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Table of Contents
Static Pages
- About
November 23, 2007, 15:34
Welcome to Kestrel’s Aerie. My real name is Steve, but I've been using the "Kestrel" moniker online for well over a decade. My wife and I live in Rapid City,…
- About Kestrel
March 1, 2011, 10:30
No description found for this item.
- WordPress Plugins
May 16, 2008, 12:43
Active Plugins Inactive Plugins
- Site Map
September 9, 2008, 11:15
No description found for this item.
- About Kestrel
- Writing & Editing
March 1, 2011, 09:27
Current WIP On Writing Stories Grammar and usage Copyediting Resources
- Obsidian Throne
March 1, 2011, 10:40
Articles about my current WIP, The Obsidian Throne - Book 1: The Magic Returns
- Grammar and Usage
November 19, 2009, 13:25
Articles about grammar and usage.
- Copyediting
March 1, 2011, 11:03
Articles about the copyediting process
- Resources
November 19, 2009, 13:48
Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition (CMOS-16) Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition (Web11) Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of…
- Obsidian Throne
- Short Stories
October 24, 2010, 09:28
In 2010, I started writing short stories, as well as the very beginnings of longer stories (novels, I hope!). Most of them are posted at the Aerie, and I…
- World of Warcraft
August 22, 2008, 16:47
Affiliations I am a founding member of Blog Azeroth, a World of Warcraft blogging community. I've been a contributor to the Twisted Nether Blogcast, as well…
Blog Posts
- Category: Top Posts (1)
Top-Level, uncategorized posts. Posts without any other category will be placed here.
- Best of the Aerie 2009
December 31, 2009, 03:20
Yes, I know I just posted a 2009 retrospective, but it really wasn't as meaty as I wanted it to be. So following the lead of my wonderful friend Tami, I want…
- Best of the Aerie 2009
- Category: World of Warcraft (261)
- World of Warcraft: My Odyssey Ends (6)
March 5, 2011, 20:06
Earlier this week, I made a decision that has been in gestation for a long time. After six and a half years (including beta), I stopped playing World of…
- WoW Cataclysm: One Week In (7)
December 14, 2010, 11:31
With the servers down for weekly maintenance, I'll join many of my fellow bloggers and discuss my impressions of Cataclysm a week into the latest expansion of…
- What a Month! (4)
November 29, 2010, 13:03
Yes, it's been a pretty busy month of November here at the Aerie. Election Day First, we had an election. I was pretty disillusioned with both major party…
- (VERY) Preliminary WoW 4.0.1 Specs (3)
October 11, 2010, 15:19
UPDATE (10/12): Revised all specs to 36 points, rather than the full 41 initially shown. This was done to reflect the reality of 4.0.1, which of course doesn't…
- A Cataclysm is Coming (4)
October 5, 2010, 12:38
Yesterday, Blizzard announced the latest expansion to World of Warcraft, called Cataclysm, will be released on December 7. As is my habit, I did not enroll…
- That’s the Spirit (Beast)! (5)
August 19, 2010, 15:09
I know I rarely blog about World of Warcraft (WoW) anymore, but something happened on Wednesday that I believe deserves a mention. Yesterday I happened…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: June 21
June 21, 2010, 14:48
What Is This? Every Monday, I document the happenings of the past week. The original (and still primary) intent is to track my progress in meeting my writing…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: May 24 (5)
May 24, 2010, 13:40
What Is This? Every Monday, I document the happenings of the past seven days. The original (and still primary) intent is to track my progress in meeting my…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: April 2
April 2, 2010, 10:22
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing goals as…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: March 12 (5)
March 12, 2010, 10:22
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing…
- Guest Post: Gnew at the Gaerie (1)
December 22, 2009, 04:21
While I’m busy enjoying a Mai Tai on Kauai, my friend Gnomeaggedon sent me the following via Aerie Mail, to keep you informed and entertained for a bit.…
- WoW: On the 3.3 Bandwagon (2)
December 15, 2009, 12:39
Once again, WoW has regained its "WOW" factor for me. Yes, I know: All week you've been reading blog articles about how great the new cross-realm…
- Calling the Wipe: Do's and Don'ts (18)
September 21, 2009, 06:38
Last week, CLOSED underwent its second guild merger of the summer. The first merger was a drama-filled disaster, with only a handful of the original members of…
- Twitter Hashtag Proposal: #WOWUI (7)
September 14, 2009, 14:24
Earlier today, I launched the Curse Client to see if there were any updates for WoW addons I normally update from Curse. In fact, there was one: PitBull4 was…
- Friday Five: WoW Blogs You MUST Read (15)
September 11, 2009, 06:01
While I don't write about World of Warcraft nearly as much as I used to, it's still a very big part of my online life. I probably read about WoW as much as I…
- The State of the Kestrel and of the Aerie (11)
September 7, 2009, 12:39
About 5 minutes ago, I tweeted, "I *want* to write, but I have nothing to write *about.* At least, nothing that anyone but me would want to read.…
- My WoW UI, a quick peek (9)
August 18, 2009, 11:49
Yesterday I tweeted that I was going to work on my WoW UI (and I did...spent all day and most of the evening at it!). Today, a friend IM'd me with a request…
- Meanwhile, back in WoW…
July 15, 2009, 10:10
Why yes…yes, I do still play. Why would you ask? Okay, so I haven’t done much in the way of providing “eclectic musings for WoW player” of late, but…
- Skier: New Hero Class? (1)
May 28, 2009, 15:34
So I was reviewing my Akismet spam today, and found this entry from May 17 in response to Blizzard: You’re Joking, Right? The competence and…
- Want to Win a World of Warcraft Gaming Mouse? (4)
May 18, 2009, 14:55
I don’t do this often—in fact, I’ve never done this before—but because Jason over at Xoxide.com asked so nicely, and because this looks like a totally…
- Blizzard: You’re Joking, Right? (11)
May 16, 2009, 10:21
Last night, shortly before I logged, I sent Talons, one of my alts, to the Auction House in Ironforge to get a Dream Shard: I needed four to enchant a new…
- A New Pet Peeve (28)
April 28, 2009, 09:54
Would someone please forward me the memo on abbreviations, because I seem to have missed it. Specifically, I’m talking about the one where the first…
- Is WoW Losing Its Hold? (34)
April 26, 2009, 17:06
One of my favorite bloggers, The Game Dame, wrote the other day wondering whether Big Red Kitty had actually left WoW. Interesting this should come up at…
- “You have aggro”: 3 words I hate in WoW (6)
April 24, 2009, 14:08
If you don’t read Jessika the Tank, who fancies herself “Pretty in Plate” (and who am I to disagree??), you should. She got on her soapbox today, and I…
- Initial Reactions to 3.1 (13)
April 16, 2009, 12:24
Yes, Virginia, there was a patch on Tuesday. And hotifxes on Wednesday. And probably more in coming days and weeks. I have it on good authority that Heroic…
- 5 “Go-To” Resources for WoW Healers
April 7, 2009, 12:45
This article is Day 2 of 31 Days to Building a Better Blog. Because you’re reading this, chances are fairly good you play a healer class in WoW, or…
- The Week (Or So) That Was (7)
April 6, 2009, 16:13
Sometime over the past weekend, I realized I haven’t done much in the way of updating readers on the progress my WoW characters are making, short of the WoW…
- So Long, BRK, and Thanks for Leading the Way (2)
March 30, 2009, 12:38
In quite a poignant article today, Big Red Kitty (known to all as BRK) announced his departure from World of Warcraft and blogging. @temerityjanebroke the…
- BEWARE: WoW Account Phishing Scam (3)
March 30, 2009, 11:25
Thanks to Anna at Too Many Annas for the heads up on this scam. This particular one appears to be fairly sophisticated, as documented extensively at World of…
- “PROgression, Not REgression!” (2)
March 23, 2009, 13:16
“Progression, NOT regression!” That’s the mantra of our Raid Leader, but since we first did a 25-man kill of Kel’Thuzad we’ve had a difficult time…
- “World of Warcraft, Eh?” (9)
March 5, 2009, 12:58
Thanks to Twitter, with a special nod to @holydiscipline(a.k.a. Anea), for tipping me off to the site World of Warcraft, Eh? The creation of @KellyAaron…
- This and That: An Update of Sorts (16)
March 2, 2009, 16:50
3.1: I can't be bothered When last I posted, I mentioned I'd have a post up soon regarding Priest changes in 3.1 Clearly that hasn't happened, nor will it.…
- PTR 3.1.0 - Patch Notes (4)
February 24, 2009, 00:21
PTR 3.1.0 - Patch Notes are now available at MMO-Champion (and no doubt other locales as well. I will try to get a post up on Tuesday to address…
- Phaerwell, Phaelia! (2)
February 23, 2009, 16:31
Most of you, I’m sure, are already aware that Resto4Life is closing its doors, with a final post scheduled on or about March 19. However, it is very fitting…
- The REAL Kestrel Comes Forth (2)
February 23, 2009, 12:31
No description found for this item.
- Add-On Review: Surgeon General (10)
February 16, 2009, 06:13
One of the tasks a healing lead is responsible for in most raiding groups is to assign healers to specific jobs within the raid. While this is common in 10-man…
- About your eyes' tone... (3)
February 12, 2009, 10:40
worldofwarcraft: I think you guys might enjoy this, if it hasn't yet been posted.... Thanks to @WoWInsiderfor the linky, and to @Fimlysfor the title…
- DPS: How to Earn Your Healer's Love (10)
February 11, 2009, 07:37
Early last month, Amava left a comment on my request for what you readers might like to see me write about this year. His comment: Something I’d be…
- Earsplitting Feedback...Is Gone
February 10, 2009, 11:55
However, I have it on very good authority that just about everything else that went on during Friday night's (Saturday morning's) Twisted Nether Blogcast…
- Patch 3.0.9 This Week: Inner Fire Gets a Buff! (9)
February 9, 2009, 12:28
According to WoW Insider, Blizzard will propagate patch 3.0.9 to live servers this week. My guess is it will occur in conjunction with the regularly scheduled…
- A Twisted Nether Shout-Out (5)
February 8, 2009, 00:53
If you weren’t able to be present for the live Twisted Nether blogcast Friday night/Saturday morning, you’ll of course be able to hear the recording when…
- Twice In One Week = Wow! (3)
February 5, 2009, 10:51
First, a big shout-out to all you folks visiting from WoW Insider and World of Matticus. For the first time ever, I've been linked on WoW Insider twice in one…
- Programming Note: Twisted Nether Blogcast - Live Roundtable! (4)
February 3, 2009, 17:44
This Friday, February 6th, at 10:30 pm Mountain Standard Time (that's half an hour after midnight in the east), yours truly will once again be a member of…
- Bloggers Helping Bloggers: A True Story (7)
February 2, 2009, 17:06
The Background I am a guild officer, and the de facto healing lead for our 25-man runs. (Well, I’m also the healing lead on 10-mans I’m in, which aren’t…
- Audio in WoW: How I Listen to Two Sound Feeds (9)
January 26, 2009, 18:02
This morning on Twitter, I happened to mention that during raids, I have game sounds coming through my speakers, while I listen to Ventrilo (and Skype) through…
- Once Again, BA Chat Saves the World (2)
January 26, 2009, 12:40
(11:31:18 AM) Kestrel: Matt, allow me to catch you up: (11:32:19 AM) Kestrel: *yaaaaaaawn, streeeeeeetch* I'm awaaaaake! Alert everyone! (Matticus 11:25 via…
- Naxx-25 Starting to Jell; OS-25 Almost There (4)
January 23, 2009, 01:36
The Oroborus hit the Plague wing tonight, our second night in a row in Heroic Naxxramas. Last night was a fairly straightforward clear of the Spider wing,…
- Patch 3.0.8: Some Undocumented Good Things (14)
January 21, 2009, 10:40
Author's Note, 1/22/09: Last night, I came to the realization that my earlier joy in what I thought was a change to herbalism was only a change to questing.…
- Is Greater Heal Dead? (6)
January 19, 2009, 14:17
Over at the PlusHeal forums, a poster I’ve come to respect very much both for her knowledge and her eloquence is Beneficence. She started a most…
- Naxx-25, Take Two: Good, Bad, and Ugly (11)
January 13, 2009, 16:54
On Sunday, The Oroborus returned to 25-man Naxxramas for the second night in a row. We got started a bit later than planned, and headed to the Plague Quarter.…
- The Oroborus Returns to 25-Man Raiding
January 11, 2009, 02:21
Saturday night, we were hoping to get enough people together to run Heroic Obsidian Sanctum and at least one wing of Heroic Naxxramas. At 7pm server time, we…
- Holy Mutagens, Batman! (1)
January 10, 2009, 01:02
Tonight was our third successive night in Naxx-10. For the third night in a row, we cleared a wing: this time, the construct wing. The past two nights, and in…
- WTF NERF CLAMS « miss elf
January 9, 2009, 16:04
All credit to Chain Trap for finding this gem for us. Enjoy! (And HUGE props to miss elf!) WTF NERF CLAMS « miss elf.
- TNB Wants Your Moments…
January 9, 2009, 15:53
Your Twisted moments of 2008, that is! Call (206-203-4546), record (and send to info AT twistednether DOT net) or simply reply in the linked thread. Be a…
- If You Are "CoH-Spec" You Are Playing the Wrong Class (12)
January 8, 2009, 17:47
/rant on I was just reading a thread at PlusHeal, and a term used there (which term I have seen a lot more than once, and not just at PlusHeal, trust me!) just…
- A New Poll, Some Updates, and a QQ (14)
January 7, 2009, 13:17
New Poll Up! It seems I only remember to update the site poll after I publish a new article, which means if I edit said article, those of you who subscribe…
- Getting My (Blogging) Groove On (11)
January 6, 2009, 15:22
You know, I really have no idea what that means, but I think it’ll get a lot of search engine hits. (Yes, I’m kidding…sorta.) Okay…back to serious…
- Happy Winter Veil!
December 15, 2008, 12:24
For many, the seasonal event that started today is their favorite. The achievements associated with it are probably the easiest, in toto. My friend Aurik, over…
- Early Christmas at the Aerie (1)
December 11, 2008, 12:45
I just upgraded my WordPress installation to version 2.7, and I'm in love! The QuickPress feature (in which I'm typing this) is just perfect for me...a quick…
- Nice Epic...But Is It An Upgrade? (4)
December 5, 2008, 13:24
Raids seem to come to a screeching halt when it comes time to roll for loot, and a big reason for that is people really don't know whether an item is an…
- Arthas: Your Days Are Numbered (11)
November 14, 2008, 10:02
Yep, I got my ticket punched to Northrend, and I've got you in my sights, you cold-hearted b@st@rd. And in other news... Welcome to Day 2 of Wrath of the Lich…
- Collector's Edition KesCards! (12)
November 11, 2008, 18:05
Well, maybe not so much. I decided since I'll be going to Best Buy on Wednesday night for the Midnight Opening for Wrath, why not try to publicize the blog a…
- Wherein Leafshine Discovers It's Autumn... (9)
November 7, 2008, 11:32
Or, "So that's why my branches have no leaves!" This morning, as is my habit, I sat down in front of the computer with my fresh coffee (and homemade…
- Move Over, FuBar: There's a New Sheriff In Town! (12)
November 6, 2008, 13:15
Introduction For the past little while, one of my most-viewed articles is a comparison review I did of FuBar and Titan Panel. I'm not certain why this…
- Osprey at 80: Deep Holy Template (2)
November 5, 2008, 15:57
Introduction If you're a long-time reader (or even a short-term visitor) you probably know I don't do theory-crafting, and I don't pontificate a lot on how to…
- Wrath Minus 10 (4)
November 3, 2008, 16:38
The Hunter Kestrel went on a Kara clear Friday night, and finally dropped. Yay! Of course, by the end of the run, I was at 146 Badges of Justice: just four…
- I Feel For Our Pets (and Mounts) (11)
October 24, 2008, 11:34
Mounts first: The Cenarion War Hippogryph (requires Exalted with Cenarion Expedition) finally got a ground movement animation this week. I recommend you stick…
- Patch Day: Almost Painless, But It Brought On Many Changes (4)
October 21, 2008, 12:18
The Echoes of Doom were very faint at the Aerie last week. Patch day was relatively uneventful, even with rebuilding the UI. Still a few minor bugs there, but…
- Some Post-Patch Shout-Outs (9)
October 15, 2008, 14:24
The Patch Yesterday's update to World of Warcraft 3.0.2 was generally pretty smooth. On Kul Tiras, I didn't really hear of missing items, except for people…
- A Reminder of Why I Play WoW (6)
October 1, 2008, 11:03
Stumbling my way through 800 feed reader posts, among other things, I ran across an awesome video at A Rogue's Eye View. I'm not an RPer (generally), but I got…
- It's Official (Allow me to jump on the bandwagon) (1)
September 15, 2008, 09:10
Just because it's Monday and I haven't written over the weekend, let's start off with a bit of news (which probably isn't news, but as I said in the title, I'm…
- Friday Funny: The Blogger's Infomercial (2)
September 12, 2008, 11:18
A few weeks ago I was yakking with a friend on MSN (well, Live Messenger or whatever it's called these days) and she mentioned she'd been sucked in by an…
- Inadra's Tale: A Must-Read (Must Hear!) (3)
September 11, 2008, 12:13
I don't roleplay (although I think I could; I have in the dim, dark past). However, I certainly appreciate good roleplay when I witness it. I also don't read a…
- Kestrel Is A "Main" Again...Finally (5)
September 8, 2008, 16:27
On Saturday, almost on impulse, I finally followed through on something I've been considering for quite awhile. But first, a little history. When I first…
- DwarfPriest Lights a Candle in the Darkness: Accessibility for Disabled Gamers
September 4, 2008, 10:50
Earlier this week, I opined WoW blogging is moving into the realm of "mainstream." To be perfectly honest, I'm not certain there is a "mainstream…
- WoW Blogs: Not Just a Niche Anymore (23)
September 2, 2008, 10:27
As I was writing the preceding article, one of the reasons I gave for my guild's recent doldrums was "expansionitis." It's a term I've seen a few…
- Guild Drama: We Haz It (2)
September 2, 2008, 09:29
"...like sands through the hourglass, these are the days of our lives." Oh yeah, the veritable soap opera. Generally, I much prefer to focus on…
- 18 Is the New 25!! (6)
August 28, 2008, 15:20
So there we were...8pm and 18 people on. Another failed attempt to raid. But not so fast! Our raid leader (like many of the rest of us) was sick and tired of…
- A Little This and a Bit o' That (4)
August 27, 2008, 16:15
This article is somewhat like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates: You've no idea what you are about to get. It's time to play catch-up. You Made Me a WHAT?…
- Three Simple Things You Need to Do to Prepare for Wrath (16)
August 19, 2008, 12:36
Introduction As many of you know, I'm specced for WotLK-avoidance. I've made the point here, in comments on other blogs, and on the Twisted Nether Blogcasts,…
- Alterac Valley: OH YES YOU CAN!
August 18, 2008, 15:03
I'm going to apologize ahead of time in case this turns into a rant, since this article has a very good chance of doing so. However, I'm going to hope Saresa's…
- Blizzard Steps Up Anti-Griefing Measures (11)
August 13, 2008, 10:20
Thanks to Matticus, via Twitter, for the tip to this thread on the official Customer Service Forum: Raid Harassment. The thread is notable for a couple…
- Stuff You Should Read (8)
August 11, 2008, 16:20
At the moment, Alie and her grandma are at the nearby park. I kind of injured myself last night (no idea exactly how), so walking is a bit painful at the…
- Spellpower and You: A WotLK Preview (5)
August 8, 2008, 11:13
I'm sure many of you have noticed a pretty comprehensive absence of Wrath of the Lich King information here. I'm really too busy with current content to get…
- Burnout, or Just Lethargy? (15)
August 6, 2008, 16:43
I don't know if it's because it's summer (in the northern hemisphere) or the lull before the expansion, but the burnout bug is starting to catch. Lots of…
- Raid Called...What Now? (2)
August 5, 2008, 16:00
Monday night is Raid Night. So are Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. By "raid" we're talking T5 progression: currently, Serpentshrine Cavern…
- Breana <3's Edouard (5)
August 4, 2008, 11:44
(11:19:49 AM) Anna : wow. ok so people are taking this Edouard business seriously. NASA/JSC/Boieng all sent their employees home and gave them tomorrow off…
- Blog Azeroth Shared Topics: Catching Up! (5)
July 30, 2008, 05:25
I find myself too easily distracted from things I want to do right now. Hence, they often get done eventually, but rarely immediately. A case in point is the…
- TNB #9: In Case You Missed It (1)
July 25, 2008, 15:10
Last Saturday evening, I gathered with some of my best blogging buddies in a live roundtable podcast as the Twisted Nether Blogcast Episode 9. We addressed…
- Add-On Review: IHML - I Have Macro Lol! (15)
July 22, 2008, 23:36
What It Is How many times have you come up to Curator in Karazhan, or Terestrian Illhoof in the same instance, and just before the pull, you're frantically…
- WTB Fire-Resist Warlock! (2)
July 22, 2008, 14:57
I am full of grumble this morning. But I'm not alone: So are the other 24 people who were eager to blow away Leotheras the Blind last night. However, our guild…
- Another One Bites the Dust! (4)
July 21, 2008, 12:43
The Oroborus continues to solidify its raiding prowess, with a first-night kill of Fathom-Lord Karathress. We probably should have one-shot him, but as we…
- Guest Article: Stupid Mage's Stupid Stuff (3)
July 18, 2008, 06:40
Welcome to the second in a series of articles written by non-bloggers. If you're interested in contributing an article to the Aerie, the invitation is here.…
- French and Latin for Beginners: Faux Pas and Mea Culpa (2)
July 16, 2008, 14:24
by Osprey The other day Kestrel posted an article chronicling our adventures of the preceding weekend. At the beginning of the third paragraph, he…
- Plus Heal, and a Kestrel in a Pear Tree (Whut??) (1)
July 14, 2008, 11:14
I have a couple quick hits for you today, and I hope to have a meatier post later in the week (as well as the second in my series of guest articles by…
- Guest Article: Gigeer and Tanking Weapons (3)
July 11, 2008, 07:06
Earlier this week, I invited non-blogging readers to submit articles for Friday publication. I'm pleased today to present the first of at least two of these…
- Movin' On Up (5)
July 9, 2008, 13:34
Yes, folks, The Oroborus is movin' on up. Maybe not to the East Side, but we are definitely progressing. On Sunday, on our third night of trying, we took…
- WoW Meets Lolcats: Road to Blizzcon (1)
July 3, 2008, 10:57
According to the "About" blurb at this new blogcomic (yes, it's MY word...but you may use it too), "Welcome to a chronicle following the…
- Progress...Lots and Lots of Progress (2)
June 30, 2008, 22:58
Post by Osprey I wish I had a screenshot of the first time I looked at Osprey on Warcrafter so I could compare it with where I am now, just to see how…
- Healing Ahune: A Priest Primer (7)
June 24, 2008, 09:32
Post by Osprey Picture Credit: WoWHead, by zenvirus Good morning, Class. Today, we're going to skip the discussion of the Midsummer Fire Festival. If…
- Chick GM: A New 5-Star Blog (1)
June 20, 2008, 14:54
A few days ago, Big Bear Butt highlighted a blog he had only recently discovered. I chuckled, because I'd known of Chick GM for quite awhile. In fact, I was…
- One-Night Stand: Karazhan Cleared (1)
June 20, 2008, 10:29
Posted by Osprey Picture Credit: WoWHead, by adashiel. The plan for The Oroborus Thursday night was to head back to Leotheras the Blind, in Serpentshrine…
- Blog Azeroth Shared Topic: Preparing for WotLK (4)
June 19, 2008, 17:31
Blog Azeroth: You know 'em and you love 'em! Well, they/we have a new shared topic. I'm a little late to the ballgame here, but I want to let you all know how…
- Post Script: Tidewalker Down (5)
June 18, 2008, 08:28
We went back last night. We slapped the trash around almost as if they weren't there. (Alright, maybe not quite that easily, but where we had 5, 6, 8 people…
- Tidewalker 1, The Oroborus 1 (1)
June 17, 2008, 00:21
Written by Osprey Picture Credit: Norrec, via WoW Head No, we didn't one-shot Tidewalker. Nor did we two-shot him: We only had time for one…
- That Was The Week That Was (7)
June 16, 2008, 11:52
I apologize for the un-flashy title. As I write this, I'm watching the 18-hole playoff between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate for the US Open Golf Championship.…
- Questward Ho! (11)
June 9, 2008, 14:16
If you are an habitué of the Blog Azeroth chatroom, much of what follows isn't exactly news. But since I know most of you aren't, I thought an update on where…
- Featured Blog: generic hunter blog #3412 (Heroine Chick) (2)
June 6, 2008, 09:54
First things first: I'm going to try to make this a weekly (Friday) feature. No guarantees, stated or implied. However, since I think I'm on a roll (2 weeks…
- Add-On Review: Possessions (7)
June 4, 2008, 05:00
Possessions: We all have them. We fill our inventory with them, we fill our bank slots with them. We buy bigger bags, or even create alts who form a bank…
- Hunter Tip From A Priest: How NOT to Wipe Your Group (10)
June 2, 2008, 12:40
You all know I have a very strong affinity for Hunters. (If you didn't know, welcome to Kestrel's Aerie! ) So it is with mixed feelings that I write this…
- A New Hunter Aspect: Capricious (Blog) (3)
May 31, 2008, 19:38
Yet another hunter blog has emerged from the haze. Itsnoteasy writes Aspect of the Capricious (which has me wondering how that would really work in WoW), a new…
- Is YOUR Nether Twisted? (3)
May 27, 2008, 10:05
Got your attention there, didn't I? Good! Because now that I have it, I want to direct it to a brand-new blogcast (podcast by bloggers). Created by Breana of…
- An Alternative to Sonic Spear? (5)
May 27, 2008, 05:55
Recently, I reached Exalted status with the Shattered Sun Offensive (SSO)—you know, those people headquartered on Quel'Danas, for whom we do ridiculously…
- You Reap What You Sow (11)
May 26, 2008, 10:58
This morning, I'm out in Nagrand mining. I see a vein, and approach it. There's a dwarf and a draenei by it, and the dwarf is just jumping up and down. I watch…
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May 22, 2008, 08:12
I'm not going to go into a long diatribe against Blizzard. That's neither my intent nor my desire. What I do want to do is focus your attention on one person…
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May 21, 2008, 13:24
Last night, RavenLoft hit Karazhan. Well, we gave it a love tap. It seems the respawn timer on the trash before Attumen was running fast: Every time we got to…
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May 19, 2008, 08:30
The other day, I was looking at my Google Reader reading list, and I was also making a couple additions and fixes to my blogroll. Both are fairly sizable; the…
- Osprey Finally Sees Kara (3)
May 18, 2008, 23:31
I was running SSO dailies when I got a /tell from a friend and former guildmate, "Would you like to heal the last boss in Kara? Please say yes! *begs*.&quo…
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May 16, 2008, 09:57
Just as I was about to log out last night, a friend linked a pattern she was looking at in the Auction Hall. And only 500g! I thought about it for maybe 2…
- Multiphase Survey: Now a Single-Phase Reward (16)
May 14, 2008, 10:01
In an undocumented change in patch 2.4.2, the Shattered Sun Offensive daily quest, "The Multiphase Survey," obtained from Harbinger Haronem near the…
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May 12, 2008, 12:00
I know: Pretty blah title for a weekend that was really quite eventful (at least for me). As many of you know, I've been talking about my desire to run more…
- New to the Blogroll -- Full Time Something, Part Time Druid, and Noobiewan (2)
May 9, 2008, 13:56
So in the Blog Azeroth chatroom this afternoon, I was talking in to Fimlys, of Asleep at the WoW. I noted my Entrecard was on his blog today, but the Aerie was…
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May 8, 2008, 11:39
Last night, Talonis was hoping to get another shot at Magister's Terrace. Things happened (or didn't, such as the lack of a healer). Instead, the group decided…
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May 6, 2008, 09:18
Site Notes: If you've visited recently, thank you! You may have noticed a couple coding problems in the sidebars. These are now fixed; my apologies for the…
- CharDev: Improved WoW Resource (10)
April 27, 2008, 14:12
Thanks to Lassirra at The Hunter's Mark for providing a head's up on the recently relaunched CharDev. As the name implies, CharDev is a full-featured character…
- @ TJ (3)
April 14, 2008, 14:34
@TJ: Just 24 hours more to go...you can do it! HANG IN THERE!
- Wonderful New Blog: "Diary of Kirryn - Draenei Princess" (3)
April 12, 2008, 21:35
I really hadn't intended to start a series on new blogs I've found, but this one is so utterly delightful, I simply had to share it. Kirryn's new blog is…
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April 10, 2008, 14:01
I have Rhoelyn at Points of Convergence to thank for the newest addition to my blogroll. In a recent article, she linked to Batgrl's new blog, Warcraft and…
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April 8, 2008, 14:06
I know other bloggers have done this, but for me it's a way to break the writer's block. Here are 10 search terms that led folks to the Aerie yesterday: hunter…
- The Noob: An MMORPG Web Comic
April 4, 2008, 12:36
Clichequest lives up to its name, in spades! The artist who draws the strip describes it thusly: "Adventures and misadventures of Ohforfsake, a n00b in the…
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April 3, 2008, 10:05
In my blog reading today, I came across an article by Dinaer at Forever A Noob, discussing the progress of Normal realms compared to PvP realms in achieving…
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April 2, 2008, 10:43
First, the note. If you subscribe in a reader, you'll probably see Talonis as the author of this article. I decided with the update to WordPress 2.5, purely as…
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March 31, 2008, 10:59
Last week, I was QQing over Falken's lousy PvP skills. I received quite a bit of good advice, and while Falken still sucks, at least I can get him up to the…
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March 25, 2008, 08:44
After having studiously avoided reading any consolidated PTR patch notes (reading excerpts and analysis is impossible given all the blogs out here!), I took…
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March 24, 2008, 15:46
Pike put up an outstanding article at Aspect of the Hare on Beast Mastery and the Zen of Shot Rotation. If you're a BM hunter, go read her article. Become…
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March 22, 2008, 09:51
I'm talking about on my Rogue, Falken. Yesterday I got the second of his PvP daggers, the (complete with enchant) to go with my . Now I realize weapons alone…
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March 21, 2008, 07:50
Okay, we all know you're a student, and you're Canadian. So let's flesh this out a bit: What university, why that one, what are you studying, when…
- Why I don't like Frost Mages in PvP (3)
March 21, 2008, 07:41
Ratshag started it. I'm just continuing the theme.
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March 19, 2008, 15:05
Matticus has issued a challenge to me, among others, to post an article springing from the headlines in a recent issue of Cosmopolitan. (No, I have no clue why…
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March 17, 2008, 10:24
"Alliance Always Wins AV"...Don't We?As you probably know (if you play the battlegrounds at all), this past weekend was Alterac Valley honor weekend.…
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March 15, 2008, 09:33
Yes, I know I've been slacking of late. I've been having way too much fun playing (especially BGs) to write at night, and too busy at work to do more than try…
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March 10, 2008, 10:36
Ever since I discovered A Dwarf Priesta couple months ago, I've been wowed by the outstanding quality and insightful depth of every article. Dwarf Priest has…
- Rejoice! Druid Lifebloom Un-nerfed (2)
March 8, 2008, 09:50
Over at Resto4Heal, Phaelia reports the latest from the PTR and patch 2.4: The nerf to Lifebloom has been reversed, and in fact now will only affect the bloom…
- "The Scout Report" -- A WoW Web Comic (1)
March 7, 2008, 10:44
Thanks to Ratshag for turning me on to this excellent web comic. I'm hoping it'll fill the void left by the absence of Hammer of Grammar in recent months. And…
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March 7, 2008, 09:03
If you read any Druid blogs, you should be very aware of the change to Lifebloom (the defining spell of Restoration Druids—often, the healers for Main Tanks…
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March 6, 2008, 10:35
I've been adding blogs to Google Reader like crazy lately; today, I'm trying to get them into my blogroll. The first one I added has become an immediate…
- Sig Update - Final Version (1)
February 20, 2008, 13:33
As I mentioned the other day, Bansidhe made a fantabulous couple of graphic signatures for me. The final version, which I'm about to install at Blog Azeroth,…
- I LOL'd (1)
February 20, 2008, 10:27
Pellegri is an affliction 'lock who writes at /emofire. Head over there right now and read this joke. I cracked up! Definitely safe for work, and is a great…
- We Can Haz Signaturez! (2)
February 18, 2008, 18:57
With tons and tons of thanks to Bansidhe for the following: Now I just need to figure out where, when and how to display them.…
- What Is So Hard About BG Strategy? (17)
February 18, 2008, 11:55
Battlegrounds...BGs..."Horde always wins"..."Allies always win"If you live on a PvE server (as I do), chances are BGs are your first…
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February 15, 2008, 12:15
Between Blog Azeroth and EntreCard, my Google Reader (and subsequently, my blogroll) is exploding! Note to self: If you're going to post these updates, do it…
- We Get Letters! (11)
February 14, 2008, 18:20
This morning, I was reading TJ's blog, and commented on a recent article. Part of my comment was, "I just wish readers would email me asking my advice on…
- PvP Class Tips at A Dwarf Priest (5)
February 12, 2008, 10:29
I don't know how many of you read A Dwarf Priest, but I'm guessing more of you should, and more of you will, especially if you engage in PvP. She's just posted…
- Just A Quick Update From the Weekend (8)
February 11, 2008, 11:06
On Saturday, my second Hunter, Sparverius, hit Level 70 (please, hold the applause...but gifts are welcome!). Spar's been leveling up with two Shadow Priests,…
- 'Tis the Season When a Young (or Old) Adventurer's Fancy... (1)
February 10, 2008, 23:12
...turns to thoughts of love. Monday through Friday, "Love is in the Air" takes center stage in Azeroth (and, one presumes, in Outland). DwarfPriestes…
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February 9, 2008, 11:06
A if you can tell us from whom or what that line originates. (Like how I did that? Because a preposition is a bad thing to end a sentence with.)Yes, I have a…
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February 8, 2008, 12:25
So after my enjoyable first foray into battle grounds on Tuesday, I did some more on Wednesday. This was after respeccing (okay, is it respecing or respeccing?…
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February 6, 2008, 10:05
Remember this? Click over real quick-like and refresh your memory. We're not going anywhere...Okay, welcome back. Yeah, that wall of pink, I know...the things…
- Blogroll Additions
February 2, 2008, 11:49
Let me tell you, Blog Azeroth has done a LOT for both my feed reader and my blogroll! So herewith are the fruits of other peoples' labor, in no particular…
- Matticus asks Kestrel "20 Questions" (5)
February 1, 2008, 22:14
Continuing his new weekly feature of interviewing other WoW Bloggers, Matticus honored me (well, I thought he said it would be an honor..but he put that funny…
- Blizzard Wins an Important Round Against Gold Spammers
February 1, 2008, 17:44
Over at WoW Insider, Mike Schramm just reported that Blizzard has secured an injunction against an in-game gold spamming group. Citing an article at Virtually…
- Thank You--All 10,000 of you!!! (7)
February 1, 2008, 14:53
- Blog Azeroth Community Topic: Why I Enjoy My Hunter (7)
January 28, 2008, 16:38
Over at Blog Azeroth, Siha of Banana Shoulders suggested we (the Blog Azeroth community) all write on a common topic. To get the ball rolling, she proposed…
- This is the post I really didn't want to write. (3)
January 23, 2008, 20:55
It seems there is a sickness invading the blogging world of Warcraft. It's the same sickness we've been fighting since about the second week of retail release:…
- Blog Azeroth (and Outland Too!) (2)
January 23, 2008, 18:04
Phaelia and Valenna just created a new site by and for WoW bloggers and prospective bloggers: Blog Azeroth. Blog Azeroth isn't a blog; rather, it's a…
- A Shout-Out to WoW Insider (2)
January 23, 2008, 07:45
I just want to take a quick moment to thank Amanda Miller at WoW Insider for highlighting my recent article on First Aid in this morning's Breakfast Topic.…
- It Was a VERY Good Sunday (11)
January 20, 2008, 23:31
On the Wings of Dragons It all started at midnight, as most days do. In this case, the start wasn't good: My friends Mysty and Swissy had just been…
- What do you mean, you didn't train First Aid?? (23)
January 18, 2008, 14:22
Over at Bremm's Musings, Bremm wrote about secondary skills. You know, the ones you took on one or two characters, but never really leveled up? Fishing,…
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January 16, 2008, 18:50
Err...the pun in the title was totally unintended, but I did make myself grin when I realized what I did there. At any rate, this particular rant is for…
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January 15, 2008, 16:03
I promise I'll have some WoW-related content Real Soon Now. Honest. However, I've spent the better part of a slow workday trying to catch up on my Google…
- Warlock Site Added to the Blogroll (2)
January 14, 2008, 14:08
I realize most of you don't play warlocks as your main (but at least one does); however, I'm sure many of you have dabbled in the demonic arts. Heck, even I…
- W00t! (4)
January 11, 2008, 14:14
The word of the year for 2007 is just as appropriate in 2008: w00t! As I write this, my miner/jewelcrafter, Falken, is now sitting on the princely sum of…
- Guest Essay: Battlegrounds for Beginners (3)
January 10, 2008, 15:09
“A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” - Napoleon Bonaparte, on Honor Today's article is a guest essay from my BFF Nyssa.…
- Blogging Blahs (3)
January 8, 2008, 07:38
I have a severe case of writer's block. (You never would have guessed? You're too kind.) I think part of the problem is, I haven't been doing much in game…
- Odds'n'Ends (2)
January 4, 2008, 14:28
It's the end of the week, and I'm odd. 'Nuff said on that topic. ;) A couple blogs I want to highlight for you, in case you haven't seen 'em yet: Ladies…
- The Daily Grind: Netherwing (8)
December 31, 2007, 17:38
Daily quests: Easy cash, some faction, nice parting gifts. What's not to like?Ever since a friend gave me a Christmas present of the rest of the gold I needed…
- Blizzard: The Grinch? (6)
December 24, 2007, 12:43
Well, it's happened again, this time to an officer in Aetherial Circle (BRK's guild on Drenden). The account holder was able to recover the account, briefly,…
- A Pally Blog With an Attitude (But go read it anyway)
December 22, 2007, 09:21
First of all, thanks to BRK for linking this blog today. Second: I almost never highlight a single blog when adding to my blogroll. However, this is my blog,…
- Holiday Vacation Special: What Got Me Into WoW? (5)
December 21, 2007, 08:59
Over at Zanderfin's blog, he asked the question, "Who got you into WoW?" Then, Trollin' picked up on the meme on his blog, which is where I…
- Another Day, Another PUG...and Lessons Learned (8)
December 18, 2007, 23:11
There wasn't much going on tonight, so I figured I should go on a mining run with my Jewelcrafter (Falken, 70 Rogue). Just for grins, though, I logged into…
- Finally: Tales from the PUG Zone (13)
December 16, 2007, 16:38
Several of you have seen my comments on your blogs about my hesitancy to try pick-up groups (PUGs). But this weekend, I finally bit the bullet, and for the…
- Some Winter Veil Tips (1)
December 16, 2007, 10:40
And a happy Feast of Winter Veil to you! I hope Greatfather Winter (GFW) is being kind to you and yours.Some quick tips for doing some of the Winter Veil…
- This Week's Blogroll Adds
December 14, 2007, 08:48
Without further ado:Og's Ledger—"Sharing my experience on how to make gold and live the good life in World of Warcraft (WOW)." Lots of tips on how…
- Call to Arms (7)
December 13, 2007, 12:51
I am shamelessly stealing the title of this post from Kirk's post at Priestly Endeavors, in response to Breana's article, "Compromised," at Gun…
- 5 Worst Wipes (4)
December 12, 2007, 16:46
Bremm has tagged me to follow Pelides' lead in describing my five worst wipes. I thought about begging off, since I don't raid (yet--we're working on it,…
- More than Child's Play (1)
December 11, 2007, 13:54
Many of you, I'm sure, are familiar with the great work done by Jon and Shelbi at The Bronze Kettle, in support of Child's Play. If you aren't aware of this…
- WTT the Trade Channel (8)
December 10, 2007, 07:37
Is your server like mine? The Trade Channel is the new General Chat. I swear I lose brain cells reading the dreck written by twinks, arena/BG player (if…
- Warcrafter: A New 5-Star Resource (3)
December 9, 2007, 11:34
Thanks to BigRedKitty for letting us all know about a new site out there that is everything the Armory should be. This new site is Warcrafter.net, and it…
- A Little Trip to Sethekk Halls
December 8, 2007, 10:26
This week marked the return of one of our Level 70s, who's been on a school-induced hiatus (graduate school, electrical engineering). To celebrate his return I…
- New Kids on the Blog(roll), and a New 5-Star Blog (4)
December 6, 2007, 09:23
First things first: I'm pleased to announce another addition to my 5-Star Blogs: Welcome, Galadria's Holy Light. Her Holy Priest Raiding Guide is one of the…
- Cooking 375!
December 3, 2007, 16:45
Talonis has had maxed cooking for ages, so the daily cooking quests were quite welcome when they debuted in 2.3. Osprey the Priest, however, never learned to…
- Shadow Lab Redux, and an Epiphany (3)
December 3, 2007, 15:08
Saturday, we managed to get five level 70s grouped for another foray into the Shadow Labyrinth. Our party was led and tanked by Weyland, our erstwhile prot…
- A Clarification on Lesson #4 (6)
December 3, 2007, 14:02
In my article on five life lessons learned, I included a paragraph that Big Bear Butt Blogger responded to an a very eloquent manner. He's given me pause, and…
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December 2, 2007, 11:31
The parent of this article is Jon's challenge from The Bronze Kettle to five bloggers, including myself, to list five lessons learned from gaming. (If you're…
- Playing Catch-Up: This and That, Here and There (3)
November 29, 2007, 13:19
It says here that today is Thursday already--a week since Thanksgiving! I'm so far behind, I may never catch up. But I'm going to give it the ol' bloggage…
- Some Quickie - and Handy - Pet Macros (3)
November 24, 2007, 11:47
While commenting on a post by Pike at Aspect of the Hare, I mentioned a combat healing macro I use to keep my pet healthy. Then I mentioned a combo feed/mend…
- A Tip for Crafters (8)
November 21, 2007, 14:13
I have a couple Rogues with maxed Lockpicking. I have a Leatherworker at 370. My Enchanter is in the 370 range, and my Jewelcrafter is maxed.When I hang out in…
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November 16, 2007, 11:17
So many great reads out there! And I'm soooo faaaar behiiiiind...Lady Jess — Holy Priest blog with frequent posts, heavy on "what’s happening"…
- Oops…
November 16, 2007, 10:02
BRK recently posted a digest of Blizzard comments from the official hunter forums. This one caught my eye (my hunter, Talonis, is a leatherworker, but he…
- 2.3 and Me (4)
November 14, 2007, 12:30
First things first: Kudos to Blizzard for the smoothest major patch ever! The first two concerns every player has on patch day are (1) how bad's the lag going…
- Add-On of the Week: Prat 2.0 (3)
November 10, 2007, 23:37
Prat Summary Add-On Name Prat Category Chat/Communication Ace2-based? Ace Download: Yes …
- Bloglights: November 2 - 8 (1)
November 9, 2007, 13:35
As I mentioned a couple days ago, I was out of town (and pretty much afk) most of this week, so my apologies for not having a nice list of quality articles for…
- WoW + Linux: Yes, it can be done! (1)
November 4, 2007, 12:37
Over at Aspect of the Hare, Pike has posted an outstanding Q&A about running WoW under Linux. She's also posted links to several "how-to"…
- *snicker* (2)
November 2, 2007, 15:49
Over at Mystic Chicanery, Nibuca mentioned wanting WoW Player Ratings, kind of like E-bay's feedback ratings. She closed comments on that post, but I just…
- Add-On Overview (5)
November 2, 2007, 12:27
Over at Outland Bound, Ess wrote about some of her experiences with add-ons. In a comment to that post, a reader named Sherri posted, “I am weary about…
- All-Star Blogging: October 26 - November 1 (3)
November 1, 2007, 23:29
With the NBA season tipping off this week, why not the time-honored Converse All Star to lead off this week's digest? (Pause for pre-teen nostalgia moment...)Ma…
- Beware: New AH/Trade Channel Scam Afoot (3)
November 1, 2007, 10:32
Znodis over at the Mystic Hunter blog posted info on a new scam that may be showing up on your server any minute now. Essentially, the scammer puts up an…
- OMGooses! We’re (almost) famous! (3)
October 30, 2007, 16:59
Looking at my blog stats earlier today, I was happily surprised at a sharp jump in hits--especially on the 10 Commandments post. Then I noticed I had 53 hits…
- So much to do, so little time… (2)
October 30, 2007, 11:10
Author's Note: No real substance here; feel free to skip this one. I really need some focus, or something. I'm trying to get my Hunter, Talonis, through the…
- It’s Official: AWDY’s Going to Raid. (4)
October 26, 2007, 16:24
Well, in the name of full disclosure, we're at least talking about it. Our GL put up an interest post on our guildsite yesterday. Now the challenge is to get…
- Tales from the Blog Lagoon: Oct. 19 - 25 (6)
October 26, 2007, 07:44
Welcome to another edition of the week that was! As you may have noticed, I post this article on Fridays (except when I'm, say, in Hawai'i), so each Friday I…
- So When Do the Brooms Go Boom? (2)
October 25, 2007, 12:19
According to WoW Insider, we can expect our Hallow's End brooms--green, blue, and purple, to disappear after November 1, the last day of the Hallow's End…
- Temerity Jane: Exalted with WoW
October 23, 2007, 19:11
Many of you read TJ's blog. I do; my only excuse for not adding it to the blogroll before now is because it isn't strictly WoW-related all the time. Well,…
- A New 5-Star Blog (1)
October 23, 2007, 13:32
Hardly a new blog, Lassirra's Hunter's Mark blog is a virtual cornucopia of hunter-related information. Her recently-concluded 3-part series outlining the…
- Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good
October 23, 2007, 09:44
So last night, Are we Done Yet (AWDY) went into SM for the third night in a row to take on the headless horseman. We again went as a raid group (6 of us, so…
- Yes, Virginia, there ARE girls on the Internet! (7)
October 21, 2007, 11:48
This article was prompted by a post by Pike at Aspect of the Hare. I have to say, she gave me a chuckle, but I thought I just might want to make sure there…
- Headless Horseman: Ringless & Broomless too! (2)
October 21, 2007, 02:05
So after a day of running around Blade's Edge and Netherstorm, getting our warrior tank and a pally to 70, we decided to try the Headless Horseman. Our…
- Add-On of the Week: ClearFont (5)
October 20, 2007, 15:09
I don't know about you, but I find most of the default World of Warcraft fonts to be difficult to read on a large display (mine is a 24" widescreen; I've…
- Kestrel’s Ten Commandments for Casual Groups (9)
October 19, 2007, 15:40
It's time, I think, for some serious commentary. Because this is a blog targeted at "casual" players of WoW, the following is not intended to, and…
- Bloglights: October 12 - 18 (5)
October 19, 2007, 07:12
Sorry for the abbreviated nature of the post this week; blame it on the mahi-mahi and the mai tais I was enjoying last week! Aloha! (Saturday night I was…
- I hate “catch-up” time! (5)
October 16, 2007, 19:16
Coming back from vacation is as much un-fun as 8 days in Hawai'i is fun. I didn't even get through all my e-mails today, and there were only 57--half of which…
- Bloglights: September 28 - October 4 (1)
October 5, 2007, 07:09
Pelides at Hunter Mayhem has an excellent dissertation on his definition of "Casual Raider" (although he never says that's what it is). A terrific read. C…
- Voice Chat: Initial Observations (12)
October 2, 2007, 09:55
So voice chat was rolled out on the remaining US realms Monday... huzzah, right? Well, how about the good, the bad, and the ugly? The Good: We had somewhere…
- Merci beaucoup! (3)
October 1, 2007, 16:41
For you non-Francophiles, the title is French for "Thanks very much"--for the mention we received in a couple French-language WoW blogs: La Database de…
- Addon of the Week: FuBar vs. Titan Panel (7)
September 29, 2007, 11:01
EDIT - November 11, 2008: This article is somewhat obsolete as we approach Wrath of the Lich King. Please see my later article, "Move Over Fubar: There's A New…
- The Week in Review: Blog Highlights for Sept. 21-27 (1)
September 28, 2007, 07:14
Because of the patch this week, it seemed to me to be a relatively slow week. Or I was just slow to start noting standout bloggings. But that's okay--the cream…
- My Reaction to the Preliminary 2.3 Patch Notes
September 27, 2007, 16:35
WoW Insider just published an article with a lot of tidbits about the now-eagerly-anticipated 2.3 patch, which some guesses are putting at a November release. H…
- Just a little crowing…
September 26, 2007, 23:24
Or whatever birds of prey do... Osprey now has his Primal Mooncloth Robe, to complete the set! Thanks to a free primal mooncloth creation (my mats, of course)…
- Down with Mailbox Spam!
September 25, 2007, 20:00
Okay, I've now found something to thoroughly dislike about the 2.2 patch: Auction House mail spam. If you haven't seen or heard about it yet, when you sell an…
- Patch 2.2: Underwhelming?
September 25, 2007, 16:56
By now I'm sure you've all read the 2.2 patch notes, and have probably even logged in post-patch. For a patch that seemed to have the gestation period of an…
- Jewelcrafting: The good, the bad, the ugly. (2)
September 24, 2007, 11:00
The Good: This morning before I left for work, I logged in to find I'd won an auction for a Skyfire Diamond for <75g. Woot! I immediately cut that into a…
- Addon of the Week: Ace2 (3)
September 22, 2007, 16:03
The cognoscenti among you are probably going "huh?" Strictly speaking, Ace2 is not an addon; rather (from the WowAce Wiki) , "Ace2 is a…
- UI Add-On of the Week (Coming Soon!) (5)
September 21, 2007, 14:12
There are literally thousands of add-ons available to enhance and extend the WoW user interface (UI). A project I am going to start is to highlight at least…
- This week’s bloglights: Sept. 14-20 (1)
September 21, 2007, 07:41
The week started with some classic BRK: In this post, he addresses speccing hunter pets for instances, and discusses the merits of one upper-level chestpiece…
- Wow…just…wow. (3)
September 20, 2007, 12:02
! As I think I mentioned a long (in Internet terms!) time ago, I got started on this blog after finding BigRedKitty, then other blogs. So today, BRK happened…
- Xornot’s Gem Finder — A 5-Star Resource
September 19, 2007, 16:09
My new favorite WoW resource is Xornot's Gem Finder, which bills itself as “a comprehensive guide to World of Warcraft socketable gems and jewels.” (Thanks…
- We Need Help!
September 17, 2007, 11:59
Specifically, my rogues do (well, I know one of them does, and I suspect the other does as well). To recap: I have two Level 70 Rogues. Falken is a miner/jewelc…
- More Blogs Added
September 14, 2007, 17:25
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September 14, 2007, 09:59
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September 11, 2007, 16:00
I'm starting to think what I want to do, can't be done given the current limitations on macros, but perhaps I'm missing something--something one of you might…
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September 6, 2007, 10:50
Lots more good stuff this week, and a few new blogs to check out (well, new to me!). By the way, I should mention that I've tried to make all the links open a…
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September 5, 2007, 16:04
Once upon a time (and not so long ago, at that), I considered the term "theorycraft" and its derivatives to be a term, if not one of derision, certainly not…
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August 31, 2007, 10:46
So as I logged in last night, all ready to level up my Hunter, Talonis, to 68, my tank (who also has a Level 67 MM) says to me, "Coilfang?" So much for…
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August 30, 2007, 16:34
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August 28, 2007, 23:27
It's no secret that most holy priests are less than enamored of the Holy tree's 41-point talent, Circle of Healing. For that matter, CoH is a big reason a lot…
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August 28, 2007, 15:54
Last night, a guildie whispered to me that he couldn't find my macro blog. It then hit me that I'd deleted that blog from Blogger before I copied my posts on…
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In all the hustle and bustle of changing blogs, as well as having a birthday over the weekend, I completely forgot about one of the highlights of my gaming…
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August 24, 2007, 11:47
As you may know, last night we planned to tackle Botanica, in Netherstorm. Our GM is an alchemist, and our goal was to help her complete her potion spec quest…
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August 23, 2007, 15:13
...or perhaps more accurately, why I am a casual player:Over at Priestly Endeavors, Kirk's put up three articles comparing the relative merits of (1) Divine…
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August 23, 2007, 11:55
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August 22, 2007, 12:02
I started playing WoW during open beta, in a guild made up primarily of forum moderators and staff members from IGN’s Vault Network, where I was a moderator/f…
- So you want to modify your UI? Part 3: Your first macro.
August 21, 2007, 16:44
Elsewhere on this blog, I've pointed you to WoW Wiki's "How to write a macro" and in future posts, I'll link to specific macro sites (for hunters, rogues,…
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August 17, 2007, 16:08
Over at Priestly Endeavors is the article I wanted to write to introduce add-ons, but Kirk did a much better job than I could, so check out the link and then…
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August 17, 2007, 15:38
First, I'm going to assume you're familiar with the basic WoW interface (hereinafter called the "UI"). If not, go play with the different options to see what…
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August 17, 2007, 10:36
That's a very good question, and is debated ad nauseum on the official forums, as well as on unofficial forums. My working definition is in the first post…
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August 16, 2007, 14:57
What follows is a rant: You have been warned. I'm an add-on addict (guess that means I have an addiction?). Ever since I discovered the joys of Decal for…
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August 16, 2007, 08:37
I thought I might try to share, on a weekly basis, some of the items that I've really enjoyed during the past week (or in this case, past couple weeks). I need…
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What Is This? Every Monday, I document the happenings of the past week. The original (and still primary) intent is to track my progress in meeting my writing…
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What Is This? Every Friday Monday, I document the happenings of the past seven days. The original (and still primary) intent is to track my progress in…
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What Is This? Every Friday, I document the happenings of the past seven days. The original (and still primary) intent is to track my progress in meeting my…
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If I weren't an American, I'd want to be a Canadian. I used to think I'd want to be an Aussie, or a Kiwi. But the past fortnight has brought home to me just…
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This post started as a reply to comments on the preceding article, but I figured, why not make it a post in its own right? So here it is... It's been a great…
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What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing…
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What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing…
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June 3, 2009, 17:35
Mrs. Kestrel and I leave Thursday morning for 30-day “working vacation” to Illinois and thence to California. While I know there hasn’t been a lot of…
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In quite a poignant article today, Big Red Kitty (known to all as BRK) announced his departure from World of Warcraft and blogging. @temerityjanebroke the…
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Me! I mean, Meme! Wait, what? Ahh yes, it’s that time again. I’ve been tagged once more, this time by the most elegant and charming, yet misguided (see…
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March 6, 2009, 09:51
Just a note to my loyal readers (and anyone else who stumbles across the Aerie), I’m leaving for the airport in about 90 minutes to fly to California. The…
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February 22, 2008, 12:08
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September 23, 2011, 11:46
Tomorrow is National Punctuation Day, and to mark that auspicious occasion, Mr. John E. McIntyre, who plies his trade at the Baltimore Sun, has a few things…
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June 18, 2011, 13:14
Are you a writer? Are you a writer in search of kindred souls? Are you a writer who'd like to join a casual but dedicated support group? If you answered "yes"…
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April 21, 2011, 10:52
Now don't get too excited: this post is not about beginning a new WIP (although I have done that, but that's not germane) (not today, at any rate). I know…
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March 25, 2011, 13:02
Nothing to see here...move along. So yeah...nothing to report on Throne because I haven't looked at it since I last posted. I have done a bunch of other…
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March 14, 2011, 11:33
Welcome to Daylight Saving Time. My sympathies to you who had to get up early this morning. On the other hand, those of us in more northerly climes can…
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March 8, 2011, 09:33
Hello again, and welcome back to the continuing saga...wait. If you read the title of this article, you know it's a continuing saga ("Update #3" was a dead…
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March 4, 2011, 07:29
That's right: National Grammar Day is back! This year marks the fourth annual celebration of writing right, and is hosted by New York Times bestselling author…
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March 3, 2011, 07:23
Welcome back for the second in my series of articles on my writing odyssey from (extremely) rough draft to finished novel. If you recall from Monday's…
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February 28, 2011, 22:46
Welcome to the first of what I trust will be many updates on my work-in-progress (WIP), The Obsidian Throne – Book 1: The Magic Returns. As I wrote last…
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February 4, 2011, 13:02
Welcome to February, and to what seems to be a trend here lately: my monthly post on the blog. The good news is, I'm hopeful the funk is over, and I'll be…
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December 31, 2010, 17:51
In a few hours, the second decade of the second millenium begins. If I were the sort of person who spends a lot of time looking back, I could probably fill a…
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November 29, 2010, 13:03
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November 13, 2010, 09:38
As I've written elsewhere, I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month 2010. I'm quite excited about my work-in-progress (WIP), a fantasy novel that…
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October 31, 2010, 05:50
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October 30, 2010, 10:00
No, I don't have a lisp. Silly people! As I write this on Saturday morning, I'm about forty-eight hours away from embarking on a month-long voyage of…
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October 6, 2010, 11:35
Besides football, November is also known for the international obsession known as National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. (There are some who think of it…
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September 24, 2010, 10:59
Today is National Punctuation Day. In honor of the first holiday of the season (you know...NPD, Halloween, Thanksgiving (or Thanksgiving, Halloween if you're…
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June 26, 2010, 11:07
Anticipation. Interesting word, that. Not quite an emotion, but anticipation can certainly give rise to conflicting emotions. Take the period between the…
- Street of Hope
June 24, 2010, 06:06
This is the third story based on a prompt from our Wavewriters group. Today's prompt: Scent of a baby. My squad was assigned to the south side of the Rue…
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June 23, 2010, 06:06
In Monday's post, I mentioned some writing friends and I had started using Google's Wave to discuss writing. One of those Waves is a prompt that Breana puts up…
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June 22, 2010, 06:28
The Eldest woke before the sun, as always. He made his way down the sturdy wooden ladder to the valley floor and walked slowly to the river. Yesterday's…
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June 21, 2010, 14:48
What Is This? Every Monday, I document the happenings of the past week. The original (and still primary) intent is to track my progress in meeting my writing…
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May 12, 2010, 13:28
Today’s offering had its genesis in the latest Saucy Wenches podcast from Tami and Iris. The writing prompt for May is “weed” (from Tami) and “towel”…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: May 10 (4)
May 10, 2010, 12:00
What Is This? Every Monday, I document the happenings of the past seven days. The original (and still primary) intent is to track my progress in meeting my…
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May 6, 2010, 12:00
I have written about Scrivener before. However, as I continue to use it, I find it even more useful as I discover (read: use for the first time) new features.…
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May 3, 2010, 12:36
What Is This? Every Friday Monday, I document the happenings of the past seven days. The original (and still primary) intent is to track my progress in…
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April 20, 2010, 11:21
I was having trouble sleeping one night this past weekend (I blame restless cats), and tried to lull myself back to sleep while daydreaming (I know, I…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: April 16
April 16, 2010, 08:54
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing goals as…
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April 9, 2010, 10:46
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing goals as…
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April 6, 2010, 15:23
Confusables Recently, the fine folks at copyediting.com began a new series of podcasts to address what they call "confusables": those word pairs that give a…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: March 26 (8)
March 26, 2010, 10:25
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing goals as…
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March 24, 2010, 10:38
How's that for an unenlightening title for a blog post? Of course, now you want to know what challenge I accepted, but you're probably scoffing at my timidity…
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March 22, 2010, 16:32
If you write much at all, you are probably aware that you have a “favorite” punctuation mark. (By favorite, I don’t necessarily mean “favorite.” I…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: March 19
March 19, 2010, 11:45
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing…
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March 12, 2010, 10:22
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing…
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March 10, 2010, 13:10
I’ve had a difficult time this week coming up with blog topics. I looked in my Idea Box, and was greeted with things like “commas,” “dashes and…
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March 5, 2010, 07:02
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing…
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March 4, 2010, 06:10
Believe it or not, today--March 4--is National Grammar Day. To help celebrate this auspicious occasion, and to further grammar education throughout the…
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February 23, 2010, 14:58
While flailing about, trying to come up with a post worthy of your time, Tami suggested this topic. I was looking for something quick, easy, and brainless, but…
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February 11, 2010, 20:32
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing…
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February 4, 2010, 14:55
For some reason, discussion of comma splices is on the upswing lately. I've run across it at least three times in recent weeks; most recently, at Copyediting's…
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February 3, 2010, 11:35
Each episode of the Saucy Wenches Podcast includes a two-word writing prompt. These prompts are intended to spur creative writing, by using the prompt words in…
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February 2, 2010, 09:27
I was talking with a friend on Saturday, and our discussion caused my thoughts to spin off on a totally unrelated tangent (although I eventually brought it…
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January 26, 2010, 19:17
For the past year or so, each time we went on a trip—Hawai'i, California, St. Louis, back to Hawai'i over Christmas, and again to California this week—I've…
- Weekly Word Count: January 22 (11)
January 22, 2010, 10:44
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing…
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January 20, 2010, 10:44
Wouldn’t writing in English be so much easier if we could just write out words, or combinations of words, the way they sound? Instead of typing out forget…
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January 18, 2010, 14:07
How about some mad props for the alliterative title? Hopefully, it caught your attention and prompted you to read more. So without further ado…. First,…
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January 15, 2010, 11:26
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this will be a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing goals…
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January 12, 2010, 12:02
This post is the first in what I hope will be a series of short (two minutes to read) articles highlighting commonly confused or misused words. I was reading…
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January 11, 2010, 16:13
When I first discussed grammar and punctuation back in mid-September (was it that long ago?), many of you commented about things I hadn’t included. Today,…
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January 8, 2010, 11:20
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this will be a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing…
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January 7, 2010, 11:52
One of the websites I follow is Copyediting, and in fact, it is listed in the Aerie’s Resources (a very incomplete listing, by the way). A feature of that…
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January 5, 2010, 10:48
As I kick off a new series of grammar and punctuation articles to kick off the new year, I figured we might as well start at the top. Based on a suggestion on…
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December 10, 2009, 15:31
As promised, this article encompasses the information I shared with Bre and Tami during the most recent Saucy Wenches Podcast. If you haven’t downloaded or…
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December 7, 2009, 10:46
Get ready for meatier articles later this week: Today, I visit the Saucy Wenches Podcast, where we'll discuss, for you NaNoWriMo folks, "What next?"…
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December 1, 2009, 14:38
I just received an email today, which advertised a new “super-premium” skin for the Thesis premium WordPress theme. I enjoy reading about new skins, so I…
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November 26, 2009, 15:59
November is not quite over, but neither is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). However, a couple friends of mine, Krizzlybear and Iris Harper, have hit…
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November 19, 2009, 13:54
I think I finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. Unfortunately, I’ve been “grown up” (or at least as grown up as I intend to be) for a…
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October 14, 2009, 11:47
"NaNoWriMo"? What is that, something Mork had for breakfast? Or something he and Mindy did on their honeymoon? In fact, "NaNoWriMo" is…
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September 18, 2009, 15:01
As a follow-on to my post from earlier in the week, I want to further acknowledge some of the comments you made. Let us do that by identifying five common…
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September 16, 2009, 13:26
Today's post introduces a new post category for the Aerie, "Writing." I hope this won't be the only article in this category, but I do hope all are…
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September 2, 2011, 10:25
If so, you've come to the right place! The first 149 people who click the link below and accept may join Google Plus, the (relatively) new social sharing…
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July 11, 2011, 13:03
First of all, in case you only recently started following this blog, I am an unabashed fan of (just about) all things Google. I was an early adopter of Gmail,…
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October 30, 2010, 10:00
No, I don't have a lisp. Silly people! As I write this on Saturday morning, I'm about forty-eight hours away from embarking on a month-long voyage of…
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August 16, 2010, 17:15
Long-time readers of this blog are aware of my affinity for Microsoft’s Windows Live Writer (WLW) as the quintessential blogging tool. I use it in a Windows…
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July 29, 2010, 09:22
Thanks to my outstanding webhost, I was able to change the top-level domain (TLD) for Kestrel's Aerie last night, from kestrelsaerie.us to kestrelsaerie.com.…
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July 28, 2010, 15:23
Why We're Here Earlier today, Tami Moore briefly described her travel from Wisconsin to Texas and back over the weekend just past. She's come to the conclusion…
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July 26, 2010, 15:23
As some of you know, I was parked at our local Verizon Wireless store at 8 a.m. on July 15 to upgrade my cellphone to the new Droid X smartphone from Motorola.…
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July 23, 2010, 17:03
I know most of you are reading this through a feed reader, and most of you doing so, are using Google Reader. However, take a moment to click over to the new…
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July 21, 2010, 10:09
After reading this post from last week, I finalized my decision to abandon the premium WordPress theme I've been using. Yes, that's money down the drain;…
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July 14, 2010, 13:26
There is currently a VERY heated debate going on within the WordPress and Thesis (#wordpress, #thesiswp on Twitter) community regarding whether or not Thesis…
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June 16, 2010, 11:01
Many of you know I've been using the Chrome web browser from Google for several months now (ever since a reliable OS X beta made its appearance, in fact).…
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May 6, 2010, 12:00
I have written about Scrivener before. However, as I continue to use it, I find it even more useful as I discover (read: use for the first time) new features.…
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May 4, 2010, 10:44
Shortly after I moved from the PC platform to the iMac last July, I wrote about blogging software for the Mac. My conclusion then was that the best software…
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April 30, 2010, 10:00
Just a note for the half-dozen of you who may actually read my blog on Friday/over the weekend... *grin* Just kidding; I'm sure there are a least 10 of you!…
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April 27, 2010, 12:00
If you're like me, you get frustrated with Google's Blogspot platform when it comes time to comment, if your blog is not hosted by Google. This is especially…
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February 23, 2010, 14:58
While flailing about, trying to come up with a post worthy of your time, Tami suggested this topic. I was looking for something quick, easy, and brainless, but…
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January 15, 2010, 11:26
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this will be a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing goals…
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December 31, 2009, 03:20
Yes, I know I just posted a 2009 retrospective, but it really wasn't as meaty as I wanted it to be. So following the lead of my wonderful friend Tami, I want…
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December 30, 2009, 10:06
Lifehacker recently polled its readers for their choice of top wallpaper site on the web. After trimming the votes to the top five sites, the votes were…
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December 29, 2009, 14:22
As I write this, I'm sitting at the breakfast bar in in our vaction house on Kaua'i, at about 9:30 in the morning on December 29. It struck me that there are…
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December 7, 2009, 10:46
Get ready for meatier articles later this week: Today, I visit the Saucy Wenches Podcast, where we'll discuss, for you NaNoWriMo folks, "What next?"…
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November 26, 2009, 15:59
November is not quite over, but neither is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). However, a couple friends of mine, Krizzlybear and Iris Harper, have hit…
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November 24, 2009, 16:51
If you take a peek at the preceding article, you'll notice there is now an embedded audio player. It contains a recording of the article, in case you want to…
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November 21, 2009, 10:44
I was looking at Astropixie's blog this morning, as I am wont to do whenever she posts anything. Today's entry is a spectacular animation of what the Earth…
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November 12, 2009, 14:47
Without going into a lot of detail (most of which is documented in the comments to the preceding article) I've uninstalled Intense Debate after a 24-hour…
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November 11, 2009, 14:11
Next time you visit the Aerie, the comments section will look a bit different than in the past: I've just installed and activated Intense Debate (ID), a blog…
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November 10, 2009, 17:31
How many of you have a feed reader full of unread blog articles? Yeah, so do I; currently, my unread count stands at 163 items, mostly in WoW blogs. And…
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November 9, 2009, 16:36
Everyone should know what a black hole is, but in case you don’t, allow me to describe it in what can only be described as “layman’s terms.” A black…
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October 21, 2009, 12:28
As you know, Twitter is a way to microblog in 140 characters or less. But sometimes, 140 just aren't enough. Here are some of my thoughts from earlier today,…
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October 14, 2009, 11:47
"NaNoWriMo"? What is that, something Mork had for breakfast? Or something he and Mindy did on their honeymoon? In fact, "NaNoWriMo" is…
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October 2, 2009, 12:12
Yes, I'm rocking an iMac (and a MacBook Pro) these days, but that doesn't mean I'm not a Windows fan (I think there's a pun there, but I'm too congested and…
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September 25, 2009, 13:53
As I have mentioned, I read a lot of blogs. Right now, I have a bit over 100 subscriptions in Google Reader. But I don't just read the RSS feed. I also have…
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September 24, 2009, 15:07
The working title of this article is "Tell Me What You Think." It will be interesting to see if I come up with a better one before I hit "Publish…
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September 20, 2009, 00:59
In the last 24 hours, I’ve successfully transferred Kestrel’s Aerie to a new web host. With any luck at all, the transfer was completely transparent to all…
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September 15, 2009, 12:39
We Get Mail! Today, I got my first-ever fan letter. As I told Anna, if a manly man such as myself could squee, I'd be squeeing. And then, I actually did squee…
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September 11, 2009, 11:49
Eight years ago today, the world as we knew it changed, forever and irrevocably. While I know there are many, many more posts about that day than I can…
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September 11, 2009, 06:01
While I don't write about World of Warcraft nearly as much as I used to, it's still a very big part of my online life. I probably read about WoW as much as I…
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September 7, 2009, 12:39
About 5 minutes ago, I tweeted, "I *want* to write, but I have nothing to write *about.* At least, nothing that anyone but me would want to read.…
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September 2, 2009, 12:39
Back in my PC days, I played around with Google Chrome a little bit. I liked it well enough, but it clearly wasn't (and in my opinion, still isn't) "ready…
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August 27, 2009, 13:47
"Whaddya mean, 'reader-friendly'? It's in English, what more do you want?" Let's start with why we blog (well, why most of us do, anyway): We want to…
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August 12, 2009, 11:58
Look up there...no, on the right...higher, just under the banner. Yeah...there. Pretty snazzy lil RSS icon...the blue matches the Aerie's color scheme pretty…
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August 7, 2009, 16:44
In this case, a picture is worth much more than a thousand words. How about 2,000 comments: each of them a conversation between you and me. Amazingly, we've…
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August 7, 2009, 01:34
Welcome to the third installment of Friday Five! I don't know about you, but I'm rather impressed with myself for keeping this going for three weeks in a row!…
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August 6, 2009, 14:23
I sure hope no one's been making regular trips to the Aerie to see how the renovations are progressing, because sometimes it seems for every step forward, I'm…
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August 4, 2009, 00:10
...and the stray bits of string, or the occasional misplaced shiny... As you may be able to tell, the Aerie is undergoing a bit of a renovation (no, really!…
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August 2, 2009, 20:48
If you've been visiting the site much over the past week or so, you've probably noticed a lot of changes. Some have been fairly subtle; others (such as the…
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August 1, 2009, 00:33
Inspired by a post from Gina Trapani @ginatrapaniat Smarterware, I just installed the Google Reader Shared Items plugin for WordPress. It allows me to create…
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July 31, 2009, 01:12
Currently, I have 41 active plugins, so limiting this list to just five is not an easy task: I could easily identify a dozen I’d hate to abandon. Instead, I…
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July 29, 2009, 15:07
The Goal Ever since I bought my MacBook Pro, over a year ago, I’ve been seeking a blogging platform for the Mac comparable to Windows Live Writer. What I…
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July 24, 2009, 17:27
Welcome to what I hope will be a weekly feature at the Aerie: A listing of five “things” with a similar theme. This week it happens to be software; next…
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July 9, 2009, 11:17
At this time yesterday (Wednesday) I had no intention of writing this article. In fact, today’s post was going to be “Meanwhile, Back In WoW.” Guess…
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June 20, 2009, 16:06
Friday, Mrs K and I met up with a college friend and her husband for lunch. Karen and I dated briefly at UCLA. During my junior year, “one day at band…
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June 3, 2009, 17:35
Mrs. Kestrel and I leave Thursday morning for 30-day “working vacation” to Illinois and thence to California. While I know there hasn’t been a lot of…
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May 27, 2009, 17:27
As many of you know, I’m the so-called “wikibrarian” (wiki + librarian) for the Twisted Nether Wiki’s Big List of Blogs (or, as I like to call it, the…
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May 18, 2009, 14:55
I don’t do this often—in fact, I’ve never done this before—but because Jason over at Xoxide.com asked so nicely, and because this looks like a totally…
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May 16, 2009, 17:46
No idea why I haven't done this before, and no excuse for not having done it earlier than today, since I've been taking advantage of the feature on other blogs…
- I Blame Softi (Yet Another Meme!) (7)
May 12, 2009, 13:35
Yes, I blame Softthistle, at A Little WoW for Me (aka Softthistle’s Spot) for this one. Here are the “rules”: 1 - Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random…
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April 28, 2009, 09:54
Would someone please forward me the memo on abbreviations, because I seem to have missed it. Specifically, I’m talking about the one where the first…
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April 7, 2009, 12:45
This article is Day 2 of 31 Days to Building a Better Blog. Because you’re reading this, chances are fairly good you play a healer class in WoW, or…
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April 6, 2009, 18:32
As I mentioned at the end of the preceding article, I started Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger series, “31 Days to Build a Better Blog” challenge. My immediate…
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April 6, 2009, 16:13
Sometime over the past weekend, I realized I haven’t done much in the way of updating readers on the progress my WoW characters are making, short of the WoW…
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April 2, 2009, 15:52
You may not see it now, especially if you’re looking at this in a feed reader, but the Aerie is about to undergo a major overhaul (see what I did there?…
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March 31, 2009, 13:30
My good friend Fimlys, of Asleep at the WoW and the Twisted Nether Blogcast, is the latest to tag me for a WoW blog meme. This time, we’re writing haiku. I…
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March 30, 2009, 12:38
In quite a poignant article today, Big Red Kitty (known to all as BRK) announced his departure from World of Warcraft and blogging. @temerityjanebroke the…
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March 25, 2009, 13:32
Me! I mean, Meme! Wait, what? Ahh yes, it’s that time again. I’ve been tagged once more, this time by the most elegant and charming, yet misguided (see…
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March 24, 2009, 13:26
I’ve just been tagged twice for two different memes. I have so many tags on me, I feel like the ugly ornament at Wal-Mart two weeks after Christmas.…
- Preemptive Moderation: Biting the Hand That Feeds You (16)
March 20, 2009, 15:34
This isn’t exactly the post I intended to write after being away for a couple weeks, but since I still don’t know what that post would be, this will have…
- “World of Warcraft, Eh?” (9)
March 5, 2009, 12:58
Thanks to Twitter, with a special nod to @holydiscipline(a.k.a. Anea), for tipping me off to the site World of Warcraft, Eh? The creation of @KellyAaron…
- This and That: An Update of Sorts (16)
March 2, 2009, 16:50
3.1: I can't be bothered When last I posted, I mentioned I'd have a post up soon regarding Priest changes in 3.1 Clearly that hasn't happened, nor will it.…
- Phaerwell, Phaelia! (2)
February 23, 2009, 16:31
Most of you, I’m sure, are already aware that Resto4Life is closing its doors, with a final post scheduled on or about March 19. However, it is very fitting…
- Earsplitting Feedback...Is Gone
February 10, 2009, 11:55
However, I have it on very good authority that just about everything else that went on during Friday night's (Saturday morning's) Twisted Nether Blogcast…
- A Twisted Nether Shout-Out (5)
February 8, 2009, 00:53
If you weren’t able to be present for the live Twisted Nether blogcast Friday night/Saturday morning, you’ll of course be able to hear the recording when…
- Twice In One Week = Wow! (3)
February 5, 2009, 10:51
First, a big shout-out to all you folks visiting from WoW Insider and World of Matticus. For the first time ever, I've been linked on WoW Insider twice in one…
- Programming Note: Twisted Nether Blogcast - Live Roundtable! (4)
February 3, 2009, 17:44
This Friday, February 6th, at 10:30 pm Mountain Standard Time (that's half an hour after midnight in the east), yours truly will once again be a member of…
- Do You Know These Bloggers? (2)
February 3, 2009, 16:55
If not, maybe you should. The following bloggers have linked to me in one way or another over the past few days. It's my turn to return the love. If you…
- Bloggers Helping Bloggers: A True Story (7)
February 2, 2009, 17:06
The Background I am a guild officer, and the de facto healing lead for our 25-man runs. (Well, I’m also the healing lead on 10-mans I’m in, which aren’t…
- Audio in WoW: How I Listen to Two Sound Feeds (9)
January 26, 2009, 18:02
This morning on Twitter, I happened to mention that during raids, I have game sounds coming through my speakers, while I listen to Ventrilo (and Skype) through…
- Once Again, BA Chat Saves the World (2)
January 26, 2009, 12:40
(11:31:18 AM) Kestrel: Matt, allow me to catch you up: (11:32:19 AM) Kestrel: *yaaaaaaawn, streeeeeeetch* I'm awaaaaake! Alert everyone! (Matticus 11:25 via…
- Anonymous Commenters: Unwelcome, and Not Allowed (12)
January 24, 2009, 02:08
I was going to post a comment in this regard to another blog, but I thought that might be creating more drama than it's worth. I love comments on my blog,…
- The Aerie’s Nest (16)
January 16, 2009, 18:34
Earlier today, I mentioned in BA Chat that I was about to assemble a new dual-monitor stand, and Matt demanded pictures. I didn’t think to take any “before…
- WTF NERF CLAMS « miss elf
January 9, 2009, 16:04
All credit to Chain Trap for finding this gem for us. Enjoy! (And HUGE props to miss elf!) WTF NERF CLAMS « miss elf.
- TNB Wants Your Moments…
January 9, 2009, 15:53
Your Twisted moments of 2008, that is! Call (206-203-4546), record (and send to info AT twistednether DOT net) or simply reply in the linked thread. Be a…
- Getting My (Blogging) Groove On (11)
January 6, 2009, 15:22
You know, I really have no idea what that means, but I think it’ll get a lot of search engine hits. (Yes, I’m kidding…sorta.) Okay…back to serious…
- My First Commenter: A Retrospective (9)
December 17, 2008, 18:27
One Among Many started an interesting meme this week, and as I was tagged by my friend Rhoelyn (and via Twitter, by OAM), I felt obligated to respond. Besides…
- I Love My Subscribers...And I Want More! (10)
November 12, 2008, 11:30
If you've ever glanced through the material in the sidebars, you may have notice that I have around 550 subscribers to my RSS feed, which is delivered through…
- Collector's Edition KesCards! (12)
November 11, 2008, 18:05
Well, maybe not so much. I decided since I'll be going to Best Buy on Wednesday night for the Midnight Opening for Wrath, why not try to publicize the blog a…
- I'm a Winner? (6)
November 10, 2008, 17:18
The other day, I happened to visit Obsessable.com. I wish I could remember why I went there...I'm sure I followed a link from something I was reading, but I…
- Brewing, Baking, and Blogging: The Importance of Proofing (14)
October 9, 2008, 16:29
When baking yeast breads or brewing beer, one of the most important steps in the process is "proofing." According to Wikipedia, "Proofing…
- A Reminder of Why I Play WoW (6)
October 1, 2008, 11:03
Stumbling my way through 800 feed reader posts, among other things, I ran across an awesome video at A Rogue's Eye View. I'm not an RPer (generally), but I got…
- Hawai'i Calls! (10)
September 16, 2008, 13:49
First, why "Hawai'i" and not "Hawaii"? Simple: The Hawaiians (no apostrophe), native and officially, prefer the former. "When in…
- Alltop: All the top stories, and a new 5-Star Resource
September 11, 2008, 13:24
I've been studying Alltop for a few weeks now, especially their World of Warcraft section. Looking at the blogs listed there, I notice that many are also on my…
- New Features Added to the Aerie (7)
September 8, 2008, 14:41
I find Lester Chan's WordPress plugins to be invaluable in helping me manage Kestrel's Aerie. One of my favorites is featured via the WP Plugins page…
- Meme: Where Were You When You Heard About...? (7)
September 2, 2008, 17:22
The Game Dame tagged me to take part in a current meme making the rounds in Britain. Natalie Americanized it; I think I need to remind her how old I am: Some…
- WoW Blogs: Not Just a Niche Anymore (23)
September 2, 2008, 10:27
As I was writing the preceding article, one of the reasons I gave for my guild's recent doldrums was "expansionitis." It's a term I've seen a few…
- Getting My Geek On (8)
August 24, 2008, 16:34
In the booming metropolis that is Rapid City, South Dakota, we have two choices for cell phone carriers: Slim, and None AllTel or Verizon. Because we travel…
- New Toy At The Aerie: Help Make It Grow! (13)
August 23, 2008, 18:15
Introduction All the cool kids are talking about it! Well, Lorelle on WordPress is, anyway (but I found it before she blogged about it; for once, I'm ahead…
- Happy Blogday to...ME? (22)
August 15, 2008, 22:54
Indeed, it's hard to believe the blogging bug bit me a year ago today. A couple months before, I'd discovered WoW Insider. From there, I found Big Red Kitty.…
- Looking for Suggestions (3)
August 4, 2008, 00:20
For some unknown reason (and believe me, I'm tired of troubleshooting blog glitches!) two plugins I used in my earlier theme, Enhanced Categories and Enhanced…
- SiteMeter - Internet Explorer Problem Resolved (3)
August 3, 2008, 00:13
Saturday afternoon, SiteMeter put up this notice on their blog, explaining the problem I blogged about in the wee hours Saturday morning. I've reinstalled my…
- IE HELP WANTED! (Problem solved--thanks guys!) (10)
August 2, 2008, 02:01
Okay, this is just getting stupid. I would like to draw your attention to the following comment, posted yesterday: Comment by Larísa on August 1, 2008…
- Cool Linkage, I Think: CommentLuv Love (5)
August 2, 2008, 01:46
While troubleshooting my IE problem (see the "IE HELP WANTED!" post above), I happened to look at my WordPress dashboard, and who (or what) had…
- Welcome to the New Nest! (19)
August 1, 2008, 01:41
A few of the sticks and twigs holding the old Aerie together were starting to weaken, and the old home wasn't quite as sturdy. In addition, some of the shinies…
- Blog Azeroth Shared Topics: Catching Up! (5)
July 30, 2008, 05:25
I find myself too easily distracted from things I want to do right now. Hence, they often get done eventually, but rarely immediately. A case in point is the…
- The State of the Aerie (7)
July 28, 2008, 10:39
Over the last week or so, I've received a couple e-mails from readers advising me that while the Aerie looks great in Firefox, there are some "issues"…
- So You Think You Want to Be A Blogger? (4)
July 7, 2008, 12:09
Do you have a dozen or more blogs in your RSS feed reader? (Over a hundred? Really?? Welcome to my world!) Ahem...sorry...back on point here... Have you read…
- WoW Meets Lolcats: Road to Blizzcon (1)
July 3, 2008, 10:57
According to the "About" blurb at this new blogcomic (yes, it's MY word...but you may use it too), "Welcome to a chronicle following the…
- Chick GM: A New 5-Star Blog (1)
June 20, 2008, 14:54
A few days ago, Big Bear Butt highlighted a blog he had only recently discovered. I chuckled, because I'd known of Chick GM for quite awhile. In fact, I was…
- Blog Azeroth Shared Topic: Preparing for WotLK (4)
June 19, 2008, 17:31
Blog Azeroth: You know 'em and you love 'em! Well, they/we have a new shared topic. I'm a little late to the ballgame here, but I want to let you all know how…
- Featured Blog: generic hunter blog #3412 (Heroine Chick) (2)
June 6, 2008, 09:54
First things first: I'm going to try to make this a weekly (Friday) feature. No guarantees, stated or implied. However, since I think I'm on a roll (2 weeks…
- A New Hunter Aspect: Capricious (Blog) (3)
May 31, 2008, 19:38
Yet another hunter blog has emerged from the haze. Itsnoteasy writes Aspect of the Capricious (which has me wondering how that would really work in WoW), a new…
- Is YOUR Nether Twisted? (3)
May 27, 2008, 10:05
Got your attention there, didn't I? Good! Because now that I have it, I want to direct it to a brand-new blogcast (podcast by bloggers). Created by Breana of…
- The Essential WoW Blogroll and Feed Reader List (22)
May 19, 2008, 08:30
The other day, I was looking at my Google Reader reading list, and I was also making a couple additions and fixes to my blogroll. Both are fairly sizable; the…
- New to the Blogroll -- Full Time Something, Part Time Druid, and Noobiewan (2)
May 9, 2008, 13:56
So in the Blog Azeroth chatroom this afternoon, I was talking in to Fimlys, of Asleep at the WoW. I noted my Entrecard was on his blog today, but the Aerie was…
- A Bit of This, That, and Another Thing (9)
May 6, 2008, 09:18
Site Notes: If you've visited recently, thank you! You may have noticed a couple coding problems in the sidebars. These are now fixed; my apologies for the…
- ScribeFire -- Blog Editor for Firefox (4)
April 22, 2008, 12:15
Call it serendipity, or just dumb luck. While checking to see if a couple Firefox addons I use were updated to Firefox Beta 3.0b5, I stumbled across ScribeFire.…
- @ TJ (3)
April 14, 2008, 14:34
@TJ: Just 24 hours more to go...you can do it! HANG IN THERE!
- Wonderful New Blog: "Diary of Kirryn - Draenei Princess" (3)
April 12, 2008, 21:35
I really hadn't intended to start a series on new blogs I've found, but this one is so utterly delightful, I simply had to share it. Kirryn's new blog is…
- Blogroll Addition: Warcraft and Other Hooha (Batgrl) (2)
April 10, 2008, 14:01
I have Rhoelyn at Points of Convergence to thank for the newest addition to my blogroll. In a recent article, she linked to Batgrl's new blog, Warcraft and…
- Wysiwg Pro 3 Updated! Hallelujah! (1)
April 9, 2008, 14:16
Seriously. The default editor in WordPress is worse than the one in Blogger, and that one drove me nuts because nothing ever looked the way I entered it. (Just…
- I Try To Hide, But They Find Me Anyway (6)
April 8, 2008, 14:06
I know other bloggers have done this, but for me it's a way to break the writer's block. Here are 10 search terms that led folks to the Aerie yesterday: hunter…
- Experimental Theme - "Aspire" (Abandoned) (10)
April 5, 2008, 23:35
Edit: There appear to be simply too many issues with the Aspire theme at the moment for me to try to resolve, even if I can. And it seem most folks are happier…
- WordPress 2.5 Installed: So Far, So Good (2)
March 31, 2008, 13:05
The much-anticipated WordPress 2.5 was released on Saturday, March 29. I didn't realize it until today, but at lunchtime I upgraded to the new version (note to…
- WordPress: Get Love From Your Commenters With CommentLuv (2)
March 21, 2008, 14:02
Talk about serendipity, I got a double dose of it from following links from commenters here today. First, I found Ambidextrous, a blog about a combat-sword…
- Coming Soon: Turning the Tables, or 20 Questions with Matticus. (4)
March 15, 2008, 09:33
Yes, I know I've been slacking of late. I've been having way too much fun playing (especially BGs) to write at night, and too busy at work to do more than try…
- Blogging From A Different Perspective (2)
March 6, 2008, 10:35
I've been adding blogs to Google Reader like crazy lately; today, I'm trying to get them into my blogroll. The first one I added has become an immediate…
- Sig Update - Final Version (1)
February 20, 2008, 13:33
As I mentioned the other day, Bansidhe made a fantabulous couple of graphic signatures for me. The final version, which I'm about to install at Blog Azeroth,…
- Post Ratings by Outbrain (9)
February 19, 2008, 11:58
Following the suggestion of The Game Dame and the endorsement by Bruthah at Disciple of the Light, I've installed the Outbrain Post Ratings plugin for…
- How Cool is THIS? (6)
February 13, 2008, 11:38
This is Blogger's new ID chooser for comments. I love it! If you're using Blogger, and the above is not the default for comments, I…
- Blogroll Addendum: Leafshine (1)
February 5, 2008, 18:22
You ever have it happen to you, where you're doing something (maybe, updating your blogroll?) and you keep thinking, "I'm forgetting something. Sure wish…
- Props to Blogspot!! (8)
February 5, 2008, 16:59
Many of you may recall earlier commentaries of mine (okay, rants) lamenting Blogspot.com's practice of not enabling blog commenters to identify themselves with…
- Blogroll Additions
February 2, 2008, 11:49
Let me tell you, Blog Azeroth has done a LOT for both my feed reader and my blogroll! So herewith are the fruits of other peoples' labor, in no particular…
- Matticus asks Kestrel "20 Questions" (5)
February 1, 2008, 22:14
Continuing his new weekly feature of interviewing other WoW Bloggers, Matticus honored me (well, I thought he said it would be an honor..but he put that funny…
- Thank You--All 10,000 of you!!! (7)
February 1, 2008, 14:53
- Mea Culpa: Rant Withdrawn (2)
February 1, 2008, 14:44
Color me embarrassed. As Bryan pointed out in the Comments to the preceding article, the behavior I was observing was not of Google's doing, but a script…
- Google Reader's New Functionality: Green Eggs & Ham (10)
February 1, 2008, 10:58
Edit: Apparently I'm the only one who is seeing this, and as it turns out, I see it only on my work computer. I'd still like to know if anyone else is seeing…
- *grumble* (4)
January 26, 2008, 15:20
EDIT: It appears I have a rogue plugin. Re-enabling them now to see which one went belly-up. Somehow, my Widgets (those things that arrange all the…
- Why Do I Blog? (8)
January 26, 2008, 11:02
Over at the Blog Azeroth forums, someone asked a question about "Why do you blog?" Or more specifically, do you look at the various statistics about…
- Blog Azeroth (and Outland Too!) (2)
January 23, 2008, 18:04
Phaelia and Valenna just created a new site by and for WoW bloggers and prospective bloggers: Blog Azeroth. Blog Azeroth isn't a blog; rather, it's a…
- A Shout-Out to WoW Insider (2)
January 23, 2008, 07:45
I just want to take a quick moment to thank Amanda Miller at WoW Insider for highlighting my recent article on First Aid in this morning's Breakfast Topic.…
- A Cautionary Tale (6)
January 22, 2008, 14:13
Unless you're a blogger or an officer in a guild with your own website, you may safely skip this essay. But if you fit into either of the categories I named,…
- Feeling the Love... (13)
January 17, 2008, 09:37
I installed a new plugin for WordPress this morning, which allows me to view Technorati reactions on my Dashboard. "Sounds cool," I thought, since I…
- Around the Blogosphere (11)
January 15, 2008, 16:03
I promise I'll have some WoW-related content Real Soon Now. Honest. However, I've spent the better part of a slow workday trying to catch up on my Google…
- Mini-Milestones (4)
January 15, 2008, 10:03
While working on the blog this morning, I noticed two things that gave me some very good vibes (along with the 100% Kona coffee I'm drinking, compliments of a…
- Warlock Site Added to the Blogroll (2)
January 14, 2008, 14:08
I realize most of you don't play warlocks as your main (but at least one does); however, I'm sure many of you have dabbled in the demonic arts. Heck, even I…
- Houston, we have a problem... (2)
January 12, 2008, 01:32
Update: Somehow, in the Gravatars addon, the function to link commenters to their site URLs got disabled. Not sure if (a) I failed to activate it…
- A Plea for Full-Content RSS Feeds (15)
January 11, 2008, 10:35
I’ve had an internal debate going for weeks on whether to make this post. I have been afraid it will be perceived as a rant, as threatening, or in some…
- Blogging Blahs (3)
January 8, 2008, 07:38
I have a severe case of writer's block. (You never would have guessed? You're too kind.) I think part of the problem is, I haven't been doing much in game…
- A View From the Aerie: A 2007 Retrospective (5)
December 30, 2007, 12:39
The day after Christmas (Boxing Day, in most of the English-speaking world outside the US), Matticus posted a "Best of World of Matticus" review of…
- How To: Create a Custom Avatar for Comments on the Aerie (6)
December 23, 2007, 20:37
I may have touched on this quite awhile ago, but since I don't recall for certain, I'm going to send you over to Phaelia's Resto4Life site to learn how to…
- Holiday Vacation Special: What Got Me Into WoW? (5)
December 21, 2007, 08:59
Over at Zanderfin's blog, he asked the question, "Who got you into WoW?" Then, Trollin' picked up on the meme on his blog, which is where I…
- This Week's Blogroll Adds
December 14, 2007, 08:48
Without further ado:Og's Ledger—"Sharing my experience on how to make gold and live the good life in World of Warcraft (WOW)." Lots of tips on how…
- More than Child's Play (1)
December 11, 2007, 13:54
Many of you, I'm sure, are familiar with the great work done by Jon and Shelbi at The Bronze Kettle, in support of Child's Play. If you aren't aware of this…
- Blogspot, you tick me off! (26)
December 3, 2007, 16:27
BIG TIME! Remember my nice, polite request of Blogspot bloggers here? And the reprise here? So many of you accommodated those of us…
- We’ve Completed Our Move! (4)
November 27, 2007, 12:36
As I wrote last week, I acquired a new domain name for the Aerie, and after some trials and tribulation, we're finally set up at kestrelsaerie.us. So, all the…
- Semi-Famous! (2)
November 26, 2007, 16:56
It all started here, on TJ's blog. She was lamenting about the puns dealt out by Fio, her GL. I was obliged to post a comment in support of the punishment (and…
- Cross your fingers for me… (1)
November 22, 2007, 12:26
As I posted on Monday, I'm in the process of moving the blog to a new domain. Getting the domain name and webspace, and initializing the database, have been…
- You like me! You really like me! (6)
November 19, 2007, 16:10
Red-letter day! We passed 10K hits, per SiteMeter, and our Technorati Authority number hit broke the big four-oh! Thanks to all of you loyal readers (lurkers…
- Content Changes for the Aerie
November 19, 2007, 13:07
You know how every once in awhile, you need to change the way you have your furniture arranged? Well, I'm at one of those points. As many of you know, I have…
- New to the Blogroll (5)
November 16, 2007, 11:17
So many great reads out there! And I'm soooo faaaar behiiiiind...Lady Jess — Holy Priest blog with frequent posts, heavy on "what’s happening"…
- Now I’m Really Ticked (14)
November 15, 2007, 16:23
Not at WoW, but at our stoopid corporate firewall. I can understand why worldofwarcraft.com and wowhead.com (among others) might be blocked, but to block…
- To all you *new* Blogspot bloggers… (3)
November 14, 2007, 11:03
I love reading your blogs, and linking them here, and leaving comments when I visit...and if you're like me, you like the links and the comments. …
- As my good friend Pelides said… (21)
November 9, 2007, 17:46
De-lurkalready!!!(No, that isn't the death gurgle of a murloc.) Don't make me call you out! What would you like to see more of? Less of? And if…
- Bloglights: November 2 - 8 (1)
November 9, 2007, 13:35
As I mentioned a couple days ago, I was out of town (and pretty much afk) most of this week, so my apologies for not having a nice list of quality articles for…
- If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Chicago (2)
November 6, 2007, 23:03
Okay, I admit it: I'm a baaaaad blogger. I've known for a month I'd be out of town Tue - Thu to attend a supervisor conference in Chicago. I may have even…
- WoW + Linux: Yes, it can be done! (1)
November 4, 2007, 12:37
Over at Aspect of the Hare, Pike has posted an outstanding Q&A about running WoW under Linux. She's also posted links to several "how-to"…
- All-Star Blogging: October 26 - November 1 (3)
November 1, 2007, 23:29
With the NBA season tipping off this week, why not the time-honored Converse All Star to lead off this week's digest? (Pause for pre-teen nostalgia moment...)Ma…
- Pardon Our Dust… (4)
October 31, 2007, 08:47
You might notice a different appearance over on the left sidebar, under Links. I spent Tuesday night playing with a new presentation for the blogroll. It's not…
- Temerity Jane: Exalted with WoW
October 23, 2007, 19:11
Many of you read TJ's blog. I do; my only excuse for not adding it to the blogroll before now is because it isn't strictly WoW-related all the time. Well,…
- A New 5-Star Blog (1)
October 23, 2007, 13:32
Hardly a new blog, Lassirra's Hunter's Mark blog is a virtual cornucopia of hunter-related information. Her recently-concluded 3-part series outlining the…
- Yes, Virginia, there ARE girls on the Internet! (7)
October 21, 2007, 11:48
This article was prompted by a post by Pike at Aspect of the Hare. I have to say, she gave me a chuckle, but I thought I just might want to make sure there…
- Blog Spam: We HATES It!
October 19, 2007, 13:46
All my fellow bloggers know what I'm talking about. On Blogspot, spam is the reason for the "copy the letters" box before you can post a comment. On…
- Bloglights: October 12 - 18 (5)
October 19, 2007, 07:12
Sorry for the abbreviated nature of the post this week; blame it on the mahi-mahi and the mai tais I was enjoying last week! Aloha! (Saturday night I was…
- I hate “catch-up” time! (5)
October 16, 2007, 19:16
Coming back from vacation is as much un-fun as 8 days in Hawai'i is fun. I didn't even get through all my e-mails today, and there were only 57--half of which…
- A Plea to Blogspot Bloggers (15)
October 5, 2007, 11:39
Well, to some of you, anyway. One of the reasons we all write blogs is because we want people to read what we have to say. One of the ways we generate traffic…
- Bloglights: September 28 - October 4 (1)
October 5, 2007, 07:09
Pelides at Hunter Mayhem has an excellent dissertation on his definition of "Casual Raider" (although he never says that's what it is). A terrific read. C…
- The Week in Review: Blog Highlights for Sept. 21-27 (1)
September 28, 2007, 07:14
Because of the patch this week, it seemed to me to be a relatively slow week. Or I was just slow to start noting standout bloggings. But that's okay--the cream…
- WordPress Bloggers: What Plug-Ins do you use? (3)
September 17, 2007, 16:00
I'm going to be experimenting with a few things, but I'd like to know from you what plug-ins or widgets, if any, you use. I already use Akismet, and I used Get…
- We Need Help!
September 17, 2007, 11:59
Specifically, my rogues do (well, I know one of them does, and I suspect the other does as well). To recap: I have two Level 70 Rogues. Falken is a miner/jewelc…
- Favicons (7)
September 2, 2007, 12:10
"What's a favicon?" I knew what they were, I just didn't know what they were called till BRK talked about his. (If you don't know, and don't want to click a…
- For the Geeks: My Hardware Setup (3)
September 1, 2007, 10:21
Last week, I mentioned the computer hardware upgrades I did as a birthday present to myself. In a couple comments, I've mentioned my dual-monitor setup, and…
- Under construction…
August 30, 2007, 07:18
Remember how in the early days of the Web...wait...I just realized many of you may not remember that far back... Okay...let me start over... "Back in the…
- Blogging with the stars (1)
August 30, 2007, 07:09
(Still looking for the catchy title for this weekly post! Any suggestions?) Some of my favorite blog entries for the past week: Galadria focused her Holy…
- "Work Complete!"
August 28, 2007, 18:34
If you have any number of WoW add-ons, you may recognize that as the voice of an Orc Peon announce the completion of, say, a quest. In this case, however, it…
- We’re moving…somewhere…I think. (4)
August 27, 2007, 11:02
Last week, for some inexplicable reason, my corporate firewall/filter started making it insanely difficult to access Blogger. Reading posts is fine, but for…
- Computer Love: Happy Birthday to me! (4)
August 26, 2007, 13:23
Today's my 55th birthday (yes, I am that old!), so as my present to myself, I upgraded my computer a bit yesterday. Old Parts: Asus A8N-E motherboard (FSB…
- Welcome (Again) (3)
August 26, 2007, 12:55
Well, I went ahead and moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress, hosted on my guild site server (which I own). Unfortunately, the utility to import from Blogger…
- Home is where the blog is… (2)
August 24, 2007, 21:25
Well, I went ahead and moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress. Unfortunately, the utility to import from Blogger to WordPress seems to be broken. It may be a…
- Welcome to my aerie! (2)
August 15, 2007, 16:20
I’ve no idea how you got here (most likely, an accident), but have a seat and let me draw you a nice Ironforge ale, or perhaps a goblet of Silverwind…
- Want an Invitation to Google Plus? (5)
- Category: The Sweet Life (22)
- A Day at Discovery Cove
September 19, 2011, 12:36
Last Thursday, Mrs. Kestrel and I flew down to Tampa, where we'll be through October 4. We're here to celebrate our granddaughter Alison's seventh birthday…
- Something Different: New Zealand Pictures! (6)
March 9, 2011, 10:47
Earlier this week—Monday, to be more precise—I finally offloaded the photos from my camera (and my wife's iPad) to my computer so I could upload them to…
- Home From New Zealand! (4)
February 26, 2011, 12:16
Just a quick update: The Mrs. and I returned to the good ol' US of A shortly before 6 a.m. PST Friday morning, via Qantas Flight 25 from Auckland to LAX. We…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: June 21
June 21, 2010, 14:48
What Is This? Every Monday, I document the happenings of the past week. The original (and still primary) intent is to track my progress in meeting my writing…
- Putting the Chips on the Table (8)
May 13, 2010, 14:34
Today, I read Tami’s food posts, here and here, before lunch. Naturally, they only whetted my hunger. So of course, thinking about sandwiches led directly…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: April 9 (3)
April 9, 2010, 10:46
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing goals as…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: April 2
April 2, 2010, 10:22
What Is This? Following the lead of my mentor, friend, and exemplar, Tami Moore, this is a weekly article to document progress in meeting my writing goals as…
- O, Canada! (10)
March 1, 2010, 13:46
If I weren't an American, I'd want to be a Canadian. I used to think I'd want to be an Aussie, or a Kiwi. But the past fortnight has brought home to me just…
- Merry Christmas from the Land of Aloha (2)
December 25, 2009, 02:31
If you're reading this, chances are you've opened your Christmas gifts already. So here's a little lagniappe, if you will: a Merry Christmas article from the…
- Aloha From Kaua'i!
December 22, 2009, 13:16
Christmas greetings from Kaua'i! We had a fairly uneventful trip, considering it's the height of Christmas travel season. We got up about 4am Monday…
- Some Observations on the New NFL Season (3)
September 13, 2009, 16:19
Television Coverage FIRE JOE BUCK. He's not a great baseball announcer, but he's worse at football. I realize I may be the only person in the country who…
- The State of the Kestrel and of the Aerie (11)
September 7, 2009, 12:39
About 5 minutes ago, I tweeted, "I *want* to write, but I have nothing to write *about.* At least, nothing that anyone but me would want to read.…
- Friday Five: Best Lagers (15)
August 14, 2009, 12:39
It's midsummer (regardless of all the back-to-school stuff): The PGA Championship is underway, baseball's pennant races are heating up, NFL training camps are…
- “Best Ever” Carrot Cake? (6)
July 28, 2009, 10:21
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I spent a couple hours on Monday baking a carrot cake, at my daughter-in-law's request. I don't recall how, exactly, I…
- Odyssey Concluded (6)
July 7, 2009, 13:05
Welcome back to what is part 3 or 4 (maybe 5?) of our four-week journey last month from Rapid City to St. Louis to Los Angeles to Los Osos and back to Rapid…
- Odyssey Continued (7)
July 6, 2009, 15:28
When last I left you, I was writing from Los Angeles (or thereabouts); however, I never related the story of getting there from Amarillo. And believe me, there…
- Quick Update (10)
June 16, 2009, 06:42
Dateline: Amarillo, TX. It's been ~25 years since I last drove through Texas, and while this time, we're only traversing the panhandle from east to west,…
- On the Road Again (1)
February 13, 2009, 15:46
Saturday morning, Mrs. Kestrel and I, together with our middle son who lives here in Rapid City, will fly to Los Angeles, where we'll meet up with our other…
- Hawai'i Calls! (10)
September 16, 2008, 13:49
First, why "Hawai'i" and not "Hawaii"? Simple: The Hawaiians (no apostrophe), native and officially, prefer the former. "When in…
- If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Chicago (2)
November 6, 2007, 23:03
Okay, I admit it: I'm a baaaaad blogger. I've known for a month I'd be out of town Tue - Thu to attend a supervisor conference in Chicago. I may have even…
- Hawai’i: Day 1 (3)
October 8, 2007, 12:07
Mrs Kestrel & I arrived at Honolulu Intl. at 3pm local time Sunday. Took us an hour to get our rental car (Mrs Kestrel didn't use my Avis Preferred number,…
- Vacation!!! (5)
October 5, 2007, 15:01
Finally...FINALLY...after months of anticipa- tion, Mrs. Kestrel and I are headed for Hawai'i on Sunday morning. This will be our second trip: Two and a half…
- A Day at Discovery Cove
- Category: Pot Pourri (53)
- Want an Invitation to Google Plus? (5)
September 2, 2011, 10:25
If so, you've come to the right place! The first 149 people who click the link below and accept may join Google Plus, the (relatively) new social sharing…
- Oh, sure, just blame me! (6)
August 29, 2011, 12:18
If, for some odd reason, you're unfamiliar with xkcd, add it to your feed reader. Then, be sure you let your mouse cursor hover over the cartoon below.
- An Article A Month (6)
May 19, 2011, 09:49
I was considering a total ripoff of the Reader's Digest long-time motto ("An article a day of lasting significance"), but I don't flatter myself that much.…
- My Experience With A Standing Desk (5)
January 21, 2011, 16:54
Before we go any further, you may be wondering just what is a standing desk? The "duh!" answer is that any desk stands on the floor...doesn't it? Well, yes.…
- How I'd Fix Major League Baseball
September 27, 2010, 06:40
As I was folding laundry on Friday, I happened to catch ESPN's "Outside the Lines," hosted by Bob Ley. The discussion centered around the idea that Major…
- Signs of the Times
September 2, 2010, 09:41
It’s just after 8 a.m. on Thursday morning. My wife and I are waiting for the appliance repairman to come and swap out the motherboard in our GE refrigerator.…
- O, Canada! (10)
March 1, 2010, 13:46
If I weren't an American, I'd want to be a Canadian. I used to think I'd want to be an Aussie, or a Kiwi. But the past fortnight has brought home to me just…
- Fiddly Rules
January 7, 2010, 11:52
One of the websites I follow is Copyediting, and in fact, it is listed in the Aerie’s Resources (a very incomplete listing, by the way). A feature of that…
- Great Wallpaper Site (3)
December 30, 2009, 10:06
Lifehacker recently polled its readers for their choice of top wallpaper site on the web. After trimming the votes to the top five sites, the votes were…
- Recommended Reading: November 17-30
November 30, 2009, 08:15
I missed last week; no excuse. I simply forgot!
- Giving More Than Thanks (5)
November 25, 2009, 11:34
Tomorrow, the United States celebrates Thanksgiving. Originally a religious holiday, it has become much more secular over the past century or so. In doing so,…
- A Model Disclaimer (3)
November 21, 2009, 10:44
I was looking at Astropixie's blog this morning, as I am wont to do whenever she posts anything. Today's entry is a spectacular animation of what the Earth…
- Recommended Reading: November 9 - 15 (2)
November 16, 2009, 13:05
This week's offerings: Apostrophes, free WiFi, garbage, Windows security, and Canadian blogging resources.
- On Veterans Day (5)
November 11, 2009, 06:18
Tuesday morning, I saw the following editorial cartoon in the local newspaper. First, let me make it absolutely clear that I endorse the sentiment here one…
- Recommended Reading: November 2 - 8
November 9, 2009, 07:45
Fewer articles this week, but meatier, I think. Enjoy!
- Recommended Reading: October 26 - November 1
November 2, 2009, 08:16
If you read nothing else this week, please go here. Then come on back and read this week's offerings.
- Recommended Reading: October 19-25 (2)
October 26, 2009, 08:18
This week, a NaNoWriMo tip, Windows 7, fixing WordPress, and more!
- What I'm Tweeting: Win7 and Other Topics (5)
October 21, 2009, 12:28
As you know, Twitter is a way to microblog in 140 characters or less. But sometimes, 140 just aren't enough. Here are some of my thoughts from earlier today,…
- Recommended Reading for October 12-18
October 19, 2009, 10:14
The usual eclectic collection, including a question for the FTC on why bloggers face harsher rules regarding reviews than mainstream media. I welcome your…
- Recommended Reading: October 5-11
October 12, 2009, 09:11
Want to see an example of "eclectic"? Check out the links below! :)
- Weekly Review and Recommended Reading (2)
October 5, 2009, 10:00
The very astute among you, or at least the subset who actually read my weekly regurgitation of cool stuff I found during the past week, will note this post is…
- Friday Five: Top Windows 7 Features (3)
October 2, 2009, 12:12
Yes, I'm rocking an iMac (and a MacBook Pro) these days, but that doesn't mean I'm not a Windows fan (I think there's a pun there, but I'm too congested and…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: Recommended Reading
September 26, 2009, 10:21
A bit shorter list this week, I think, but perhaps more quality with less quantity? You be the judge(s).
- Friday Five: "Must-Have" Blog Design Elements
September 25, 2009, 13:53
As I have mentioned, I read a lot of blogs. Right now, I have a bit over 100 subscriptions in Google Reader. But I don't just read the RSS feed. I also have…
- Calling the Wipe: Do's and Don'ts (18)
September 21, 2009, 06:38
Last week, CLOSED underwent its second guild merger of the summer. The first merger was a drama-filled disaster, with only a handful of the original members of…
- Saturday Wrap-Up: Recommended Reading
September 19, 2009, 05:46
This week: Operating systems (2 of 'em), lolcats and productivity tips!
- Friday Five: Typos and How To Avoid Them (7)
September 18, 2009, 15:01
As a follow-on to my post from earlier in the week, I want to further acknowledge some of the comments you made. Let us do that by identifying five common…
- English Comp 101 - Cliff Notes Version (41)
September 16, 2009, 13:26
Today's post introduces a new post category for the Aerie, "Writing." I hope this won't be the only article in this category, but I do hope all are…
- Weekly Wrap-Up for September 5-11
September 12, 2009, 10:57
Included this week is at least one link to each of the blogs I featured yesterday. After you follow the links, come on back and let me know what you think!
- Friday Five: WoW Blogs You MUST Read (15)
September 11, 2009, 06:01
While I don't write about World of Warcraft nearly as much as I used to, it's still a very big part of my online life. I probably read about WoW as much as I…
- Weekly Wrap-Up: Snow Leopard to the Constitution (5)
September 5, 2009, 05:02
Quite the cornucopia here this week, including, I noticed, a lot of short items from TechSpot. Anything particularly catch your eye? Let's talk about it in the…
- Weekly Wrap-Up (4)
August 29, 2009, 00:09
Hopefully, there's something in this week's notables that will appeal to just about everyone. I have to confess, I wasn't quite as studious this week in…
- Friday Five: Cool Productivity Sites (8)
August 28, 2009, 11:28
Welcome to the weekend! And a happy Labor Day holiday to my fellow Americans and our Canadian neighbours neighbors. In the name of the holiday, if not in the…
- Wrapping Up The Week: Recommended Reading
August 22, 2009, 05:27
First of all, my apologies for no Friday Five yesterday; I promise to make it up to you next week! However, my youngest son is in town, and we spent the last…
- Wrapping Up The Week (1)
August 15, 2009, 04:56
Two really fun things here: Be sure you check out the photo-crashing squirrel pic, and the submission from @astropixie, Dr. Amanda Bauer (sorry about the…
- Friday Five: Best Lagers (15)
August 14, 2009, 12:39
It's midsummer (regardless of all the back-to-school stuff): The PGA Championship is underway, baseball's pennant races are heating up, NFL training camps are…
- Cool Stuff of the Week (4)
August 8, 2009, 01:26
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- Friday Five: Absolutely Must-Have WordPress Addons (2)
August 7, 2009, 01:34
Welcome to the third installment of Friday Five! I don't know about you, but I'm rather impressed with myself for keeping this going for three weeks in a row!…
- Recommended Reading
August 1, 2009, 00:33
Inspired by a post from Gina Trapani @ginatrapaniat Smarterware, I just installed the Google Reader Shared Items plugin for WordPress. It allows me to create…
- Friday Five: Reader-Friendly WordPress Plugins (15)
July 31, 2009, 01:12
Currently, I have 41 active plugins, so limiting this list to just five is not an easy task: I could easily identify a dozen I’d hate to abandon. Instead, I…
- Friday Five: Software (3)
July 24, 2009, 17:27
Welcome to what I hope will be a weekly feature at the Aerie: A listing of five “things” with a similar theme. This week it happens to be software; next…
- Reflections on the Moon (3)
July 20, 2009, 11:34
Forty years ago today—July 20, 1969—Man walked on another celestial body for the first time. I was reminded of the first moon landing today in an excellent…
- Blizzard: You’re Joking, Right? (11)
May 16, 2009, 10:21
Last night, shortly before I logged, I sent Talons, one of my alts, to the Auction House in Ironforge to get a Dream Shard: I needed four to enchant a new…
- A New Pet Peeve (28)
April 28, 2009, 09:54
Would someone please forward me the memo on abbreviations, because I seem to have missed it. Specifically, I’m talking about the one where the first…
- “You have aggro”: 3 words I hate in WoW (6)
April 24, 2009, 14:08
If you don’t read Jessika the Tank, who fancies herself “Pretty in Plate” (and who am I to disagree??), you should. She got on her soapbox today, and I…
- Anonymous Commenters: Unwelcome, and Not Allowed (12)
January 24, 2009, 02:08
I was going to post a comment in this regard to another blog, but I thought that might be creating more drama than it's worth. I love comments on my blog,…
- If You Are "CoH-Spec" You Are Playing the Wrong Class (12)
January 8, 2009, 17:47
/rant on I was just reading a thread at PlusHeal, and a term used there (which term I have seen a lot more than once, and not just at PlusHeal, trust me!) just…
- DwarfPriest Lights a Candle in the Darkness: Accessibility for Disabled Gamers
September 4, 2008, 10:50
Earlier this week, I opined WoW blogging is moving into the realm of "mainstream." To be perfectly honest, I'm not certain there is a "mainstream…
- This is the post I really didn't want to write. (3)
January 23, 2008, 20:55
It seems there is a sickness invading the blogging world of Warcraft. It's the same sickness we've been fighting since about the second week of retail release:…
- Call to Arms (7)
December 13, 2007, 12:51
I am shamelessly stealing the title of this post from Kirk's post at Priestly Endeavors, in response to Breana's article, "Compromised," at Gun…
- Now I’m Really Ticked (14)
November 15, 2007, 16:23
Not at WoW, but at our stoopid corporate firewall. I can understand why worldofwarcraft.com and wowhead.com (among others) might be blocked, but to block…
- Slashdot: “The Zen of Online Game Design”
September 7, 2007, 15:36
Some of you may be aware the annual Austin (TX) Game Designers Conference was held this week. Slashdot reports on a talk given on Thursday entitled "The Zen…
- On Mods and Macros
August 16, 2007, 14:57
What follows is a rant: You have been warned. I'm an add-on addict (guess that means I have an addiction?). Ever since I discovered the joys of Decal for…
- Want an Invitation to Google Plus? (5)
