I've been a member of online fandoms for many years and I've been playing World of Warcraft for a year and a half. I thinks these rules apply to both.

Rule #1. Don't be an asshole.

Golden rule, people. Online anonymity does not excuse your actions.

Rule# 2. Enjoy what you're doing. If you aren't, do something else.

This is what most people are doing for recreation. If you aren't enjoying it why are you continuing to spend time and money on it? This is why I've come to accept that some authors will leave some fantastic stories unfinished and some friends need to switch characters or take a break from the game altogether. It isn't fun for them anymore.


Something you should really know. Other people have opinions. They might be right, you might be right, or there could be no way to tell at all. Evaluate how much it matters to you that everyone appreciate what you do and say before starting a wankfest joining the conversation.

Something that I've learned. It is a lot more fun when you find a group of similarly minded people and share your time with them. A good guild that has the same goals as you or a community that is interested in the characters as you can be very rewarding. At the same time its good to venture out and play with other people and be exposed to different ideas.

Cut for length and spoilers.

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I definitely have favorite characters on Glee. I also found the downloads of the songs New Directions will be singing for Regionals (2.16, Original Songs) and I was not impressed. This is what results.

Why the Warblers > New Directions

1. The Warblers hold actual auditions for their solos. In New Directions, Mr. Schuester either assigns them (2.09 Special Education) or you have to challenge Rachel to pry them out of her cold, dead hands (Mercedes in Season 1 before Sectionals).

2. I adore the sound of male a cappella groups. I don't know much about them, but they seem more complex then New Direction's arrangements.

3. The choir director of (Mary Addams?) the troubled girls choir from season 1 had it right, New Directions is a bunch of privileged misfits. They all have families and homes and the majority of them are probably pretty popular when they are not actively doing glee club related things.

4. In New Directions Kurt had to shout to be heard, in the Warblers everyone has a voice.

4a. Wes might have an inappropriate love for his gavel but he uses it (2.11 Silly Love Songs) to keep everyone in line so everyone's opinions can be heard, even if the process is stilted and formal.

4b. New Directions regularly recruits kids to be a "warm body" so they have sufficient numbers to compete (Jacob, Sunshine, Lauren). Their style allows them to have dead wood swaying in the background while Rachel belts out her latest solo. The Warblers use all their voices to provide the music, harmony, and melody.

5. New Directions uses the abilities of a few special specialists to paper over the weak spots of the rest of members. Mike and Brittany were spectacular in "Valerie" but they were out in front because the needed to distract from the less skilled dancers in the back. New Directions regularly uses soloists to carry the majority of the songs.

6. The Warblers, an all male choir, don't seem to care if they do songs from female groups. "Teenage Dream" in 2.06, "Bills, Bills, Bills" in 2.11. Contrast with New Directions, which has in the past had issues doing numbers from female artists (Madonna episode, Theatricality, Never Been Kissed). In 2.11 the unity and enjoyment the Warblers show in doing a song from Destiny's Child contrasts with the turmoil and homophobia McKinley was struggling with.

7. The Warblers have been preparing for Regionals since 2.11 (Bills, Bills, Bills) and even preview their songs in front of a test audience for feedback (and to get numbers from girls). New Directions still hasn't learned the choreography for their songs and will be learning all new original numbers a week before competition.

8. Nude Erections is a worse nickname then the Gargalers.

Bonus! Dalton > McKinley

9. No tolerance bullying policy.

10. Academics. I was agast at Kurt's statement that he wasn't challenged academically at McKinley. Realistically* Dalton is likely much better for Kurt's college prospects.

*Lol, it's Glee! I know, I know.

11. Larger potential dating pool for Kurt. =)


ETA Post episode: Well, I was certainly in a bitchy mood and worked up. "Everythings Klaine..." really does work. "Original Songs" did show several strong points that they have against the Warblers. The Warblers usual style is crowd pleasing popular numbers ("Top 40"). What they don't usually do is a heartfelt. emotional number like Candles which lost them the competition. Emotional numbers like that are ND's style, though I have big doubts that Will would have let Blaine and Kurt perform a romantic duet for competition.

Still adding to and polishing these reflections.

Kurt and Blaine - Just ow, that fight hurt. For me, probably partly because this is one of my favorite characters and partly because I've seen them be such good friends (Silly Love Songs, Never Been Kissed, Special Education ...) their argument was brutal. They argue like two people who really know each other.

At first I agreed with Kurt, Blaine you were drunk, of course it felt good. But that isn't much reason to question your sexuality over. I don't think I know all his reasons, but I thought Blaine liked the ego boost of someone (even a girl) wanting him after his disasterous serenade at the GAP.

But then Kurt was not supportive at all. (I'm going with fabfemmeboy's fic for best interpretation.) Then Blaine made that comment about Karofsky that was accurate but undeserved because of the connotations it has. And I gave up trying to decide which of the boys acted worse and decide to pile blame on Rachel instead.(1)

I do think it is significant that Kurt and Blaine barely interact at all after their fight. The most we get is Kurt watching Blaine enter the coffee shop and Blaine looking over Rachel's shoulder when he announces he's gay. This give me hope that there will be some repercussions from their fight in the next episode.


Kurt and Burt - What the hell Burt, you have your teenager talking to you about what's going on with his life and his concerns and you change the subject?(2) As a parent Burt has every right to set the rules of the house but to Kurt's mind I think he thought he was acting within the rules. He had a friend, who couldn't get home, and it was best to put him to bed (I think Kurt might have an adjoining bath or maybe it's a closet, so his bed versus a couch makes sense). Also the other side of the bed was made, so Kurt either slept elsewhere or on top of the covers.

Anyways, Burt's attitude towards Blaine does make him look hypocritical when his reaction towards Brittany in Laryngitis was "make sure to use protection" to Kurt's stated intent of having sexual relations. If Kurt was less ... Kurt, I could have seen him continuing dating Brittany and perhaps even having sex with her.

(1) I need to find the entry that made the point that Rachel also saw Blaine's sexuality as either straight or gay.

(2) My mom would have made small sacrifices for this to happen when my siblings and I were teenagers.

A coworker of mine found two kittens that had been abandoned in an empty lot near his house. He captured them and asked if anyone in the company wanted kittens since he wasn't able to keep them.

I am pretty sure that these two boys are brothers since their eye color is the same (a golden brown) and they are close to each other in size. When I got them they were about 8 weeks old.

The kitten are named Dexter and Sinister. We gave the bigger one the name Dexter, since he seemed more friendly. However after a couple of days of getting used to me Sinister turned into quite a cuddlecat and now he often rubs against my legs for petting and loves to stay in my lap and be petted as long as this doesn't interfere with play time. I am suprosed by how vocal both kittens can be, since, along with mews, they can trill, growl, and make several other noises.

I like to say Dexter is the good cat and Sinister is the cute cat. Dexter is gentle when play fighting with me and is excellent at scratching on the appropriate devices and will start purring if I'm withing a few feet of his resting place. He is a black cat with a few white hairs on his throat. I often see him doing some classic black cat poses, like Egyptian Cat and Halloween Cat. Sinster's name turned out to be apt - he is the kitten more likely to be doing something he shouldn't be. Right now he's learned how to play fight correctly but still has to learn that blinds are not climbing devices; albichorizon's ponytail is not a play toy; and the sisal rug underneath the dining table is not an appropriate scratching area. It is a good thing he is smaller and cute and that I am fond of leftys (being one myself). Sinsiter is a black cat with white patches at his throat, underneath both front legs, a little along his belly and between his back legs. His face is also narrower then Dexter's rounder face.


Here's a few pictures of my kittens. More will follow.

That is Dexter, the bigger kitten, on the upper shelf and Sinister on the lower shelf.


Here again Dexter has taken the high ground on top of the couch to observe Sinister playing with the new cat toy.

*my reaction on looking out the window*

"Where the hell did that come from?"

What a difference a little latitude makes.

SNOW!!!

(flurries - but it should be getting heavier!)

The weather forecast says there's a 70% chance of snow around 3PM.

My blinds are open, all my stuff for the day is ready to go, and I am waiting patiently for the first snowfall of the year.

And I see 326 emails in my account. As for the competition I spent the week away for, it went very well. :D

Snow delays my 7:45 AM exam to tomorrow at the same time...

I don't mind one bit :D