A Very WoW Anniversary January 22, 2009

A year ago today I married the Weiner Daddy, thus making our pets legitimate in the eyes of Ceiling Cat.  A few days before that, however, we had a wedding of a different sort – in-game.  

 

Before you begin guffawing, allow me to explain.  We were living very far away from the vast majority of our friends and family, and had no money or inclination to design a major Event that would leave the “blushing bride” feeling stabby and the poor groom feeling overwhelmed.  Thus we decided to have a small civil ceremony out West, before we moved back East, and to have a big party afterward.  We did want to celebrate some small ceremony with our friends, though, and this is what we did:

 

 

It worked out pretty well, even if it did take me five solo runs in Gnomeregan to farm up the Acidic Walkers to match the rest of my bridal outfit.  And instead of rings, we exchanged daggers with Life-Stealing on them (a special surprise cooked up by our friends Simbelmyne, Gimmelots and Balton).  

 

Thanks to the interwebs, folks can enjoy it or not forever.  Thanks again Araan for being our videographer.  Here’s to many more happy years to come, starting next week when we’ll be taking our long-delayed honeymoon at Disney World.

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Weinercast Wednesday! January 21, 2009

The Weinercast is go! This week: WoW Patch 3.08.

As always, the Weinercast is available on

As promised, here come the links:

The Fallout 3 Inauguration and
The Patch Notes.
Please leave us a review or a comment/question, and we’ll address it on air next week!

A non-iTunes link if you need it.

Less Rage, Still Too Much Wrap January 20, 2009

A couple months ago I posted about Amazon’s war on “wrap rage” – their efforts to reduce annoying and unnecessary packing in its products. Today I received a package from Amazon that indicates they still have a long way to go.

The first box, accompanied by requisite cat.

Within that box, a significantly smaller box.

Oh look, another box!

And in the third box, a bag!

All of that for two little earrings.

Pain Unimaginable January 12, 2009

It began a few days ago.  Microsoft, apparently non-ironically, introduced their “Garage Band killer”, Songsmith.  

(Note the kid is using a MacBook.)  

But moving on, today this appeared on the intarwebs (thanks Gizmodo). It appears to be the developmentally disabled love child of Van Halen and a Casio keyboard demo button.

Why? WHY?

/gquit Is Like A Breakup January 11, 2009

I left my World of Warcraft guild of over a year today, and I am miserable.  I left as a result in the latest altercation with another longstanding guildie with whom I have had multiple clashes.  For some reason, today’s perceived aggression when I was just being exuberant about my beloved Eagles was the last straw.  That being said, I am very, very sad.

 

These folks have been better friends to me than I ever realized.  They have played with me, joked with me, and some of them have eaten and slept in my home.  When I log on now I am in a friend’s tiny bank-alt guild so that people don’t see an unguilded 80 rogue and think I’m a tiny ninja, but I am alone.  

 

I never realized how much I took my guild for granted.  I am at a loss for how to scrape up a good group. Guildcraft and Gatherer are out, and there’s no guild calendar.  I hit the guild website in my usual websurfing rotation, only to remember that I didn’t have access anymore.  I had a question about a skill in another class, and I had no one to ask.  And yes, for better or for worse, there is no guildchat to keep me company.

 

So yes, I regret leaving.  I made the choice because I didn’t know what else to do with a repeating situation.  I’d like to return if things are better, but the guild is so good that leaving carries with it a penalty – a real chance of no return.  We – they – prize civility over all else, and drama isn’t civil.  The officers would have to decide it is worthing having their stabby [Prime Gnome] back.  And I would have to feel like I wasn’t going to get attacked anymore without recourse.  It’s a lot to ask.  I’m hope to ask soon.  

 

I need to get a tissue, I think.

Vote For [Prime Gnome]! January 8, 2009

I have been nominated for a Shorty Award! Thanks, Leo!

When the time is right, go forth, Weiner fans, and vote!  

Follow @shortynews to find out when voting begins.

The 1Up Crew: It’s Not Over

It looks like most, if not all, of our EGM podcasting favorites have landed on RebelFM.  Their new project, EatSleepGame, can be found for your listening pleasure here.

An official press quote from RebelFM states:

Won’t you please welcome Anthony Gallegos, Nick Suttner, Philip Kollar, Matt Chandronait, Ryan O’Donnell, Jade Kraus, and me, as we bring you the opening salvo of Rebel.fm. It’s on, bitches.

On indeed.

Goodbye, EGM January 7, 2009

It is official: Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine is no more.  The company’s web presence, 1UP.com has been purchased by UGO, a Hearst company after EGM’s original parent, Ziff Davis, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The magazine has been shuttered permanently.  I was hoping that most of the staff would be kept on, but Kotaku is reporting that Skip Pfister, Ryan O’Donnell, Philip Kollar, Jay Fresh, Cesar Quintero, Nick Suttner, Anthony Gallegos, Matt Chandronait, Shane Bettenhausen and former EIC James Mielke have been let go and that the 1Up Show is no more. What exactly do they have left, and who do they think will produce it?  

 

On a personal level I am very sorry to hear about this.  Over the last year EGM and 1Up have become significant staples in my gaming life.  The 1Up Yours Show is a significant inspiration for the WeinerCast, and the 1Up Show theme is never more than an earworm away.  EGM has always been the finest of the gaming magazines, and really gave meaning to the term “game journalism”.  It was always my dream to write for them – now I guess I never will.  Best of wishes to all of you over there or wherever you end up.

Just One More Thing. . . January 6, 2009

(Not) introducing the MacBook Wheel:

 

 

Pitch-perfect send-up, guys.

Notes From The Last MacWorld

 

Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, did a yeoman’s job today in delivering the final MacWorld keynote, even if the announcements themselves weren’t so exciting. Here’s the the highlights via The Weiner’s twitstream for your edification:

 

– iLife refresh. I’m liking the new GarageBand/iTunes option to buy “artist lessons” from established musicians for $4.99.
– iLife still free on new machines. Upgrade is $79, family pack is $99 to upgrade. Shipping late Jan.
– Keynote remote – 99 cent app that lets you use your iPhone as a Keynote presentation remote. Neat.
– 17″ MBP unibody enclosure at last. 6.6 lbs?! That’s huge.
– $50 anti-glare option – thanks for the kick in the pants for all of us early MBP adopters.
– New battery type – longest lasting ever – I am hoping they sell them for the 15″ model so I can get one. Up to 8 hours of work time, 1000 recharges! That’s double today’s model.
– Non-removable – so much for getting one for my 15 inch.
– One more thing is iTunes – 0.69, 99 and 1.29 pricing and more DRM free stuff. Allegedly by end of Q1 ALL 10 M songs on iTunes will be DRM free.
– New Cheezburger iPhone app allows you to view AND make LOLs on the go.
– 3G downloading from iTunes and App Store working as intended.