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Maureen Dunn, POW and MIA activist, dies at age 72
Dunn dedicated life to military personnel captured, missing in action
Maureen (Hoey) Dunn, longtime champion and activist for prisoners of war and those missing in action, passed away Friday in Randolph at the age of 72.
A native of Jamaica Plain, Dunn's life changed forever on Feb. 14, 1968, when Cmdr. Joe Dunn's unarmed plane was shot down over the South China Sea near Hainan Island. Dunn's body was never recovered.
The loss of her beloved husband left Dunn, a young widow and mother of a young son, with a life-long mission advocating on behalf of POWs and MIAs.
Dunn was the co-founder of the National League of Families of POWs/MIAs and dedicated her life on behalf of American military personnel captured or missing in action and their families. She traveled the country raising awareness and challenging politicians to never to forget those separated from their country while in military service.
Dunn was also a presence at the Paris Peace Talks in the 1970s.
She co-authored her life story in a 2006 book with Melissa B. Robinson entitled "The Search for Canasta 404 – Love, Loss, and the POW MIA Movement."
In recent years, Dunn was a tireless advocate and supporter of the Achilles Project, bringing amputee veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan to Boston every April to compete in the Boston Marathon and be hosted by the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Last month, Dunn was at Fenway with her Achilles Project athletes as they participated in a moving pre-game ceremony.
Her special relationship with the Boston Red Sox grew out of a friendship with former Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman, a Navy veteran. After Gorman's passing, the Red Sox and Dunn carried on the special April tradition in which the Achilles Project team members were duly recognized on Patriots Day Weekend.
Dunn is survived by her son, Joe; her daughter-in-law, Beverly; her beloved grandson, Joseph Patrick Dunn, III; her sister, Eleanor Sheldon; and her brothers John Hoey and Frederick Hoey.
Funeral arrangements are still pending.


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Story by
Paul Sawers
Paul Sawers was a reporter with The Next Web in various roles from May 2011 to November 2014. Follow Paul on Twitter: @psawers or check h Paul Sawers was a reporter with The Next Web in various roles from May 2011 to November 2014. Follow Paul on Twitter: @psawers or check him out on Google+.
'Location' is a core part of many mobile services these days. Local news, local weather, local restaurants, local hotels… you name it. But GPS and location-based services are perhaps most useful for finding your way from A to B – and letting others see where you are.
While there are a number of location-sharing services out there such as Glympse, Routeshare has just entered the fray with its own take on the concept.
How it works
Routeshare for iPhone is more specifically about sharing with another person where you are and how long it will take you to arrive at a specific destination, rather than what route you're taking. You simply enter a destination, select how frequently you want to display location updates, and hit 'Start'.
This can then be shared with anyone across the usual channels, including email, Twitter and WhatsApp.
The recipient will then see exactly where you are on your journey, how fast you're moving and how long it should take you to arrive. Naturally, this won't necessarily work well in cities where underground trains are the main mode of transport.
Routeshare has been well designed for sure, though it does borrow from Glympse and similar apps. However, while Glympse has a timer-function which pretty much forces the route-tracking to self-destruct within a pre-designated period of time, Routeshare just keeps going until the traveler reaches the destination. "We even wrote an algorithm that detects if you're just passing your destination, so we keep sharing your location a little longer, for example when your looking for a parking spot," adds the app's creator Emiel Janson.
Routeshare is seeking to end questions such as: "Where are you know?", "How long does it take?", and "Do I have time to go to the shops before you arrive?".
In theory, it should get more intelligent over time too. "We're even locally caching your previous travel times, to learn when you rode your bike to work and ensure it effects the ETA the next time you go by bike to your work," continues Janson.
Routeshare is available to download for iPhone now.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Inspire Selection
Specialist Recruiters for Professional People The difference is our talent
Experts at connecting the best people to the right opportunities Inspire Selection is a leading boutique recruitment consultancy based in Dubai since 2012. We are a leading boutique recruitment consultancy based in Dubai. Our team includes highly skilled search and recruitment professionals.
Business Name:
Inspire Selection
Level 14,Boulevard Plaza Tower 1,Emaar BoulevardDubai Dubai 00000UAE
About Dubai
Dubai ( doo-BY; Arabic: دبي, romanized: Dubayy, IPA: [dʊˈbajj], Gulf Arabic pronunciation: [dəˈbaj]) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai. Established in the 18th century as a small fishing village, the city grew rapidly in the early 21st century into a cosmopolitan metropolis with a focus on tourism and hospitality. Dubai is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. This can be accredited to Dubai's mix of cosmopolitan lifestyle and local culture, as well as the city's having the second most five-star hotels in the world and the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. Because of upcoming competition and other reasons, the taller Creek Tower is being built to keep that title.Located in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula on the coast of the Persian Gulf, Dubai aims to be the business hub of Western Asia.
Things to do in Dubai, Dubai
Our Newest Profiles


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Truck overturns in Penn Hills
Crash blocks traffic on Frankstown Road
An overturned truck in the middle of Frankstown Road blocked traffic in both directions Friday afternoon.
Sky 4 flew over the crash scene in the 10000 block of Frankstown, between Evaline Street and McCutcheon Lane.
SLIDESHOW: Photos of the crash
Police officers and firefighters were at the accident scene while the large Nelson Tree truck was set upright.
A crew for Nelson Tree Service, which is a subcontractor of Duquesne Light, was doing routine tree trimming near power lines when an oncoming car sheared off the back tires of the truck, causing it to flip onto its side, according to the truck's passenger and driver.
The driver of the car was taken to a hospital. That person's condition was not immediately available.
Do you have photos or videos of breaking news? Share them on the u local page on WTAE.com or email them to firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Patriots expect tough time with Falcons runners
New England plays Atlanta Sunday
Vince Wilfork's job might be easier without Steven Jackson charging at him. That doesn't mean the Patriots' defensive tackle wants the Falcons' running back to miss Sunday night's game.
Wilfork figures if New England beats a team that's at full strength, no one can question the victory.
Jackson missed last Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Miami Dolphins with a hamstring injury. That kept him out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday.
But Atlanta has two solid backups. Against Miami, Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for 86 yards and Jason Snelling picked up 53.
The Patriots take a 3-0 record and the NFL's sixth best pass defense against Atlanta's balanced offense. Matt Ryan has dangerous receivers in Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez.


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Loreto lōrĕ´tō [key], town (1991 est. pop. 10,780), in the Marche, central Italy, on a hill overlooking the Adriatic Sea. It has silk industries and is a famous place of pilgrimage. According to legend, the Holy House of the Virgin in Nazareth was brought to Loreto through the air by angels in 1294. Around the Holy House (a small brick building) there is a church—the Santuario della Santa Casa—begun in 1468 by Pope Paul II; Bramante contributed to its construction. It has fine bronze doors (16th–17th cent.) and frescoes by Melozzo da Forli and Luca Signorelli. Our Lady of Loreto is a patron of aviators. The Loretto (or Loreto) order of nuns, named for the town, was founded in Ireland in 1822.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Italian Political Geography


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You are currently browsing the daily archive for December 16, 2011.
This article in gCaptain prompted this post: it could be called to trust or not trust . . the knot.
A tug waits inside the Narrows like this every day, many times. This time it's Ellen McAllister.
As the vessel enters the Narrows . . . I'm guessing way before this for the other pilot . . . access is ready.
Tug sidles up and alongside, matching speed, and then
the docking pilot goes out to start the climb. Notice the container vessel crewman waiting up top.
This is where you want to be 100% . . 10,000 per ten thousand times sure all goes well.
Once the docking pilot is safely on board, a whole new set of challenges begins.
All fotos taken last Sunday by Will Van Dorp, as Sea-land Meteor arrived. By now she's left a handful other ports and is rounding the bend defined by Key West and and headed into the Gulf.


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There are forty-three days until Autumn. While everybody knows that fall really begins the day after Labor Day, science states that the season begins late in September. Forty-three days away to be exact. So I have decided to do a … Continue reading
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The Russian Factor: Nail Yakupov Distances Himself from Stereotypical Russian Image
Will Nail Yakupov don a Russian jersey again after these comments? (Photo credit: Ted Rhodes, Calgary Herald)
On Saturday, the Russian media outlets Sports.ru, Kulichki Hockey, and SportLook posted some blockbuster quotes from the NHL's top draft-prospect Nail Yakupov at the NHL Combine in Toronto. Yakupov downplayed his Russian image and refused to be compared to Nikolai Zherdev (a notorious NHL bust who was drafted 4th in 2003). There hasn't been a lot of talk about this in North America yet, but I would still like to clarify some points now.
By 11 years ago


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NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes reached a settlement in their divorce case, putting an official end to the much-scrutinized romance less than two weeks after Holmes unexpectedly filed for divorce.
"The case has been settled and the agreement has been signed," Holmes attorney Jonathan Wolfe said in a statement. Cruise's rep Amanda Lundberg confirmed the settlement.
An assistant in Wolfe's office who would not give her name would not elaborate on the agreement.
"We are thrilled for Katie and her family and are excited to watch as she embarks on the next chapter of her life," the statement from Holmes' attorney said. "We thank Tom's counsel for their professionalism and diligence that helped bring about this speedy resolution."
Cruise, 50, and Holmes, 33, had a romance that ended as it began — as tabloid fodder. Earlier Monday, they asked for privacy for their family with 6-year-old daughter Suri.
"We are committed to working together as parents to accomplish what is in our daughter Suri's best interests. We want to keep matters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other's commitment to each of our respective beliefs and support each other's roles as parents," read the statement from Lundberg and Holmes representative Nanci Ryder.
The resolution was notably quick, particularly in Hollywood terms. By way of comparison, Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries are still negotiating a divorce for an August 2011 marriage that lasted less than three months.
"A quick settlement indicates that they were able to agree that they'll both do some co-parenting," said Steve Mindel, a managing partner in the Los Angeles firm Feinberg, Mindel, Brandt and Klein who has handled bi-coastal divorce cases.
Mindel said the next step would be for Holmes or Cruise to file to have their status changed to divorced, but that the actual financial and child custody details won't get filed in court unless there's some later dispute.
In the celebrity news media, Holmes has been portrayed with overwhelmingly more sympathy. Whether true or not, the narrative that emerged was of a locked-away Holmes breaking free from the servitude of a strange, corrupting marriage.
Us Weekly has reported that the couple "fought viciously" over Scientology parenting. The Daily News has trumpeted Holmes entering "a new phase." A TMZ headline blared "Tom treated me like a robot."
That may also be the most convenient view of a relationship that even at its start spawned "Free Katie!" T-shirts.
Cruise's camp vigorously denied such a reading. Cruise's lawyer Bert Fields has said they were letting "the other side play the media until they wear everyone out." The Church of Scientology, too, didn't want to be portrayed as the schism between the couple.
The quick settlement and joint statement may put out some of that fire.
"It's not entirely certain that it's all about Rapunzel fleeing the castle, which is the motif that people love to use," said Larry Hackett, managing editor of People magazine, which broke the news of Holmes' divorce filing. He called this the biggest celebrity story in two or three years, excepting the sudden death of Whitney Houston.
In Touch Weekly and its sister magazine, Life & Style Weekly, are among the many outlets to focus on the Holmes-as-escapee angle. Their covers on the divorce read "The Fight for Suri" and "Katie Breaks Free," respectively.
"We're intrigued by who the real Katie is," says Dan Wakeford, editor-in-chief of both magazines. "She's been hidden for so long and dominated and controlled by Tom, so we really want to know what she's like and how she's going to change."
In the week and a half since filing for divorce, Holmes also captured the spotlight with a handful of public appearances. She stopped by to tape a guest judge appearance on Lifetime's "Project Runway," was snapped taking Suri for ice cream, and was seen taking a trip to the Children's Museum of the Arts.
The appearances have only fed the view that Holmes is now living easier and freer — and conversely, that she's orchestrating a public relations campaign.
On the other hand, Holmes may have simply been trying to regain a measure of privacy, said celebrity publicist Howard Bragman, vice chairman of reputation.com.
"I think she's being smart. If you engage in a bunker mentality, you build up demand" for photographs, Bragman said. "My clients who are under siege by paparazzi, I say go on and live your life. It lets some of the air out of the balloon, if you will."
Cruise has two children with his previous wife, Nicole Kidman. The actor was also previously married to Mimi Rogers. This was Holmes' first marriage.
Their divorce case lasted less than two weeks, but Mindel said that's not uncommon for high-profile breakups: "There's too many incentives on both sides of the equation for settlement."
When actress-singer LeAnn Rimes' husband filed for divorce in December 2009, it only took a day before the couple filed a judgment. Actor-comedian Russell Brand's divorce from singer Katy Perry took a little over a month to resolve, while director Cameron Crowe and singer-guitarist Nancy Wilson resolved their 2010 divorce in less than three months.
Cruise and Holmes may have saved more than just their dignity by not fighting out their divorce in court — Mindel said a drawn-out custody battle would have likely cost more than a million dollars in legal fees.
Mindel said the issue for Holmes and Cruise going forward is how they navigate their parenting as Suri grows up.
"The question's going to be did they have enough time to flesh out how they're going to resolve future disputes," Mindel said.
AP Entertainment Writer Anthony McCartney contributed to this report from Los Angeles.
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Stephen A. Smith Explains Why He Kicked Max Kellerman Off ESPN's 'First Take,' Twitter Reacts
Larsa Pippen Says She and Ex-Scottie Had Sex '4 Times a Night for 23 Years'
Marjorie Harvey Gifts Steve Harvey A Virgil Edition Maybach
'Creed III' Actor Jonathan Majors Arrested On Assault Charges
Eva Marcille Files For Divorce From Husband Michael Sterling After 4 Years of Marriage
Beyoncé And Adidas To End Ties On IVY PARK In Amicable Split
Gisele Bundchen Allegedly Dating Tom Brady's Neighbor, Jeffrey Soffer


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Darnell Knox, Detroit
Helmar is based in Michigan and there are lots of local heroes in this set as a result. Darnell was a boxer from 1981 to 1987 who fought as a middleweight. Darnell won 25 fights (19 KOs) and only lost 2. This is one of the best looking cards in the set showing knox ina classic fighting pose surrounded by Helmar advertising. Check out the beer bottle with Christy Mathewson!
Sherwood Brewer (not to be confused with the pitcher Chet) was an infielder who played in the Negro Leagues in the 40's and 50's. Sherwood played with the Harlem Globetrotters baseball team (with Harry Simpson and Jesse Owens(!!!)) and the Indianapolis Clowns before playing for Buck O'Neill and the Kansas City Monarchs. He helped mentor Ernie Banks in Kansas City and took over for Buck as manager in 1955. After his playing days were over he helped promote the defunct Negro Leagues and the players. He passed away in 2003. A great article and photo of Sherwood can be found here.
J. Jackson, Cleveland
Shoeless Joe! In a Cleveland uniform instead of the White Sox, the team he is normally associated with. Shoeless played for Cleveland from 1910 until 1915, when he was traded to Chicago in midseason. Joe hit .408 for the Naps in 1911 and did the best hitting of his career in Cleveland before getting sent to the Sox for three players and cash. Joe went on to win a championship in Chicago (and sadly lost one as well). Don't feel bad for Cleveland for trading away Shoeless, the A's originally gave Joe to the Naps as the player to be named later in a a deal for Bris Lord. Yes, THE Bris Lord. We all know what happened later, but maybe it's time to forgive poor Joe.
Now you see why I love this stuff. Shoeless Joe, a Negro League legend and a cool boxing card for less than a pack of Topps. I'll be giving away one or two of these cards in my next A Pack A Day contest. If you want to see more of these cards, post a comment and if there's some interest I'll post 'em up on my own blog.


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Decisions made decades ago about the Judges Retirement System saved money then by pushing costs into the future.
Now the future has arrived, and the state must spend more on judges' pensions as an historic state budget crisis forces cuts in everything from schools to state parks.
Most retirement systems have an investment fund that helps pay for future pension obligations.
But judges who took office before Nov. 9, 1994, are in an unusual pay-as-you-go retirement system with few investments. The employer-employee contributions to the system are relatively small, given the level of the benefits.
So most of the money for pension payments to retirees has to come out of the state general fund, reducing the money available for other programs.
The system's pension payments are expected to increase from $193 million during the current fiscal year to about $254 million in fiscal 2016-17, an actuarial report said this month.
For the professionals at the California Public Employees Retirement System, who administer the judges plan, the decision by lawmakers to not create an investment plan looks like an expensive failure.
The actuaries who calculate future pension obligations said the judges system owes an estimated $2.9 billion in benefit payments in the years ahead, backed by current assets of $19.3 million.
The CalPERS board president, Rob Feckner, said in a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier this month that the shortfall is "a serious matter" that should be corrected by "pre-funding" future payments.
"As an example of this funding deficiency, in the past, the system has been out of funds before the end of the fiscal year, resulting in the delay of benefit payments to members and beneficiaries," Feckner wrote.
The judges system is a "closed" plan with a dwindling number of members. Judges taking office after Nov. 9, 1994, are in a separate retirement plan, the conventionally funded Judges Retirement System II.
The closed judges system had 610 active members and 1,740 retirees and others receiving pension payments as of June 30, 2008. As the judges retire, contributions to the system will continue to drop.
The current contribution rates are 8 percent of pay from the state and 8 percent from the judges. The contributions are expected to total nearly $13 million in the fiscal year beginning July 1, far short of the $205 million in pension payments next year.
As the judges retire, the actuaries report, total contributions are expected to drop to less than $500,000 in fiscal year 2018, when pension payments are expected to reach $252 million.
The actuarial report shows that the state general fund gave $150 million to the judges retirement system two years ago. The payment from the general fund will continue to grow.
The tendency of lawmakers to duck or delay financial obligations (Schwarzenegger once called it "kicking the can down the alley") is not a new thing at the Capitol.
A Senate committee analysis of the bill that created the second judges retirement system, SB 65 by former Sen. Dan McCorquodale, D-San Jose in 1994, says the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst recommended making the first system actuarially sound in 1966.
Nothing was done.
The committee analysis said the first "stopgap" general fund payment to the judges retirement system was $300,000 in 1967. The general fund payment reached $28 million by 1990.
The payment jumped to $48 million two years later, providing most of the money for $74 million in pension and survivor benefits payments made in fiscal 1992-93. The unfunded liability in 1994 was estimated to be $1.6 billion.
A McCorquodale bill creating a less expensive second retirement tier for judges was vetoed by former Gov. Pete Wilson in 1992. Judicial groups said the plan did not properly balance cost cutting with the need for a high-quality judiciary.
Former Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas appointed a Select Committee on Judicial Retirement that surveyed 600 California attorneys. Among 18 factors for becoming a judge, the retirement system ranked third after public service and intellectual stimulation.
"With all the pushes and pulls we faced — attracting experienced lawyers, saving the state money, keeping judges on the bench — we believe this plan is the best possible compromise," the select committee chairman, former Legislative Analyst Alan Post, said in a news release in 1993.
"It includes the policy elements of other public retirement plans, but makes the case for the justifiable exception of a higher-cost plan for judges," said Post.
The second judges system created by SB 65 has the same main benefit as the first: a maximum of 75 percent of the salary of the last judicial post held, which is 3.75 percent of the final salary for each year served capped at 20 years.
One of the differences is that the maximum is available at age 60 in the first system, but not until age 65 in the second. In addition, retirees in the first system get an increase when the salary of their old judicial post is increased.
The new system offers the option of a "defined contribution" or lump sum payment on retirement, an alternative to the guaranteed monthly payment of the conventional pension system.
On June 30 of last year, the new system had assets valued at $335 million and was 91 percent funded. There were 978 active members and only 15 retirees were receiving payments.
Judges make the same contribution in both systems, 8 percent of pay. The state contribution, fixed at 8 percent in the first system, is set by actuaries in the second system and will increase on July 1 from 20.227 percent to 20.358 percent of pay.
The select committee recommended that the lawmakers adopt a "strategy for the liquidation of the unfunded liability," presumably an investment fund. But the bill that created the second system did not liquidate the problem in the first system.
To the contrary, the bill in 1994 repealed a deadline, set several years earlier, requiring that the first system be fully funded by 2002. The committee analysis said meeting the deadline would require "annual appropriations of more than $100 million between now and 2002."
Once again, the lawmakers opted for a pay later plan.
Reporter Ed Mendel covered the Capitol in Sacramento for nearly three decades, most recently for the San Diego Union-Tribune. More stories are at https://calpensions.com/ Posted 31 May 09


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Why Is the Marine Corps Fighting With the Navy Over a Camouflage Pattern?
Two branches of the U.S. military are locked in a property battle worthy of Google and Apple.
Military combat uniforms have two purposes: to camouflage soldiers, and to hold together in rugged conditions. It stands to reason that there's only one "best" pattern, and one best stitching and manufacture. It should follow that when such a uniform is developed, the entire military should transition to it.
In 2002, the Marine Corps adopted a digital camouflage pattern called MARPAT. Rigorous field-testing proved that it was more effective than the splotched woodland pattern in use at the time, and the Combat Utility Uniform (of which it was a part) was a striking change for such a conservative institution.
Not to be outdone, the Army drew up digital plans of its own, and in 2005 issued a redesigned combat uniform in a "universal camouflage pattern" (UCP). Three years after the Marines made the change, four years after the invasion of Afghanistan, and two years after the invasion of Iraq, you might think the Army would have been loaded with data on how best to camouflage soldiers in known combat zones. You would be wrong.
In fact, not only did the Army dismiss the requirements of the operating environments, but it also literally chose the poorest performing pattern of its field tests. The "universal" in UCP refers to jungle, desert, and urban environments. In designing a uniform for wear in every environment, it designed a uniform that was effective in none.
As a baseline, uniforms should have a pattern that blends into the environment; stitching that doesn't rip at the crotch; material that doesn't melt onto the skin.
As for durability, not long after the Army combat uniform appeared in Iraq, soldiers discovered that the uniform's crotch seams were prone to ripping open on the battlefield. Rather than fix the problem, however, the Army simply shipped more boxes of defective uniforms to supply sergeants. Stitching techniques were revisited the following year, and in 2007, uniforms already in circulation were tailored to compensate for the frustrating and distracting deficiency.
As it would turn out, MultiCam -- a pattern that the Army had originally passed over in favor of the universal pattern -- was discovered to work quite well in Afghanistan. The Army began issuing MultiCam combat uniforms to deployed soldiers, but continued (and continues to this day) peddling universal pattern combat uniforms to soldiers stateside -- a combat uniform that will never again be used in combat.
Such dysfunction is not unique to the Army. MARPAT was a success not only in function, but also in adding distinction to the Marines wearing it. Naturally the Air Force wanted in on that action, and set about to make its own mark on the camouflage world. It's first choice? A Vietnam-era blue tiger-stripe pattern. (You know, to blend in with the trees on Pandora.)
After an outcry in the ranks, the leadership settled on a color scheme slightly more subdued. The new uniform did, however, have the benefit of being "winter weight" only, which was just perfect for service in Iraq.
The Marine Corps has remained loyal to the effective MARPAT, and rightfully so. But when the Navy decided to migrate to a digital pattern three years ago, it chose a desert scheme a few shades too close to that of the Marines, and the Corps balked. The Navy has since restricted its digital desert pattern to Special Warfare units. (The Marine Corps has also warned the Army against infringing on its design.) Essentially, the branches of the U.S. military are now engaged in the same intellectual property battle as Google and Apple.
To make matters worse, the new Navy Working Uniform has been found to be highly flammable, and "will burn robustly" if exposed to fire. In fact, it turns into a "sticky molten material."
Nobody expects the military to make smart financial decisions. While the six-hundred-dollar hammer was a myth, such boondoggles as the F-35 joint strike fighter are very real. And while it is the world's best jet for fighting Transformers or supporting Iron Man, it is the worst for modern, non-computer-generated battlefields. (The Air Force isn't exactly flying a lot of sorties against the Taliban fighter jets.)
But everyone should expect and demand that the Defense Department purchase durable combat uniforms printed with the most effective camouflage pattern. Only the galactic stupidity of the Pentagon would allow inferior concealment in the name of public relations and marketing, which is what this uniform arms race amounts to. Each branch wants its members to have a distinct appearance, and there's nothing wrong with that. Such matters should, however, be confined to dress uniforms. As a matter of camouflage in hostile areas, a standard combat uniform across the branches is the only sane option.
From a financial perspective, it makes sense as well. Four combat uniforms require distinct accouterments and gear, to say nothing of manufacturing times and transportation overseas. If standards are an issue, I'll offer a baseline: a pattern that blends into the relevant operating environment; stitching that doesn't rip at the crotch; material that doesn't melt onto the skin. And the Pentagon should leave the embarrassing copyright battles to the smartphone industry. I'd like to think the United States military has more pressing things to worry about.


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Park Planning
Send an Email
Download map (PDF). You will need Adobe Acrobat to view.
Directions:I-77 to Exit 23 (Gilead Rd)Take Gilead Rd West to Bradford Hill LaneTurn Left on Bradford Hill LaneFollow Bradford Hill Lane to the intersection withTorrence Creek Greenway
Parking:On-street parking along Bradford Hill Lane at the greenway entrance (Directions online).Torrence Creek Greenway Features:Paved Greenway = 1.4 Miles
Overview:Torrence Creek Greenway runs 1.4 miles through woods and behind neighborhoods off Gilead Road in Huntersville. The western section of the greenway runs through a meadow, where neighbors say they often see deer. The eastern section passes by a series of large rock formations, with some rocks as big as school buses. Short sections of the greenway are boardwalks that meander through wetlands.
It's a great place to hike or ride a bike, especially with children, who will love to see the unusual rock formations. Adults will be surprised how much fun the almost three mile up-and-back trip can be.
For Further Information:Contact Greenway PlannerGwen Cook at 980-314-1036 or email us at email@example.com


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LAKE STEVENS — The Snohomish County Transition Resource Fair returns to Cascade High School in Everett on March 26. For the last 16 years, the annual event has been putting local residents with disabilities in touch with employers, services and programs aimed to increase their independence.
The event is especially important to young adults eager to gain job experience and find employment. That isn't always an easy task for someone with a disability.
In January, the U.S. Department of Labor placed the national unemployment rate for people with disabilities at 13.7 percent, considerably higher than the 8.3 percent for those without disabilities.
Melinda Bocci of the Snohomish County Human Services Division of Developmental Disabilities noted that the number of people attending the transition fair has been steadily increasing. About 250 people attended the fair last year.
One of those was Brock McCulloch, now 22. He is developmentally delayed and has suffered from a number of health issues. Nevertheless, he, like many of his peers, simply wanted an opportunity for employment and greater independence. The fair provided the information that he and his family needed to help him take those steps.
"The training and information was essential to Brock obtaining employment," said Deanna McCulloch, Brock's mother. "We would not have had the knowledge or education to move forward without it."
Part of that information was about job creation. Most people with disabilities have the daunting task of convincing employers to carve out a job for them when the standard openings don't fit.
There are also agencies, such as the nonprofit Sherwood Community Services, that offer free consultations for businesses to identify where an employee with a disability might prove to be a benefit for the company. Sherwood provides all of the training for the employee at no cost to the employer.
"And we provide one-to-one supervision as needed at no cost to the employer," said Sherwood's Andrew Urie.
Urie, who has worked in job coaching and job development, knows some of the concerns that employers have about hiring people with disabilities. One is employee reliability. Yet even with the health problems faced by some with disabilities, they often prove to be the most reliable workers because they value their hard-won job.
Brock McCulloch was eventually hired by the company where his father worked, North Coast Electric. A job coach got him settled in and offered initial advice and supervision as needed. It wasn't long before Brock was up to speed, performing his job well and pleasing his employer. His mother believes she knows why he's so successful.
"Oftentimes people with disabilities have endured so much in becoming adults, they have had to fight through health issues, acceptance, confidence and independence which gives them an incredible work ethic," Deanna McCulloch said. "Brock is very serious about his work and takes great pride in doing a good job while always looking for ways to improve and help more."
Many people with disabilities are willing to take those part-time jobs, sometimes just a few hours a week, that would be rejected by other job seekers.
Sherwood's consultants identify basic tasks, currently assigned to more experienced, higher-paid workers that could easily be taken over by an entry-level disabled worker. That can free up able-bodied workers for tasks better suited to their qualifications and pay scale while offering job experience to a young person struggling to get skills. Essentially, the company saves money while offering support to someone in the community who needs it.
"Including a disabled person in the workplace can offer a chance for their co-workers to become more open minded, kind, patient, tolerant and give them a sense of doing good for others in their prospective community," Deanna McCulloch said.
The Transitional Resource Fair offers more than just job information. Students attend the fair to get connected to community resources as well as those resources that will help them with their employment path.
More than 50 resource tables from state and local government, employment agencies, housing, transportation, health care, legal and recreation agencies are featured along with nine workshops aimed at young adults with disabilities.
"The fair helped Brock with his future planning," Deanna McCulloch said. "As parents, the future is very tough to imagine. It is natural to be protective and assume they will never be without you when, in fact, this is not accurate. They must move into their own lives and that can be daunting."
Learn more
More information about the Snohomish County Transition Resource Fair is available online at www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/Departments/Human_Services/Divisions/DevDisabilities. Businesses that want a consultation about hiring a disabled worker can call Sherwood Community Service at 425-334-4071 or go to www.sherwoodcs.org.
Talk to us
- You can tell us about news and ask us about our journalism by emailing email@example.com or by calling 425-339-3428.
- If you have an opinion you wish to share for publication, send a letter to the editor to firstname.lastname@example.com or by regular mail to The Daily Herald, Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
- More contact information is here.


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Wolcott, Roger
Wolcott, Roger, 1679–1767, American colonial governor of Connecticut, b. Windsor, Conn. A member of an influential Connecticut family, he became a judge and was prominent in the colonial assembly and the executive council before becoming governor (1750–54). He was second-in-command of the expedition that captured (1745) Louisburg in King George's War. Wolcott wrote Poetical Meditations (1725), the first book of verse published in Connecticut. He was the father of Oliver Wolcott.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies


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A new photo series I'm going to try for the rest of the summer.
One photo and a few words every Saturday of something interesting I find in our vegetable garden.
This week:
All on its own a tendril on a cucumber plant reaches out to latch onto a trellis and pull itself up, closer to the sun.
Now try telling me that Mother Nature isn't fricken amazing!


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Nucky In Love? Patricia Arquette Shakes Up Boardwalk Empire
When Nucky Thompson lets a woman enter his world of dirty politics and bootleg hooch, she usually ends up in his bed. Or dead. Or both. Is the Boardwalk Empire crime lord, played by Steve Buscemi, finally ready to move beyond prostitutes, showgirls and helpless hausfraus? He'll give it a shot with Sally Wheet, a no-baloney speakeasy owner from Tampa played by Patricia Arquette, who spent seven seasons - and won an Emmy - as crime-busting psychic Allison DuBois on Medium.
"The women who've been with Nucky so far are desperately needy or in peril or they want something from him - and that's so not Sally," says Arquette over coffee in L.A.'s kitschy-quaint Larchmont Village. "Sally is her own person, a real dame, a businesswoman who can survive in the harshest of swamps. In a way she and Nucky are equals and that" - the actress adds with a laugh - "will be a whole new experience for the guy! Sally can take Nucky or leave him, and he finds that very intriguing."
Nucky first encountered Sally when he ventured down to Florida to expand his booze biz. She'll soon join him in Atlantic City. "Nucky doesn't have to lie and deny when he's with Sally," Arquette says. "They both operate in circles where, at any time, someone close might stab them in the back - literally! - so they find a kind of safety in each other. I don't know that it's necessarily love. Not yet, anyway. But their attraction is definitely primordial and instinctive." Kind of like the alligators whose skulls decorate Sally's bar.
Boardwalk creator Terence Winter says he "really lucked out" landing Arquette. "She's one of those rare, electric talents who can play a woman every bit as tough as the men yet remain feminine and sexy," he notes.
This marks the first teaming for Arquette and Buscemi, though both came out of the indie film scene where they built careers in raw, edgy fare - she with Lost Highway and True Romance, he with Miller's Crossing and Reservoir Dogs. "I don't know how we failed to collide before Boardwalk but I'm sure loving it now!" Arquette says. "Steve is the consummate professional, and I don't mean that in a bullsh--ty way. He is so loving and gentle, so kind to everyone on the set. And so funny! I'm really happy to see him carry a show and finally be celebrated in this way."
Since her run on Medium, Arquette has not been eager to jump into another big, long-term network project. Instead, she's getting back to the low-budge world and is about to star with Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos) in the true-life indie The Wannabes, about a couple who steals from the mob. She's also nearing completion on the unusual Richard Linklater film Boyhood, which she's been shooting for one week a year since 2002. It chronicles the evolution of a small-town Texas boy from age 6 to 18.
"Ethan Hawke and I play the parents and you'll watch all three of us age as the film progresses," says Arquette. "It's been the most beautiful experience. I'll be an emotional wreck when we finish it." To land the part, she had to make a promise to Linklater. "He said, 'You can't do that actress thing and get plastic surgery or do other weird stuff to your face!"
Arquette was totally down with that, not that her concerns have ever been cosmetic. She's got bigger worries in this world. As the cofounder of Give Love (GiveLove.org) a group that develops and promotes eco-sanitation, the actress has made frequent trips to Haiti since the nation was hit by a devastating earthquake in 2010.
"I don't care if sanitation isn't cool and that it's the least glamorous thing," says Arquette. "The lack of it is killing more kids than AIDS, malaria and TB combined, and so far we've helped thousands upon thousands." The divorced mother of two (she split from actor Thomas Jane in 2011) has witnessed some "pretty traumatic things in Haiti to the point where I sometimes question my future. Maybe I'll give up acting some day and devote my life to saving children."
But, for right now, roles like Sally Wheet have her convinced that it's still worth the juggle. "It's important that we keep telling the story of our species," Arquette says. "It's one of the keys to our survival."
Boardwalk Empire airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.
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View original Nucky In Love? Patricia Arquette Shakes Up Boardwalk Empire at TVGuide.com


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Blair Cherry Coffee
Aspecta Five
Select Room
Blair Cherry Coffee
Cherry, the American fruitwood, is a standard for furniture and flooring with its rich wine colors and subtle graining. The wood's rich heritage gives the classic Cherry a regal quality, but Blair Cherry favors a more modern design with a smoother grain and classic colors.
Environmental Features
Natural Materials
Environmental FeaturesUse of the relatively well-recognized characteristics of the natural world.
Natural Materials: Experiences within nature are not only pleasurable and positively effects our emotional well-being, they improve our physical health. Exposure to natural elements has been shown to increase comfort, reduce blood pressure and even benefit our creative and cognitive performance. The rich tones and intricate figuring of Aspecta's designs embody the natural elements of wood and stone, bringing the direct benefits of the natural world to our human experience in the built environment.
Natural Patterns and Processes
Information Richness
Natural Patterns and ProcessesEmphasis on the incorporation of properties found in nature.
Information Richness: Our human bodies thrive on experiences that engage our rich sensory system, with a preference for the complexity that nature provides. Biophilic design elements can mimic the patterns of nature, stimulating interest and provoking engagement. The layering of a variety of natural textures and patterns creates a deep layering of information for our brains and bodies to respond to, which in turn can facilitate our cognitive functioning, creativity, curiosity or imagination.
Product Details
|Total Thickness
|.126" (3.2mm)
|Plank/Tile Size
|4" x 36"
(101.6mm x 914.4mm)
|Wear Layer
|28mil (.7mm)
|Edge Detail
|Light Wood Tick
|Gloss Level
|Super Matte
|Sq. Ft. / Carton
|30 (2.787m2)
|Surface Finish
|Duraspect™ Extreme Surface Protectant
|Glue Down
|25 Year Limited Commercial Warranty


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In anticipation of the upcoming Tron: Legacy prequel cartoon Tron: Uprising, Disney has released the whole 30-minute first episode — "Beck's Beginning" — online for free. The series premieres Thursday June 7 on Disney XD. Here's a synopsis, and hat tip to Precious Roy:
Beck is a young mechanic living in Argon City, a growing metropolis in a far off corner of the grid that has just been occupied by General Tesler, a henchman of the notorious Clu. After his best friend Bodhi is ruthlessly derezzed by Clu's army, Beck seeks justice for his lost friend and launches a crusade against the regime. His rebellion captures the attention of Tron, the greatest warrior The Grid has ever known, who sees the potential in Beck and trains him to be his successor. Labeled with the moniker of The Renegade, Beck sparks a revolution to fight for the freedom of The Grid.
UPDATE: Looks like this video is blocked in certain regions. Apologies!


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"VICE does something different!"
"The brand that brings golf into a stylish new era!"
"Vice Golf: Bringing a cheaper alternative to the golf ball game"
"One of our favorite things!"
With minimal contact area between tee and ball, Vice TEES will get you maximum distance from the tee! Made of bamboo, a quickly renewable resource, Vice TEES are not only produced in an eco-friendly manner, there's also no need to worry about waste.
To help you get the perfect moment of impact and maximum distance, Vice TEES are designed with various colored areas to make it easier to properly position your ball for the tee-off. Push the tee into the ground until the black marking is no longer visible. This should leave a third of the ball visible above the clubhead, guaranteeing a good address position for a successful tee-off, depending on the fairway wood/iron or driver you choose.
No matter what Vice Golf ball you're using, you'll always have the matching color with Vice TEES. Available in WHITE, NEON LIME, and NEON RED, the tee becomes an optical extension of the ball for a cool, color-coordinated look while teeing off.
Dealing with individual tees all over the place in your bag? Not with Vice TEES – thanks to the resealable package, you'll always find all your tees in the right spot, avoiding the well-known problem of chaos in the golf bag.
"Vice balls have this x-factor about them – they're shaking up golf. You're not only getting a good deal but beyond that you get a good vibe. I'm a huge believer in the Vice PRO PLUS!"Erik Anders Lang, Passionate Golfer & TV Producer
"I just love the PRO PLUS! Amazing distance off the tee and soft feel around the greens. Definitely a winning combination that bring out the best of my game!"Brendan McCarroll, Playing Professional
"I love the brand and the guys at Vice Golf, but more importantly, I love the performance of the golf balls - they're just as good as the top products out there but can be controlled around the green even better!"Romain Béchu - golf professional and trick shot artist
"From my point of view, the Vice PRO is the only golf ball on the entire golf market that can compete with the highly acclaimed and high-priced competitors." Greg Cullen, Teaching Pro
"A truly brilliant golf ball. Great playability, also trendy and cool."Timo Schlitz, Golf Journalist
"The feeling with the Vice PRO balls during approach shots and putts as well as control in the long game is fantastic. It's just a great product."David Gersztein, Playing Professional
"I play the Vice PRO NEON and I am totally convinced. Super flight characteristics and excellent behavior in the short game and during putting."Steve Reichenbach, Team Captain
"The Vice balls are simply sensational. Apart from the unbeatable price-performance ratio, the balls are extremely robust and show a decent ball flight."Konstantin Schad, Snowboard Professional


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How Your McDonald's Marketing Campaign Hamburger Sausage Gets Made
Taking an ostensibly candid approach toward honesty, McDonald's Canada responded to a customer's question about the difference between store-bought burgers and "dressed-up" ad burgers with an advertorial "self-exposé" featuring an under-the-hood look at a McDonald's photo shoot.
Though the company claims the hamburgers used in ad campaigns are entirely composed of the same ingredients used to prepare the ones found in their restaurants, McDonald's Canada Director of Marketing Hope Bagozzi conveniently neglects to mention that only carefully selected samples are employed in the preparation of the model sandwich (see far the less polished food ad tricks video to the left for more on that).
The same likely cannot be said for the store-bought one.
It's interesting to note that, while McDonald's Canada might want to portray itself as having nothing to hide, it still saw fit to disable comments on the video. I guess its capacity for honesty is limited to the kind it can control.


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Critic's Notebook: Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show Debut
Some things you just can't do from Beautiful Downtown Burbank. On the first night of a reinvented, relocated Tonight Show now starring Jimmy Fallon from the heart of New York City, U2 took to the Top of the Rock - 30 Rock, that is - to perform "Invisible" with the glittery Manhattan skyline gloriously visible behind them.
This performance was the spectacular centerpiece of a confident opening night for the boyish Fallon. He quickly reminded us how different of a host he'll be from his immediate predecessor, Jay Leno, by underplaying the monologue (never his strength) and bringing the comedy with first guest Will Smith in a rollicking "Evolution of Hip-Hop Dancing" routine that parodied moves from "Running Man" to the "Twerk" - I got an especially big grin at the "Carlton" (an homage to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air character) set to "It's Not Unusual." This sort of versatile, accessibly crowd-pleasing showmanship is Fallon's special gift to late night.
Want more TV news and reviews? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!
Introducing himself to an earlier audience - although because of the Olympics, the show started a half-hour later than usual, at midnight ET - Fallon put on a self-effacing Every Guy front, sweetly introducing his parents in the audience and gushing over his 6-month-old daughter, who was backstage. And yet the sense of event was unmistakable as he paid tribute to all of the hosts who came before, celebrated the show's move back to New York, and then set up a terrific stunt by thanking "the buddy who said I'd never be the host of The Tonight Show." Which prompted Robert De Niro to walk on stage to slap a $100 bill on the desk, followed by a galaxy of all-star cameos, including Fallon's former Weekend Update co-anchor Tina Fey, Mariah Carey (with the bill in her bosom), Sarah Jessica Parker (taking money out of her shoe), Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian and frenemy/rival Stephen Colbert, who showered a bucket of pennies all over the host before taking a selfie and announcing, "Welcome to 11:30, bitch!"
As if to reinforce the historic nature of the night, among the parade of guests welcoming Fallon was Joan Rivers, once Johnny Carson's permanent guest host and (according to Variety) making her first appearance on Tonight since her falling-out with Carson back in the mid-'80s.
"My goal is just to make you laugh and put a smile on your face, so that you go to sleep with a smile on your face and live a longer life," Fallon said as he opened his show. So far so good.
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Wellness Retreats in Zion National Park
Recently we announced that Zion Ponderosa would be offering two week-long Wellness Retreats in 2014.
This new press release provides more details that are suitable for re-posting and publication. WellnessRetreat-May2014-ZionPonderosa. <—Press here for PDF.
For Immediate Release (also see PDF file above)
Get Away To Get Well
Zion National Park, Utah – January 2014 – In 2014 Utah's Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort is offering two exclusive week-long opportunities to build whole-body wellness. The first wellness retreat is slated for May 4 – 10, and offers a daily physical schedule that includes options for hiking, zumba, aquatics, yoga, and pilates. Informative seminars and outdoor adventures will round out this unique experience.
– – – – – – – – – – –
The "getaway" is often touted as a method for stepping aside from personal issues and cares, and in essence walking away from your current environment, to distance yourself from everyday challenges. This act of physically moving to a new locale is step one, and step two is to move yourself mentally and emotionally.
A natural setting is perhaps the best possible place to get away when seeking greater personal wellness, and few places are more natural than a National Park. With 4,000 acres of private property Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort sits on a forested plateau at the top of Utah's Zion National Park, literally bordering the park boundary. This private location is definitely high on the natural setting list and offers a prime foundation from which to build personal wellness.
"Wellness is greatly enhanced when the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of life can each be effectively addressed," says Wellness Retreat Director Mandy Woodhouse. "Our week-long itinerary provides a well-rounded approach offering clean fresh air in a wonderful mountain setting, excellent instruction, physical activities, and a serene environment for personal introspection."
These week-long experiences are limited to a small groups so that wellness retreat leaders and instructors can focus on specific needs of each individual. Participants will have time to explore Zion National Park and other nearby attractions, plus enjoy evening campfires, star-gazing, and other entertaining opportunities. "Our guest will have the opportunity for active participation in activities or processes that will build greater physical and inner strength and provide the foundation to better manage life," says Woodhouse.
This all-inclusive experience comes with fine lodging, healthy dining, and days full of activities.
Contact: Mandy Woodhouse – See her contact information on the PDF file (link at top of page).
Web: www.ZionWellnessRetreat.com


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Administration Staffers Head Out the Revolving Door
Presidents Lobbying Restrictions Dont Deter Aides From Taking K Street Positions
Just as President Barack Obama has intensified his anti-K Street rhetoric with the November elections in view, several of his administration's senior aides have decamped for jobs along the influence corridor.
And many more are eyeing such a career move, sources say, despite Obama's effort to curb the revolving door between government and advocacy.
"You're going to see numerous people leave and lobby Congress," said Craig Holman, a lobbyist for Public Citizen, which opposes corporate influence on politics. "The president's restrictions are clearly making a difference, but they haven't stopped the revolving door. To do that, you'd need legislation."
In the past two weeks alone, two Commerce Department officials went downtown: April Boyd, who was assistant secretary for legislative and intergovernmental affairs, joined Yahoo, where she will manage the company's outreach to Democrats, and Kevin Griffis, who was senior adviser to the chief of staff, is now a principal at the Podesta Group, one of the city's top-revenue-grossing lobby firms.
The duo is following in the footsteps of several other colleagues who have departed in recent months, including Jill
Zuckman, a senior Transportation Department official, who went to SKDKnickerbocker; Nate Tibbits, who left the National Security Council to chair the U.S. public affairs practice at Burson-Marsteller; and Madeline Otto, who went from the Department of Health and Human Services to the federal government relations department of Group Health Cooperative.
Dana Singiser became Planned Parenthood's vice president of public policy and government relations last fall after serving in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Another White House staffer, Dan Turton, departed last year to head the Washington, D.C., office for Entergy.
In general, federal law bars senior administration officials from lobbying their former agencies for one year, and on taking office in 2009, Obama issued an even broader post-employment ban.
The pledge, as it is known, extends the existing ban to two years, and for former officials who become registered lobbyists, it prohibits them from lobbying any covered executive branch official for the entirety of the Obama administration.
The ex-Obama aides are free to lobby Congress. That ability to breeze around Capitol Hill, coupled with their knowledge of the inner workings of the executive branch, even if they can't lobby it, can make them attractive hires.
Even so, not all administration officials looking to move downtown will find lucrative opportunities — but it has little to do with the pledge or their restrictions, said Ivan Adler, a K Street recruiter with the McCormick Group.
"I wouldn't say nobody cares about the pledge, but it's not as big a factor as the economy or the lack of activity on the Hill," he said.
Most of the former officials declined comment or did not return calls seeking comment. Michael Burns, an Entergy spokesman, said Turton "made it clear from the start" that he would honor his pledge.
A spokeswoman for the Podesta Group, Missi Tessier, confirmed that Griffis also signed the pledge. "But he is under few, if any, restrictions," she said, noting that Griffis planned to focus on public relations work.
The Obama administration has drawn a clear distinction between registered lobbyists and those who do public relations or other types of issue advocacy. It's a difference that many on K Street say makes little sense and actually causes more work to move out of the sunlight of lobbying disclosures and into the shadows.
But a White House spokesman said his boss has done more than any president before him to slow the revolving door.
"From the first day of his Administration when he signed an Executive Order instituting unprecedented reforms to just a few weeks ago when we released our 2 millionth White House visitor record, this President has taken historic steps to reduce the impact of corrosive influence of money in politics," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said in an email to Roll Call. "Our goal has been to reduce the influence of special interests in Washington — which we've done more than any Administration in history."
Officials are not permitted to accept gifts from lobbyists, for example. And people who have been registered lobbyists in the past two years cannot join the Obama administration without a waiver. But that policy has come under attack recently after Steve Ricchetti, a longtime K Street lobbyist who had deregistered in recent years but still ran his shop, Ricchetti Inc., joined Vice President Joseph Biden's staff.
"The pledge is more a PR thing than anything else," one K Street executive said. "When you need to get around it, you get around it. It's a joke, and everyone knows it's a joke."
But Holman of Public Citizen isn't laughing.
"From all my years of studying the revolving door, I've never seen an administration take the revolving-door restrictions so seriously," he said. "They've got records. They've got pledge agreements signed by employees. They're tracking this. And they're sticking to it, much to the disdain of K Street."


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Health libraryBack to health library
Reviewed 12/28/2022
E-cigarettes: Myth or fact?
Electronic cigarettes (or e-cigarettes) are battery-operated devices that deliver nicotine through vapor instead of smoke. They've become increasingly popular, especially among younger crowds. Do you know the truth behind the trend?
Myth or fact: E-cigarettes are a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes.
Myth. E-cigarettes appear to be less harmful than regular cigarettes, but that doesn't mean they are safe. E-cigarette aerosol can contain additional harmful and potentially harmful substances, including heavy metals like lead, volatile organic compounds and cancer-causing agents.
Myth or fact: E-cigarettes can help me quit smoking.
Myth. It is still unclear whether e-cigarettes may help people quit smoking. In fact, many people who use e-cigarettes also use regular cigarettes. If you're ready to quit, ask a doctor about proven strategies and products-such as nicotine patches or gum.
Myth or fact: E-cigarettes contain harmful chemicals.
Fact. While e-cigarettes don't burn tobacco, they still contain nicotine and other potentially harmful chemicals. Some studies have found formaldehyde and acetaldehyde as well as toxic metals.
Myth or fact: E-cigarettes all have the same amount of nicotine.
Myth. The amount of nicotine in e-cigarettes varies widely. In fact, it's hard to know how much nicotine is actually in the product, regardless of what the package says.
Myth or fact: It's illegal for kids to buy e-cigarettes.
Fact. When e-cigarettes first became available, they could be sold to people of any age. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration now prohibits selling them to anyone under 21.
Think before you vape! E-cigarettes may not be the same as traditional cigarettes, but they have their own consequences. If you're interested in a product to help you quit smoking, talk to a doctor about safe and effective options.
Sources: American Lung Association; National Institute on Drug Abuse; U.S. Food and Drug Administration


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ESOTERIC philosophy views Past, Present and Future as compound time, and only from our waking, egoic state of consciousness.
Pointedly, Buddha's dying words confirmed that indeed "all compounds are perishable," i.e. illusions.
In the realm of "noumena" or the causal plane H. P. Blavatsky wrote (SD 1:43) the three have no validity, and according to Mahayana Buddhism: "The Past time is the Present time, as also the Future, which, though it has not come into existence, still is."
To the uninitiated concepts of duration and time Blavatsky points out, "are all derived from our sensations according to the laws of Association." And because they are "inextricably bound up with the relativity of human knowledge" they are superficial and only temporal tools.
Because rationalist views ignore psychic experience, they must eventually fall away in the face of thousands of reported cases such as the near-death experience. Today precognition is validated by new experimental research data in parapsychology.
Announcing the publication of a controversial work by Cornell researcher Daryl Bem in an article published in The New York Times, Bem purports to have demonstrated precognition in a series of experiments. Dr. Bem studied over 1000 people and looked for proof that future events affected past behavior, or retro causation.
His research was analyzed using standard statistical techniques. Using standard measures, Bem's research indeed finds a causal link between future events and past behavior.
Senior scientist Dean Radin, of The Institute for Noetic Sciences (IONS), is a rigorous scientific explorer who boldly goes where the establishment won't, methodically measuring the 'immeasurable'. In this clip he explains his ongoing experiments showing evidence of "presentiment" or precognition.


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Spotlight on the Phillies
The Flyers, Sixers and Eagles are done, which leaves the city's sports fans to focus on the Phillies.
Flyers, Sixers and Eagles:
Guess that means it's Phillies, Phillies, Phillies for everybody, unless you're a diehard Soul fan or something. By the way, are there diehard Soul fans? I know two things about the Soul: Jon Bon Jovi and Ron Jaworski. Anyway ... the Phillies lost yesterday to the Toronto Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park, 6-5, to finish their six-game homestand 3-3. They'll need to play better on their seven-game road trip through Washington and Houston.
It looked like the Phillies had something cooking in the sixth inning until the rain and Roy Halladay arrived to kill a rally.
"You have to give him credit," Pat Burrell said about Halladay pitching in relief. "That's their ace and he says, 'I want the ball.' That's impressive."
Just wondering: still necessary to boo Scott Rolen every time he comes to bat? I'm wondering what some fans think Rolen thinks when he hears the boos? I'm guessing it's not guilt or remorse or fear. It's more along the lines of, "Boy, I can't believe these people still keep booing me like this. I haven't played here since 2002. This is pretty funny."
In the Phillies Notebook, is tonight the night that Brett Myers turns around his season? The Phillies hope so. Myers has allowed 24 earned runs over 28 1/3 innings (7.62 ERA) in his last five starts. The Phillies are 1-4 in those starts. Myers is 7-7 with a 4.91 ERA in his career against the Expos/Nationals, who he faces tonight at Nationals Park in DC.


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In this tutorial you will learn how to create a series of minimalist and stylized birds and create a seamless pattern from them. The tutorial is aimed at users of Adobe Illustrator CS5 and below, since in CS6 creating patterns has become easier and more intuitive. In the second part we will then use this pattern for what could be a poster background and apply some effects to give it a retro look.
Step 1
We start with a New document in square format. Square format because later on we want to create a pattern based on the illustrations and from experience a square format works best for patterns.
Step 2
I always find it's easier and more productive to work on a colored background, rather than white. Therefore I will create a rectangle the size of my canvas and fill it with a light blue using the Rectangle Tool (M). I renamed the layer "Background" and locked it, for the birds we will be added on a new layer.
Step 3
For the birds we will start by creating one bird as our base. The way this bird will be set up will make it very easy to create several more birds by simply changing the size and color of existing elements or even duplicating some to gain more detail.
Since we want the birds to be minimal and stylized, let's figure out first, which parts of the birds should be created. This simple sketch contains the major elements: head, eye, beak, torso, wing, tail and legs. If you take a closer look, you will notice that head, wing and tail align to the back of the torso. We will use that in the illustration as well and in order to align our shapes easier we will start by creating the bird in a vertical position and turn him 45° later on. This may appear a bit abstract at first, but will help us later on when it comes to editing the shapes.
Step 4
Using the Ellipse Tool (L), draw an ellipse on end.
We want the bottom anchor point to be pointed, so we have to delete its Handles. Take the Pen Tool (P) and hold down Alt to delete the handles.
Step 5
Select the left and bottom anchor points of the ellipse via the Direct Selection Tool (A) and open the Align panel. Select "Align to Selection" from the drop down at the bottom and apply the "Horizontal Align Left" option.
Step 6
Move the bottom anchor point further down. You can do so by selection the point and using your keyboards arrow keys or move it with the Direct Selection Tool (A). When using the Direct Selection Tool (A) make sure to hold down Shift so the left and bottom anchor point stay aligned. How far you move the point is up to you, you can always change its position later on, if you think something looks off.
The shape doesn't look perfect yet, so we will drag the lower handle of the right anchor point further down to create a smooth curve on the right side of our shape. Hold down shift to keep the handles at a perfect 90° angle.
Step 7
Create a circle for the birds head. I leave the size to your judgment. Select both elements and align them to the left. If the head now appears too close to the torso, move it up until it looks better.
Step 8
The bird is now still missing his neck. To fit this, we first need to turn on Smart Guides (Ctrl + U). Use the Rectangle Tool (M) and start dragging the shape from the left anchor point of the head's shape. Make it big enough so it looks like there is a straight line between the head and the torso.
Now we will add a throat to the bird. Therefore we will use the Pen Tool and start drawing. Start at the head's right anchor point by clicking and dragging, drag while holding Shift to create a smooth downwards curve. Let the curve end on the torso shape and close the path after adding one more anchor point "inside" the torso. Now these elements will work as our birds head and torso. I will not group them or Unite them yet, in order to keep the base bird easy editable. We may want to change the proportions or positions of head and torso for a different kind of bird later on.
Step 9
The wing is rather easy. Select the torso shape and duplicate it, I like to use a combination of Ctrl + C and Ctrl + F to have the shape appear at the same place on the canvas again. Go to Object > Arrange > Bring to Front and the wing will be on top of the other shapes. Select the Bounding Box's bottom right corner and make the wing smaller. This does not have to be proportionally, see for yourself how big you want the wing to be. You may also want to move the wing shape further down. The only important thing is, to keep the torso and wing shape aligned to the left.
For the tail, duplicate the torso shape again, this time you don't have to move it to the front, as it should only be in front of the torso and behind the wing. This shape is supposed to be long and thin, so change its size according to this requirement.
Step 10
For the Eye, duplicate the Head's shape, bring it to the front again and while holding down Shift make it smaller. Now it is still in the middle of the head, move it upwards to position it better.
Use the Pen Tool (P) to add a beak. Place it behind all other shapes by going to Object > Arrange > Send to Back.
Step 11
Now we are done with the base shape of our bird. The legs will be added later on. Group all elements (Ctrl + G). To get an impression of how the finished birds will look like, go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. In the menu change the angle to -45°. .
Step 12
For the legs we will start by using the Pen Tool (P) again. We start with our first anchor point inside the bird's torso. Then while holding down shift we will add two more anchor points. This gives us a path with a perfect 90° angle. Move this path to the back.
To give the legs more size, we will use the Width Tool (Shift + W) and increase the width at all three anchor points. The biggest increment will be at the top where the legs comes out of the torso.
Now Go to Object > Expand Appearance and turn the path into a shape. The path is overlapping at the angle, to get rid of this open the Pathfinder panel and apply Unite. Use the Pen Tool (P) to delete the spare anchor points.
Step 13
Do the same to create the foot: draw a simple path with the Pen Tool (P), apply the Width Tool (Shift + W), Expand the Appearance and clean up the shape.
Step 14
You may want to move the leg and foot around to a better position. Again, do not group or Unite them yet, so we can change them for different kinds of birds. But do Group all the elements of the bird now (Ctrl + G).
This is our base bird! We will now create a series of birds based on this one.
Step 15
The first bird will be a Robin. A quick image search tells us that this bird has a grayish torso and wings with a red throat. Duplicate the bird group and hide the base bird.
Using the Group Selection Tool select all the torso and head shapes and fill them with a light blue grey.
The wing will become light brown, tail and leg are set in the same dark brown. Eye and beak in the same very dark red.
Step 16
In order to add the red throat, we have to go into the group. With the Selection Tool (V) double click onto the group. Now you can select all the shapes that make the torso and head. Duplicate them and open to Pathfinder panel to Unite the duplicates. The shape will be used as a mask for the red feathers. For those we want to create a circle with the Ellipse Tool (L).
Because we applied a Transformation effect to the whole group earlier we will change into View > Outline (Cmd + Y) view. Start dragging the Ellipse Tool (L) from the middle of the birds throat. Hold down Shift to create a perfect circle. Drag the circle until it is just around the bird's eye.
In the layers panel now move the red circle behind the shape we wanted to use as its mask. Select both and go to Object > Clipping Mask > Make or use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + 7.
This is how our final Robin looks like.
Step 17
The next bird will be a Cardinal. Give the torso, wing and tail each a shade of red. The beak will have to same color as the torso, the leg will share the color with the tail.
Step 18
Repeat the creation of the mask, which you already used for the Robin's throat. Here we will use it to mask the dark feathers on the Cardinal's head.
Step 19
To add the top of its head double-click on the group we applied the Transformation effect on earlier and use the Pen Tool (P) and draw an appropriate shape. Turn on Outline again to see the actual contour of the bird. Back in Preview you can now edit the shape with the Direct Selection Tool (A).
The top shape was added to the group, which causes the whole group to shift slightly. As you can see, the leg is now more covered than it was before or on the Robin. Select those two shapes and just move them around until it fits.
Step 20
Next we will create a Red-headed Woodpecker. This one will require some adjustments to its body, as it is a different genus of bird. He is much taller than Robin and Cardinal and has a sleeker appearance.
At first we will delete the shape we created for the throat, as we will have to redraw it again once the torso and wings have their final shape and size. Then select wing and torso and make them reduce their width.
Now select the head, eye, beak and neck and change their size and position. Use the Bounding Box's bottom right corner to drag the shapes smaller. That way the head and neck will stay aligned with the torso.
You may want to move the wing upwards as well once you are done with the head parts.
Step 21
Change into Outline view and draw the shape for the throat again as you did in Step 8.
Since this Woodpeckers wing has three different colors, we will have to to duplicate the original wing twice and adjust its size. Pay attention to keep all three parts of the wing aligned on the left side.
Add colors to the bird: red for head, neck and throat, white for the torso and the middle wing, dark blue for the tail and the other two parts of the wing, grey for beak and leg.
Step 22
Select head, beak, neck and throat and send them to the back. Select the tail and change its height, so that it disappears under the wing. Edit the beak into a longer and slimmer shape.
Step 23
With the next bird, an American Goldfinch, we will add some more color to our set of birds. Add yellow to the torso and head, a dark green to the wing and tail, orange to the leg and beak.
Step 24
This bird has some white feathers under his wing and tail, therefore duplicate the torso shape and drag from the top right Bounding Box's corner. This bird has some dark feathers on its head. To create those, we will change to Outline view again and add a dark circle starting from the beak. It only covers half of the bird's eye.
Duplicate the head and move the shape you just created under it in the Layers panel. Select the head duplicate and the shape and create a Clipping Mask (Ctrl/Cmd + 7).
This bird also has a "second wing", yellow on top and dark below. Duplicate the wing, fill it with the same color like head and torso and change its size accordingly smaller.
This bird's wings are also a bit smaller than on the ones we created before. Select the two wing shapes and the white shape that is under the tail and change their size. Make the tail a bit slimmer as well.
Step 25
The last bird we are going to create is a Magpie. Use another duplicate of the base bird we started with. Start by filling torso and head with dark blue, the tail with turquoise that is more green, the wing with turquoise that is rather blue. Leg and beak are filled with a very dark blue as well.
The Magpie has more than one color in her wing as well, so duplicate the wing shape twice, filling the top feathers with the same color like head and torso and the middle feather with white.
Step 26
Before we continue we will change the proportions of the bird to make it sleeker, similar to the Woodpecker we created earlier. After deleting the shape we used for the throat, change the wing and torso. Then change the head and neck area, for this part it is important to hold down Shift and use the bottom right corner of the Bounding Box to change the size. The head is supposed to stay a perfect circle, as well as the eye. Make the tail slimmer and longer.
Add a shape for the throat again, like we did for the other birds. Place this shape under the head shape in the Layers panel.
Magpies have a white chest. Again we want to create a shape that will be used as a mask from torso, neck, head and throat. Create an Ellipse (L) under the wing and create a Clipping Mask (Ctrl/Cmd + 7) with the shape we just created with Pathfinder.
Make the beak a bit longer as well. It is the easiest to do so using the Direct Selection Tool (A).
Step 27
Here you can see all the five birds in a row. When seeing them all at once, it is easiest to figure if something basic needs to be changed. You will notice that on the Cardinal and Magpie the eyes disappear in the dark feathers. We will add some white reflections to make them stand out more.
Go into the group with the eye. Duplicate the eye shape, fill it with white and make it smaller. Duplicate this one and make it yet smaller. Position them towards the top left of the eye. You can now copy those two shapes and paste them into each bird's eye.
Step 28
If you are happy with the bird's shapes we should now get rid of the Transformation effect. Therefore go into each bird, select the group with the effect and go to Object > Expand Appearance. You can also Ungroup those shapes now. Do this for every bird.
The birds are far bigger than required, so let's make them small enough to fit onto the canvas. This is also where we start adjusting the birds in relation to their actual size. The Robin, Cardinal and Greenfinch should be a lot smaller compared to the Woodpecker and Magpie.
Step 29
Now it's time to create the base for our pattern. Make a new layer and hide the layer with the birds. We will create branches which form a repeatable pattern. Create a horizontal line the same width as the canvas (1200 px) with 40 px Stroke Width. Use the Align panel to place the line.
Select the left anchor of the line and align it with the bottom of the canvas.
Step 30
To make it appear less clean, go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Roughen and apply a small effect to the line.
Now go to Object > Expand Appearance to apply the Effect and again to Object > Expand to turn the line into a shape. You will now have two elements on the layer, the expanded shape in a group and the original line. Delete the line as we won't need it anymore. Align the whole shape with the bottom of the canvas using the Align panel.
Select the two anchor points of the shape on the left with the Direct Selection Tool (A) and align them to the left border of the canvas using the Align panel. Do the same on the right side and align the anchor points to the canvas' right edge.
Duplicate the branch shape and align it with the top of the canvas.
Step 31
To make sure the branches repeat seamlessly, we will adjust the end points of each shape. We will start with the middle of the canvas. Select the bottom last anchor point of the upper branch and the second highest anchor point of the lower branch. Open the Align panel, set it to Align to Selection and apply Vertical Align Center.
Do the same with the second lowest anchor point from the upper branch and the highest anchor point of the right branch.
Step 32
We will create another branch now, that goes from the top left to the bottom right corner. Draw a line and apply the same Roughen effect. Illustrator saves the last effect you applied with its exact settings, so since we have no intention of changing them, simply go to Effect > Apply Roughen at the top of the drop down menu. Repeat as before: first Expand the Appearance, then Expand the line into a shape.
Zoom onto the top left corner and manually align the anchor points to the canvas. In this case I did not use the Align panel, but the Transformation panel to give each point an exact location. Each point is supposed to be on the edge of the canvas close to it, so the X and Y positions will have 0px and 10px distance from the corner of the canvas. Do this accordingly on the bottom right corner.
Using the Pen Tool (P) add an anchor point at the right bottom of the shape to the connecting line. This anchor point will be aligned to the bottom right corner of the canvas. Again repeat this step accordingly on the top left corner.
Step 33
We will repeat what we did in the previous step to achieve clean corners with the first two branches we created as well. Eventually each corner will have a triangle for each branch.
Step 34
Now it's time to fill up the pattern! Copy the birds into the layer with the branches and place them to your liking. Flip some of them horizontally to have more variety.
The next step is to create some smaller branches inside the canvas, to fill up space and give more spots to place more birds on.
Use the Line Segment Tool (\) and draw a line that ends on one of the bigger branches. We will make the branches pointed by giving it more width where it connects to the bigger branch using the Width Tool (Shift + W).
Go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Roughen give the branch some more edges. Do this multiple times until you are satisfied with the amount of branches on your canvas. You don't have to edit the Roughen effect for every branch, simply go to Effect > Apply Roughen (Last Effect) (Cmd + Shift + E) and the same effect will be applied to every shape with the previous settings.
I added a copy of each bird to the pattern, some of them sitting on the branches we just created.
Step 35
We will add more and smaller branches to the whole layout. Use the Line Segment Tool (\) to create a short line again. Like in the previous step we will again use the Width Tool (Shift + W) to make the end of the line thicker where it comes out of the bigger branch. Apply the Roughen effect again, with different settings this time because these branches are going to be smaller then in the previous step. I tried to add two small branches to each bigger branch.
I also added some more of the bigger branches to fill out gaps, like on the top right and bottom edge of the canvas. You can copy and paste some of the branches you already created and simply transform them to fit into their new position.
Make sure to have all elements inside the canvas and not touching the edges.
Step 36
As we want this layer to be the one we create the pattern in we will copy and paste the blue background rectangle into this layer and move it to the back. Duplicate this layer using Cmd + C and Cmd + F. Select the rectangle in the background and delete the fill, so it becomes transparent. This helps Illustrator recognizing the edges of our pattern.
I also put the bird and branches in separate layer groups.
Step 37
Select everything (Cmd + A) and simply drag and drop into the Swatches panel. And you have your pattern! At this point I like to zoom out, to something like 16%, and create a big square and apply the pattern to it.
Step 38
In the next part of the tutorial we will create a new document and apply a retro effect to a shape filled with this pattern. Create a New document in Letter size.
Step 39
Copy the shape with the pattern into this file and delete the shape again. This is the easiest way to add our pattern to the Swatches panel. Create a new shape in the size of the canvas and fill it with our pattern. As you can see not even the whole pattern fits onto our canvas.
Double click the Scale Tool (S). We want to scale down the pattern, but not the shape itself, so uncheck Object and add an appropriate percentage for the pattern.
Step 40
To give the image a retro touch we are going to add a simple pattern that gives the impression of being printed. Create a 6 by 6px Rectangle (M) with no fill and no outline. Duplicate this shape and change its size to 3 by 3px putting the Reference Point in the top left corner. Fill it with black. Duplicate this shape and set the Reference Point to the bottom right corner. Now turn the shape by 180°. Group those three shapes and drag them into the Swatches panel.
Step 41
Create another shape in the size of the canvas and place it above the birds pattern. Fill it with your new pattern. If something looks off, like for example the pattern appears completely blank, this may be because of the Scale Tool (S). Delete the new shape again and double click on the Scale Tool (S) and set the percentage to 100% again. Create the shape again and fill it with your pattern. It should look right now. Set the shapes Blending Mode to Soft Light and its Opacity to 20%.
Step 42
Create another rectangle and fill it with white. Go to Effect > Texture > Grain. Choose a regular grain and settings as follows…
Set the shapes Blending Mode to Multiply and Opacity to 50%.
If you want to keep your work 100% vector, I recommend you create your own noise texture, for example with help of the Quick Tip: How to Create Multi-tone Vector Noise.
Step 43
Create another shape and fill it with a dark brown. We are going to create a Mesh from this shape to add a Vignette Effect to the design. Select the Mesh Tool (U) and click into the middle of the shape. Change this point's color to white. Set the Mesh's Blending Mode to Multiply.
This is rather dark, so we will add more points to the Mesh which will give us a bigger bright area in the middle. Select the Mesh Tool (U) again and simply click into the middle of one quarter. The added point still active, change that points color to white. Do the same thing with the opposite quarter.
Use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to change the other points of the Mesh that are inside the shape to white.
Final Image
And here is your final result! Why not try creating your own bird pattern with different birds. By modifying small details from a default shaped bird, you can create a variety of different species.


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Special Thanks: A lot of the images in this article were found spread out over the internet. Much of the basic information and images come from Apathy House (http://www.apathyhouse.com/fake/), which has done a tremendous job on this subject already. Additional resources came from Wizards of the Coast and the MOTL Trading Forum.
Today's article will focus on fake and counterfeit Magic cards. Many people know about fake Power 9 cards, for a long time the only cards known to be faked (mainly due to the high value and rarity). In fact, I wouldn't consider picking up power or any older cards worth more than $200 without a thorough knowledge on what to look for. But what do we look for?
There are many types of fake cards. Here is a breakdown.
Counterfeit Cards
These cards are printed by other printing companies/printers. There are many possible characteristics to look for when trying to spot counterfeits. The easiest are obvious miscolorations. For example:
The card on the left is the fake, whereas the card on the right is real.
Another print/ink issue to look for is the "dot pattern" on real Magic cards. Real cards have patterns like the ones below (excuse the ? mark next to dot pattern B, the pictures were gathered from a forum and that was in the picture):
Dot patterns on fake cards are usually much less intricate. This is one of the easiest things to look for when checking older cards (though to see the dot patterns properly you'll probably need to pick up a jeweler's loop). It is important to keep in mind that dot patterns will vary from set to set. It is a good idea to have a common that you know is legitimate from the same set when doing side by side comparisons.
Another printer discrepancy that may indicate a fake is a minor difference or variation in the card or artwork itself. Many fakes will display differences in the artwork or text such as in the picture below (the card name text is clearly off).
A more destructive test can be done if you tear a card in half.
Real cards will show that blue line inside the card.
When it comes to Beta cards one of the easiest things to look for are the white "dots" in the corners of the card (seen below).
You can see the little white dots in the corners (especially the bottom corners). Almost all Beta cards will show these dots, the known exceptions are Volcanic Island, COP: Black, and Red Elemental Blast.
A special section of older counterfeits have been dubbed, "Dark Beta" which was done by a former Carta Mundi employee after normal work hours. The cards are very hard to distinguish from actual cards as that employee was using actual Carta Mundi card stock the bend/water/etc test would all pass muster. Apparently they had a bit of an issue with the proper ink and the cards came out slightly off.
"Dark Beta" Moat Real Moat
The light test is another non-destructive way to determine if a card is fake. Magic cards are semi-transparent under a very bright light. The level of transparency is difficult for other printers to match so compare the card(s) in question with a known card (a common from the same set will work fine).
The bend test is a non-destructive test (assuming the card is real) that can be used on cards of all sets. Real Magic cards will recover from being bent (even as harshly as in the picture below). Fakes will not recover and will either stay bent or leave a big crease line. However, even a real card will leave a crease line if you push from the sides (so only bend from the top and bottom edges as seen in the picture). Real cards will fail this test eventually, however most fakes fail it in the first go. If you have a card that doesn't appear to be beat up, then doing the bend test once or twice shouldn't leave any noticeable damage.
The water test is another form of non-destructive test (for real cards). Simply put some water onto a q-tip or paper towel and drip some on the card. Real cards won't be damaged from small amounts of water pooled onto the surface (obviously if you soak them they will start to fall apart...as my friend Kyle can attest to).
The blacklight test is an easy non-destructive way to determine the validity of a Magic card. Real ones will glow under black light as seen below, whereas many fakes will not glow at all.
It's important to note that Alternate 4th edition cards will not glow under black light even though they may be legit.
Rebacked Cards
These are cards with real backs and fronts from different Magic cards pasted on. They're usually made using Collector's Edition power, by splitting each card and posting the Collector's Edition front onto a real Magic card back, thus giving the appearance of "real" power. This process tends to thicken the card, as it's quite difficult to split a card exactly in half.
Some rebacked cards are made when the back of the card was considered marked or unplayable, and someone put the front on a new back to allow the card to be "playable" again.
I've only ever heard of this approach being done with power, but as we'll discuss later, the astronomic rise in card prices provides more incentive to fake cards.
For rebacked cards you can usually use the bend test (which will usually cause the two pieces to separate a bit near the crease). Or you can look at the edges (preferably with some sort of optical magnification).
Here we can see a fake edge with a clear "split" in between the two card pieces.
Here is the edge of a real card. As you can see it is one piece. The color of the line may be either black or blue.
New Fakes
Recently a new, much more pressing concern has arisen. Apparently there are printing shops in China which have no qualm illegally printing Magic cards (http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/1532783589/wholesale_Gatherer_Magic_The_Gathering_for.html?s=p is the one that was found by fellow facebookers with relative ease).
It is expected that these cards will fail many of the tests above, however, the fact that this has popped up so recently means that fakes are branching out from just power and other high-end cards to encompass just about anything.
This picture was posted on the MTG Misprints/Oddities Facebook Page. The Tarmogoyf on the top is the fake. The letters are spaced out more and the paintbrush next to the artist's name is obviously a bit different. This Tarmogoyf was purchased online.
This is a huge problem for all of us who buy and sell cards online.
First, smart buyers will ignore cards without crisp, clear photos. Thus if you don't have a high-end camera (many of us use our phones), you'll risk reaching a smaller population who wants to buy from you.
Even more concerning is when you trade for cards in person you'll have to look much more carefully at the cards, especially the highly desirable, more valuable ones.
This is the type of issue that can potentially kill card values. Were some unscrupulous people to purchase a large quantity of fake cards and then trade or sell them for profits, it could absolutely devastate the secondary market. If people are afraid to buy and trade cards lest they receive a fake, card values (both real and fake) will plummet.
The sellers in China have been offering a 55-card pack of the following cards, with presumably one of each in a pack. Nobody knows if these complete packs made it over, but Jaces, Domri Rade and Tarmogoyf have all been spotted. Be very careful when trading for the following cards on this list:
Tropical Island
Temple Garden
Stomping Ground
Overgrown Tomb
Scared Foundry
Breeding Pool
Misty Rainforst
Celestial Colonnade
Flooded Strand
Arid Mesa
Inkmoth Nexus
Elspeth Sun's Champion
Cavern of Souls
Scalding Tarn
Hallowed Fountain
Polluted Delta
Surgical Extraction
Sol Ring
Underground sea
Maesh Flats
Reflecting Pool
Wooded Foothills
Windswept Health
Watery Grave
Godless Shrine
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Blood Crypt
Verdant Catacombs
Kalonian Hydra
Avacyn, Angel of Hope
Thassa, God of the sea,
Jace, Architect of Thought
Swords to Plowshares
Chalice of the Void
Goblin guide
it that betrays
sword of war and peace
sword of fire and ice
purphoros god of the forge
sun titan
sensei's divining top
demonic tutor
elspeth knight-errant
pernicious deed
sword of feast and famine
goblin lackey
goblin pilcdriver
inquistion of kozilek
engineered explosives
kokusho the evening star
bonfire of the damned
ral zarek
stoneforge mystic
lona shield of emeria
karn liberated
path to exile
figure of destiny
Ather Vial
Vampiric Tutor
Snapcaster Mage
Academy Ruins
Forcc of Will
Leyline of Sanctity
Sphinx's Revelation
New...er News!
Apparently there is another fake printer group out there. This one is focused on foils. They are printing high dollar fake foils for the "pimp" groups (EDH/Legacy/etc). From what I've been hearing it was originally started as a kickstarter business printing foil playmats (which I must admit would be pretty cool). Sadly they didn't reach their kickstarter goal (or anywhere near it). Someone bought some foil dark rituals off ebay and took some higher res pictures of them when they noticed something was off (the picture below shows the fake on the left and a real one on the right). The fakes don't "pop" out as much and look slightly grainer. They are also missing some of the "bubbles" in the frame.
Unfortunately, the fakes do have a dot pattern that looks close to correct, so just using a jewelers loop won't protect you.
Luckily, it appears that all of the foils look a bit off so far so keeping a watchful eye and being weary of ebay prices that seem to good to be true are the first line of defense. The second will come when trading, when something looks a bit off you should immediately start to focus more and look for other issues.
The current list of known fakes includes;
- Foil Onslaught Fetches
- Foil Dark Ritual
- Foil Wrath of God (7th ed)
- Foil Glorious Anthem(7th ed)
- Foil Lord of Atlantis (7th ed)
The Good News
The good news is that the human brain is very good at spotting patterns, and (just as importantly) changes in a pattern. If you actually pay attention to the cards you're trading for, your brain will often subconsciously find things "off" on many fakes. I've run across a few during trades and they tended to stand out because I was aware that fakes existed.