One of our conversations.

(Scene, background info, etc.) This morning, as we were puttering around the kitchen.

(Me, to the Orclette. Can't remember context) "You're just a little girl."

(Orclette to me) "No I'm not. I'm a tiny momma!"

(End scene)

On Guilds.

Let me talk for a moment about fantastic guilds and guildies.

Here is a short list of exactly what I want from a guild:

1) The ability to come and go without being kicked from the guild.

2) Friendly guild members who chat with me even though I'm not there raiding/pugging with them every week.

3) Green guild chat. Possibly full of crazy people who think that the time is completely different from what it actually is(US mountain time).

Here is what I get from my guild:

1) Boo. The guy is always on. Always responds to my blathering. And he's pissed.... all the time... and I mean all five meanings of the word. Pick a few... he's always at least two meanings.******

2) Ruune. She's like the salt in the stew right? The not quite good that makes everything good? The Aussie who abuses you and doesn't know how to spell dammy(She thinks its spelled "Susan"). Yeah... gotta have shammies or whatever she currently plays around.

3) Jess and Mr. Jess. Jess talks almost as much as I do. Mr. Jess said something on channel last week I'm pretty sure.

4) Nas and Blu. They've been "close internet" friends since the old days in that guild we were once in. They check up on us more than anyone online I think.

5) Other than possibly Bar who is another toddler parent like us and we swap stories regularly.

6) Oh right and I almost forgot Fay our guild leader who is ALWAYS on and always giving info. I ask about 6-7 questions a night on guild channel. He consistently answers them right off. And I tell him he can't be right. And he gets on his alt and flies over and /point's at the guy I said didn't exist. And I tell him that oh hey he is right.

7) And book and ollie and jonty and night and kinni(who thinks he's an orc)...and twice and push and fel and beldandy and hattie the dps queen and wet and malcik.....the list goes on... I'm certain I forgot someone.

The point in this... is these guys always are friendly and welcoming even when we disappear for a few months at a time due to real life. Our guild is like a favorite pub where everyone knows you. You go away on business or due to sickness or visiting family? And when you come back the pub is still there... the guys are still there and they all wave and invite you over to their table.

That's what I want from a guild and my guild gives it to me. And the beginning of a new year is a great time to think about all the good things you have been given and be thankful for them.

So thank you Parallel of Kael'thas.

*****This is confusing to those people who actually pay attention in class. Book not Boo is always pissed. Sorry Boo. Sorry Book. The freakin "k" is confusing.

Books!

I love books!

I know it's the New Year, but I stayed up past midnight and my kids woke up early. At the moment I despise the celebration surrounding New Years.

Back to books: The Hunger Games Trilogy. Everyone I've talked to who has read it have said that they simply could not put the books down. My experience was the same. The third book-WARNING SPOILER INFORMATION-was a bit of a shocker, however. The books center around these games in which 24 children are selected to compete in a game in which only one will survive. The first two books reminded me strongly of the games that were played back in Rome. What I mean is, I enjoyed reading them. Even though children were getting killed. I felt at a remove-the books didn't really affect me that much. Is that how the Roman crowds felt as they watched human beings destroy each other? It wasn't happening to them, it was happening to other people. It was fun, it was like a parade. Prime time entertainment.

In the third book, however, the author (Suzanne Collins) seems to swoop down for the kill, so to speak. Collins did a splendid job of mocking our reality t.v.-obsessed culture in the first two books, and then showed us what that need for entertainment and live-action could result in. The casual decisions that result in kids being murdered and being forced to kill become so much more real. I can't say I enjoyed reading the third book. I was forced in the Roman arena (to continue my previous example) and made to really see the people who were destined to die.

What is more sobering is that the stuff she wrote about? Really did happen. Gladiator, anyone? Or how about the early Christians (and I'm sure there were other groups similarly targeted) being tossed to the lions? What do you want to bet they let the children walk away while the crowd watched the parents being eaten? Much more fun to include the whole family. Human sacrifice. Genocide. At various points in history, these things were done for fun, for religion, for politics. In a culture that continually demands the latest in entertainment, is always seeking the latest thrill-what depths could we descend to?

So yeah. The Hunger Games. Recommended reading, although you may not see as much into it as I did. My one problem with it, and I know some people would not see this as a problem, was the lack of any mention of God or some sort of higher moral authority. There was no reason given why the practical application of Darwin's "survival of the fittest" theory shouldn't be applied. Frequently, leaders decided not to kill someone/someones because they would be eradicating their breeding, i.e. population, source. Of course, the worst of those leaders did end up dead, thereby indicating that their thinking was wrong. It just bothers me. Why did everyone fight to eradicate the Capitol (the bad people)? It seems obvious-killing children is wrong-but where did that idea come from? Of course, Collins could've just been trying to avoid religion, since she was already dealing with politics, and everyone knows religion and politics are the subjects you never mention at the dinner table:)

Next I'll try to read something light and fluffy. A book with a pink cover. No mass murderings.