Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a joyous New Year.  Stay safe, have as good of a time as you can possibly muster, and try to do at least one generous, unselfish thing for someone else.  Reach out to someone less fortunate, or someone who you don't normally think much of, and try to shine at least a little bit of a bright light in someone else's life.

Take care, God bless, and be well!

**giant hugs & noogies**

Sending Yaz Heartfelt Prayers & Good JuJu

By now a lot of people know that Yazzie is in the hospital.  As of now she seems to be doing well, out of surgery (which went well) and hopefully on the road to a speedy recovery.  Her fiancee Chris has been very diligent in sending us all information as he gets it, and so far so good!

Two Competition Pictures

So far, Faerie Folk is going along really well. There's a ton of talent in this competition, and I think the next (3rd) assignment will be even MORE of a challenge. It's really helped me to begin shaking off the photo/Photoshop cobwebs. 

Assignment #1: Showing how or character became evil (or good if she's on the less dark side)

It is an age when Chaos rules the world of mortals; this brother of Order, not wholly evil yet a brazen assassin of balance. By his maxim he is not only important, but critical to the resplendent flow of Qo Nàhe, the boundless immeasurable stream of existence. The Guardian Architect spoke of this to me once, and once again in twilight's somber song.

"...Discord navigates the waves of Qo Nàhe...with impulse and hollow regard he sows the seeds of disarray, of anarchy...the radiant blade will lie in wait. His dominion bears down on all, the drowning weight liken to a thousand storms...and from bedlam skies will toy with mortal fate..."

In the era of my innocence the words mean nothing. Even as the heavy burden was laid on my shoulders, my fate to suffer for the misery of Man, these lines of prose pass through unconcerned ears and an infantile heart. I neither comprehend nor give fretted thought to the beautiful aria dissipating through my memory, fading like effervescent si'lescàya petals on a waiting tongue...

...and so he chooses me.

The breath of Chaos Architect enveloped me as I emerged from a bathing spring, and its brisk unsteady wind was unfamiliar, curious. I closed my eyes and suffocated in its caress, all about me slicing, permeating, penetrating, almost salacious in pained pleasure.

With numb weary I weep bitter tears, and the jade poison seeps past my lips snaking the same trail -- I understand now, and my defiled heart surges rapidly within.

He has tainted my essence, made corrupt my sacred burden, and his unyielding grip asphyxiates. My duty abound, I am called to relieve another mortal soul besieged in darkness...and to my everlasting despair I come to realize my role as an instrument of the Architect; as my song of lament draws the pain of melancholy from one tortured being, so too does it draw the Architect himself to me and to my task, and he comes swiftly. With gleaming blade in hand he mirrors my benevolence with his bitterness, piercing a mortal spirit with jade venom and untold, undeserved misery. I linger helpless.

By his edict I can do no right without bringing ruin. I am consolation, and also catastrophe, forever a pawn in the game of Chaos, and an agent of ill will.

...Mankind forgive me...

Assignment #2: We were each assigned a word that symbolizes faeries in some way, and had to represent that word in a pic. I was given "Rebirth"

Ennui, the mournfully beautiful Fae of Sorrows, has endured two births: the first as she passed into the world as a delicate infant, and the second as the weary song of the Guardian Architect pierced her innocent soul.

The wax and wane of the Nie hala Lûn, or Indigo Moon, foretold her rebirth as the sorrow-filled fae, and since that time Ennui has faithfully carried out her tasks. If not for the baneful Chaos Architect, she would live a blessed, albeit melancholy life. Her heart aches for the mortal souls who carry heavy burdens because of her taint, her body soiled with the viscous misery of those she inadvertently hurts.

Though anguish stains her now, Ennui dreams of the age when she can cleanse herself under the Ériol soah Lûn, or purifying Azure Moon, emerging from a glowing cerulean pool and washing away the tarnished shades of her spirit. On this ethereal night, Ennui will cast off her ruin and bask in the sparkling essence of her final birth, reclaiming her true, pure task as the Fae of Sorrows.

I'm loving this sim so much...I wish I knew how to make CC so we could have more fantasy-style items!

Faerie Folk Cycle 3 Entry and Recent Sim Pics

The last competition I joined was Evie's awesome Unique: Kawaii comp back in August, and before that it was Akasha's Gothique Beauty Cycle 1 (which finished in June). I'm so rusty! But I'm took a leap and signed up for Faerie Folk. Some of the best sim artists in the community have gone through that competition, and it sounds like a blast...I'm just really nervous! But hopefully it'll be a lot of fun.

The sim I submitted is a fae that I named Ennui Sorrowsong. Ennui (pronounced "ahn-WEE") is actually a term used to describe feelings of weariness, boredom, or discontent, but can also refer to general melancholy. I dunno, for some reason I've always liked the word, so my poor faerie got stuck with the name.

This Cycle of Faerie Folk centers around Good and Evil faeries: our sim could either be Good or Evil (Ennui is evil, though I had initially planned for her to be Good. We were over the limit on Goods), and for Assignment #1 we'll have to show how she/he became that way. I have no earthly idea how I'll portray mine just yet, but the brainstorming is a trip!

Ennui's Bio:

On the seventh night of the Nie hala Lûn (the hallowed Indigo Moon), the Guardian Architect whispered a mournful song into Ennui's heart, one that beat delicately within her, untainted by the horrors of suffering. The beautiful pale little fae opened her sorrowful crystalline eyes and stepped out into the stillness of the frigid night, hair burned dark by the glimmering low-hung Indigo Moon above. Its wax and wane foretold her rebirth, and also hope for the world of men; for it would be her charge to seek out those with weary hearts pained in weighted hopelessness and anguish.

From that eve and onward, Ennui has existed as the Fae of Sorrows. With a Dusk of Dying rose between her trembling lips, its thorns ever drawing fresh cold blood, she would sing a beautifully somber lamenting aria of misery and of mercy. The eternal burden placed upon Ennui is a great one: to absorb the grim despair of woe that afflicts the mortal soul, to swallow his grief, relieve him of worry and draw it deep within her own essence. For her sacrifice, she bears the scar of empathy for every crestfallen tear that becomes her own.

Though Ennui bears her burden with genuine grace, there are those that seek to use her for their divine will. The Architect of Chaos blew turbulent, silent winds of discourse and tainted Ennui's spirit; for every grief-stricken tear she draws into herself, she inadvertently causes a tear to fall. For every ravaged heart and besieged soul she frees of torment, she causes a parallel, unforeseen heartache someplace in the mortal world. She is viewed as an evil soul, but Ennui's most tortured desire is to restore Order and reclaim her unsullied birthtask.

Until then, she continues her dreary song, made more melancholy and desperately beautiful with tiny thorn-drawn blood droplets...

When I installed LN last week, one of the first things I did was to go around and check out some of the Bridgeport character. It was late, so I played around with making over Morrigan and Wogan Hemlock. Nothing dramatic - just adjusting a few features and adding some CC. I think they still look similar to their original vampy selves. You can check them out HERE at Sim Exhibition if ya want.


Finally, I have to say that dressing up a sim for my blog banner was cool as hell. I guess she's the current 'Bijou Sweeney', or something like that. I was testing out some backgrounds and other shtuff a couple of weeks ago and ended up editing one of those shots in Photoshop. It's only a test shot, so the poses suck -- BUT the editing came out okay (just a few filters). If the background looks at all familiar, it is: it's the set from one of my Gothique Beauty pictures (Arabesque as a black swan). The sexxy vamp dude is a dark version of my Cristobel Mourningstar sim, and now that I have LN, he's next on my list to be legitimately vampified:

Click to enlarge!

Halloween Wishes and Old Sim Art

"Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen, voices whisper in the trees, 'Tonight is Halloween!'" --Dexter Kozen

 *****

Happy Halloween to everyone! If you're going out tonight and celebrating, please be safe, smart, and at least a *little* responsible! ^_^ No new Halloween sim-art to share, so I'll just post an old competition pic from 'America's Next Top Non Mortal' (much better enlarged):

                   *My cat-doll sim Motley and her beau Cristobel Mourningstar*

 *****

Take care guys, and have a wild & wacky Halloween!

Anyone Ever Completely Overhaul Their CC?

I cannot WAIT to get my mitts on Late Night.  I've really been wanting to reorganize my CC and mods and junk before getting it and installing it, but my god, every time I look up there are ten thousand new pieces of custom content that I "must" have.

New Blog Design and a Few New Games

I'd wanted to update this place for Halloween, but RL shiz got in the way and I'm only just now getting around to it.

LOL I'm so sleepy right now that I barely know what I'm typing....howevah, I think I have *just* enough wake-upedness to finish this post!

The blog design has been updated (sorry that the full background doesn't show on smaller resolutions), and I've added a few new widgets (after culling a few others) -- a couple of games, a cute new animal friend, some other stuff...my brain is so fried....we've got pumpkin carving (no pun'kin chunkin' tho...)!
And there's a cool/weird World Clock at the bottom, plus a nifty lil' gadget that lets you paint like Mr. Jackson Pollock himself (it's the big ol' blank white box - just hover your mouse on the background to start painting, and click to change colors).

I'll try to have some new sim pics up vedy vedy soon, and a couple of new blog posts as well.  And some type of short story, maybe 5 panels long?  ....Have you ever been so sleepy that you practically forgot your name?  Lolz...yeah.....

...well, at least I think this guys is just sleeping....yyyeeaahh, let's....let's just...leeeave him alone, eh?  Give a dude some privacy.

Anyway....hope you guys all have a wonderful day and a beautiful week and a kick-ass Halloween!  And if you have Late Night coming in the mail....it's almost heeeere!!!  And if you don't have it coming, it's still almost here!!!  Hot tubs & hot vamps FTMFW!!!

*And congratulations to the Texas Rangers for climbing their way to the top and making it to their very first World Series appearance in franchise history!  Bout time!*

See you guys in the funny pages!

^_^

"Many things--such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly--are done worst when we try hardest to do them." --C.S. Lewis

Small 'Sim Exhibition' Update

Just a tiny update -- I've been working on recreating my (custom) family from TS2, the Lowekeys.  I'm finally finished and satisfied, and I'll hopefully be posting in-game shots in the near future.  I'm really looking forward to playing them again -- I actually teared up a bit when the oldest left for college (psh, and when she was born, for that matter - my very first TS2 born-in-game sim...).  These guys are really near and dear to my old simming heart, and initially I hadn't planned on recreating them for TS3, but what the hey.  Why not.

Pics are posted on Sim Exhibition (you know, that site that you probably didn't even know existed that I reeeeally need to update more in addition to this place...)

Some Photoshop Practicing & A New Pic Series

Since I got my computer running again, I've been trying to get back into Photoshopping.  I've done several practice pics so far, and I'm looking forward to (hopefully) starting a new short series of pictures (my ultimate goal is to create several different series).

After working on some regular in-game shots, I decided to try something more 'abstract', so I went with every simmer's favorite little green icon.  What I really want to work on is a small series of themed plumbob pictures, all with the little guy (or gal) as the central focus.  I have a bunch of ideas for themes to try, but actually creating them is another story...this picture was a couple of days in the making and I'm still nitpicking a ton.  I used a normal green plumbob icon and added several layers of brushes, coloring, grain, fog, filters, etc.  This is the first image of the series, but it's all still a lot of practice, tutorials, hair-pulling, teeth-mashing, etc.....

Thanks for looking! Hope to be able to work on more of these soon (when I finally figure out what the hell I'm doing FOR REAL).

Dusting off the cobwebs a bit....

We've been working on getting the PC running all evening, and it looks like things are good to go so far!  I'm going to spend much of tomorrow reinstalling all of our programs and games and such, and hopefully I'll have a halfway decent post to make soon.

I know this place has been an absolute ghost town lately -- thank you guys SO much for putting up with listening to all my boring-ass computer talk and lack of updates.  I'll find some way to make it up to everyone as soon as I can. *blushes*

Happy 8/9/10!

I didn't get a chance to post this at 11:12am, lol (8/9/10 11:12....).

Hope everyone is doing well!  I've been out of commission for a while with computer issues.  I have to get a new graphics card much sooner than I had planned -- the damn thing died on me last week when I tried to install Ambitions (rip 8800gts...you were beloved...).  I had to drop out of Evie's Kawaii competition and put all of my other (crappy) projects on hold, and trying to do anything on this laptop is aggravating at best.  Hopefully things will be up & running this week...*crosses fingers til they break off*

So what's going on with everyone?  Any interesting projects or creations or other RL shiz?  I have to live vicariously through you guys for a little while, lol.

I promise to update more often after all this shit blows over, and I want to start on some new sim projects.  The people who visit this hole deserve at least SOMETHING to entertain them, so I WILL deliver on that as soon as I can!

Take care guys!  Enjoy 8/9/10!

Thanks for the input everyone!

I wanted to say thanks to all of you that gave comments in my last post about Windows 7.   We're going to go ahead and install it and then begin the very scary process of installing these upgrades. o_O

If everything goes according to plans A thru Q, we'll be dicking around with computer stuff most of this week, so I'll probably be a no-show around here and at the chats & forums.  Thank you guys for your input, advice, and help.  I really appreciate it!

Soooooo...wish me luck & a wee bit of juju that all of this works out.  If not....I guess I've got one sweet-ass paperweight on my hands......

Take care dudes  ^_^

*hugs & noogies*

Any Issues with Windows 7 and Sims?

I know this question has already been asked on the TS3 Forum, but I wanted to ask you guys if you've had any bad/weird/wonky issues with Windows 7 and TS3 (I'm still on XP).

This computer upgrade is hobbling along slowly but surely, LOL.  I'm hoping to start installing a couple of components next week, and then deal with the graphics card issue by the end of the summer (hopefully o_O).

Thanks in advance for any input, no matter how big or small!

Message from the Great Beyond

...Seeing as how I'm 'dead' now, and all.

Simmer Spotlight: Recognizing Rexy!

It goes without saying that we have a community of supremely talented people, folks who churn out creations that should be published, or at the very LEAST incite slobbering jaw-droppery.

Case in point - Simmersaurus Rex, aka "Rexy". 

The girl's got more raw talent in her pinky nail than some people can find in a whole neighborhood.  Most of us have seen (and been WOWED by) her work, but one of Rexy's best contributions to the simming community has been her highly successful "Rexy's Guide to Editing".

Using easy-to-follow steps, large colorful example pics, and insanely helpful tips & hints, Rexy has assembled one of the very best editing tutorials ever seen in the community.  It's compiled more like an actual booklet, complete with large headers and indexes, than a simple 1, 2, 3 set of instructions.

The lessons are neatly ordered and sequential, allowing students to build upon the skills they have acquired thus far.  There is such a warm, inviting, positive vibe within -- everyone encourages everyone else, and constructive criticism is welcomed and eagerly accepted.  Some students are already fairly seasoned editors, and others have never attempted an editing job at all.  The hints and tutorials are presented in an incredibly clear, straightforward manner, and lessons are helpful and relevant for everyone from complete novices to editing "gurus".

And Rexy is ever-present in the thread, always on-hand to offer helpful suggestions and positive, detailed feedback.  She maintains a vibrant, supportive atmosphere in the thread, and students cheerfully follow suit.

"Rexy's Guide to Editing" is a huge asset to the community, something that she has taken the lengthy time and effort to offer for her fellow simmers.  Even if you're not the editing sort, take a minute to look it over if you haven't already.  There's truly something for everyone, and, being a constant work in progress, there's much more to come!

Also, Rexy's wickedly awesome Sim Lair is full of funny, upbeat posts and more spectacular pictures, and her companion Photo Gallery blog embodies some of the very best of her many works of sim art.  Like so many others in this kooky community of ours, she's a great friend and a huge inspiration!

Teeny Tiny Update - NEW BLOG GAME

Blame Kelle for this addictive little gem - I've added Crush the Castle to my small game collection here.  Due to the larger screen size, it is located at the very bottom of the blog.

It's basic but challenging and a lot of fun (reminiscent of some of the games on AdultSwim.com).  Using a trebuchet, you must bombard your enemy's flimsy little castle, complete with Royal inhabitants whom you must kill (pretty sure they did SOMETHING to deserve it...).  As you progress through the levels (24 in all), you will acquire new projectiles for the trebuchet to help.....well...crush the castles (and the poor saps stationed in and outside).   Some levels are harder than others, but none are so brutal that you'll lose much hair (some clumps & chunks, maybe; but not the whole payload).

This flash game is addictive and surprisingly therapeutic in a simplistic, semi-violent way.   It's castle-and-people-crushing mAdNe$S, so check it out.  Particularly awesome if you're bored as hell...which, considering the fact that you're HERE, you very well might be...

Lack of Updates and Sim Pic Nostalgia

I've been so consumed with computer stuff for the past couple of weeks that I haven't tried to update a damn thing (please wish me luck & good ju-ju on getting this thang put together soon).  I'm sorry to be such a bore! 

I was sorting through some of my oldest competition shots with some guys on Cece's chatbox the other day, and I came across some of my favorites from Bitten's old competition, "I'm No Dummy".  If you don't remember it or weren't a participant, you really missed out -- she and the other judges put together one helluva fun contest!

Friends in Low Places - Come Share Your Stories!

In my last blog post, I talked about the cool friends I've made through the Gothique Beauty competition; people that have truly inspired me and made me feel like 'one of the dudes'.

That got me thinking about friendships that others have formed.  It doesn't take a long to stroll around the community to discover some of the more well known & infamous bonds, but there must be dozens and dozens of other interesting and wacky friendship stories out there!


So to celebrate all that's actually right & bright with this unique community of ours, let's sit around the campfire (or more like flaming lawn gnome) and recount some of our most awesome memories of friendships and bonds that we've formed within the community. Share as little or as much as you want (this is NOT a novel-free zone) -- maybe you remember a person that helped you through a difficult time or coaxed you out of your shell, or maybe you clicked with another simmer (or simmers) who shared the same quirky interests as you.  Did you get banned with another person and end up bonding in the slammer? (aka 72-Hoursville)

Please feel free share!  No pressure to fit in stories of EVERY person you've connected with, but if you have any particularly funny/crazy/inspiring/fucked up/touching experiences that you'd like to recount, give a shout! (censor & length-restriction-free!)

*  Viva la Sims Community! Like it or lump it, we're one helluva 'hood! ^_^   *

Final picture for Gothique

Gothique Beauty was far and away one of the best simming competitions I've ever been in.  It was a pleasure to compete against such insanely talented people...you have no idea.  Plenty of blood, sweat & tears, and some of the most fascinating gothic sim pictures around.  It was really, really sad to see it end, and although I slugged my way to the end and came out with the win, lol, as my grandmother would say, "I knew I had been in a fight".  

  I got a chance to meet some of the most awesome people in the simming community through Gothique.  I know it sounds corny and mushy, lol, but it's the truth. I've been lucky enough to connect with some of the most talented, down-to-earth, intelligent, funny, open-minded, and amazing people, and I met them (directly and indirectly) through Gothique.  At the risk of sounding corny again, ...well...you have no idea what an impact some of these people have made on my life;  my real life, outside of the game and this blog.

Akasha (aka SuicidalSpiders) is one HELLUVA host.  Some people hobble together some vapid little uninteresting contest and just BAIL, and some people put together fun, unique, inspiring contests and STILL bail (not talking about real life issues & emergencies -- I'm specifically talking about instances where the host just gets bored and bails).  AwesomePhoebe was our other host, and she was upbeat and on time for every single assignment.  Both of them judged fairly and gave helpful comments, and they kept the threads alive and light-hearted.  I can't thank them enough for hosting such a badass competition.


So to anyone that I met through that contest -- thank you so much for inspiring me, and forcing me to work my ASS off to come up with shots (the hits AND the misses).  I'm such an introvert in real life and I don't always make friends easily, so thank you guys for pulling me (kicking and screaming) out of my shell and being real friends & confidants **hugs all around!!!**

This was my final entry for Gothique (the theme was "7 Stages of Grief -- Hope").  I pulled out a win by the skin of my TEETH (Toblie hit it out of the park just about every single time, so this was in no WAY some sort of easy win or blowout).  I'm really going to miss it -- but if anyone is interested, Akasha WILL be starting a Cycle #2 soon!  (I won't be competing, but I will be guest judging!  wootie-wooooo!)

* * *

click to enlarge

*

How audacious to dream and want

The wisest among us understand that

vile beast of Hope

Its mouth agape

hungry for another fool

blind and lost in false belief and faith

Old ones speak of the

greatest evil

That which men hold dearest

naked in the dark

and bitten in cold

at the end of the world with

death's whisper seizing a longing heart

This heinous Hope

not more than a torment of will

Prolonging suffering

Brutal in its affliction

And still it rests here

Another fool drunk in the reverie of

a lovely wish

The gateway beckons

An Eden of promise and desire and

every perfection

I long to be there

blissful amongst the radiant trees

Drowned in passion and twilight ecstasy

My angel awaits in that Utopia

I know not what lies beyond the

grey waters

A cold execution..?

A lonely death..?

Torture beyond all knowing..?

Take my hand now in this indigo night

and follow...

I know not what lies beyond the grey waters...

...but Hope rests here still.

*

~~~ hugs & noogies ~~~

My latest Gothique assignment pic

Some of you have seen it already, but I'll go ahead and post my assignment #10 picture (and poem) for Gothique Beauty.  The latest assignments have covered the Stages of Grief, and the topic for this one was Acceptance.  It isn't very good, but thankfully I made it to the finale:

I'm Sure Cartman Wouldn't Agree...

Anyone see tonight's Family Guy?  That was some of THE most hilarious shit I've ever seen in my life.  Laughed so hard I saw stars....it's just as funny the 2nd time, and (I'm sure) quite a hoot in an...inebriated state.  @_@

Apologies and explanations

I had planned on making a long post defending myself against TMN's comments about me.  But I don't have the strength to do it now.

I wasn't trying to "finger-wag" them at all.  I've kept mum about my feelings on TMN this entire time.  It hasn't ever seemed necessary to mention it.  For the record, I do NOT hate Mare's Nest.

About the TMN & Vid thing...

I'll post my comments on all of it in a little while after my head has cleared a bit.  I was really surprised to see that so much had gone on while I was away, and that I had been dragged into anything at all.

Vid and I are cool.  I'll get to the Mare thing in a bit.

Need a little input from you all...

I need to start a new project, and  I'm thinking of either doing a series of short stories or something comic book-like, or maybe doing a longer story (I'm HORRIBLE at legacies).

Most of the really good, funny, engaging, family-friendly, comical, interesting, edge-of-your-seat stuff has already been done in the simming community, so coming up with something unique is proving to be a huge challenge.  I have something in mind...but it would be a little on the fringes, so to speak.

So I wanted to get a little input from you guys.  What I really want to do is create something edgy, shocking, controversial, stomach-churning (you know, all the fun shit  ^_^).  It would be FAR beyond E for Everyone or T for Teen, so I'm curious as to how far I could go without completely offending EVERYONE (some offense is fine...hell, I can't please everybody...but I'm not trying to be the town weirdo here). I'm pretty open-minded, and it usually takes A LOT to offend me, but I don't want to go too far with something that will be read by others (and by others I'm referring to the 2 or 3 people that would actually care to read it  o_O).


How offended would you all be with:

• Cussing/swearing?
• Partial nudity?
• Full and explicit nudity?
• Graphic depictions (pictures) of violent acts/murder?
• Graphic descriptions (text) of violent acts/murder?
• Graphic depictions and/or descriptions of assaults/rape?
• Radical comments (from characters)?
• Racial comments (from characters)?
• Graphic discussions of controversial topics?
• Disturbing thoughts & ideas (from characters)?
• Controversial religious depictions/discussions?

Please keep in mind that I am a stable (kinda) adult and I'm not trying to release any hidden emotions or thoughts or make a statement anything similar. This is just a project that seems interesting to me at the moment.  Any of the themes above would be handled in a serious, true-to-life manner (unless I throw in  mutant powers or something cool, then all bets are off), but I wouldn't hold back or play it safe/politically correct.

Thanks so much for your input!

Vid's PermaBan and Other Banning Perplexities...

~~Alrighty...I know I'm guilty of looooong posts, and this is no different, but please bear with me for a bit -- I'm sorry for the lack of LOLcat pics and sparkly gif images, but please give me a moment:~~


OK. So by now we pretty much all know about Vid's permaban. Most of us like and respect Vid and feel really shitty about the whole thing. But no matter what you may personally think of her or the situation that CAUSED the perma, it should be glaringly obvious that something is seriously rotten with the terms of this ban.

Does anyone else find issue with the fact that EA forbids any further contact regarding a permaban, none whatsoever?

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

My own mom will be here in about an hour, so I'm scuttling around trying to get things in order. But here's to all the mothers out there -- if you're fortunate enough to still have your mother, reach out to her today. If yours is no longer with you, reach out to her still. If you are a mother yourself, then be selfish and get the pampering you deserve!!!

To all the hard working, under-appreciated, beautiful, wise, PATIENT mothers out there...




ETA: just saw my mommy! she looks so much better than me!!! now i'm depressed LOL... <:(

Some of the Coolest Sims EVER -- Seriously!

We are so fortunate in our little simming community to be surrounded by SUCH a multitude of RIDICULOUSLY talented people.  Other gaming communities are filled with inconsiderate dickless slobs, but we're pretty unique.  Some of our community members just...take it to the next level.

Finally added a music player and MOAR SIM PICTURES!

Yes I know that is absolutely VITAL information and you're MUCH better off for having heard it (psh, whatever), but I finally got on the music player bandwagon.

My taste in music can be VERY weird and eclectic, so...yeahthereyougo.

I'm trying to work on my latest assignment picture for Gothique Beauty.  In case any of you aren't familiar with the contest or just REALLY need something to look at, I'll share my last few shots:

7 Stages of Grief = ANGER


See accompanying poem HERE (near the bottom)


7 Stages of Grief = GUILT
 

See accompanying poem HERE (near the bottom)


7 Stages of Grief = DENIAL


See accompanying poem HERE (near the top)

Our latest assignment is BARGAINING.  We still have a few days to work on it (actually, I thought the deadline was 2morrow, but it seems to be next Tuesday), but it's really really difficult and the ideas in my little pea brain don't translate so well onscreen.  Sooooo...we'll see.  Not sure how this one will turn out honestly.

My Mean Little Pleco

I thought I'd share a pic with you all.  A couple of nights ago I was up ridiculously late and checked in on my fish before going to bed.  I keep this cool blue LED bubble curtain in there and sometimes keep the light on at night sans the bubbles.

Anyway, my plecostomus (around 12 inches long; just as mean and greedy as he can be) hangs out on the back wall often, and that night he was hanging upside down next to the LED light.  It cast this WAY cool blue shade on him, and I tried to capture it as best I could (I could really use a new, decent camera, so please bear with the quality).  I had to brighten it up a touch so that you could really see him, but the coloring and everything else is exactly as it was (click to enlarge):






It came out looking kinda dramatic! o_O

(by the way, if anyone knows exactly how to keep a solid image on a transparent mainbar, please let me know...)

Sim Exhibition Update: New Anime-Inspired Sim Pics

I just finished updating Sim Exhibition with new pics (7 new females).  If I don't upload any of these sims, I will make some to upload that will have detailed lists of all cc and mods used (I use most of the major sliders and non-default skintones).

Enjoy!

Moar UPdatEs!

I just found out about TMN's response to my last blog post, and boy was I shocked!  I had no idea they kept up with anything I said or did, LOL!  But they gave some good advice, and I got some excellent responses and ideas from people in comments.

Sooooo...I'm going to start updating more.  I won't be doing a 5-times-a-day type of deal, but I really do neglect the updating.  What's the point of going to a blog every day for a week and not seeing ANYTHING new?

I'm working on an update for Sim Exhibition right now (I was doing that before I saw the Mare's Nest post, and now I'm lighting a fire under my butt to get it finished).  I also want to create some sims that will actually be available for people to download (sorry to be so selfish with that...), so I'll get on that soon too.

I need an angle, a niche

I feel like I need some sort of niche.  Everyone has such unique blogs with SO much to offer -- some people are great at creating & uploading beautiful & unique sims, others have AWESOME stories, some bloggers always have something funny or insightful to say, and others blogs are just sweet-ass party central.  And mine...is...meh.

I never come up with any cool stories or funny/quirky posts, rarely feature a Mare's Nest-esque exposé about the TS3 forum.  I'd love to come up with something that will keep people entertained and interested in coming back (other than to see if I have updated over the past week), but I have no IDEA what to do!

Is there anything you guys would want to see?  I'm at a loss...I just feel like I need to do SOMETHING to keep this place active and relevant...but what...?

Not very good at updating, huh?

LOL I've been out of pocket for a few days, and I haven't had a decent update in MUCH longer than that!  I'll post something decent after tomorrow -- we're F I N A L L Y getting a new ISP!  I haven't had many problems with the internet provider we have now (Verizon), but they sent us this wooooonderful letter in the mail a few days ago saying that our service would end on May 31st because the would no longer be servicing our apartment complex.

Just added a few new games here!

I'm a game freak (...okay, I'm just a freak in general, but you get the idea), and I know this page is littered with games.  I just added some of my all-time favorites:  Simon, Frogger, and Pac-Man.  I should probably have all of these games grouped together...but whatever -- that's why it's called Bijou Sweeney's MADNESS, not Bijou Sweeney's Neat Tidy Organized Portfolio.

If you have a slow internet connection, the games might be choppy.  If it's too much of an issue (especially with the page loading), let me know, and I'll axe some of 'em.

Sleep Well Sweet Princess...my thoughts on a recent tragedy

I've been seething about this story for a while, but after watching Dr. Phil just now, I felt compelled to post about it.  I just wanted to send out a prayer to the family of Phoebe Prince, the 15 year old girl who committed suicide presumably because of intense bullying.  It's a sad commentary on the state of our world and our young people, and it's just as sad story period.

I've always wondered what exactly it is that makes people feel they have the right to torment others.  I'm sure it's a combination of bad/lax/inefficient parenting, a lack or moral teaching, entitlement issues, peer pressure...many things.  But no matter how you slice it, no matter what sort of label you want to put on it or how you want to make excuses for it or defend, it's just. plain. wrong.  End of story.  There's NO excuse for pushing someone to the brink of ending their own life.  The shit ISN'T FUNNY.  These demented prick children and their brain-dead gaggle of followers even went so far as to create an entire Facebook page MOCKING the girl's death, and that doesn't include all of the sickeningly evil, disgusting comments that people made on her own memorial page.

I have heard some vile, despicable, evil and demented things in my life, but this is among the lowest. 

There are so many failures here it isn't even funny.  The school, and even the entire district, failed Phoebe.  We as a society failed this girl.  It doesn't seem that a DAMN THING has been learned from the Columbine tragedy, and that was more than 10 years ago.  People knew what was going on with those guys...school officials had been warned that something might happen, but it all went on deaf ears.  Phoebe's mother tried to get help from school administrators, but was sadly met with indifference, disbelief, and bureaucratic bull.

I wish I had 5 minutes alone with those so-called "Mean Girls".  Somebody needs to show them what "mean" REALLY can be.  I swear that none of them would last 15 seconds in some schools...the whole thing infuriates me to the point of a migraine.

I was bullied relentlessly in Jr. High school.  It lasted from 8 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon, five days a week, every week until the end of the year, BOTH years.  Prior to that, I had NEVER been bullied -- on the contrary, I was always the one that people came to for defense from bullies.  I won't go into all the details here, but it was torture every day.  I can't begin to tell some of the things that went through my head during that time, and when I look at Phoebe's story I can ONLY say 'there but by the grace of God go I'.  It could've been me.  It should've been me by many definitions, but thankfully I'm still here.

As horrible as my situation was, it almost pales in comparison to what some kids face these days.  I was tortured relentlessly, but at least we didn't have the internet to worry about, or at least not in the same capacity that we have it now.  Social networking has exploded since then -- I didn't have to contend with the big, scary mean bully girls AND Facebook & MySpace attacks AND lurid texts AND Tweets and all the other anonymous bullshit of today.  In the same shoes, who can say how they would've reacted?  Phoebe took the wrong way out -- in my mind, there's no question there, and no matter HOW dark the storm, it will PASS.  But I understand her actions to such a degree that it literally makes me feel sick to my stomach.  My heart bleeds for that girl, and for every other young person driven to such an end.

I am so goddamn sick and tired of this whole "Mean Girl" mentality -- it isn't even seen as a bad thing anymore.  Those girls are cool and sexy and fun and trendy and mean and vicious...and people eat it UP.  It's all just some big goddamn joke.  School administrators have their heads in their asses...they're too worried about test scores and funding to pay attention to REAL issues going on in their own schools.  Teachers have been lamenting these problems for YEARS -- they're on the battlefield and in the trenches and on the front line EVERY DAY and they see so much of these things that go on.  And while some of them could be more diligent and are too lax with discipline, most of them simply have their hands tied; corporal punishment is non-existent, and you can barely even raise your goddamn VOICE at a kid now without getting slapped with a lawsuit.  There's only so much they can do, but they MUST do more.  And the administrators MUST do more.  The parents ABSOLUTELY must do more -- be more involved in what's going on with their kids.  They want to act like their children are perfect, well-behaved little angels, but they don't realize that they're the Devil's angels, not ones of sparkling light and peace and song.

I understand that many parents today know little or nothing of the internet, Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, and other social networking bullshit, but they HAVE to become informed.  Once upon a time there were no televisons or VCRs, but parents had to learn to adapt to those technological wonders and get with the times.  They had to be diligent and learn about different tv shows and movies and what effects they were having on their kids.  Eventually we got Parental Controls, but that's only HALF of the answer -- a parent still has to be there physically, and many of these pussy parents of today haven't a clue.  Not one damn clue. 

Villages don't raise children anymore...whorish celebutantes do.  Facebook Friends do.  School cliques do.  ANTM does.  Are you fucking kidding me?  Where are the examples?  Where are the REAL role models?  And somebody for the love of Christ, Buddha, and Vishnu tell me WHERE THE HELL IS DISCIPLINE?  People are so damn afraid of coming across as "mean" or hurting someone's fragile little feelings or even getting sued that discipline -- REAL DISCIPLINE, not standing in a fucking corner for 2 minutes or getting SAC or saying "bad girl!"-- real discipline is just dead with the dodo.  It makes me shake my head in disbelief and regret and just plain sadness.

Sometimes I sit around and think about what my future children will look like, how smart they'll be, or talented or funny.  And then I have to ask myself if it's even FAIR to bring a child into this world.  What sorts of challenges would they face?  I'd like to believe that I'd be involved and be vigilant like my own mom was when I was growing up...but would it be enough?  If someone tormented my child the way I was tormented, or the way they tortured Phoebe Prince, then heaven help them ALL -- I don't know WHAT I'd do.  I'd most likely end up in prison, I can tell you that.

I want to believe that this fake, plastic, shallow, overly-sensitive, disillusioned society that we live in will evolve into something we can all be proud to be a part of, something that the gods themselves would smile upon (yours, mine, all of them).  I want SO BADLY to believe that we can redeem ourselves somehow and at least begin to correct the grave mistakes and miscarriages of justice of the past.  I want to believe...I want to have hope and faith in that.  But I don't see it happening in my lifetime.  Maybe it will take another couple of generations, once these kids' kids' kids are older and have children of their own, and once the internet and social networking are mere afterthoughts.  Parents will be used to having to parent in these new and different ways, and they'll be able to look back on us in disbelief.  Maybe they can usher in a new Golden Age, a social Renaissance, if you will. Friedrich Nietzsche wrote:  "In reality, hope is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs man's torments."  ...

...I guess I'll have to be tormented a little longer, then.

Another Casualty of War

Kelle announced today that she's leaving the TS3 Forum.

While I'm REALLY sad and disappointed about her decision to leave, I'm MORE sad and disappointed at the CIRCUMSTANCES that have DRIVEN her and others to make that decision.  I'm completely supportive of her and anyone else who chooses to do so, and I don't think she should be penalized one bit by community members, n00b or no n00b.

Now I lay me down...to...*ssnnnoooooorrre...*

I have been up working on this blog for an embarrassingly long amount of time...I'm a beginner with all this stuff, so please forgive and don't laugh!  Or...whatever.  Laugh, knock yourself out.  I sure have!

Anyway, to celebrate being done with this for the...morning...I watched one of my favorite online vids, a crazy-funny prank call.  It's not everyone's sense of humor, but I'm in stitches every time I watch it.  Enjoy!

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/3/The-Greatest-Prank-Call-Ever-691114.html 


And by the way, all of my blog links were somehow mysteriously erased, so I'll have to go back and re-list all of them.  I'll have them back up asap!

Animal Madness!

Not much to tell just yet -- while I'm thinking of something worthwhile to say, check out my new animal friends!  Enjoy watching my frog gobble up flies (which you can also feed to him yourself), play turtle bumper-cars, or waddle along with the penguins. 

Like I said...animal madness!

More New Sims on Sim Exhibition

I posted a few new sims I'm working on right now on my Sim Exhibition blog.  These are anime/video game-inspired.

http://bjsweeneysimexhibition.blogspot.com/

Some pics from my latest Gothique assignment

I had fun creating my latest picture for the Gothique Beauty assignment #4, and part of it was because of the creepy little sim kids I made for the shot.  Some are creepier than others, but I'd like to make more and possibly do a short story with them (that I'll never finish lol).

You can check them out on my sim blog:
http://bjsweeneysimexhibition.blogspot.com/

We can only do so much

Yesterday TMN posted snippets from StevieFischer's Angry Face thread, and it really intrigued me. I found it today (didn't realize it was in Ideas & Feedback) and posted some points (way too much, I know):

quoted by StevieFischer: The more we all rollover and pretend nothing wrong is going on here, the less of chance we will be heard. Someone needs to get up and say something about this, beecause something needs to be done.

I feel the exact same way, and that's why I HAVE gotten up and said something. No one seems to give a damn, though, so I'm starting to feel like "why bother".

What to do indeed...

Yesterday I asked a question: we all know that the ts3 forum is a near cesspool, but why do we stay there and continue to put up with the craziness?

A few people pointed out that the reason they stay is for the friends -- good people that you meet that you have stuff in common with and want to share your love of the game with. Most of us have met people that we connected with on the Forum. Why should we abandon them just because of the dirty politics of that stupid place?

TS3 Forum Ponderings

Okay. We all know now that Vidkid just got banned, and Lunabear too. We know that trolls are running rampant on the forum, but decent simmers get the axe. We know that the Powers That Be are calling all of these asinine glitches "bloopers"...we know that the forum is just JACKED UP and they want to cover it up and call the shit "maintenance". You can be banned for fucking NOTHING -- I was too.

My question is...

Vidkid20 Sent Up the River

VidKid has been banned. For what, you ask? She has no idea. No email, no notification, nada. Nyet. I'm still holding out a little hope that it's all a mistake or a forum glitch, but it isn't. They're slowly starting to get the forum just the way they want it -- dead, slow, and boring as fuck-burning hell.

Who's going to be left over there? How often do you see the regulars posting these days? And when's the last time that you saw a GOOD thread that didn't get deleted in 15 minutes? Banning, culling, week-long forum down-time, now these new sections that nobody can access -- if they're not PURPOSELY trying to whittle away the forum, then they're doing a goddamned good job of it. Hell, I wish they'd NOT try to give me winning lotto numbers.

This is bullshit. Is it the worst thing that is going on in the world right now? Of course not. But it's frustrating and annoying to the point of near hair-pulling madness. That should count for SOMETHING goddammit.

This is pretty much what I have to say about all of that right now:

http://popup.lala.com/popup/1225260603768460936

Plus lyrics:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/no-children-lyrics-mountain-goats.html

Spring Cleaning

I know I haven't had this blog very long and I'm still getting the hang of things, but I'm going to work on sprucing this place up a bit.  If you visit and it looks like Oscar the Grouch's blind drunk uncle set things up, you'll know why.

...I wonder how that cake tastes?  It might not be too bad...not too sure about the dirty diaper-looking "rag" with 'Happy Birthday' on it.  Could be chocolate, could be not...

Hallelujah!!! It's raining men...and new forum sections

Do not click! Chocolate overload...

I can finally access the new forum sections! ...Too bad nothing much is going on right now. Since the Great Oops-out of 2010, things have been painfully uneventful over there. I did however browse one thread that incited a reaction from me.

People who defend EA seem to think that "EA" is 4 or 5 sensitive little dudes sitting around hobbling together games into the wee hours of the morning with little more sustenance than Panera & Starbucks (modern bread & water).

Have you ever checked out the credits for any of the Sims games? EA has a Sims DIVISION -- dozens and dozens of people working in MANY different areas of development. This is a multi-billion dollar corporation we're talking about here, not a damn mom & pop shoppe.

This Sims division is NOT 4 or 5 men-strong -- they've got PLENTY of people working, in different aspects & capacities, on this game.  Multi-billion dollar corporations often get lax and lazy about things like customer service and quality control.  That's just how it is, and EA (I'm sorry to burst your rosy bubble, kiddos) is NO exception, and if anything it's getting worse about it (think Microsoft). Their interest is in nickle & diming every last player until our wallets bleed tree bark & petroleum, hence all the Store items, sim points, and downloadable content for PC and console games.

I'm certainly no EA lover (eff "Team EA" -- I'm team ME), but I also don't think it's the most evil corporation on earth (don't get me started on who I think takes THAT choice spot).  I think that it, like many many other companies, needs to re-evaluate some key areas (especially customer service), but they are not going to bend over and give in to every demand that we issue whether those demands are justified or not.

If we simmers TRULY want our voices to resonate, then we need to take real action.  Hit 'em where it COUNTS -- on the bottom line.  We can't threaten to boycott and then as soon as the next EP is announced just squee and squirt all over the damn place.  If we honestly want to see REAL CHANGE, then we have to make sacrifices.  That might mean missing out on the next EP or forgoing any of the TS3 Store items, but if we could rally together and do it en masse, then we might FINALLY see the overhaul that we've been dying for. 

No battle is ever won by simply talking about it, and it will take more than a handful of dedicated simmers to make these things happen.  Do I have much faith that it ever will?  Outlook hazy...but I'm willing to step forward with you all and make those necessary sacrifices.

I really don't think we know the power and influence we have as players and customers of this game.  EA knows that...EA banks on that.  We need the blinders and rose-colored glasses OFF, and we need to reclaim our goddamned game.

¡Viva la Revolución!

Hel yeah...

Crazy Random Picture Time!!!

Kinda sorta reminds you of our experience on the TS3 forum, doesn't it...?

Come the Eff On...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_lesbian_prom_date

Seriously?  Come on now...the reason they cancelled the damn thing was to make a point and to make that girl stand out and be a pariah in town because they don't agree with her lifestyle.  Give me a fuck-burning break -- it's Discrimination 101.  Homosexuality is one of the last frontiers where discrimination is accepted (along with obesity).  Things have slowly been changing for the better of course, but there's still a looooong way to go.

Mo' Money Mo' Problems

...Well, there's not actual MONEY involved (damn), but we are having mo' problems on the TS3 forum.  Now most people can't access the shiny, sparkly new forum sections.  Niiiiiiiceeee.

Frustrating much?

It's baaaaaack...

The TS3 forum is back up.  Waaaahhheeeeee!!!  It'll be nice to see some people again, and it's been AWESOME communicating with a few cool people thru email (hey guys!).  I had a renewed interest in the game, made a couple of decent sims, played some families.  It wasn't the worst thing in the world, but it was annoying as fuck burning HELL.  I kept myself pretty busy tho...

Please please PLEASE tell me that they implemented some changes for the better...!!!

Dirty Barnacles

I was just browsing TMN and saw what happened on Kelle's blog. I feel her pain -- I got cut off of chat when I was waiting for word about that stupid ban. Customer Service...bah -- the only servicing going on around there involves someone being paid to stay on their knees, if you catch my drift. Work them jaws!

There are SO many awesome blogs and sites out there for us...why should we even be bothered with the big O ("O-fficial") forum? You can't say or do anything around there without getting tarred, pissed on, and feathered, and morale is as low as a ho going to the the electric chair, so why do we even care? That place has some sadistic pull on us...there be somethin' in the water, I tells ya.

Barnacles.  Dirty BARNACLES.

FIRST SHOT...

Okay...so this is my first blog post. Ever. I don't know what the hell I'm doing, so please be gentle...