I'm Starting the Movement

I don’t normally watch Private Practice, the Grey’s Anatomy spinoff. But Thursday’s episode dealt with the immediate aftermath of one of the character’s attack and rape. A few days have passed since the episode ended, and for a show I don’t normally have an interest in, I haven’t been able to shake it off.


Show creator Shonda Rhimes made a good point when she stated that most TV rapes are seen from the law enforcement’s point of view; rarely, we see it from the other side, from the victim’s side. The Private Practice episode was beautifully written and acted, but the last few moments where the rape was portrayed will haunt me for a long time.

I could barely watch the episode. If I wasn’t feeling sick to my stomach, I was near – or in – tears. The power behind the situation was palpable, and it’s hard to let go. Kudos to the show for showing what I imagine is a realistic – if sickening – portrayal.

I visited RAINN.org, the organization that worked with Rhimes and KaDee Strickland (Charlotte, the character who was raped). There’s tons of information on the site, including some horrifying statistics such as 1/6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape. ONE out of SIX.

As difficult as it was to watch the show, I hope it raises awareness about rape and sexual assault. I always hope there’s a movement that removes “rape” and all forms of it from our casual vocabulary. We’ve all heard someone say something along the lines of “I was raped by that mid-term today!” THIS IS NOT OKAY. Likening a tough exam to such a disgusting, life-changing violation IS NOT OKAY. I’m starting the movement, and I hope you’ll join me.

For more information rape and sexual harassment, please visit RAINN.org

Sims 3 Nightlife: A Review

The lastest EP from The Sims came out recently, and here's what I have to say about it!

The Good:


• Overall, I’m really pleased by the game! I like how it combines elements of The Sims 2 Nightlife and The Sims Superstar, two great games of the past.

• The addition of celebrities: this is a big one for me, since I loved Superstar, despite finding it frustrating. However, it’s a little easier this time around, at least with the Sim I created to test the Late Night waters. It’s still enough of a challenge, since you have to “impress” celebrities higher than your star rating before you can chat to them like regular acquaintances. But if you join the film career, it shouldn’t prove to be too difficult. (This was a major problem I had with Superstar. Maybe I was doing something wrong or missed something major, but I played a Sim with every skill maxed out, sent him to Studio Town all day, every day, yet never managed to get above 2.5 or possibly 3 stars. Grr!)

• Great new additions to clothing! I love the sexier look of the game overall as well.

• A lot of new objects to make the game a little more fun, such as keyboards, cello and drums, among other things.

• Hot tubs! They’re awesome.

• I like the feel of Bridgeport, a true metropolitan city. Hitting up to Hot Spots every night is actually pretty fun!

• Bands. I haven’t explored this option yet, but I like the idea of starting up a band and possibly getting to do it full time, if you’re good enough.

• Maxis has added a few new features in CAS. There’s a muscle definition and breast size slider, which is pretty awesome. They’ve added two new traits (I was hoping for more, but oh well): shy and star quality.

• Apartments are back. While I don’t completely love them, I’m glad to buy a place and have lots of money left over. I can buy more skilling objects without having to cheat or wait forever to save up for them, which is cool.

• Food carts in the park! Awesome!

• I love how people begin treating you differently the more famous you get. My Sim is always getting her picture snapped by fans, and she’s gotten a few freebies/discounts. Sweet!

• Swimming pools are more versatile. I haven’t explored this option too much yet, but you can now have them indoors, on the roof, etc.

• You can read about which place will be the “hot spot” de jour in the newspaper. Since my Sim has the aspiration to max out her star power, I find this handy.

• I’ve noticed a lot of new wishes, which is always good since it adds variety. A lot of them have hilarious icons, too!

The Bad

• I really, really hate the subways. Majorly. Instead of taking a cab somewhere, my Sim will hop in a cab to a subway station, take the subway to another stop (which is admittedly fast), but then hop in another cab for the duration of her destination. It’s fine when your destination is attached to a subway stop, but usually the scenario I just described is what ends up happening. It’s immensely frustrating. I highly recommend buying your Sim a car if this sounds tedious to you (which it is). I live in a big city myself and have to rely on transit, so maybe this hits too close to what I have to deal with every day. I’m considering editing them out in Bridgeport and see how that goes.

• Elevators have returned, and while I like the possibilities of making out or woohooing in one, I find them too slow. You have to wait around for one, and since some of these buildings are huge, it can take a while for it to get to you.

• Among those lines, I find it a little annoying how some of the community lots are within high-rises. For instance, you can’t just walk into the gym and have that be that, you have to take an elevator up dozens of floors. It doesn’t seem worth it.

• Another big problem I have is everything seems to take a lot longer. Getting around takes a lot longer than it used to, even with a car, and there’s the elevator problem I mentioned above. I have to have my Sim leave for work when I get the “the carpool will be here in an hour” popup or she’s late for work (and really late – like 45 minutes late). I moved her to a building across the street from work so this isn’t a big problem anymore, but I can see it being annoying if there are no places to live right by other professions.

• While I don’t mind the apartments, I really wish we had a say over which unit our Sim gets when they move in. I don’t think my Sim had any neighbours at all, yet she ended up on the 11th floor in her first building. After I moved her, she was on the fourth floor, which wouldn’t be too bad if she wasn’t insistent on taking the damn stairs (really! Four flights of stairs?! I know I just complained about the elevators taking a long time, but in this case, I’m thinking the elevator would be faster).

The Others (Things that are neither good nor bad):

• Vampires are back for this EP, but I haven’t played as one yet. I didn’t care too much about vampires in Night Life, and my feelings of indifference haven’t changed yet. Someone on Amazon.com commented on how they think Maxis designed the vampires after Twilight, which I can sort of see, but whatever. I do like how you get a negative moodlet when you’re around an unfamiliar vamp.

• More building options! Woo! I’m not much of a builder, but I’m sure this will please many people.

Happy Halloween! (Top 5 Best Halloween Specials & More!)

Happy Halloween from Sweet on the Lips! To celebrate the holiday, I thought it would be fun to share some cool Halloween trivia!

*Orange and black are Halloween colors because orange is associated with the Fall harvest and black is associated with darkness and death.


*Jack o’ Lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

*Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.


*Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America.

*The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.

*Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States.

*Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with Snickers #1.

*Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.

*Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from the roman harvest festival that honors Pamona, the goddess of fruit trees.

*Black cats were once believed to be witch's familiars who protected their powers.

*If you see a spider on Halloween, it is the spirit of a loved on watching over you.

And for an additional treat, may I present to you a mini Top 5 - The Top 5 Best Halloween Specials!

5. Double Double Toil & Trouble
Okay, so I can't deny that this is a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movie. And it's from, like, 1992 or 1993 or something, so it's pretty old school. Yes, it's cheesy, and terribly acted to boot (not to mention predictable). Maybe it's the nostalgia factor, since I loved it as a kid, but even to this day, I enjoy watching it.



4. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
When I was a kid, I had a Halloween party, and we watched the Disney cartoon version of this movie. It scared the ever-living crap out of us! Admittedly, it's been a while since I've seen this one, but it's still pretty creepy. The Tim Burton version is pretty good, but this particular installment is the real deal. (Click here to check it out!)

3. The Simpsons Treehouse of Terror
I look forward to The Simpsons' annual Halloween episode every year. I enjoy them at any time, really, but nothing gets me in the mood quite like these episodes. I can't name a favourite episode, since there are so many, but some favourites include the Harry Potter parody, the Hansel & Gretel story, the one where Marge turns out to be a witch, and the "Hell Toupee" story. There are so many more, which makes me glad The Powers That Be released a DVD with just the Halloween episodes (I need to get my hands on it!). True, most of these minis were more funny than scary, but they're always a treat! (To find a favourite, click here!)

2. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Ah, yes, the quintessential Halloween special. We grew up with it and we still look forward to it every year - after all, which one of us hasn't, at one point, maybe this year, the Great Pumpkin will actually show up? There's something about this special that just screams Halloween, and even at the ripe old age of 25, I still get excited when I watch it.

And the #1 Halloween Special is....*drumroll, please*

1. Garfield's Halloween Adventure
I remember being TERRIFIED the very first time I saw this special. When Odie and Garfield get to the creepy old mansion in the middle of nowhere, I could barely watch. Even watching it now, there's a definite sense of forboding when the furry pals step foot in the abandoned house. As much as I love the misadvertunes of the Peanuts gang, Garfield and Odie's trick-or-treating trek into the unknown will always be my favourite. It embodies the spirit of Halloween in every way, from Garfield's "Candycandycandycandycandy!" shout to the genuinely scary moments towards the end. It isn't Halloween until I watch Garfield's Halloween Adventure!



Happy Halloween!!!

Sloane City - The Uggos

They're baa-aaack! With a new Sims 3 Expansion Pack comes a new born-again obsession for the game. Since I'm bored and unemployed, and since I haven't really played the Sloanes in a while, I thought I would finally get around to uploading the rejected children of the Sloane family. That's right, you'll be seeing the rest of gen 2, from way back when. I'll give you a minute to let this amazing news sink in.

Feel better? Good! Here we go!

To begin, we have the very first baby born into the Sloanes. I know nobody cares, but I've been playing for five generations, so it's neat to go back to the beginning. May I present to you...Lea Sloane!

The Lovely(ish) Lea. She looks a lot like her dad, Jon Lessen. I actually think she's pretty in a unique, non-conventional way. I was definitely way too fast in writing her off, especially as a toddler. Lea grew up to marry Skip Broke, and they had two daughters, Gillian and Lydia (I'll try to find them, but I have no idea if they're still alive or not). I don't recall Lea working; if she did, she didn't get very far into her career. Gillian eventually married Bob Newbie, and had two boys named Jamie and Collin. I don't really know much about Jamie and Collin, except that Collin seems to pop up every once in a while. I also don't remember what happened to Lydia, other than she never married. Oops.

For the loveliness that is Lea, click here to download!

May I present to you...

Darcy! Darcy is something of an enigma shrouded in mystery. Ish. Well, she's interesting because she was the first baby born as the result of an affair. At any given moment, Georgina had two lovers on the go, and one of them was Hal Breckenridge. And thus, Darcy was born. Jon took it like a champ and raised her like one of her own - in contrast to Hal, who maybe met her once.

The strange thing about her is her body type. As you can see, she's an athletic type, yet her body suggests otherwise. I find this odd because none of the children have been chubby, and she was way more athletic than her brother and sisters during her childhood. I'm not sure what the heck happened.

Darcy never married or had kids. She ended up living with her brother and best friend, Lee.

Do you like Darcy? Then click right here to download!

And finally...

The one and only male born into Gen 2, Lee! Now, you can pretty much guess what's up. Yeah, G had another affair - this time with George Dean (yes, that means Georgina slept with George. Teehee!). Unlike Darce, Lee's birth caused some discord in the Sloane household, as Jon had to finally realize that this was not in fact his son. Their marriage almost crumbled, but they pulled through out. True, Lee and Jon were never super close, but Jon at least tried to be a good sport about it. Sadly, Lee never got to know his real father, since George wasn't exactly welcome at the Sloanes.

Like Darcy, he never married or had kids, though today he's known as a minor celebrity (for some reason) around Riverview. Yes, Lee is still alive and kicking!

If you want him, you got him: click here to download.

Since my old links seem to be deactivated, here's where you can download any of the Sim's I've uploaded previously.

As for other updates:

• Logan got married to a woman named Esther, and they have a son, Wallace!
• Annabelle married a woman named Michele. They live in a big house with Logan, Esther and Wallace.
• Gen 5 consists of 3 kids, and again, only 1 boy. The eldest is now a teen.
• Rosie's an elder, probably not too far from death's doorstep *tear.* Sadly, I had to kick her out since the house was too crowded, and my computer wasn't happy about it.
• Jon is engaged to Martha, a maid, but he formed a band with Andrew (Viv's husband), so he's kinda preoccupied at the moment. He's still around, but not for too much later. You have no idea how sad I'll be once he's gone for good.

That's all she wrote! I have a few fun Halloween ideas planned, so keep an eye out for that over the next few days!

HUGE Boy Meets World News!

Guess what - season four is coming to DVD on December 7th! And what's more, seasons 1-3 have been re-released and are currently selling for about $14 each. I feel like such a bad fan for not knowing this, but how exciting!

Jack Hunter Returns to TV!

Well, in a manner of speaking. Matthew Lawrence will make a guest appearance on brother Joey Lawrence's show, Melissa and Joey, on November 2nd. Matt is reportedly playing Joey's brother which I'm sure will be a big stretch for him! I kid, I kid. They look too similar to be anything but. It actually kind of annoyed me how Fred Savage's character on Boy Meets World - you remember, Stewart? - looked and sounded SO much like Cory, yet no one even mentioned it. Strange, because they were all about the self-aware jokes.

I digress! As mentioned, the show airs on Tuesday, November 2nd at 8 pm on ABC Family. We'll mark out calendars!

Top 5 Groups of Fictional Friends I'd Like to Hang Out With

No, you're not seeing things. I'm updating my blog twice in one day. But I've had this one sitting around for a while, so I might as well post while it's on my mind.

There have been fictional groups of friends since the beginning of, well, fiction. I’m sure most of us have read a book, seen a movie or watched a TV. show that featured a group friends and have thought, “Man, I would LOVE to hang out with those guys!” It’s happened to me, that’s for sure. Without further ado, I present the (fake) people I’d love to chill with.

5. Boy Meets World This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, given the way my blog originated. In all fairness, Cory and the gang were sort of square. They didn’t advocate underage drinking or premarital sex. They had strong moral compasses and tried to right every wrong. And their lives seemed a little rife with drama as they got older – they didn’t really have much fun.

So why do I want to hang with them? Well, for starters: Jack Hunter. I’d so date him. But in all honesty, these guys are tried and true friends, always there for each other. The friendship between Cory and Shawn is particularly wonderful. And another thing: they aren’t mean to each other. Maybe they pick on Eric a bit, but for the most part, they treat each other with respect. Maybe it’s not truly reminiscent of real high school/university friends to never really rag on each other, but it’s nice to see a group of friends that don’t treat each other like crap and call it comedy.

4. The Baby-sitters Club If you’ve ever actually read the books, you would probably wonder why this particular group of girls would make the list. They fight every couple of books, they will shun you if you dare to make friends with someone outside of the clique, they alienate you if you dare to do something like cut your hair without consulting them, and Kristy Thomas will give you THE LOOK if you are almost late for a meeting. So again…why?

Call me a nostalgic. When I was a wee lass, I didn’t notice how crappy their friendships were. Maybe I was stupid; I prefer to call it the innocence of youth. Either way you label it, I didn’t see it. All I saw was a group of older girls who had awesome hair, wore cool clothes, went on dates with older guys, had boyfriends and could stay out until 10 on weekends (9:30 on week nights). They were the clique to end all cliques, but I wanted in, shunning and mind-control ling be damned. Plus, now that I have pierced ears, I would be so dibbly fresh, especially in the eyes of Mallory Pike. I might not have a fluffy perm (I’m looking at you, Stacey!), but I can stay out past 10 on week nights! Suck on that, O Sophisticated One!

3. The “Friends” Friends This one is pretty obvious. They’re pretty much the embodiment of fictional friends. Who at any given point during the show’s 10-year run didn’t want to hang out with this crew? They’re funny, they’re sexy, they have fun adventures, and no matter what, they’ll be there for you. (Sorry, I had to go there.)

2. The That ‘70s Show Gang I love this show. Always have, always will. I was there when it first debuted back in August 1998, and I was still watching it when it ended in 2006. (Well, mostly. I had to pretend the majority of season 8 didn’t exist, for my own sanity.) There are many reasons why I love the show, but one of them is the friendship s between the characters. The cast had fantastic chemistry, and it was obvious that they were close off-screen as well as on.

These guys seem like so much fun. Even when they’re just hanging out in Eric’s basement, they’re having a good time and are always making each other laugh. Sure, they thrive on ragging on one another, but when push comes to shove, they support and care for one another. Even unlikely pairings – like Eric and Jackie – support each other when times get tough. Plus, they make the circle look like the most fun thing, ever.

And the number one group is...

1. The How I Met Your Mother group The thing the seals the deal for me is that these characters genuinely feel like friends. Sure, all of the other groups on this list do too – but Ted, Lily, Barney, Marshall and Robin seem the most authentic. They know each other inside and out, they have their little group obsessions (like interventions) and inside jokes (the “general knowledge!” salute thing). They do silly things like slap bets and “Haaaaaave you met Ted?” They’re always having a blast. I’d so love to join them at McClaren’s for a pint. And they’re all pretty cool people, too. No one is really an asshole or a bitch.

Since the show is so well written, they have realistic conversations. They make fun of each other the way real-life friends do. They laugh at each other’s and their own jokes, unlike many other sitcom characters. Maybe they remind me of some of my friends; maybe they’re just awesome characters played by fantastic actors working with great material. Whatever it is, the HIMYM gang is probably the best group of fictional characters, ever.

Honourable Mentions include:

-Harry Potter and friends – It would be cool to BE ABLE TO DO MAGIC but I think constantly putting/having my life be in danger, not to mention watching everyone around me dropping like flies, would grow tiresome quickly.

-Grey’s Anatomy: Not only would I develop a massive inferiority complex from constantly being around people that attractive, but my life would probably be depressing and dramatic. Very dramatic. Because according to the Shonda Rhimes philosophy, you can never have it all. Well then. At least I could have sex with McSteamy or Karev whenever I wanted.

-Gossip Girl: Very similar to the above. I would be so fashionable (and hopefully filthy rich) if I hung out with these people. The drawback? I think the constant stress of dealing with on-going high school drama and worrying about people posting shit about me online or dealing with the latest scandal would get to me. And having to put up with Blair Waldorf’s crap? No thank you. Serena and I could hang out before I go off to make out with Nate. Or Dan. Really, either one is fine.