Okay, maybe I'm just sleep deprived but the first thing I saw when I looked at that pic was a stylized Victorian lady in a big hat, wielding a whip.

Nope, not family friendly at all. 

No worries about the CEP, I'm sure there are thousands of copies people have downloaded and I'm one of them. I've got the The CEP - Color Enable Package v. 9.1 - 09 NOV 2008 and I'll happily supply it, I also have the whole page saved with all the information.

I'm sure the biggest challenge is going to be figuring out what's been lost, which is on Delphy's shoulders. Once we know that I'm sure the community will be able to supply whatever's missing.

If the Internet requirement is the same as for Spore, that is, you only need to go online to share with other players, then I'm fine with Sims 3 (at least in that regard - I still have many misgivings about the game itself and how worth my money, time and trouble it will be). But my understanding at this point is that the game won't function unless you validate it on initial installation, which will require an Internet connection and all the attendant risks I mentioned earlier. Plus, my sister wouldn't be able to play at all because she doesn't have Internet access.

If this is the case then I'm sure in time somebody will come up with a hack to get around EA's latest attempt to piss off its paying customers. When that happens I might give it a try.

Oh my God! You mean they store their backups on the same server? This is a huge blow. I need to go check my closet for something in basic black.
 

That's about as innocent as boy's underwear with a picture of a rooster and the word "Cock" written across it. Who do they think they're fooling?

What the hell does anybody need with kiddie Sims undies, anyway? When do you ever see undies in the game at all unless somebody's just done the big nasty? I just use the game's default undies for kids. If I run across some really cute ones, I throw them into SimPE and recode them as PJs. At least you'll get to see them once in a while instead of bogging down your downloads folder with useless files.

There seem to be some nifty features coming in Sims 3, like being able to move around the neighborhood, and for us builders, to be able to change room sizes easily. But all in all it doesn't look like it's going to be worth the expense and trouble. The Sims in particular bother me. They look like cartoons and I don't play the game for cartoonish representation. I like things as realistic as possible. Can you imagine one of those freakish Sims 3 Sims in a room full of Adele's furniture, for example? It would look like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

I don't like the reports I hear that you'll have to have an Internet connection to at least install and initialize the game, either. I don't like EA having a live link to my system and I sure don't like not being able to circumvent their computer-crippling security rootkits. I'm not 100% sure of my facts on this but I've heard it in three or four different places. Until I get the true scoop from an unimpeachable source, like PMBD or MATY, I'm planning to avoid Sims 3.

It's now a $5 donation from what I saw when I looked it over. Still $5.01 too much for the crapola I saw there. Some of it looks suspiciously like free site meshes that have just been recolored. Imagine my surprise.

Oh God, I just saved the price of a copy of Sims 3. You gotta be kidding me, they actually offer that crap as content? If that's an example of what their much-touted custom texturing is going to produce - PHAIL!

I, um....I like it. *ducks*

Holy cow juice, Batman! If that thing really works as advertised.... 

The only problem is that when you give out damning information, you run a huge risk of outing yourself to TSR and getting banned. If you don't give a damn, no worries, but if you're trying to fly under the radar it's a real concern. Coconut's a master at keeping them guessing but it can't be easy. One slip and you're history.

And so, for, what, maybe 40 bucks, TSR again alienates not only a long-time subscriber but hundreds of others who might have considered subscribing but won't because they got to read Coconut's exposé. Classic. Maybe Thomas & Co. ought to invest some of their profits in a good PR/Marketing consultant. They could swing it if they cut out the upstairs maid and gave the chauffeur an extra night off. Ah, the simple life.

Jeez, the kid's only 16 and comes up with stuff like that? I feel sooooo old suddenly.

That's the stuff, that sounds familiar. Many thanks, Darqstar. 

The only way I'd eat a carrot is if it was made out of milk chocolate. 

The only thing I remember about Darqstar's fudge is that it was ridiculously easy to make and it disappeared like a snowball on a hot stove. I can't believe I didn't store it on my hard drive with all my other can't-miss recipes.