points URL: nexus-points.com

I have my favorites and my less-favorites. I also have a longer list with some that are downright crazy. What I'd like to know, though, is what you think. Which of these could you see yourself typing in that browser bar*?

* HA! As if anyone actually types URLs, any more. Hello, Google and Feed Readers. :)

WHadLibs?

Here on the technological cutting-edge that is Points of Convergence, we have long had a tool that is beautiful and new to the BlogAzeroth community. (Ahem. Well, not new so much as resumed after the forum upgrade and institution of a new theme. But hey, let me dramatize, okay? It makes things tastier.)

As I was saying, BlogAzeroth has a new toy that has been proving a little oddly fun to play with. Here is a transcript of the thread that started what I can only call a new game with great potential.

Post title: WE CAN HAZ TOOLTIPS!

Phaelia: I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts.

Rhoelyn: I'm a model. You know what I mean, and I do my little turn on the catwalk.

Behemothdn: And I'm too sexy for my hat
Too sexy for my hat what do you think about that?

Phaelia: Also, I shake my little tush on the catwalk.

StoppableForce: And I'm too sexy for your party
Too sexy for your party
No way I'm disco dancing

Behemothdn: I'm too sexy for my cat too sexy for my cat
Poor pussy poor pussy cat

Leaf: I'm too sexy for my love, too sexy for my love.
Love's going to leave me.

Hrm. Well, maybe we all need to go back and review the lyrics, but much random fun has been had. Worse, though. It's given me an idea. Drumroll, please...

Let's play WHadLibs! Here's how it works:

Below, you'll find a short excerpt from ... something. Anything can do, but for today, it's a great piece of wit from my idol, Khol Drake. In the passage, I've marked certain words in boldface and underline. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to take each of the marked words and find the funniest, most clever, at least semi-relevant WoWHead link you can to turn it into a hyperlink. You have all of the contents of WoWHead to play with, but bonus brownie points can be earned by choosing links that are creative, unique, funny, and / or alter the meaning of the sentence. (Get it? It's Madlibs, but with Java code and prettier graphics. Thus, it's WoWHeadLibs... WHadLibs. BOHOHO! My dorkery knows no bounds. )

Copy, paste, and add in your links, then post your version of the story in the comments. We'd all love to be amused by whatever you can come up with. Heck, who knows. If this is a fun enough game, I'd love to turn it into a contest and have a weekly WHadLibs winner. I'd give you a badge of honor and a spotlight widget on the sidebar. :)

Remember, to get a good tooltip, you'll want to avoid NPCs and places, as only objects, abilities, quests and spells have proper popups. The idea is that no one should have to click through to WoWHead to read your story. (Sorry, WoWHead dudes, but c'mon. You don't really need the extra hits from 'lil ol' us.) Also, it's worth mentioning that in order to read the comments with proper tooltips displaying, you will have to read them on this post's permalink page. Blogger's comment entry page is staid and boring and does not support anything as fun as little boxes that follow your mouse around like lost puppies.

Ah, well. ... soon, we will be free, my minions! Duh-duh-DUHHHH.... >:}

Achem. Anyway. Here's your WHadlib for the day:

“Really, Frank—can I call you Frank? You don’t even have to actually have any real information, Frank. Just point me toward someone who does and you get to stumble away from here...well, once your kneecaps heal, anyway.”

“M’name’s Edward,” the lieutenant slurred through his swollen, bleeding lips. I probably shouldn’t have punched him in the mouth so many times. He was having trouble speaking.

-- excerpt from A Stab In the Dark, Part the Twelfth: Uncomfortable Compromises

Have at thee!

Curtain Call: Anna's Friday Five - RP Style

Though you may not know it*, I'm a serious sucker for a bit of Roleplaying. Despite all its well-advertised faults and foibles in the WoW community, it is a great way to add interest and depth to the smallest aspects of the game. Have you ever composed a little diddy while cooking Brilliant Smallfish in Bloodhoof Village? Juggled rings over fire totems for coppers in Stormwind's Trade District? Have you ever toured the Barrens on your brand new, completely runaway lizard mount, screaming curses and pleas to stop the whole way?

I have. No joke. I have screenshots (somewhere). That kind of little foolery and fun makes the 40 points' worth of cooking skillups, practice with new totem hotkeys, and the long run from Ratchet to Thousand Needles an order of magnitude more enjoyable than they could have been. As an added bonus, you never know who'll bite and start playing along, whether you're on a roleplay server or not!

That's why I was so thrilled to read Anna of Too Many Annas' most recent Friday Five post. She's borrowed the famous Friday Five meme** and put a fun, roleplayer's twist on it: she's asking her Friday Five questions to our toon(s) instead of us. Starting out light, it seems like she's going to use it as a way to ease the newcomers into the concept of developing a character for roleplaying. If you ask me, it's also a great way for the non-newcomers to explore their character a bit more, perhaps even flesh out some details they hadn't encountered for themselves, yet.

All I know for sure is that I'm stoked, and the toons in my head are all clamoring for attention. Here's my Friday Five - RP Style. Let's see yours!

1. What is your character’s name?
   

   My name is Rhoelyn. In the lands outside of Teldrassil, I am sometimes given the surname of Silverwing, though I rarely use it for fear that the Sentinels to whom it truly belongs would object. I believe my friend, Axus, chose it in reference to my hair. I would never presume to call him unimaginative, but ... well...
   

2. Why did he/she pick his/her class?
   

   One does not choose to become a priestess of Elune; the Goddess does the choosing, and we who are so blessed answer Her call. I believe I knew this was my path from a very young age. Suffice to say, I cannot remember a time before I knew that I was a healer and lightbringer. Certainly, I would not know how to be anything but a priest. It is my role in the deepest, most intrinsic sense.
   

3. What’s the worst trouble he/she ever got into as a child?
   

   Somehow, though I have ever been the last child to cause trouble, I found myself in it quite often when I was young. I suppose that has something to do with my brother, Rhese, and his unerring ability to convince me to join in whatever adventure he had found for the day. No matter how clearly I saw the danger, I never had the heart to tell him 'no' when he turned that excited smile my way. Not then, and certainly not now.
   
   The worst punishment we ever received, though, was when we decided to follow a friendly furbolg we encountered outside Starfall Village. He told the most amusing stories, and before we realized it, we were standing on the outskirts of Astranaar, waving goodbye as he flew off on a hippogryph. When our keepers finally found us, they were so upset that they refused to let us out of their sight for a solid fortnight. It was very ... stifling.

4. What is his/her favorite thing to eat?
   

   My favorite food? Hm. I do not really have a favorite. I just eat what I need to be well fed. Does the flavor really matter?
   
   ... then again, I did really enjoy that Box of Chocolates from my friend, Rastelli. Do candies count?
   

5. What does he/she have in his/her pockets?
   

   Oh, dear. Are you sure you really want to explore that potentially hazardous topic? I carry so much in my packs that they are near to being classified as disaster areas. Truly.
   
   Imagine a dank, cluttered space bursting with a dozen different types of herbs, potions, cloth, odd dusts, dirt, keepsakes, and even a few pieces of equipment. Now, add quest items - most of them grisly and rotting - a few dormant pets, a pretty dress or two, and one very small purse of Gold.
   
   I pity poor Murky for having to put up with it, but he seems to be quite content to spend his days swimming amongst the detritus.
   

* Or does the comic silliness give it away? :o
** Gasp. Yes, another one! They are rather... viral. ;)

Titans and Demiurges 05: The WoW Sketch Meme

I've made a decision.

No, it's not the one that you're expecting. Despite my long silence and my relative blogging youth, I am not interested in announcing that I'm done blogging or that life's too busy or whatever. The fact is, I love this blog (despite all its rough edges). I have decided that it's time to stop waiting for life to slow down before I "get back to the blog" and start making time and energy for writing a higher priority.

So, here I am to tell you that I'm still here and still committed despite the long, inexcusable silence. I've been saving up all kinds of good ideas and information while I was gone, and I'm eager to share the wonder. I'm also digging away at converting to a new, self-hosted blogging platform, a new URL, and a more mature (less girly *cough*) look for PoC. If that's not NOT giving up, then I dunno what is.

I didn't have the heart to apologize with empty excuses during the long silence, so I hope that the sketch comics were enjoyable enough to be some fraction of the apology you're owed. I will continue the little mini-tale that I've started, and maybe when Rhoelyn finds her way back to the surface, my own life will ease up. (One can hope, right?)

Now, with all that said... Let's do something fun. :)

Anyone who's spent any time running around in the lighter journaling world (like Livejournal, for example), has probably run into a meme or three.

A meme (pronounced /miːm/)[1] is any thought or behavior that can be passed from one person to another by means of imitation. Examples include thoughts, ideas, theories, gestures, practices, fashions, habits, songs and dances. Memes propagate themselves and can move through the cultural sociosphere in a manner similar to the contagious behavior of a virus.

From a more practical perspective, blogging memes are short little quizzes that ask you to give your take on a set of questions, then pass the quiz along by 'tagging' your friends to see their answers. The fun comes from trying to be creative, honest, funny, or just downright weird in your answers so that readers and friends can enjoy your input and give you their own to enjoy. It's a way to slowly and openly get to know yourself and other writers.

The art community has taken this concept and (of course) adapted it to what they love most, and the perfect example of this for those of us who love both WoW and art would be the WoW Sketch Meme, provided by Crimson Viper of DeviantArt. He has written a set of questions to be answered in whatever way you please, either with a sketch, a scribble, some writing, or even a pasted picture or screenshot.

I'm not going to post a thousand links, but if you look at the comments of the Meme's gallery page, you can go visit an easy two dozen examples of how other artists have completed the meme. There are some great and really funny answers in there!

And, of course, I'm not allowed to even tell you about this Meme without having my own entry ready to present as the fee for spreading the madness. If you click the little image below, consider yourself tagged! Go, enjoy, and toss together your own answers to share with the community. I'd love to see how WoW inspires you. :)