Welcome to Scattered Shots, written by Frostheim of Warcraft Hunters Union and the Hunting Party Podcast. Each week Frostheim uses logic and science mixed with a few mugs of Dwarven Stout to look deep into the hunter class. Got hunter questions? Feel free to email Frostheim.

Throughout the years of WoW, hunter pets have grown better and better with each expansion. In the beginning they were a pain to train and level, and we were rewarded for that pain with a pet that died in every boss fight. But over time, our pets have grown steadily stronger, easier and more customizable. While we still have some pet issues, those issues are no longer that our pets are too weak.

Of course while we know how awesome and vital our pets have become, healers are still a few expansions behind on the learning curve. They continue to prioritize the tanks or themselves over our pets. But what are you gonna do? The healer's mind is an unfathomable thing — after all, they rolled healers in the first place, which already establishes them as somewhat unstable. What I don't understand is why that nurturing impulse doesn't translate to adorably fluffy and cuddly minions of death.

So our pets are certified mini-killing machines now, but with that improvement new problems have cropped up. While we still don't know exactly what Cataclysm has in store for our pets, the recent hunter class preview gave us a peek at the direction that Blizzard may have in mind. So join me after the cut as we take a look at the current problem with hunter pets and the possible solution that Cataclysm may present.

The current hunter pet problem

Hunter pets are now more awesome than they have ever been in the history of WoW. Our pets have gone through various phases of normalization (it used to be that individual pets had different damage and attack speeds) and various phases of individualization, including the excellent pet talent trees we have now.

For a pleasant historical change, hunters are no longer complaining that their pets are useless, or die too easily, or contribute too little. But … we're still complaining.

The problem now is this: everyone in PvE has the same pet. From heroics to raids, from SV to BM, all you see is the wolf. With 32 different pet families available to hunters in the game, most of us all use the same one. The reason is simply that the wolf's special gives us more DPS than other pets, and we all want to do as much DPS as we can.

Sure, if we want to solo or do pet tanking we'll grab something from the tenacity tree. If we want to PvP, odds are good that we'll pick up a cunning pet. But if we want to hit dungeons and raids, that means the ferocity tree, and while we might occasionally want a different pet, the obvious choice 90% of the time is going to be the wolf.

How we got here

First of all, we have to realize that this problem has always existed. Even back in vanilla, with our wee pets that were adorable and not much else, everyone still chose the pet that boosted their damage the most. But as the game has advanced, the player base and the resources available to us have advanced as well. The urge to min/max our DPS has always, always been there for raiders, but once upon a time most raiders didn't actually know which pet was the best and why.

I definitely think that players now have a better overall understanding of the game mechanics and their primary class than they used to. So it's not that more people are min/maxing than ever, it's that more people have access to the knowledge to do it successfully than ever.

Now take our three pet trees. Tenacity for soloing or tanking — good variety of pets used there. Cunning for PvP — again we see a good variety of pets used based on team strategies. Then we have ferocity, our DPS tree, from which raiders and dungeon runners will pull their pets.

Ghostcrawler has brought up the design team's frustrations here before. He pointed out, very accurately, that when players are min/maxing, they're all going to take the same pet, even if the pet is only a fraction of a percent better than the next best choice. After all, more damage is more damage, and we want to do more damage — the most damage we possibly can, in fact. So as long as the pets' special attacks are different, theorycrafters will figure out which is best — by no matter how small of a margin — and that is the pet that everyone will use. It's virtually impossible to make very different abilities that will do exactly the same damage.

So the problem is either a.) pets all have unique special abilities, and 90% of the PvE population only uses the absolute best, or b.) you make all pets exactly the same, and the only difference between a cat and a wolf and a raptor is that they look different.

Frankly, neither of these sound great, do they?

The Cataclysm solution

First of all, let me stress again, we don't know exactly what Cataclysm will bring. However, the hunter class preview did give us a strong indication of a potential solution that Blizzard found — neither option A or option B, but instead, a third direction. Here's the relevant tidbit:

Add Some Hooch to Your Pooch

According to folklore and Woody Woodpecker, St. Bernards once carried barrels of brandy around their necks to revive stranded mountaineers. Now such barrels can go around your dog's neck to revive you for $50. [Kegworks via TheGreenHead via OhGizmo!]

Send an email to Mark Wilson, the author of this post, at mark@gizmodo.com.

petsafe no bark collar

Shon Kujath

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On a day when dog-stomping videos get Constitutional protection, questions arise about how First Amendment freedoms may be exacerbating today’s political polarization.

Americans have come a long way from 1923 when Time Magazine first appeared to save them from being confused by “the million little chaoses of raw news” with a Voice from Above to explain what it all means. Back then, A. J. Liebling could rightly conclude that freedom of the press was limited to those who own one.

Now in a 24/7 flood of ideas and images, David Brooks tries to make the case that “the Internet is actually more ideologically integrated than old-fashioned forms of face-to-face association…You’re more likely to overlap with political opponents online than in your own neighborhood.”

His evidence is flimsy after citing stronger arguments that the Internet “may be harming the public square” by allowing us to personalize our news, visit only Web sites that confirm our prejudices and live in “information cocoons” that strengthen them.

The Supreme Court’s decision on the loathsome videos suggests how hard it is to draw a line between free expression and behavior that damages the society.

MORE.

Last night, to the surprise of no one, "30 Rock" finally tackled the great late-night wars of 2010. In typical "30 Rock" style, the send-up was supremely clever and self-referential — Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien were replaced by two janitors, one of whom had been promised the late shift five years ago. Perhaps less typically, the writers didn't take much of a stance on the issue. I figured Tina et al would be "Team Conan," but NBC was the butt of the joke, and not Jay. "30 Rock's" spoof was decidedly neutral, albeit very funny — especially the lines about "he collects classic car cardboard" and "I'll just go work at Fox Foxwoods casino."
 

Watching "30 Rock" this season has felt a little bit like being in a Liz Taylor-Richard Burton-style, on-again, off-again relationship. One week, I'm madly in love. Then "30 Rock" disappears for three weeks — no phone call, no text, no anything! Like a fool, I stop by faithfully at 9:30 Pacific on Thursday nights, but I get the Olympics or another hour-long episode of "The Office" instead. Tina Fey is off playing Sarah Palin on "SNL," which I surely can't hold against her, and promoting "Date Night," which maybe I can. Then "30 Rock" returns out of the blue and it's intense — twice in one night! — so now I am just not so sure how to feel. It's been such a tumultuous season, and my quibbles with Liz's portrayal have only gotten worse. Last night didn't do anything to assuage these concerns — Liz was attacked by Tracy's dog, bought a $1,200 karaoke machine to impress her co-workers, and got hit in the face with a dodgeball — but when it comes to laughter and love (yes, I really did just write that), we'll always have Jack.

What did you think? Who do you think will win Jack's heart? Do you think the "30 Rock" writers wussed out when it came to Jay and Conan? And will Liz's suffering come to an end anytime soon?

Best joke (that wasn't really a joke): "This is America, none of us are supposed to be here." –Pete

Most meta moment: "Wow, other than some notable recent exceptions, NBC never guarantees employment five years in advance." –Jack

Jenna's diva behavior: "Oh you don’t want to mess with that stuff Liz. Ice has caused a lot of OD’s in the porn community. Oh, you mean frozen water? I don’t know."

Jack's Republican talking point: "In my defense, every April 22 I honor Richard Nixon’s death by getting drunk and making some unpopular decisions." 

Extent of Liz Lemon's humiliations this week: Between "singles fart suppression" and getting mauled by Tracy Sr. (Tracy's dog), this episode is rated "E" for extreme.

Meanest thing said to Liz: "Lemon, the grown-up dating world is like your hair: sometimes awkward triangles occur." –Jack

Most insane Tracyism: It's a tie, once again. On the phone with Liz: "Parties are like Frisbees. If you throw them the wrong way, they'll
veer off in a bad direction, and then your kid will fall into a quarry." And in response to a question about his marriage vows: "To be honest, I couldn’t really understand anything    Rick James was saying." 

Quintessential Kenneth: "Mr. Donaghy, I have to run out to Mr. Jordan's house. I'll call you when I get there to let you know I'm safe…I love you!"

Something I'd like to know more about: The wig and mustache Tracy was wearing at the beginning of last night's first episode.

Just because: "I've had to make some tough calls over the years, switching
Sheinhardt’s wig production to 100% Chinese cadaver hair, turning down
Dick Cheney’s offer to become King of Iraq…"  –Jack

Guest stars: Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, and a cameo by Will Ferrell.

Proof I have good taste: Apparently, New Yorker editor David Remnick is also a huge Tracy Morgan fan.

– Meredith Blake (follow me on Twitter@MeredithBlake)

RELATED:

Complete coverage of '30 Rock' on Show Tracker'

30 Rock': The Return of Floyd

'30 Rock': Liz Lemon refuses to settle

Critic's Notebook: Tina Fey gets her Sarah Palin on for 'Saturday Night Live'

Why did 'Date Night's' Tina Fey and Steve Carell go from great TV to a bad movie?

Photo: Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) juggles his two favorite ladies, Avery Jessup and Nancy Donovan. Credit: Ali Goldstein / NBC

bark control dog collars

Beau Merklein

Everyone\'s a critic: one of our panelists gropes for a sniff of biscuit.Photo: Jason Houston

I've got a bone to pick with conventional dog biscuits. Like commercial dog food, they are made with un-green or even potentially dangerous ingredients. Surely, they're unworthy of a companion who greets your return from the mailbox with nothing less than rapture.

But are the spendy, natural and/or organic versions worth the price of reducing Rover's carbon pawprint? Will your dog eat them, or even prefer them to cheap, commercial Milk-Bones?

Our esteemed critics are ready for their treats. Photo: Jason HoustonTo find out, I grabbed some Milk Bones (for comparison purposes) and higher-quality (even organic!) biscuits to test whether dogs prefer one over the other. Then I assembled a canine tasting panel. For scientific purposes, I went for a range of dogs across age groups and breeds. My four-legged panel includes:

• Burn: a ten-year-old, painfully sentient, ball-obsessed Border Collie.
• Lulu: a two-year-old cartoonishly cute Cockapoo with a high-pitched bark that could sever one's auditory nerves.
• Sugar Ray: a beanbag-shaped, geriatric Pug with a seriously deviated septum.
• Austin: a handsome seven-year-old Australian Shepherd with glacial eyes.

The plan was to give each dog a choice: Milk Bone or fancy biscuit?

I also managed to talk the dog's adult owner-companions into joining in the taste-test. Don't wrinkle your nose — the “eco” biscuits in this taste-off were of higher quality than most of the stuff found in school cafeterias. Personally speaking, I've eaten many dog biscuits on a dare during my childhood, which explains why I have great teeth and a glossy coat.

Our mixed panel of beasts — canine and hominoid — found:

Wagatha's Super Berry Biscuit

Ingredients: Whole millet flour, dark rye flour, barley flour, oat flour, canola oil, whole eggs, brown rice flour, flax seed, quinoa, sunflower seeds, apples, cranberries, carrots, blueberries, apple cider vinegar, alfalfa, rosemary, allspice, ginger, calendula.

Price: $7.99 for 9 ounces

These small classically bone-shaped, USDA certified 100 percent organic treats from Vermont are pretty much vegetarian, though not vegan. Lulu clearly preferred this treat over the Milk Bone and Austin, the Aussie, consumed it with little chewing. Sugar Ray backed away from the bowl and observed the biscuits from a safe distance. Burn, perhaps searching for her tennis ball, left the room. The humans thought these treats smelled like “berries and bacon” and “tea.” Taste-wise, the humans were pleasantly surprised. “I've had things at the health food store that taste like this!” Another taster thought he detected “sundried tomato.” Wrong!

Newman's Own Organics Salmon & Sweet Potato dog treat

Ingredients: Barley flour*, ground salmon, sweet potatoes*, carrots*, apples*, chicken fat (preserved naturally with mixed tocopherols and lecithin), rolled oats, rosemary extract. (*certified organic)

Price: $4.29 for 10 ounces

Okay, so a few ingredients here are organic and that's cool, but what's up with the conventional salmon? I know that Newman's Own Organics is trying to do the right thing, but surely they know about environmental hazards of farm-raised salmon. The dogs were not impressed with the cutesy heart shape, or, surprisingly, the fishy smell. The Pug could not be enticed even when the biscuit was waved in front of what passed for his nose. Only the Aussie was game (he pulled both bones, the Newman's and the Milk Bone control, out the dog dishes and gobbled them). Most of the hominid tasters meanwhile were repulsed. Two ran to the sink to flush their mouths. “It's like the cardboard the fish was stored in!” said one taster. “It gets worse with saliva,” said another. But one taster chomped approvingly and said, “I like salmon!” (It should be noted that, while in Africa, said taster once drank goat's blood directly from the animal's neck.)

Mr. Barky's Vegetarian Dog Biscuits

Ingredients: Wheat flour, whole oat groats, whole ground brown rice, whole ground yellow corn, whole barley, soy flour, sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), calcium ascorbate (source of vitamin C), yucca schidigera extract, vitamin E supplement, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D2 supplement (calciferol), D-pantothenic acid, niacin, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12 supplement, biotin, zinc amino acid chelate, calcium amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, iron amino acid chelate, cobalt amino acid chelate, sodium selenite.

Price: $5.99 for 21 ounces

We all know that dogs aren't vegetarian. What I think is going on with these biscuits is that, by avoiding potentially creepy animal ingredients, owner-companions can assuage their own guilt. Although vegetarian is the greenest way to go for the planet, a veggie bikkie may leave your dog pining for the backyard squirrels. Sugar Ray took an unenthusiastic whiff at this multivitamin-posing-as-snack and hit the ground. Lulu seemed unable to smell it at all. (She wagged her stumpy tail and circled the bowls suspiciously.) True to form, Austin ate it while the Milk Bone was still in his mouth. The human tasters were unenthused, comparing these bix to “straight-up cardboard,” and “Zwieback teething biscuits” and, most damningly, “like Ryvita!”

Harmony Farms Health Bars with Apples & Yogurt

Ingredients: Oat flour, pearl barley, rye flour, oatmeal, dried egg, apples, blueberries, yogurt, oat fiber, chicken liver, flaxseed, salt, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, chicken fat (preserved with natural mixed tocopherols), carrots, cinnamon.

Price: $4.29 for 18 ounces

Health bars … really? With non-organic chicken liver and fat? And WTF are “natural mixed tocopherols”? At this point in the tasting the Burn started looking despondent and went on a hunger strike. The clearly well-fed Pug lay down again, either out of boredom or because of aching joints. Lulu sniffed, snubbed and cocked her cute little head as if to say, “I do not understand your silly species.” Austin, on the other hand, sniffed at the Milk bone and then clearly chose the Harmony Farms bar. The humans, meanwhile, were ready to serve these with tea. “Almost cookie-like!” enthused one, while another concurred “like an unsweetened graham cracker.” One mother's comment: “This is like something I'd make for the kids, but without the rendered chicken fat!”

Organix Organic Dog Cookies, organic peanut butter flavor

Ingredients: Organic chicken, organic peas, organic brown rice, organic oats, organic barley, organic chicken fat naturally preserves with mixed tocopherols (form of vitamin E) natural chicken liver flavor, organic natural peanut butter flavor, organic flaxseed, rosemary extract.

Price: $5.69 for 12 ounces

Right off the bat I wondered, why peanut butter flavor and not actual peanut butter? I mean, how freakin' hard is it to put peanut butter in the batter? The dogs must have wondered this, too. Austin was the only dog who ate this biscuit. Lulu pranced away, Sugar Ray seemed close to death, and if Burn had opposable thumbs she — convinced that she was being subjected to this because she had done something truly horrible — would have committed seppuku. At this point we offered her a choice of all of the biscuits, and she rolled her Jesus-like eyes to the ceiling (Forgive them father, they know not what to eat). The bipeds, meanwhile, agreed on the extremely crunchy texture but deemed this cookie “not peanut buttery” and tasting like “dog food smells.” Zinger: “It tastes like something you'd have at a Super Bowl party in the suburbs.”

Milk Bone Medium Dog Biscuits for Dogs 20-50 pounds

Ingredients: Wheat flour, wheat bran, meat and bone meal, milk, wheat germ, beef fat (preserved with tocopherols), salt, dicalcium phosphate, natural flavor, calcium carbonate, brewers dried yeast, malted barley flour, sodium metabisulfite (used as a preservative), vitamins & minerals (choline chloride, zinc sulfate, vitamin E supplement, D-calcium pantothenate, vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement).

Price: $3.49 for 26 ounces

With the exception of Austin, all of the dogs snubbed these iconic treats. A few human tasters patently refused to put them in their mouths. Those brave enough to try this courtesy-of-the-rendering plant treat were rewarded not with fresh breath, but with something “salty and chickeny” and “like wet fur” and most strangely, “like a taste bomb–an exploding harpoon.”

The Bottom line

Let's be honest here: Canine taste-tests are for purely for entertainment. Dogs' taste preferences range from super-fussy to so undiscriminating that they will eat road kill, litter box contents (”Almond Roca”) or even their own feces. That said, the winner of this particular taste test was Wagatha's, based on the fact that two out four dogs ate them. The humans, meanwhile, seemed to actually enjoy the Harmony Health Bars and the Wagatha's. (And really, aren't many of the choices we humans make for our dogs about us, not them? Hence those humiliating dog pajamas, breath spray, canopy-style dog beds, Halloween costumes-need I go on?) The bottom line is that owner-companions should carefully read ingredients, avoid the potentially scary and environmentally bad stuff (the generic meats, animal byproducts, digest and meals that are the consequences of factory farming, HFCS, artificial dyes, preservatives and cheapo grain fillers like corn and rice), and make a choice based on your dog's fussiness level. Also, consult your vet about your dog's specific needs.

Lastly (you regular readers know what's coming) … if you want to save money and avoid stepping into a big ole pile of carbon caused by shipping and packaging story-bought dog snacks, follow Umbra's advice and bake your own treat. 

The famous 4-year-old English skateboarding bulldog from Southern California has arrived in NYC for the first time ever. According to the Daily News, Tillman—the world’s fastest skateboarding canine—is here for Saturday's “Bark in the Park” event, where Mets fans and their furry friends are both invited to a game.

His owner Ron Davis says that so far “he loves New York. There is a lot of concrete for him to do his thing.” He's already hit up Tompkins Square Park, and Davis told the paper, “He just pulled a no-comply, top-shove-it move that we got on tape. What can I say? He’s an adrenaline junkie.”

Fun fact: Tillman's pre-skate ritual is to chew on each wheel—but we're guessing he does this even on off-days! Hopefully by the end of his trip there will be some video of Tillman doing his thing on the city streets—but here's the Daily News' footage of him getting some practice in:

citronella spray bark collar

Chassidy Eggart

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The resource you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.

Police in Middletown, Ohio responded to a domestic disturbance call last Friday only to find Janice McCoy-Nuttle, 49, drunk on a bed with “one large white parrot… standing on her forehead, biting her in the face. There was another smaller bird on her chest.” According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, “This was in addition to as many as 10 cages with other birds, all of them squawking and causing (six small) dogs to bark. The woman appeared to be so intoxicated, (Sgt. Steve) Ream said, 'that she could not remove the bird off her face.'” After the police arrived, the woman, flipped out, throwing an inhaler at her husband, kicking at the windows of the squad car, and generally causing quite a ruckus. Where is COPS when you need them. “Parrot bites woman, and she throws inhaler” (Thanks, Rick Pescovitz!)

citronella spray anti bark collar

Kelley Highland

You only have to look in that box titled “AMERICAblog Reader Pets” in the upper right hand corner of this site to see how much we all love their pets. We've received hundreds and hundreds of pet photos — and they keep coming. Last week, John — finally — joined the rank of pet owners. So, all the animal lovers should read this article from today's New York Times about dogs who have come to the aid of vets dealing with PTSD:

The dogs to whom they credit their improved health are not just pets. Rather, they are psychiatric service dogs specially trained to help traumatized veterans leave the battlefield behind as they reintegrate into society.

Because of stories like these, the federal government, not usually at the forefront of alternative medical treatments, is spending several million dollars to study whether scientific research supports anecdotal reports that the dogs might speed recovery from the psychological wounds of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In dozens of interviews, veterans and their therapists reported drastic reductions in P.T.S.D. symptoms and in reliance on medication after receiving a service dog.

The article is really worth a read. And, hat tip to Senator Al Franken:

Under a bill written by Senator Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota, veterans with P.T.S.D. will get service dogs as part of a pilot program run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Training a psychiatric service dog and pairing it with a client costs more than $20,000. The government already helps provide dogs to soldiers who lost their sight or were severely wounded in combat, but had never considered placing dogs for emotional damage.

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Felica Giner

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Are you trying to find a landlord who will not only welcome Fido with open paws, but understand the pooch's need to use the backyard as a potty? Are you someone whose home-buying priority isn't good schools but rather proximity to a dog park or 24-hour vet clinic? If you had your druthers, would you forgo a home with built-in bookshelves in favor of one with a built-in cat platform-climbing tree?

Moving, whether it be down the street or from coast-to-coast, is stressful. So call it a clever marketing tool or the answer to a pet-owner's prayers, but the Pet Realty Network is here to help. The brainchild of British-born Rhona Sutter, the Pet Realty Network charges real estate agents $30 a year to showcase an unlimited number of pet-friendly properties. They can also upload their bios and photos. The fee for developers is $50 a year. The site, free to visitors, provides a wealth of pet moving tips. Sutter is also a Realtor.

Karen Numme, an agent with Keller-Williams in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, joined the network earlier this year. Numme is a doggie stage mom whose five-pound Yorkshire Terrier named Shumi just completed a national campaign for Target. Numme, who shares space on her business card with Shumi, says the Pet Realty Network has been a tremendous resource for her thus far.

“I'm a pet person and know quite a bit, but they have information on the site that has helped me to help my clients. It's great!,” she said. There are links to local pet sitters, pet boarding facilities, dog walkers, and other pet-friendly businesses.

Sutter, who started the site almost three years ago, said it has more than 200 members now. Based in Naples, Florida, she said she plans on launching a sister site in the next few weeks that focuses exclusively on pet-friendly rental units. She also runs pethealthalert.com, created after a series of hurricanes underscored the need for emergency pet information.

The Pet Realty Network also runs an online store with pet gifts suitable as closing presents from agents to home buyers — things like a “this belongs to me” blanket personalized with a pet's name, that sells for about $30 or a Mutt Pack Traveler, a see-through traveling case that retails for about $40. Other items include leash holders and T-shirts with horse, dog and cat themes.

So, clever marketing or a real service? Probably a little of both, but I'd give the lady high marks for an easy-to-use and cleverly written web site, dedicated to Kash, the Golden Retriever who is listed as the former Director of Barketing.

Estimates are that more than 10 million families moved with pets last year, Sutter said, and focusing on buyers with pets just helps agents distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack, so to speak. I'll raise a paw to that one.

Last night the remaining nine contestants on American Idol stumbled through the catalogue of Elvis Presley, failing for the most part to make any of the King’s tunes their own. Season-eight runner-up Adam Lambert blessedly livened things up as a guest mentor, and he was actually a great tie-in to the week's theme since Elvis also wore mascara offstage and the networks won’t show Lambert doing certain things below the hips. Glambert kept the episode afloat by actually giving some honest feedback, saying this season has great singers but a lot of them need to “wake up … let’s put on a show.” (And after weeks of the judges wondering what the problem is with Andrew, it was a relief to have someone flat out tell him his singing was boring.)

The mentoring segments were filmed in Las Vegas, which added absolutely nothing to the episode but did allow Ryan to utter questionable lines like, “Let’s see what happened to Katie in Sin City … ” And to make up for all the gay jokes in his wheelhouse that he would have liked to have been making last season (there was mid-season speculation, but Lambert didn’t publicly come out until after the season wrapped), Ryan made sure to tell Adam, “My tongue is not nearly as talented as yours … you know what I mean, with singing! With singing!” Adam gracefully responded with one of those “please shut up” smiles you make when your mom tells your significant other about your potty-training travails.

The performances:

Crystal Bowersox continues to impress and show growth. For the first time this season, she actually made a left-field song choice, singing an obscure (in Elvis terms) gospel-blues tune called “Saved.” Naturally, she nailed the vocals and arrangement, and her stage persona was more energetic, sassy, and comfortable than ever before. She’s one of the few contestants this season truly using the show as training for a real career later on. Simon said good things about her, but it was incredibly distracting watching Glee’s Jane Lynch in the background and wondering what she would say if she were at the judges’ table.

Andrew Garcia’s lounge-lizard re-conception of “Hound Dog” was the kind of thing that should have fallen into the “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” category. Even more miserable than his languid singing was his lifeless performance, where he doddered around stage like an old man and dragged the mic with him like it was his IV stand. With two people going home tonight, it’s really time to bid him adieu. Ellen was the only judge who liked it, and explained to Ryan that she liked it because she liked it.

After weeks of excruciating Sanjaya-esque performances, Tim Urban surprisingly delivered one of the night’s most satisfying songs. Instead of sullying “Can’t Help Falling In Love” with his usual goofy bombast, he gently picked at his acoustic guitar and offered a restrained, understated take on the oft-covered tune that was actually a bit beautiful. Ellen likened him to tequila (because she regrets him the next morning?) but seemed to mean it as a compliment, and Simon indulged in an unforgivable cliché by saying Tim “went from zero to hero in two weeks.” Is Simon now writing eighties movie trailers on the side?

Lee DeWyze continued his bid to be named Bowersox's runner-up with a bluesy, growling version of “A Little Less Conversation.” He’s finally loosened up onstage to the point where he successfully inhabits each song. Kara still wanted him to smile more and hop around the stage on a pogo stick, but Simon reminded her that “it’s about nailing the song and that was on the money.” Watch it below.

Decked out in his Back to the Future Part II-version-of-the-future finest, Aaron Kelly took on “Blue Suede Shoes.” Lambert advised the 17-year-old to put some aggression into his performance, but Aaron just looked scared and hid under a nearby couch. His performance was solid but not memorable — the main problem was the hopelessly outdated backing blues music. Kara applauded him for moving out of his comfort zone, but Simon felt it was too old-fashioned. Jane Lynch sagely nodded along in the background.

Siobhan Magnus gave us the soft and screechy sides of her musical persona this week, and the resulting version of “Suspicious Minds” was enjoyable though not exactly relevant, much like her Billy Idol meets Bride of Frankenstein hairstyle. Lambert looked like he loved her performance more than the others, which makes sense: Her voice is lovely, powerful, and idiosyncratic in a way not unlike his own. Randy confusingly likened it to the Supremes, while Kara couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that Siobhan is one girl with two different singing styles. Simon told her she’s lost sight of who she is, but Siobhan wasted no time putting them back in their places. “Even I can’t pinpoint who or what I am, but I’ve always taken pride in that … I don’t think it’s necessary to be labeled.” Shine on, you crazy diamond.

After his near-elimination last week, Michael Lynche sang “In the Ghetto” on Siobhan’s advice. Even though the arrangement was slow and bare-bones, it still came across as cheesy and a bit lame. Mike definitely should have taken Adam’s advice to ignore the judges and embrace his theatrical side — at least then he’d be entertaining instead of forgettable. The judges all give him terse praise, probably because they’re not quite ready to admit he may not have been worth the save.

Katie Stevens made an interesting song choice with “Baby What Do You Want Me to Do,” but she came nowhere near pouring her frustration with the judges into her singing, which was her stated aim. Adam correctly said “she needs to sell it more,” but all the non-Simon judges liked her grrr-face façade of anger. Simon told her it was boring and she shouted back at him, “What do you want me to do?” Get voted off the show soon, Katie. Is that so much to ask?

Casey James closed the night with an acceptably old-school blues take on “Lawdy Miss Clawdy.” It was good MOR white blues, but that’s kind of like saying The Biggest Loser is good for immediately forgettable melodrama. Still, his vocals were fine and, as Ellen pointed out, he did look “comfortable surrounded by a sea of women.” But perhaps she just said that because she likes to watch the muscles in Kara's neck tense up.

Odds and sods moments:

Siobhan opined that Elvis is so compelling to her because he came from practically nothing and became one of the most successful performers ever. Never one to pass up an opportunity to make things trite, Ryan declared, “Yep, rags to riches.”

Katie Stevens explained anger to us: “It’s like UGH! Not aaahhhh.”

In the long-running Fox tradition of attempting to sabotage people by implying they’re terrorists, Seacrest introduced Tim Urban as “Turban.”

Seacrest joked that Brian Dunkleman would return next week for Idol Gives Back. No one in the audience seemed to recall who that was, which means his joke failed, but Seacrest still wins, since his former Idol co-host isn’t remembered well enough to function as a punchline.

Reminding us of the importance of voting, Ryan shouted, “You don’t want to lose your favorite, because that would suck!” at a frail old lady.

Tonight Adam Lambert returns to perform, and perhaps we will finally be rid of the oppressive mediocrity that is Andrew Garcia’s singing. And with the save gone, hopefully Siobhan or Casey won’t fall into the bottom two and be forced to shuffle off their Idol coil.

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Bernie Swab

Because we all love our pets, we want to take good care of them. But since most of us aren't veterinarians (unless we have a very specific demographic no one told me about), the best we can do when talking to our pets' doctors is to ask the right questions. To help everyone along, the peeps at the FDA have put together this handy/dandy list of things you should ask your vet when getting meds for your furry friends.

1. Why has my pet been prescribed this medication and how long do I need to give it?
Your veterinarian can tell you what the medication is expected to do for your pet and how many days to give it.

2. How do I give the medication to my pet? Should it be given with food?
Your pet may have fewer side effects, like an upset stomach, from some drugs if they are taken with food. Other medications are best to give on an empty stomach.

3. How often should the medication be given and how much should I give each time? If it is a liquid, should I shake it first?
Giving the right dose at the right time of the day will help your pet get better more quickly.

4. How do I store the medication?
Some medications should be stored in a cool, dry place. Others may require refrigeration.

5. What should I do if my pet vomits or spits out the medication?
Your veterinarian may want to hear from you if your pet vomits. You may be told to stop giving the drug or to switch your pet to another drug.

6. If I forget to give the medication, should I give it as soon as I remember or wait until the next scheduled dose? What if I accidentally give too much?
Giving your pet too much of certain medications can cause serious side effects. You’ll want to know if giving too much is a cause for concern and a trip to the animal emergency room.

7. Should I finish giving all of the medication, even if my pet seems to be back to normal?
Some medications, such as antibiotics, should be given for a certain length of time, even if your pet is feeling better.

8. Could this medication interact with other medications my pet is taking?
Always tell your veterinarian what other medications your pet is taking, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medicines, and herbs or other dietary supplements. You may want to write these down and take the list with you to the vet’s office.

9. What reactions should I watch for, and what should I do if I see any side effects?
Your veterinarian can tell you if a reaction is normal or if it signals a serious problem. You may be asked to call your vet immediately if certain side effects occur.

FDA encourages veterinarians and animal owners to report serious side effects from medications to FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine at 1-800-FDA-VETS. For a copy of the reporting form and more information on how to report problems, visit the Web site, How to Report An Adverse Drug Experience4.

10. When should I bring my pet back for a recheck? Will you be calling me to check on my pet’s progress, or should I call you?
Your vet may want to examine your pet or perform laboratory tests to make sure the medication is working as it should.

If you want this info in a more portable form, the FDA has created a PDF for you. Wasn't that just sweet?

And while we're on the topic, here's a link to all the great feline photos in the Consumerist Flickr pool.

Medications for Your Pet: 10 Questions to Ask Your Vet

Welcome to Scattered Shots, written by Frostheim of Warcraft Hunters Union and the Hunting Party Podcast. Each week Frostheim uses logic and science mixed with a few mugs of Dwarven Stout to look deep into the hunter class. Got hunter questions? Feel free to email Frostheim.

Throughout the years of WoW, hunter pets have grown better and better with each expansion. In the beginning they were a pain to train and level, and we were rewarded for that pain with a pet that died in every boss fight. But over time, our pets have grown steadily stronger, easier and more customizable. While we still have some pet issues, those issues are no longer that our pets are too weak.

Of course while we know how awesome and vital our pets have become, healers are still a few expansions behind on the learning curve. They continue to prioritize the tanks or themselves over our pets. But what are you gonna do? The healer's mind is an unfathomable thing — after all, they rolled healers in the first place, which already establishes them as somewhat unstable. What I don't understand is why that nurturing impulse doesn't translate to adorably fluffy and cuddly minions of death.

So our pets are certified mini-killing machines now, but with that improvement new problems have cropped up. While we still don't know exactly what Cataclysm has in store for our pets, the recent hunter class preview gave us a peek at the direction that Blizzard may have in mind. So join me after the cut as we take a look at the current problem with hunter pets and the possible solution that Cataclysm may present.

The current hunter pet problem

Hunter pets are now more awesome than they have ever been in the history of WoW. Our pets have gone through various phases of normalization (it used to be that individual pets had different damage and attack speeds) and various phases of individualization, including the excellent pet talent trees we have now.

For a pleasant historical change, hunters are no longer complaining that their pets are useless, or die too easily, or contribute too little. But … we're still complaining.

The problem now is this: everyone in PvE has the same pet. From heroics to raids, from SV to BM, all you see is the wolf. With 32 different pet families available to hunters in the game, most of us all use the same one. The reason is simply that the wolf's special gives us more DPS than other pets, and we all want to do as much DPS as we can.

Sure, if we want to solo or do pet tanking we'll grab something from the tenacity tree. If we want to PvP, odds are good that we'll pick up a cunning pet. But if we want to hit dungeons and raids, that means the ferocity tree, and while we might occasionally want a different pet, the obvious choice 90% of the time is going to be the wolf.

How we got here

First of all, we have to realize that this problem has always existed. Even back in vanilla, with our wee pets that were adorable and not much else, everyone still chose the pet that boosted their damage the most. But as the game has advanced, the player base and the resources available to us have advanced as well. The urge to min/max our DPS has always, always been there for raiders, but once upon a time most raiders didn't actually know which pet was the best and why.

I definitely think that players now have a better overall understanding of the game mechanics and their primary class than they used to. So it's not that more people are min/maxing than ever, it's that more people have access to the knowledge to do it successfully than ever.

Now take our three pet trees. Tenacity for soloing or tanking — good variety of pets used there. Cunning for PvP — again we see a good variety of pets used based on team strategies. Then we have ferocity, our DPS tree, from which raiders and dungeon runners will pull their pets.

Ghostcrawler has brought up the design team's frustrations here before. He pointed out, very accurately, that when players are min/maxing, they're all going to take the same pet, even if the pet is only a fraction of a percent better than the next best choice. After all, more damage is more damage, and we want to do more damage — the most damage we possibly can, in fact. So as long as the pets' special attacks are different, theorycrafters will figure out which is best — by no matter how small of a margin — and that is the pet that everyone will use. It's virtually impossible to make very different abilities that will do exactly the same damage.

So the problem is either a.) pets all have unique special abilities, and 90% of the PvE population only uses the absolute best, or b.) you make all pets exactly the same, and the only difference between a cat and a wolf and a raptor is that they look different.

Frankly, neither of these sound great, do they?

The Cataclysm solution

First of all, let me stress again, we don't know exactly what Cataclysm will bring. However, the hunter class preview did give us a strong indication of a potential solution that Blizzard found — neither option A or option B, but instead, a third direction. Here's the relevant tidbit:

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Curt Reaume

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