I just assumed she was some kind of robot built out of spare vacuum cleaner parts, and some of those toy electronic keyboards. I figured that at least 20% of her was made by Texas Instruments, and there might be some copies of the ET video game thrown in as well.

Absolutely, I always felt better for it. It let me see where any problems I was having were (e.g. "Wow, they're right. This really is a piece of shit"), and gave me the opportunity to correct them or rethink what I was doing. It also taught the students the valuable lesson of not believing that criticism of your work is equal to personal criticism, no matter how harsh it is. "My work is not myself" might have been one of the most important lessons I learned at school.

I'm actually surprised that this kind of thing isn't done more in other disciplines, as it would probably cut down on that "I am awesome" crap. I know that in the sciences peer review is standard as well. I suppose in larger classes it would be difficult to do, but better to crush those spirits earlier than later, I say  :lol: .

It's a good thing people can come here then, heh.
When I was going to art school, this kind of behaviour was crushed out of people right quick. It sounds weird to say, especially since the perception of an art school is that it would be touchy feely, happy crap, but it was a place where you would have to be confronted with constant critcism not just from your teachers, but from your peers (students) as well. It's hard to say that your work is masterpiece, when you're confronted with 10-30 people who tell you it's a piece of shit and makes no sense.

Oh Sir! You forgot the most salient point! The world had to also sit outside in the sun for that entire time.

The items mentioned above do not require any Blizzard products or programs to function. I'll show the quote so that you know what I'm referring to:


These products make money by using Blizzard's materials without having anything to do with them. Blizzard makes money selling merchandise related to their product (Warcraft, etc.), and it's hard to sell your Orc t-shirts if some shifty idiot is already doing it before you. While these products may bring new players into playing Warcraft games, it also cuts down any outside profits they may want to make. Plus in this case if you don't protect your copyrights, you stand to lose them and any profits you may make from them.

How is this different from Paysites, you ask? While, EA is likely losing some profits from paysites, they are also increasing their fanbase because paysite products require users to already own the Sims to use them. Plus at any time, EA can scoop up paysite (and freesite) materials and sell them themselves (cough, stuff packs, cough, cough). Paysites have large fanbases (unfortunately) that keep their buyers playing the Sims, and buying connected EA produced products. For example, Peggy Sims has a very large, devoted fanbase, how would these consumers react if all of a sudden EA brought the hammer down on them? It would only add to nightmares for and bad feelings towards EA, hardly something that they would like.

Ea also allows distribution of these materials non-commercially. While paysites are obviously ignoring the free part of this rule, they are still creating items that EA has given them permission to share. I'm sure EA's reaction  would be different if paysites were creating products using EA logos and slogans that they hadn't referred to as transfereable in their EULA (like t-shirts, mugs, fireworks, bootleg Sims dvds). At the moment, paysites don't really hit EA in the bank (EA creates their own custom content that consumers happily lap up), and it's better to keep both sides happy and buying their product.

I don't think it's laziness so much as that there is no real benefit to them taking a side. One of the reasons that the Sims is so popular is because it allows user created content. People like it because to a certain extent they can shape the game as they see fit. While they can bring their lawyers down on paysites (and trust me, I'm sure EA's legal team is just as lawsuit heavy as Blizzard's), it serves no useful purpose to take a side and alienate customers.
You still have to buy the game to use paysites' products, and according to EA, technically anything made for in game use belongs to them and they can use and take it as they see fit (thinking of the stuff packs, I'm sure we've all seen some very familiar content in those, yes?).

Yeah, intelligent design is just creationism in a bad wig and glasses. When they start actually being able to prove anything worthwhile about that "theory", I'll stop saying that people who believe it are creepy weirdoes.

(Gasp!) That's why all of her recent models have looked like extras out of a terrible vampire movie!

Berg, it's not so bad I think. The texture looks a little flat, try adding some more highlights and darker bits to give it some more definition, detail and volume. I think the size and poofiness is fine especially for one of those silly 18th C. wigs. liegenschonheit is right that some curls might help out to move it away from looking too much like one of those drug store clown wigs.

Coddle is a perfectly cromulent English word, Ghanima, and you've used it correctly.  :lol:

I think it's important for people to have all the (correct) facts especially as it relates to health and well being.

A great podcast that discusses creationism and ID as a favorite target is the Skeptics Guide to the Universe (http://www.theskepticsguide.org/index.asp), it's a really funny and intelligent show that tackles many of the topics discussed here.

As for the treatment of sexuality and sex education in the US, I am constantly shocked that such a dangerous methodology is the supported one. I know that not everywhere in the US treats these topics the same way, but there is still a large portion of the population being taught that they can simply will their desires away (despite all of the pressures from things like, say, human biology). It also implies that if you fail at remaining abstinent (which I assume almost all of these students would) or heterosexual (because it's just a choice, right?  :roll: ), and get into trouble or need to talk to someone, that it's your own fault for not being strong enough to not give in. God forbid anyone get correct information about prevention of STDs or avoiding teen pregnancy through the use of condoms and other contraceptives.

(Edit: spelling mistake!)

Ah, I saw an episode of "Bullshit" that talked about sex ed in the US, or at least the abstinance "learning" that was going on. It made me laugh out loud, and then get a little sad at the same time.

If I meet anyone who makes their child call any part of their body "vagasaurus", I'm calling child services.

If the only way that you can anyone to say anything good about your page is by giving them something in return then there probably isn't really too much good to say.
I can just see people sitting at their computers going "Oh, a free gift in exchange for positive emails?", and then looking at the sets and going, "Nah, not worth it".
But yeah, I doubt a single one of those testimonials is from an actual customer.

Yep, I mentioned that mail page before. Best thing on the page and it's free. I love the girl who says that the site never bores her, and that she doesn't have to think (or worry?) about it. Trust me, no one was ever going to accuse her of thinking.

Edit: Oooog! Google really mangled the translation on the one I just mentioned. Ah well.