Crime

We're number one!

It seems that we are not only the Slurpee capital of the world, but we're the crime capital of Canada as well. Could there be a connection?

The article above lists off the various areas where we are first overall, and includes a wonderfully provocative picture to help scare the readers even more:



I know that I've linked to the article, but I want to quote a portion of it below for emphasis.

It will come as no surprise to any Winnipegger who's had his or her car stolen, garage broken into or corner convenience store robbed -- the Manitoba capital has the highest crime rate among major cities in CANADA.

Statistics Canada released its 2006 crime rates survey yesterday, topped by the good news the crime rate countrywide hit a 25-year low last year, with the rate falling in every province and territory. The report noted the national crime rate has fallen roughly 30% since it reached an all-time high in 1991.

SMALL COMFORT

That news is small comfort to Manitobans who experience among the highest crime rates in Canada.

So let me see if I have this right; we are supposed to be alarmed because our crime rate, albeit dropping like a stone, has not dropped as quickly as it has in the rest of the country. Surely normal folk see right through this kind of yellow journalism -- don't they? I overheard a couple of people who were discussing this article in the elevator yesterday.

Person 1: We're #1 again this year. The criminals are over-running everything.
Person 2: I feel sorry for the police. They just can't keep up.
Person 1: I've never seen it so bad.

Then again, maybe not.

"Auto theft is down 50% from last year, but there is still almost one car stolen ever six hours! Are your children safe?"

Default Loot Boy

I am a shameless scavenger. When I am playing on my rogue, I have no qualms about following somebody around with my skinning knife, waiting for them to kill clefthoofs (clefthooves?) so that I can take the hides. When the heavy skins sell for 60g per stack, shame takes a back to prudence.

Lately I have been getting a good deal of deal of mileage out of the line, "I'll take that if nobody else wants it."

[By the way, the Boots of Elusion dropped three times for us last night. They will typically drop at least once every time we clear the instance. Fix the damn loot table already!]

Last night the raiding party dubbed me Default Loot Boy because so much loot has fallen to me in the last couple of runs. I acquired this moniker after Netherspite dropped the Pantaloons of Repentence (sic). They offered them to our healing priest on the run, but she already had a better crafted set. Since I was the only other priest along on the run...

In our last two sorties into Kara, I've had 4-5 epic pieces dropped in my lap because either I was the only priest along, or the other priest on the run didn't need the gear. I could use a better +healing weapon, and I am in dire need of healing enchants, but I have managed to assemble a pretty solid healing set for somebody who as been running as DPS for the past few months.

I think that I have reached the point of diminishing returns on my damage set. It's not that I don't want to crank up my output any more, but I am starting to have trouble keeping my threat level below our main tanks if I don't have the Blessing of Salvation. I spend almost as much time buffing my nails as I do applying damage to some of the trash mobs now.

On the other hand, solo grinding is a breeze these days.