Is it gonna be what they say is?  I sure hope so - One of the patches main features “Duel Speccing”  is the most anticipated change in the game that I have seen since they started talking about “Death Knights” in the spring of 2008, then soon released in November 2008.

After talking to a trainer and paying the required 1000 gold, you can reset your talents and spec in two talent builds.  The way this will work is -  for instance, if your a Paladin - you can set your points for a Holy build and plug in the associated spells into your casting bar.  And then set your talents in Protection and Blizzard will automatically align your Protection talents and save them so all you have to do is click a button and switch talents.  This will also allow you to save your spells in the casting bars so that when you change your spec, which can be done from anywhere - it will automatically bring up your spells in the bar so you don’t have to reset spells.  I personally think this is gonna be extremely nice and effective.  I have a LVL 80 Paladin and I raid a lot, I hate hearthing to Stormwind to respec if the raid group needs me to tank.  So for classes like Shamans, Druids, Paladins, Priests, Death Knights and Warriors this is a great thing.  Not to say that it’s not as good for Warlocks, Mages and Rogues, but for those classes that can tank/heal and heal/DPS the advantage is greater.

One more add that I think is somewhat so-so, is the fact that Blizzard is taking the game from not just hand-to-hand combat to using vehicles, beasts and equipment to down raid bosses.  Personally I think it’s a little cheesy, but it works.  I don’t like having to jump on a vehicle like in Wintergrasp to defeat a boss.  For example, go into the Oculus and you will see what I mean.  This makes pugging very difficult, however I do like how they have made the game and the new patches where it takes a team effort to down these bosses other than just pure tank and spank.  In reality, Naxx is a fun dungeon, but you have to perfect some of those bosses and every time you go in there on 25 man - it’s a challenge regardless of your experience.  So to me that keeps it interesting and I believe people will still go into Naxx even after the Ulduar patch.

I will be keeping a close watch on the patch and will constantly keep you updated on the in-game wow gossip.  Also feel free to ask questions and post comments and let’s hear what you think about the game since the Expansion.

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KJ

Are these scammers stupid?  Of course they are and how long did they think it would take for blizzard to find out?  The most important thing is that someone had to have fallen for the scam.  Come on people after all these years of being online, you should know not to send your personal information over to anyone.  but it kills me how blizzard can try to solve issues that are not in the game, but can’t do anything about the gold sellers.  If selling gold on WOW was illegal then why don’t someone from Blizzard crack down on the websites selling their gold and power leveling?  It seems ok to suspend their paying subscribers account, but when it comes to the people selling the gold - they always keep selling.  It’s just not fair - I sometimes wonder if they are blizzard employees selling gold.  Does anyone else think that?

You have to think about it a little more - all you have to do is search in google for WOW gold and hundreds of websites show up to get your money for in-game gold.  However if you get caught buying the gold then your account will be suspended.  It’s sort of like the liquor store concept - It’s OK to go to the store and buy the alcohol, but you buy to much then you could get in trouble for possession, bootlegging or attempt to deliver a alcohol substance.  To top that one you can live in a DRY COUNTY and they don’t sell liquor, but you can drive 15 miles to get it and bring it back into the DRY county. So it’s OK to drink alcohol in the county, you just can’t buy it there.  So why not just make the county WET and get the tax dollars from it and help put computers and books in schools?  It’s just a dry concept to me.

Now you all know that I am a BIG fan of Blizzard Entertainment, but that does not mean everything they do will make sense - and allowing the selling of gold on or offline is just outrageous.  But the issue today is - DON’T give out your PASSWORD to anyone.  If you are receiving illegal email from someone attempting to get your password and log-in information - forward it to  the Federal Bureau of Investigations and they can put a stop to those harassing and scamming emails.

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KJ

Dungeons and Dragons has taken a big turn in history today after losing one of the creators after a long battle with cancer.  David Arneson , co-creator - died at the age of 61 in St. Paul.  Dungeons and Dragons was created in the early 70’s by he and founding partner Gary Gygax who passed in March 2008 at the age of 69. Together they created one of the most popular games in history - winning several awards and accolades even after all these years since developing the game.

The Minnesota native was a well accomplished war-gamer during his developing days and it sparked his commitment to delivering a role-playing game, that eventually became a household name fast.  D&D was one of my favorite games and now most of the online mmorpg’s have a similar game play that people enjoy to this day.  Arneson is  definitely a pioneer in the gaming industry who kept a very small profile, but he had a very big impact on video gaming entertainment.

I have to say that in my younger days my mom use to make us go outside just to get off of the game.  But we beat the system just like most kids  -and we created our dungeons & dragons game outside in the community using select houses as base and running around bashing each other - good vs. evil.  Those were the good ole days.  And when you think of Arneson,  he has put a little bit of himself in all of us.  He was able to bring out the inner imagination of gamers and make it a reality on the screen.  Not many people new that when he was developing games in the early 70’s, he used rock, paper, scissors as the decided factor as to who won the combat - it was from there that he implemented hit points and gear items to determine strength and combatibility along with his partner Gary Gygax, that he met during a war-game convention in August of 1969.  And together they soon created the award winning title, Dungeons and Dragons - after developing naval battle games as well.

So when you log into your mmorpg today, give respect to the late David Arneson and Gary Gygax for their contributions to the gaming industry and giving the present developers something to build on.  I would like to personally thank Mr. Arneson and Mr. Gygax - by dedicating the comments to them and show our utmost respect to great pioneers in the gaming industry.  Together we can respond to this blog and show our respect to a men that made it possible for us to talk and blog about so many games.

R.I.P. - David L. Arneson  (October 1, 1947 - April 7, 2009  - Age 61)

R.I.P. - Ernest Gary Gygax  (July 27, 1938 - March 4, 2008 - Age 69)

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KJ

With the anticipation of the NEW ULDUAR PATCH - Blizzards lets us know that they will continue to develop content that will keep gamers coming back.  Just when you thought, I finally made it to level 80 and received all the level 213 gear from 25 man raids - BOOM! Blizzard gives us something else to do.  I have to admit - I love the way they designed Naxx, the all new 10/25 man dungeon with the “Wrath of the Lich King” expansion kit.  The dungeon is loaded with fascinating gear, but there is one problem - whenever the Ulduar patch is released, that gear will be obsolete.  Simply because we are gonna want the new gear - why would you not?  I think this is Blizzards way to say, “Hey people - by the end of the fall we will be promoting our next expansion.”  At that point WOW heads will be able to level to 90.  Just wait until that day come.  I definitely think it’s in the near future for Blizzard.  Even though business wise they CAN’T BE STOPPED!  Gamers are moving faster with this new content than Blizzard expected.  So what are we gonna do this summer when we have ran through all the Ulduar content?  I guess we can AH-it up and farm gold. LOL.  Or will Blizzard release something at the end of the summer to challenge us again until they release a new expansion?  To most of us it really doesn’t matter as long as they keep giving us what we want.

 Maybe the government should invest in online gaming!  Preferably - > World of Warcraft and let the gaming industry put things back on track.  Because I guarantee you it will be a LONG DAY IN HELL before Blizzard has to start laying people off.  While they are promoting strategies to relieve the country of  a recession, we are promoting online strategies for the next raid.  That should keep the stock brokers busy.  The way I see it - not even the government can stop Blizzard.  I guarantee you Barrack Obama logs into WOW at least once a day to check his Auction House sales.  LOL.  If not, he will be soon.  In that matter, Hey Hillary tell people that you love World of Warcraft and I guarantee you win the election next year.  One day they will let me manage a political candidate.  I would get them elected, simply by teaching them how to SPAM election ads in general chat.  LOL.  Ok, enough of the stupid jokes.  But answer my question.

CAN BLIZZARD BE STOPPED?

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KJ

Is it true that when people think of Rap, they think dangerous, drugs and/or unprofessional?  I doubt that - even though rap has gained a lot of publicity as being a hardcore style of music - no one can deny the talent involved when it comes to creating quality music that you can enjoy.  However you never hear about the guys behind the scenes making Rap music what it is today.

Even Run DMC had a great producer around them - the late great “Jam Master J ” was credited as a Hip Hop pioneer for his contributions to the art.  That’s right whether you like Rap or not - it is art, poetry and creativity that make it stand out among many genre’s.  Since the 80’s Hip Hop/Rap has come a long way to prove that it’s here to stay.  But most of the credit goes to the artist and not the producers.  And with the industry changing so fast - there are plenty of avenues to create music without spending tons of money on the production side.  However it’s not recommended to start your rap career recording in the shower like rap phenomenons Big Boi and Andre 3000 , known as, grammy award winning group “Outcast” , based in Atlanta, GA.  Technology has made recording and producing music affordable to virtually anybody with a computer.

This has led to a saturated market of performers all over the world.  I have been producing music for over 9 years now and I have recognized the growth in music and producers.  Thanks to the advancements in technology,  you only need a beat machine or sequencer - and right then you just became a producer.  But where do you find QUALITY producers, those producers who know how to equalize, compress and master music?  Most rap artists find them in their local city producing and recording songs for various artists in hopes to break into the music scene with a popular track.  And there is nothing at all wrong with that, because you have to start somewhere, but I’m gonna share with you a great location that can help you find those really good producers.  I’m even gonna share with you where to sell your music online with a great website that specializes in good quality beats for artists.

There are many sites promoting producer songs and music, but there are only a few that actually require that the music is up to par when it comes to quality.  Most sites just let you upload anything in hopes that you create a profile and raise their traffic - the problem with that process is that it lacks professional and quality compositions.  Do you want your professionally produced material among many compositions produced poorly? Of course not - you want your music represented in the best possible professional manner.  So you have to find avenues on the web that will uphold that for you.  If you don’t - who will?  If you are producing out of the garage, please be aware that you may produce a song that has a great hook/chorus and it sounds great in the studio, but don’t think for a second that a industry professional can’t recognize a well produced song.  As a matter of fact, Industry A&R reps look for professionally produced song’s - and they can tell the difference.  They don’t care where you record it, but I urge you to think quality first.  Because quality separate professionals from amateurs and your first impression may be your last one.  And in the music industry we look for professionals and quality when it comes to working with artists.

If you are a producer and you are looking for a great way to sell your music you can always stop by Givemebeats.net , Mardix has created a awesome avenue for quality producers to represent their music with professionalism.  As a producer you can sell you beats for whatever price you choose, as well as sell exclusive or non-exclusive.  The site was developed for quality produced beats and it continues to attract great producers with it’s low profile appearance.  It’s a great place to share your beats and receive excellent feedback and generate sales.  If your a artist looking for professionally produced beats, you can browse easily for different styles of beats ranging from , R&B to Hip/Hop, even  targeting your search all the way down to the kind of beat, for example southern, east and/or west coast flavor shall I add.  I have to give major props to Mardix for his dedication and service to the Hip Hop community for creating a quality avenue for producers to network and make money.

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KJ

I give my blessing to those families who have to suffer through this horrible event.

Sources:

CNN

When I first saw this project it touched me all over.  Astonishing contribution to our Fallen Heroes!

When I first met Kevyn Major Howard I knew there was something special about him, his remarkable character, kindness and soft voice was not enough to show his gratitude and kind heart for this project.  In case you don’t know who Kevyn is, he played the role of “Rafterman” in the incredible film “Full Metal Jacket”.   I remember Mr. Howard saying that you never understand or pay attention to what our soldiers go through to protect the very freedom that we have until you touch this vehicle.

This 1963 Nova Memorial Race Car is dedicated to all of the fallen and living U.S. Marines of the Iraq war.  And I just can’t say enough about the power that this vehicle represents and the men behind powering this vehicle around the country from state-to-state trying to gain enough sponsorships to put the vehicle in front of every single American in the United States.  It’s truly a work of art, created by Kevyn Major Howard’s dream and Chuck Spiker’s expertise.

I personally had the opportunity to put my hands on this car and I watched the many tears that fell from service men and women who have served in Iraq - and it is beyond your imagination how this creation of God has impacted the lives of many U.S. service men and women.  The vehicle represents the names of the fallen marines during the  current Iraq conflict and it represents everything that being an American is all about.  This vehicle has set in front of many people and the Fueled By The Fallen team has been dedicated to the champion vehicle for more that 3 years now - and the passion of Kevyn Major Howard has made this project more amazing than you can imagine.   I urge anyone out there to just go and put your hands on it - just touch it.  Because if you do - you would have contributed the greatest honor to our American Heroes.

I would also like to give major respect to the Fueled by the Fallen team.  They have been committed to not giving up and they constantly keep pushing for corporate sponsorship to allow this major movement in history to tour across American and shine it’s glory among the eyes of every family and all the children to show appreciation to service men and women who put their lives on hold to make sure that ours can move forward.  I personally urge that you visit Fueled by the Fallen website and show your respect to those unsung heroes and let them know that they will not be forgotten.

And to you Kevyn Major Howard :

You are a kind, generous and honorable figure that will make an impression on this country that will forever live in history.  I highly respect your efforts in all that you attempt and wish the very best for your Fueled By The Fallen Team.  I think I speak for the most of us when I say, “I truly respect what you have done for this country and may God bless you and your relentless team on the road to sponsorships and spreading this wonderful gift that you have to offer to this country.”

Once again I urge everyone to go to the website and support this wonderful project.  And to the service men and women -

“Thank you for the wonderful commitment that you have given this country - Your dedication will never be forgotten.”

You can find videos, print media and more information about Kevyn Major Howard and the Fueled by The Fallen team here (Click to Watch Video)

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KJ

I am currently writing on:

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And you can also follow me on twitter.com/kjonthespot

Thanks for all the support and I look forward to meeting everyone! Let’s Blog?

KJ

As fast as the internet has grown it has become a nest egg for information.  Although it is quite convenient to log on the internet and find information about anything that you can imagine - it can also be something that is convenient to your child.  Do you know what your children are browsing when they are online?  Have you played the game that they are playing?  If not, I strongly urge that you do.

I’m just like everyone else I love surfing the web and there is no water deep enough that I can’t survive in, but do I want that for my child?  Probably not, although playing games online can be the most popular way to entertain for most of us.  It can be critical when it comes to a child.  I have played a number of online games and communicating with several different types of people as well as ages.  Who would have thought that you could be running through a dungeon killing mobs with a group of four other online gamers together chatting and having a killing spree of fun.  It’s very exciting until after you have spent over an hour online with someone you just met that is using language that some old drunk man in lounge would use while arguing with the bartender, because they refuse to serve him anymore drinks.  Then someone pops the BIG question, “How old are you?” and they proudly reply, “I’m 13 why?” reality set’s in.  And the first thing that comes to your mind is - “If that was my child I would spank him/her.”

 Although most gaming developers and/or corporations are increasing their awareness for vulgar language while playing games online - they are still many years away from controlling the language of “other peoples kids.”  But most of us parents don’t think our child would be doing that online - I noticed it when my son first introduced me to online gaming.  Yes that is right my 8 year old son at the time asked me to buy him a retail copy of a popular online game and without any doubt I bought the game for him.  It was when he asked me to help him with a quest on the game that I realized, that there was some language being use in the general chat section.  It was then I decided to look further into what I was exposing my child to.  I repeat - what I was exposing my child to.  I didn’t wanna be the nasty parent and tell my child that I just spent almost 40 bucks on a game that he can no longer play.  So I did my research to find out if there was a way that we could filter the channels so that my child could enjoy the game without the grown up conversations that led anywhere from racism, sex and drugs.  And before I scare you any further - I did find a solution to the problem.  But as a parent you have to take some of these actions to help resolved those issues for your children.

1.  You should nonchalantly set down and offer to watch them play the game.

2.  Get involved with your children online.  (See what they enjoy the most.)

3.  If they are on any social networks - join that network and instantly become friends with them.

4.  Offer your assistance, help them browse and find online sites that are great for kids.  There are plenty of great sites for kids (Disney , Kidzui and Teenfaze.com)

Disney will allow you to set your homepage to their website. (click here)

The good thing is this, after researching the easy to find tabs within the game - I found that there was options to filter those general chats out, as well as they also made me aware that I can set a filter so that no one can whisper my children online if they were not added to their friends list.  This made me feel 100% more comfortable about my children playing this game.  But I urge all parents who have children browsing and/or involved in online gaming or things such as Youtube and Myspace to really research and find out how to filter the content that can be available to them.  If you find that your child is watching a video from various online social networks - then you better believe that they have the same access to content as you do unless you take action.

In a nutshell, control the content that your kids are being subject to.  Please feel free to ask me any questions regarding the safety of your children online.  For more information about child safety online go to the federal government website and keep up-to-date with internet security for children.  And as a team we can help protect our children online.

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KJ

Do you play World of Warcraft?  If not, you may wanna go to their website and see why 11.5 million people just can’t get enough.  I have 10 characters on WOW and have been playing since the beginning and I have seen this company go from basic to advanced.  Not only have they created a phenomenon - but they have changed the way people of all ages play video games.  WOW subscribers are not just young kids despiting their parents by spending 80% of their time online playing games - Blizzard Entertainment has attracted all ages and walks of life that you could imagine.  Who could imagine that creating a game where you level from 1 to 60 was entertaining?  Whether you enjoying gaming or not - you will enjoy the entertaining never ending action that Blizzard developed with their online games.  The exciting part is that you can now level from 1 to 80, after the new Wrath of the Lich King expansion kit released in November 2008.

Personally when I started playing I had no idea the range and variety of players who were subscribing to World of Warcraft.  It doesn’t matter if you are a single parent, male, female or even between the ages of 7 and 70 - you can meet them on this powerful game developed by Blizzard Enterainment.  Just when you thought the world was so culturally diversed - you find out how similar we are when it comes to chatting, entertainment and challenges.

Blizzard Entertainment recorded a record breaking announcement earlier and you can find that information here at their forum, where they indicated reaching 11.5 million subscribers released on December 23, 2008 - my guess is that they are probably closer to 12 million now since then.  Blizzard Entertainment also annonces more information on the upcoming BlizzCon Gaming Convention, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

So if you find yourself bored go to World of Warcraft website and browse around - but beware.  You could be the next online gamer playing among millions chatting, laughing and sharing an incredible experience that the entire family can enjoy.  Take it from me, my wife and three sons play the game with us and we have a wonderful time running around in the world of warcraft.

you heard it TodaywithKJ

KJ