Sims 3 Store Content Skill Fix (Artisan/Violin/Etc)

Is your sim making a dancing glass gnome one minute, and then just standing in front of the glass blowing station awkwardly the next? What about the giant white cube that comes out of nowhere and englufs your sims's head? Or maybe you've had him/her skritching away at the Fit as a Fiddle for hours, but it still sounds like a cat being murdered, and all the threads about this problem say the skill doesn't improve until you stop playing, but yours just isn't improving period. Bottom line, your store content is malfunctioning.

Undoubtedly, you've been sent to Nona's ccmerged recovery page, you can probably recite the URL backwards, but the fact that everyone around you insists your problem is your out of date DCCacheBackup (or whatever it's called) doesn't seem to change the fact that "updating" ccmerged.package is not solving the problem. And no, uninstalling your mods probably isn't going to help either.

What most forums don't tell you up front and it took me forever to wade through the trolls to find is

YOUR CCMERGED.PACKAGE SHOULD BE IN BOTH YOUR CACHE BACKUP AND YOUR MODS>OVERRIDES FOLDER

Yes, this solved the problem for me. The icons for the artisan and violin skill aren't there, but when I go into master controller, under Advanced>Skill Level, I can adjust it just like any other now. And I highly suspect for the same reason, my sim can now smelt metals without a hitch. I don't know if this will fix the giant cube problem since I downloaded a different fix beforehand that got rid of the missing object but still had the interaction cancelling, but copying your ccmerged into your mods folder I think will probably fix that too. I always wondered how putting something in your backup folder would fix the actual gameplay; well there's your answer: maybe it does a little, but when in doubt, route through overrides.

Hoped this made this key bit of information more readily available. Happy Simming!

Second Creation before Photoshop Free Trial Expires

I still envy those who can actually draw, but it did take me two whole days of my summer vacation to make this, and I think it turned out very well. Unlike the last post, there actually is intent behind it further than "just weird for the sake of weird" which is the reason for so much effort. The piece is called Pomegranate Purity.

Dipping my toe into Dada

I think by now we've established this is just my art and random crap blog. So... here's my art that is also random and arguably complete crap.

This was really just as much about learning to use Photoshop as trying to make a piece of Dada art. I think if nothing else, the second was accomplished quite effectively as the pencil-sketch eagle was actually a photo when I copied it, and Jesus's hand was originally much further to the left. I even had to use spot healing to fill in where the hand was, and same goes for Pattinson's chin.

I don't advise trying to interpret it, because even I don't know why I thought of it, much less spent 3h+ making it, but I'm thinking of calling it "A Step in the right Direction"

Ricky Gervais Show Fanart

Novelty song: A Petition from a Fan
Could someone with some talent perform this and post it to YouTube or something?

There are lots of legitimate reasons
For why videogames generally don't appeal to women
We just don't see the fun
In blowing people's heads off
And for protective gear, girl characters
sure show a lot of skin

But the Portal saga has none of these problems
The gameplay's advanced
And the dialogue is smart
And the gun only works if you use your brain with it
And the storyline's a film-grade piece of art

But if there's one thing that won the fangirls over
We all agree the lead male role is hot
He's funny, yet tormented
And he's got a British accent
Damnit, why'd they have to make him a robot?

Stephen Merchant, please take your shirt off
If you really want to make the laddies swoon
I know it's creepy to say, but this is all we have
We're nerds; we won't be getting some any time soon

I've read all the erotic fan fiction
All this weird shit relating to The Itch
But it just won't do
There's always something off about it all
Like why's he always fucking that mute bitch?

And I've looked at all the anthropomorphic fanart
But all that stuff is too off too
They always draw him average height
And that irks me 'cause I understand
Now that the one I'm attracted to is you

Stephen Merchant, please take your shirt off
If you really want to make the laddies swoon
I know it's creepy to say, but this is all we have
We're nerds; we won't be getting some any time soon

Your characters are always too candid with the girls
So they shoot you down and in the context, maybe they're right.
But for all the attempts,
You'd think it would work just once
And I'd have something to think about at night

You say you're always looking for a girlfriend
Well, we'd do anything for you, at least bedroom wise
But let's face the facts, I'm not going to meet you
And if I did, you'd probably turn me down
But can we at least get a little compromise:

Stephen Merchant, please take your shirt off
If you really want to make the laddies swoon
I know it's creepy to say, but this is all we have
We're nerds; we won't be getting some any time soon

Stephen Merchant, please take your shirt off
If you really want to make the laddies swoon
I know it's creepy to say, but this is all we have
Please just do it, we'd all be over the moon

(spoken)
Ha! Reference!

Stephen Merchant, please take your shirt off
If you really want to make the laddies swoon
I know it's creepy to say, but this is all we have
We're nerds; we won't be getting some any time soon!

(spoken fading out)
Oh, fuck it; I'm going to go watch that clip with the nuddie pen again. It was only a split second, but at least that had a shot of his ass, so that's something. You know it's really irritating; Karl got shirtless for wrestling, and Ricky just takes his clothes off for no reason at all, but of course the one I like never...

Been really into Portal lately. I like how the game explores the concept of resolving the omnipotence-omnibenevolence-evil paradox with incompetence. Not to say I believe in a god. Far from it, but I have still always been fascinated with the idea of a god that can be panicked by it's utter failure to keep the universe in working order. Actually developed a pretty big crush on Steve Merchant over it; possibly the first male I've ever had an actual desire to sleep with. But this post isn't about that... well it isn't really about anything when you think about it. Anyway, here's some new art I felt like sharing:

For those of you struggling with the graphic, it means cake plus alcoholic lemonade and matches (combustible lemonade) equals a Portal-themed party with or without eyebrows. Now, to be a killjoy, Mike's has a very low proof, so chances are trying to burn it wouldn't work. It was just an example. If you want to actually make combustible lemonade to go with your cake, I suggest just getting straight alcohol (preferably vodka if you ask me) and mixing in sugar and lemon juice. Otherwise, it should work. In plenty of cases, the alcohol in food or beverages can be used to have a controlled burn be part of the presentation. You know what? Even if your friends or stepkids or whatever don't know what Portal is, bring a pitcher to your next party, church gathering, or other social event and you are guaranteed to be the talk of the party, receiving adoring comments such as "What's a portal?", "You mean that thing assholes are constantly quoting memes about at people who wouldn't care even if they knew what the fuck they were talking about?",  and "Yeah, I know that's the theme of the party, but even if it wasn't on fire no one is going to drink it because they're eleven-year-olds". Oh, good times.