More Awesome Than You!

TS2: Burnination => The Podium => Topic started by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 26, 02:40:36



Title: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 26, 02:40:36
I just started a new neighborhood and decided to make my couples YAs and send them to college so they would get the chance to build skills and court their future spouses.  So when I made them in CAS, I used the charts for aspiration and astrological compatibilities and gave them turn-ons specifically so they would be attracted to the one I had them paired to.

Worked great, they all naturally gravitated toward the sim I wanted them to be with.  One couple can't keep their hands off each other!

So why is it that they all feel the need to use the toilet when their significant other is in the shower?  I just had one sim guy go into the bathroom while his girlfriend was in the shower, and all he did was flush the toilet while looking at the shower!  His girlfriend jumped out, lectured (yelled at) him, and he turned around and started chatting with her.

Another one I just happened to catch before he went in.  He had just used the toilet and went back into his dorm room, which was next to the bathroom, to play on his computer.  His girlfriend went into the same bathroom and got in the shower.  He immediately got up from the chair and started to head out his dorm door, so I checked to see what he had in his queue, and sure enough, he was going to use the toilet - and his bladder bar was almost full green!  Any other time, he wouldn't even think about using the facilities until he was nearly in distress!

Now if a sim gets in the shower when his/her significant other is using the toilet, I figure they get what they deserve for being stupid enough to shower when the toilet is bound to be flushed while they're in there.  But why are these sims purposely(?) flushing on a showering sim?  I have several couples, and they are ALL doing it!

Anyone have any thoughts on this?  What did I do to create these monsters?


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: RainbowTigress on 2006 May 26, 02:43:14
You need the bathroom controller.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 26, 02:49:42
Well, I've never used the bathroom controller and I've never seen sims do this before.  I'm currently rotating among 6 'hoods, and this is the only one I'm seeing this in.

And this is the first time I created YAs and purposely made them so they'd be attracted to specific others.

So I figured there must have been something I triggered when I did this.  They have been doing this since their relationships hit the love level with their future sposes. 

I haven't added any new hacks, either.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2006 May 26, 02:51:30
Probably because the bathroom won't privacy-lock if the sims are in love with each other. Plus they're stupid, and you need Bathroom Uses You to control the access.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 26, 02:56:26
Ok, I may give it a try.  But why only these sims?  I have never seen this happen before in a year and a half of playing and over the course of several 'hoods, so is there something I did that I should avoid?

Inquiring minds want to know.  ;D


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: RainbowTigress on 2006 May 26, 02:57:19
I have heard people say that since NL introduced chemistry, sim couples with three bolts will follow each other around, even to the bathroom.  I've never witnessed this though, because I've always used BUY.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 26, 03:06:55
Yeah, I have some in other 'hoods that follow each other around like puppy dogs beacuse they have three bolts, but I've never seen them do this before, either.  And I have UNI, NL and OFB, but neither of the "extras" packs.  I just found this extremely odd that they're doing this in this 'hood, and ONLY this one.

I just put a cpoy of the BUY in my hacks folder (I have all the dir. cut hacks in a folder outside of my game folder and only put them in as I feel I need them.)  I'll see if that makes a difference.

Thanks!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2006 May 26, 03:14:38
You have to install it, it's not a hack that does anything if you don't put it in your game, it's a self-contained object, like other forms of CC, only it actually DOES SOMETHING.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: Ancient Sim on 2006 May 26, 05:32:54
The reason he flushed the toilet was because he didn't want to use it, so flushing it was all he could think of to do so he could be in the same vicinity as his beloved.  Mine do it too, although nowhere near as much since I installed a mod that lets adults check themselves out in the mirror, now they mainly do that instead.  Plus both my active dorms have showers in separate rooms, so they're rarely used, most of the Sims use the baths instead.

I tend to have very full bathrooms, because whenever one half of a couple goes to the toilet or takes a bath, the other half of the couple will follow them and do the same.  Then they all get stuck in there having pillow-fights or whatever and the poor dormies can't make it to the toilets because everyone is standing in front of them, not to mention the fact that my Sims sometimes can't get out because one of said dormies has fallen asleep on the floor in front of the door (usually in the middle of a pool of wee-wee) due to becoming exhausted as a result of all the vain attempts to get to the toilet.

I do sometimes pop the bathroom controller in, but quite frankly it's funnier without it and when it's in the dormies don't tend to have their little accidents, which is no good at all.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 26, 13:39:47
They also get the urge to clean the bath/shower/toilet while their beloved is using it, and stand in front of it so the bather/pee-er is stuck and can't move!  Only thing to do is to queue them to do something else while their partner is in the shower.  As for the flushing - I've had it happen ever since the base game, and the only solution to that is no showers, just baths!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: DarkEmpress on 2006 May 26, 14:42:23
I see nothing wrong with the situation. I find it rather amusing when they flush the toilet when they know there's someone in the shower. Sometimes, I make them do it.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 26, 14:47:05
Would you like to be scalded?  Sims obviously don't!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: U_Dog_U on 2006 May 26, 16:05:38
Another possible solution it to use communal showers. They don't have the flush/scald reaction.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 26, 16:18:05
But they don't get your sims very clean!  I like the abala bathroom from Mangosims and the ones from sunair, but they use the communal shower, so I usually us the baths as son as my sims can afford them!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: starrling on 2006 May 26, 16:23:57
I think Maxis used my RL YA son as a model for the YA Sims.  

Just to add that I use the bathroom controller even on dorm lots and it works great.  Did you hover your mouse over the 2nd toilet in his que?  Could he have wanted to clean it not use it?  I've seen mine do that.  Of course that would NOT follow my theory listed above  :D


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 26, 20:05:41
For the first sim, who just went in and flushed, he had about half his bladder meter (in the yellow) so I figured he was going in to use the toilet.  His girlfriend was almost done with her shower and I thought she would be out before he was done.  It really surprised me when all he did was walk in and flush the throne!  And I checked the toilet - it didn't come up with a "clean" option for him, so he must not have thought it was dirty.  What I thought was funny was that he was staring at the shower the whole time, like he did it on purpose, just to get her out so he could talk to her!

The second guy had only one item in his queue, and that was to use the toilet.  I made him go do something else because he has done this before.  I just happened to catch him before he got in there this time.

These aren't the only two couples I have in this 'hood, but they are the only two guys who do this.  I think all my couples have 3 LBs for each other.  I may have to see what astro signs I gave them; that may be why they "shower flush" and the others don't.  And other 'hoods with 3 LB couples haven't done this to this extent.  Yes, I've had them flush a showering sim out, but not like these guys do.  The other sims are usually in bladder need at the time and use the facility.  These two guys are just plain mean!

JM - by install, do you mean I have to buy one, like the lot debugger, and put it where I want it?  Or is there something else?  I did a quick scan of the RTFM in the BUY controller thread last night, but I didn't have a lot of time, so I'll look at it again.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 26, 20:13:20
Once you have the Bathroom Uses You package in your hacks folder, you will find either in bathroom/misc, misc/misc or decorative/misc, a little roll of toilet paper with the hammer and sickle motif.  You buy one of these and stick it in your bathroom.  You can then configure it.  If you have two bathrooms, you can configure one to reject males and one to reject females, or you can have one to reject visitors.  There are quite a few option.  And if you click on "Be used" for a sim, they will go to the loo and have ashower if they need to.  Also, if the loo is clogged, they will unclog it automatically.  It's definitely worth your while investigating - I took some convincing, but now, on some lots, I wouldn't be without it!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 26, 20:42:21
Ok, I just took a quick look and found it, but didn't take the time to put any in this dorm yet as I'm done with this hood for this time around - this dorm is the last one in line to be played, and they've just completed their junior year.

I took a look at the astrological signs for these two and the only thing they have in common in their characteristics is that they both have 3 in serious/playful.  They're different signs, different aspirations.

I may try the BUY in one of my houses in another hood just to see how it works.  If I think it will work on these two guys, I'll put one in each bathroom.  I'm just using one of the Maxis dorms (6 rooms) which I've been using in other colleges without any problem, and I don't make any changes to the layout because I figure they should just have to live with what they have, dammit!

I was using the noeatcrap but I just took it out for awhile because none of my sims were getting fat, and I like the variety.  Some lazy sims just DESERVE to be fat! 

So I may try this for awhile and see if I like it, if I decide I don't need it I may take it out again.  I know, I can leave it in and not use it, but I don't like to have a very long loading time!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 26, 20:48:44
It's only tiny, it shouldn't really affect your loading time at all - not like half a dozen beds, for example!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: dadditude on 2006 May 26, 22:00:15
Once you start using BUY, you will never want to be without it. It makes life SO much easier. That and all the macrotastics recommended mods.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: RainbowTigress on 2006 May 26, 23:55:00
Once you start using BUY, you will never want to be without it. It makes life SO much easier. That and all the macrotastics recommended mods.
Absopositively!  I hope to ward off CTS for a few more years at least.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: Ness on 2006 May 27, 00:17:41
Amen to that!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2006 May 27, 06:42:49
I was using the noeatcrap but I just took it out for awhile because none of my sims were getting fat, and I like the variety.  Some lazy sims just DESERVE to be fat!
I agree. This is why No Eat Crap allows your lazy sims to become fat and your slobby disgusting sims to still eat crap. Didn't you know that's already part of it?


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 27, 12:48:36
None of my sims were getting fat, so I figured that was why!  They would stop when their hunger bar was full.  They didn't do that before I put in noeatcrap and they keep eating even if the hunger bar is full since I took it out.  And none of them would sit down to a fly-infested plate of food while I had noeatcrap in.

Tried BUY last night, I'll probably keep it for awhile and see if I can get used to seeing my sims run out of the BR like their asses are on fire.  I just started using macrotastics, too, and seeing some of them run from one thing to the next is a little disturbing.  Running in the house is not a good thing!

I do like the macro..paybills message "Render Unto Ceasar".  Nice touch, JM.

Is there a setting somewhere for either of these two hacks that allows me to change the speed at which a sim will respond?  I didn't see anything in the settings for that.  I just don't like them running.  Fast walk or what would be normal for their lazy/active level would be more comfortable for me.

I just find them running more disturbing than the convenience that these hacks offer.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 27, 13:11:09
Well, mostly only active sims run for most things, they walk to the bathroom, and they don't so much RUN out as get THROWN out.  And in a fairly big house, at least they get to bed before they fall down dead from exhaustion!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2006 May 27, 15:26:02
Is there a setting somewhere for either of these two hacks that allows me to change the speed at which a sim will respond?  I didn't see anything in the settings for that.  I just don't like them running.  Fast walk or what would be normal for their lazy/active level would be more comfortable for me.
There is no "fast" or "slow" walk. The pace at which a sim moves depends on whether they normally have the ability to "Run Here". For an active sim, running *IS* the normal pace. Otherwise they'd never get anywhere! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!

The fact that lazy sims do NOT run is more a concession to the established rules than anything else, since the Macros are not intended for use as a cheat and therefore do not enable your sim to do things they couldn't do. Like getting the toilet in less than the 4 hours he has before he pisses his pants. Lazy sims, being unable to get anywhere in less than 5 hours, tend to be at risk for these things.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 27, 17:05:26
Why do they all run to bed at bedtime, and run when they are thrown out of the bathroom?  Because, since all sims can run when they are late for work or playing tag with the kid, they do all have that ability, it's just you can't TELL lazy sims to do it.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2006 May 27, 18:34:47
Why do they all run to bed at bedtime, and run when they are thrown out of the bathroom?  Because, since all sims can run when they are late for work or playing tag with the kid, they do all have that ability, it's just you can't TELL lazy sims to do it.
I figured it is entirely within the character of lazy sims to run eagerly towards their favored and preferred activity, that of being as lazy as possible, based on observation of people from the chat, who seem endlessly obsessed with it, like the lazy bunch they are.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 27, 18:53:47
 ;D


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 28, 12:56:53
OK, I wondered if it was possible.  The funny thing is, with macrotastics, the active sims run while they're macro cleaning but not when they're macro paying bills.  I guess paying bills isn't worth running for!?

I put the BUY in about a dozen houses, just to test it on a wide variety of sim types.  Now I have some who will use the toilet (need to) then take a bath when they don't need to, just because they're in the room at the time.  Almost full hygeine bar (still in the green), same for comfort bar - I assumed it's because they have high neatness.  But they wouldn't have taken a bath at that hygeine level otherwise.  And in their queue it showed the bathroom controller over the take bath icon.

I guess I have to be discriminating about what bathrooms I put one of these in.  But it should keep the annoying flushers out of the dorm BRs while my sims are there, so I'll put one in those BRs at least for their last year.

But I still don't get WHY they do it.  Other 3 LB sims will go into the BR and stand and watch their heartthrob take a shower, not flush the toilet just for the heck of it or use it if they don't NEED to.  I still think these two are just sadists!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 28, 13:18:02
I've seen plenty do it, but usually, I think, they are low on nice points!  As to taking a bath or shower when they don't need to, I think it sometimes depends on what instruction you give.  If you click the BC and tell your sim to Be Used, then they get the full treatment, if you just tell them to use the toilet, if they aren't stinky, they don't get the shower, and Macro Use Bathroom tends to only let them use the toilet even when they are pretty stinky, but haven't gone into the red!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 28, 13:55:52
I don't tell my sims to use it.  They just go in on their own.  I figured the whole idea was for the BUY to pull them in there if they were close enough and needed to use it.  I havn't used the Be Used function at all!

As for the Niceness factor, when I checked their astrological signs, one had 3 point and the other had 5 points in Grouchy/Nice.  I have a sim in another hood who has only 1 in Nice and he doesn't do this.  He will jump out of the shower if his wife goes in and uses the toilet and flushes, though!

Maybe I should take a look at her and see what her aspects are.  She's a daughter of one of the Pleasant twins... hmm.

Edit:

Just checked Miranda.  Daughter of Angela (Pleasant) and Dustin Broke.
Libra
3  Sloppy/Neat
9  Shy/Outgoing
4  Lazy/Active
6  Serious/Playful
6  Grouchy/Nice

The two jerks:
Augie - Virgo
9  S/N
2  S/O
6  L/A
3  S/P
5  G/N

Asher - Gemini
4  S/N
7  S/O
8  L/A
3  S/P
3  G/N

The two guys had the same Serious/Playful, and close on a couple of others, but they're not even close to what Miranda has in hers.  I have only seen sims shower flush occassionally, and Miranda was one I remembered that did this.  The fact that I remembered that she did shows how little I've had this happen in any of my hoods!  Especially since I'm rotating 6 of them right now! 

I don't even remember who's kid belongs to who when they come back from Uni unless I put them back at home (if that's where I'm putting them) right after they graduate and before I go to the next hood.  I play the college last when I'm playing a hood since I play a whole year per a day in the hood.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 28, 14:04:20
I think it may be a combination of lowish nice and highish fun!  The sort of thing that in humans would definitely cause them to think that sort of thing is funny!

I use the be used sometimes if I want them to go AT ONCE - say if they are getting married or having a party - I mean, how disconcerting to be left at the altar because your fiance just HAD TO GO!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 28, 14:20:40
LOL!  Can't get married - got to GO!  No, I mean GO!  To the bathroom!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 28, 14:35:39
Exactly!  How can a sim get furious with a LOO!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: DrBeast on 2006 May 28, 14:38:43
Exactly!  How can a sim get furious with a LOO!

Well, I've heard stories of a D&D player attacking a gazebo!  :P


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 28, 14:40:47
Or jealous of it!

Dr. Beast - you have to keep and eye on those gazebos.  They can get pretty mean somtimes!  ;)


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 28, 14:49:25
Specially those with an attached portaloo!  Hey, I miss those portaloos!  And those sims1 sims really knew how to unclog a toilet!

Elvira, those two jerks are very different, the gemini is understandable, he seems a bit nasty to me!    But the Virgo - maybe it's down to his supercleanliness, he just feels the need to flush an unflushed loo.  Have you tried the always flush toilets hack from DJSSims?  If you had that in your game, thre wouldn't be any unflushed loos around.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2006 May 28, 14:55:05
I put the BUY in about a dozen houses, just to test it on a wide variety of sim types.  Now I have some who will use the toilet (need to) then take a bath when they don't need to, just because they're in the room at the time.  Almost full hygeine bar (still in the green), same for comfort bar - I assumed it's because they have high neatness.  But they wouldn't have taken a bath at that hygeine level otherwise.  And in their queue it showed the bathroom controller over the take bath icon.
If a sim doesn't have anything better to do, because there are no orders after "Be Used", he's much more likely to take a supposedly unnecessary bath, because he didn't have anything better to do anyway, so why not max out the meter whiel you're there?

Quote
But I still don't get WHY they do it.  Other 3 LB sims will go into the BR and stand and watch their heartthrob take a shower, not flush the toilet just for the heck of it or use it if they don't NEED to.  I still think these two are just sadists!
Your mistake is that you're trying to look for logic in a sim's actions. A sim always finds the most stupid, useless thing to do, and then does it. This is because "Free Will" is essentially an "idle" behavior. This is why sims wait for ages before finally deciding to do something if you fail to give them orders, instead of doing something right away: It is not intended to do something useful, it's intended to annoy you into telling them to do something intelligent.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 28, 15:19:20
Ah, yes, the mistaken logic principle.  I guess since I hadn't seen any sims do this before I got lured into a false sense of logic.  I was just getting to the point of thinking that they might do things based on what I had told them to do previously - as in learned behavior.  Like when they have a baby, it seems like if it's the first one, I have to tell them to feed it, put it in the crib, etc., but after that they seem know to when do it themselves, for that baby and any that come after it.

Silly me!

I usually queue up a few actions for them, unless I start them skilling, just to keep them moving and not standing around idle, but lately I've taken to watching them act on their own for a couple of sim hours at a time, just to see what they'd do.  (These are still the only two sims who do this, though.)


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 28, 15:22:22
Maybe it's just that the loos weren't flushed by the previous user?  If you queue a sim to go to the loo and the option to flush is there, you probably tell them to do so, but in a dorm with dormies wandering around peeing all the time, what can you expect?  turn your dorm into a house and evict the darn dormies and send them to work in a shop!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 28, 23:25:08
Ah, alas, no dormies, but that's a good idea, ZZ!

6 rooms in the dorm, all occupied by my sims, so I don't even see dormies this time around!

I don't know if the throne needed to be flushed, though.  He flushed it before I realized what he was going to do!  I just thought he was going to use it!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 28, 23:32:09
Well, you would, wouldn't you!  But have you noticed since OFB how often if one half of the duo is sleeping, the other one immediately decides it would be a good idea to go and relax on the bed?  they may be really tired, but it never occurs to them to SLEEP in it!

Sometimes I think sims1 sims had more sense, when they were exhausted, they sprouted a picture of their bed, and immediately went and slept in it!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ElviraGoth on 2006 May 29, 12:54:57
I've noticed the sleeping/relaxing thing with only one or two of my couples, and they're the 3 LB ones.  One of those I played last night.  She was PG and was sleeping a lot, of course, and he'd go relax on the bed beside her every time, even if his comfort level was high and he wasn't even close to being tired.

But I see a lot more of sims going and relaxing on the bed when they should be going to sleep!  I see the bed icon queue up and think they're going to bed, then after a bit I think the game should be going into speed 3 for the night and it doesn't.  Sure enough, the stupid sim is relaxing, almost to full red in his energy bar.  Cross out the relax icon and he gets up and beefs about being dead tired!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2006 May 29, 12:58:01
Get the Sleep Clock and quit whining.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 29, 13:05:01
Well, JM, perhaps you could find out why this is happening WITH the sleep clock?  The silly sim STILL goes and relaxes on the bed, the Sleep clock appears in his queue, but he just continues to lie there instead of standing up and getting into bed!  I don't like using MAX unless I have to as they then don't complete tasks I've queued for them to do.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2006 May 29, 13:09:16
I recommend also denying autonomous access to the bed as well, so sims don't stupidly screw around with it unless told to.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 29, 13:12:25
with it or IN it?


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: U_Dog_U on 2006 May 29, 16:07:31
Lazy sims will sometimes relax on a bed if their comfort level is down. And if they're already on a bed they'll ignore the sleep clock.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 29, 17:44:49
That's the problem I was explaining already!  And mine do it when they are almost full on comfort!


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: J. M. Pescado on 2006 May 29, 20:52:27
Just deny them autonomous access to the bed. They shouldn't be messing with it anyway, otherwise their schedule gets messed up when they arbitrarily decide to sleep halfway through the day, instead of at a precise, mathematically determined time.


Title: Re: I have mean sims! What did I do?
Post by: ZephyrZodiac on 2006 May 29, 21:00:50
I've never had sims2 sims other than kids arbitrarily decide to sleep in a bed, just relax on it - quite often not even their own!  I think I might have to go with your suggestion, JM, although locking kids doors to keep parents out does help - they only have their own to relax on then, and I know where to find them!  And when I find my sims doing things like that, they get to watch TV (the cookery channel)l or clean the toilet, or play chess........whichever is going to upset them most, and I don't use macrotastics then, because they don't complain when you use that!