text:
July 18, 1999, Section 6, Page 31Buy Reprints
Before John Myatt was sentenced to prison in February for his part as a forger in perhaps the most ingenious and damaging art con of the 20th century, he lived in a humble cottage on a narrow lane in the idyllic Staffordshire village of Sugnall, a three-hour drive northwest of London. To his neighbors, he appeared to be an unremarkable painter who had never established a style with which to spawn a career. He also wrote catchy pop tunes. If Myatt was known for anything, it was for a hit single, ''Silly Games,'' which made the British Top 40 in 1979.
But beginning in 1986, Myatt discovered that he could paint like the masters, and for the next nine years he led a secret and stunningly successful professional life as a painter. Braque, Matisse, Giacometti, Le Corbusier, all became part of his repertoire. He faked their styles with such virtuosity that his paintings passed for the real thing.
Then, one morning in September 1995, Myatt opened his front door to walk his young son to the school bus and found policemen in his yard. A plainclothes officer introduced himself as Jonathan Searle, a one-time painter, restorer and art historian, and now Detective Sergeant at Scotland Yard. Myatt, 50, sturdily built with the toughened hands of a laborer, nodded with resigned expectancy and invited the policemen inside for tea. Then he asked if could walk his son to the bus. While he did, the officers ransacked the house. Upon returning, Myatt stood in the studio with Searle, surveying the chaos. ''Do you like this one?'' Myatt asked, pointing to a competent if undistinguished drawing of his son. Searle nodded sympathetically, but was amazed by what looked to be paintings by Giacometti, Chagall, Braque and Dubuffet hanging about the room. Drawing pads lying around showed sketched studies for works by Giacometti, Le Corbusier and Ben Nicholson.
Myatt confessed on the spot to having drawn and painted what the police later said were about 200 forgeries in the styles of nine modern masters and personally delivering them to London, one roughly every six weeks, to a man by the name of John Drewe. Scotland Yard already suspected Drewe of masterminding the sale of Myatt's forgeries (and perhaps those of at least one other painter, still unidentified) through the auction houses Christie's, Sotheby's and Phillips, as well as reputable dealers in London, Paris and New York. Then Myatt told Searle something the police didn't know: that he'd made most of the pictures out of an easily detectable household emulsion paint developed in the mid-60's, decades after most of the paintings were supposed to have been executed. In some cases, he used K-Y Jelly as a medium to add body and fluidity to his brushstrokes. Myatt had no idea how many millions had changed hands on account of his paintings, but estimated that he had earned as much as $165,000 over the years, some of which was deposited into a Swiss bank account in his name. The painter immediately offered to return the $30,000 he still had and to help snare Drewe.
Seven months later, on April 6, 1996, after recording conversations between the partners, detectives raided Drewe's home in the tony London suburb of Reigate, where they found hundreds of documents from the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Gallery and the Institute of Contemporary Art. Sitting on Drewe's kitchen table were two catalogues missing from the V. and A.'s National Art Library, still in the museum bag that Drewe had used to smuggle them out. There were rubber stamps bearing the authenticating seals of the Tate and of an order of monastic priests; receipts for the sale of paintings across continents going back decades; certificates of authenticity from the estates of Dubuffet and Giacometti; also the more mundane instruments of document forgery: scissors, razors, correction fluid, glue, tape.
As police and art experts soon discovered, forging masterpieces, as Myatt had done, was the least of it. Drewe's real genius lay in his ability to authenticate Myatt's works through bogus provenances -- the history of a work of art, from its creation through its purchasings and exhibitions to its current ownership, crucial elements in the sale of any picture. It would turn out that over the previous 10 years, Drewe had systematically infiltrated some of the most security-conscious art archives in the world, altering the provenances of genuine paintings to establish a lineage making way for Myatt's mostly unexceptional forgeries, and then seeding the collections with false records that provided the pictures with instant heritage. The scale of the corruption is unprecedented. The method is, too. Archivists may never know how much of their libraries have been compromised. Of the approximately 200 ''masterworks'' Myatt painted and Drewe sold, the police have located only 73. Drewe did more than slip phony pictures into a market hungry for important contemporary art -- he altered art history. The police call the con the ''the biggest contemporary art fraud the 20th century has seen.'' The British prosecution office declared Drewe a menace to Britain's cultural patrimony.
The scandal has not only upset the market for the artists Myatt forged, but it has also exposed the art industry as its own worst enemy -- too reliant on sources of authenticity that are vulnerable to manipulation and riddled with conflicts of interest that invite corruption. Drewe's story says less about his own brilliance than about the readiness -- if not the willingness -- of the art world to be deceived.
''It's one of the most extensive frauds in the visual arts,'' says Glenn Lowry, director of the Museum of Modern Art. ''What distinguishes this case is how methodical Drewe was, and how well he understood the process of validation. His manipulation of the system is as interesting and troubling as the forgeries themselves.''
I first met John Drewe this past March in the grim confines of Pentonville Prison in northwest London, where he was serving a six-year sentence for conspiracy to defraud and multiple counts of forgery. A man of medium height and build, with slate blue eyes and brown hair, he wore gray inmate's clothes, smiled aggressively when displeased and talked compulsively. I was cautioned by John Bevan, the prosecutor who built the case against Drewe, to stay on my guard while in Drewe's presence. ''I was very careful not to sign anything during the course of the trial and let it anywhere near him,'' Bevan warned. ''Over his history, everyone who dealt with him in one way or another took a turn for the worse.''
All that week Drewe had called me almost daily at my hotel, obsessively repeating the story of his innocence: ''The art that is the subject of this case is purely a smoke screen for a story that is much more massive and sinister than the police are willing to investigate or the court is willing to hear. It might seem to be fiction,'' he admitted plaintively, ''but I'm afraid it's not.'' Of course, it was.
Drewe has been creating fictions his entire life. He was born John Cockett in 1948 and grew up in an unremarkable lower-middle-class home in Sussex in southeast England. Even as a child, he made up stories about himself, bragging to friends that he was a direct descendant of the Earl of York and the son of the founder of the British Homes Stores. Despite a reported I.Q. of 165, he was an average student. Daniel Stoakes, a friend from those days whose life was to intersect with Drewe's some 35 years later, remembers Drewe as an abnormally organized child who kept an enormous library of books and clippings files, as though he were accumulating written information for some later purpose. ''His room,'' Stoakes recalls, ''seemed like a laboratory.''
At 17, Cockett dropped out of school and changed his name to Drewe. For the next 15 years, he slipped out of official sight. He worked briefly in a low administrative post at the Atomic Energy Authority. After that, the British Government has no record of him paying taxes, being arrested or seeking medical treatment. His official employment record is blank.
Drewe offers an account of those years. In 1968, he says, he joined the student protests in Paris, then headed for Germany: ''I studied physics for a period of six years at Kiel University. I came back to the United Kingdom.'' He claims he taught experimental physics ''at the University of Sussex for a year'' and, he says, received a second Ph.D. in physics from SUNY Buffalo. Neither Kiel University nor SUNY Buffalo has ever registered or awarded a degree to a John Drewe or a John Cockett; the University of Sussex has never heard of him.
In 1980, he was introduced to Bat-Sheva Goudsmid, an Israeli immigrant and children's eye specialist who lived in a handsome house in Golders Green, an upper-middle-class London neighborhood popular with Jews and Israelis. Goudsmid had bought the house in part with German reparation payments to her parents, who were Holocaust survivors. (She would later lose nearly all her assets because of her association with Drewe.) On their first date, Drewe arrived at her front door in a white Rolls-Royce, bearing a huge bouquet of flowers. He told her he was an adviser to the Atomic Energy Authority and a board member of British Aerospace. None of these things were true, but no one knows where the money came from to pay for his expensive life style. ''In 1980 he told me he was working for the Ministry of Defense,'' Goudsmid says. ''Then he said he worked for a munitions company in Woolwich.''
While Goudsmid believed that Drewe was leaving every day for the Ministry of Defense, he was, for several of these years, actually teaching physics at a private Jewish high school in the affluent neighborhood of Highgate. He left abruptly in 1985. When asked why, the school's administrator would only say, ''We made him feel that he should leave, and he did so,'' then hung up.
Although they never married, Drewe often presented Goudsmid as his wife. ''He asked me three times to marry him,'' she says. ''The reason I didn't marry him, I knew there was something wrong -- something very strange, but I couldn't put my finger on it. He did everything behind locked doors.'' They had two children, a boy and a girl. ''I never discussed my work; he never discussed his.''
Goudsmid had begun to notice a steady stream of paintings coming through the house. Drewe said they belonged to an old mentor of his at the Atomic Energy Authority, who wanted to sell off his collection piece by piece, and that he was simply helping out a friend on a commission basis. At one point, she caught Drewe spreading mud on a painting in their backyard. ''He said it would make it look more old, because it had been in a vault for very many years and it looked very new,'' she says. In truth, in 1986, Drewe had already stumbled upon a hapless John Myatt, who would be his foil for a lucrative new career.
When John Drewe found him, Myatt's life was in wretched shape, emotionally and financially. His wife had recently abandoned him and their two young children, and he was left to scratch out a meager living teaching art in the local schools. ''I spent all day teaching other people's children and had no time for my own,'' he told me this spring in Brixton Prison, in southwest London, where he was serving a one-year sentence for conspiracy to defraud. (He was released in June.) ''I wasn't doing my own painting. I needed to find a way to work at home.'' A few years before, a friend had offered to pay him $400 to copy a painting by the French Post-Impressionist Raoul Dufy. He copied the picture and Dufy's signature so masterfully that his friend told him his painting was fooling art experts.
''I thought it was funny,'' Myatt says with a shrug, insisting he didn't give it another thought until he became desperate to stay at home with his children. In 1986, he placed a classified ad in Private Eye, a satirical London biweekly: ''19th- and 20th-century fakes for $240.'' He received a call from a ''Professor Drewe,'' who said he was a nuclear physicist in need of paintings to decorate his home. Drewe asked first for a Matisse, then a Klee, then two marine paintings in the style of 17th-century Dutch masters.
Myatt would meet Drewe at London's Euston Station to deliver the rolled canvases. They'd have a pint together. Myatt began to confide in Drewe about the turmoil of his divorce. Drewe offered advice and comfort and eventually invited him to his home. ''I saw the size of his house,'' Myatt says, ''his Mercedes, his clothes, his manner.'' Drewe told Myatt that in addition to his work for the Ministry of Defense, he was associated with British Intelligence. He pulled back his jacket to reveal two pistols in shoulder holsters. ''I was very much your creature,'' Myatt would later say to Drewe in court. ''I found you hypnotizing and challenging and a very exciting person to be around.'' One day Drewe asked Myatt what style he wanted to paint in. Myatt told Drewe he'd always relished the idea of painting in the Cubist style. Myatt soon painted Drewe a Braque.
One evening in 1986, Drewe called Myatt with news. ''I took one of your paintings to Christie's, and they said it was worth $38,000,''' Myatt recalls Drewe as saying. ''That was the moment that the legitimate business stopped and the crime began. He said to come down to London and we'll talk it over. I said: 'I can't believe it. Are you aware it's painted in emulsion paint?''' He pauses. ''My vanity was quite ghastly,'' he says. ''The mistake occurred here. My reaction was to express an interest.''
Drewe's timing, in many ways, couldn't have been better. By the mid-80's, the art market was generating unprecedented profits and front-page headlines. Jasper Johns's ''False Start,'' which cost $3,150 in 1960, sold for $17 million in 1988. Picasso's ''Yo Picasso'' sold for $47.9 million in 1989, more than twice the preauction estimate. In 1990, Van Gogh's ''Portrait of Dr. Gachet,'' a painting whose authenticity is still controversial, was bought by a Japanese collector for a record $82.5 million. The prices of pictures even by obscure artists skyrocketed. Myatt's ''masterpieces'' were suddenly hot commodities.
The painter took trips to Coventry Cathedral to copy Graham Sutherland's studies for his huge tapestry of Christ in His glory. He meditated on Giacometti reproductions, then took five hours to paint a picture that eventually sold for $175,000. Myatt moved on to Ben Nicholson, Nicolas de Stal, Le Corbusier, Matisse, Roger Bissi re, glorying in painting his way through 20th-century art history. His unorthodox formula of emulsion and K-Y Jelly was fast-drying, allowing him to paint quickly, if obsessively. ''I took no trouble technically,'' he says. ''There was a negligence to everything I did.''
Even so, his pictures were passing as genuine and selling for tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. He was enjoying a financial success he could never have approached by painting Myatts. Perhaps no other forger of his or any other time has worked so prodigiously and in so many styles. ''It was a kind of addiction,'' he says, then shakes his head sadly. ''It was shocking, it quite terrified me. The moment they started to restore them they would know what they were faced with.''
But Drewe calmed his nerves by telling Myatt, who a year before had been lovelorn and broke, how brilliant he was, how rich he would get. ''I was flattered into thinking I was a man of importance,'' Myatt says, although he concedes he had an ''abiding sense of unreality, that this wasn't really happening, that this would all end in tears.''
Before Myatt, the most successful forgers of our time counted on the brute force of their pictures, imitating one or two giants of art so that the paintings' discovery would be splashy news, the reclamation of a ''lost masterpiece.'' Hans van Meegeren aped Vermeer in the 1930's and 40's; the flamboyant Tom Keating did Rembrandt in the 1950's, and Eric Hebborn copied Augustus John, Corot and others of their ilk.
Hard information on the quantity of bogus art sold is difficult to come by, in part because fraud, when discovered by dealers and auction houses, is usually kept secret to boost public confidence in the art market. Experts usually claim that, depending on the period and the painter, between 10 and 40 percent of pictures by significant artists for sale are bogus, or so overrestored as to make them the equivalent of fake. One of a number of reputable West End dealers drawn into the scam, who demanded anonymity, claims that 15 percent of sales at auction houses are fake. Thomas Hoving, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has said that during his tenure, a full 40 percent of the artworks considered for purchase by the museum were phony or overrestored. Geraldine Norman, the British art journalist credited with exposing Keating and Hebborn, says that at least 10 percent of the pictures purportedly made by major Impressionists are fake. Some experts say that as much as 60 percent of the Giacomettis on the market are fake, at least in part as a result of Drewe's con. Forty percent of pictures supposedly from the Russian avant-garde era are almost certainly forgeries. The widows of Modigliani and Chagall were accused of selling certificates of authentication. Salvador Dali, lying on his deathbed in a stupor, is said to have been fed thousands of sheets of blank paper to sign for fake lithographs. In a grotesquely sad twist, the Italian painter Giorgio de Chirico was caught back-dating new pictures to a time, 20 years previously, when his work was popular and in heavy demand, in effect forging himself.
Modern art, in particular, seems especially vulnerable to fraud. Its abstractions are sometimes difficult to understand or grasp, and a modern painting is often loved less because of its intrinsic quality -- its beauty, as conventionally understood -- than because of the identity of the painter, its mark of social status.
''There is the line that modern art pretends to be things it's not,'' says Sandy Nairne, director of national programs for the Tate Gallery. ''There is a crossover between the way Drewe perpetrated a con with the cultural view that modern art may be viewed as a con on the public.'' There is a sense, Nairne says, in which Drewe was simply ''making up modern art.''
All of which made buyers of modern art the perfect target for Drewe, who counted on his victims' hunger for found treasure. Serious collectors and art experts, among the world's most educated, often cannot fathom the possibility of being rooked, and then once taken, cannot face the humiliation of admitting it. Says Hoving: ''When the collector gets what he wants and he's told it isn't real, he says, 'I don't care, to me it's a Renoir.''' Even though one forged Giacometti, a 1955 ''Nu Debout'' Drewe sold to two New York dealers, is obviously lacking in the artist's typical depth of field and manic linearity, one of the dealers maintains, ''I still think it's one of the best Giacomettis I've ever seen.'' As Geraldine Norman puts it, many collectors' interests in art ''are reflections of social climbing and romanticism about names, a thousand things that have nothing to do with the surface of the work of art you are looking at.''
A forger's chief motivation is typically intellectual gamesmanship. Embittered by the spurning of his own work, he takes satisfaction in suckering the entire art world en masse, then pulling aside the curtain, exposing himself as a renegade genius and the art experts as the frauds and fools. Drewe had a different strategy: to deliver low-profile paintings in high volume, make multiple hits for hundreds of thousands of dollars -- which would not attract unwanted attention -- rather than a few jackpots worth millions. To succeed, however, he had to begin creating irresistible provenances.
'A painting's last owner is the forger's biggest problem,'' the prosecutor Bevan says, standing beside a shoulder-high mound of banker's boxes containing Drewe's output of faked documents. He pulls out a sheaf of faked provenance for the forged 1955 Giacometti. ''You can show who owned paintings in the 1950's -- just use people who are dead,'' he said. ''But the last owner is usually alive.'' According to Bevan, Drewe used several people, most of them easy prey -- old friends or acquaintances down on their luck in money or love -- to front for Myatt's forgeries.
One was Peter Harris, ''an old drinking companion,'' Bevan says, ''who never owned a painting in his life. All he had were some posters of all the pubs of London on the wall. Drewe got him to sign documents when he was dying.'' (Harris died of throat cancer in 1989.) Another was Danny Berger, an Israeli immigrant and luggage salesman, who was broke. Under Drewe's direction, Berger sold a number of paintings to Christie's and Sotheby's, as well as to private dealers.
But no one's life was more shattered by Drewe than that of Daniel Stoakes, Drewe's codefendant, who was acquitted. The two had been childhood friends some 35 years earlier but lost contact after school. ''I divorced my wife,'' Stoakes says. ''I was living in a mobile home. I thought about old friends, and I thought about John out of the blue.'' He called Drewe, who, it turns out, had been using Stoakes's name as an art owner on forged provenances for years. ''I fell into his hands like a ripe plum. He came to see me in a big red sports car. And this is his genius -- he told me a horror story about how his wife had become a danger to his children. He'd tried to get a doctor to commit her. This story went on and on. He couldn't use bank accounts. He came at a time when I was quite vulnerable. His genius was to ally himself to me. He rang up in tears about his children.''
This was the hook, Stoakes recalls. ''He said: 'I own one painting,' by the British artist Ben Nicholson. 'We can perhaps kill two birds with one stone. You're in need of some money, and I have this painting. There are problems about its history, small gaps here and there. I can't use my name, but I need the money to fight for my children. Can I use your name as the owner? There's a small percentage in it for you.' I got hooked by the romance of it,'' Stoakes admits.
Drewe drafted fictitious letters for Stoakes to copy in his own hand, in which Stoakes pretended to be the owner of the painting. ''I thought it was part of the game; I had no idea what a false provenance meant.'' Stoakes pauses, then concedes his own gullibility. ''I wanted to believe him. He was a male friend who was going through what I was going through. He sussed out what my weakness was, both with the romance and the possibility of making money. But it was the idea of a very old friend in a friendless world.''
When Drewe couldn't find accomplices, Bevan says, he simply fashioned them out of whole cloth. ''He created this other creature, Len Martin,'' Bevan explains. Since the early 1970's, Drewe had saved correspondence with Kiel University, in Germany, in particular letters to and from a professor of physics named H. Heinrich Martin. Drewe had carved Martin's signature from the letter and refashioned the first name, and ''Len Martin'' was born. ''What he did,'' Bevan says, ''was take an original document from a solicitor's, skillfully cut-and-pasted it, whited out the lines, photocopied it, copied it again. There you are, a lovely official document: 'To Whom It May Concern, this letter confirms the painting by Giacometti is being sold with the full authority of the owner.' This letter is signed by the owner of the Giacometti, Len Martin. Len Martin doesn't exist.''
Then, in 1989, in a move that would significantly widen the scope of the con, Drewe gained access to the closely guarded library of correspondence between 20th-century artists, collectors and curators at the Institute of Contemporary Art in London. He ingratiated himself to the I.C.A. by claiming to be a collector interested in the Institute's history and then by donating two paintings to a coming fund-raising auction -- a Le Corbusier and Giacometti -- that Myatt says are forgeries. Convinced by Drewe's claims and grateful for the paintings, the I.C.A. opened its files. According to the police, the Institute's letterhead, and much correspondence from its archives, would soon appear in Drewe's fabricated provenances.
At the same time, Drewe was playing the Tate, preparing his way first by offering it a pair of Bissi re paintings. The museum initially liked them, and said it might hang them in its galleries. Then it showed them to Bissi re's son, who said the materials were not the sort his father would use. The Tate hedged. Drewe withdrew the offer and quickly made a $32,000 donation to support cataloguing in the archives. He then followed up with an application to research the library. Convinced of Drewe's expertise, and with the donation in mind, the museum quickly assented. Drewe made a similar application at the Victoria and Albert's National Art Library, which asked for the applicant's occupation. Drewe listed ''professor of physics.'' He gave as a reference a ''Dr. John Cockett,'' and an address, his own. The N.A.L. wrote for a referral. Drewe wrote back, ''John Drewe is a man of integrity,'' and signed ''John Cockett.''
Soon after, alone among the manuscripts of the National Art Library, wielding a scalpel, Drewe went to work. To bring the forged Giacometti to life, he dissected a 1955 catalogue for an exhibition at the Ohana Gallery (now defunct) in London, ''Exhibition of Paintings, Sculpture and Stage Designs by Members of the Entertainment World,'' which had hung works of art by show-business celebrities. Drewe, perfectly matching the typeset of the original on a computer, reset the title page, rewording it to read ''with contributions from Members of the Entertainment World.'' He then seeded the catalogue with photographs not only of Myatt's versions of Giacometti, but also some of his better Chagalls, Dubuffets, de Stals and Nicholsons. Then he restitched the binding and replaced the forged catalogue in the stacks.
Later, in a stroke of astonishing audacity, Drewe created a fictitious firm called Art Research Associates and, through a London-based middle man, hired himself out as a professional archivist to a New York dealer seeking confirmation of the Giacometti's authenticity. The dealer had purchased the picture almost a year before for $175,000, and was trying to sell it. But Lisa Palmer, director of the Alberto et Annette Giacometti Association, whom he contacted, wouldn't vouch for its authenticity. Scotland Yard had already begun investigating Drewe. The painting had been offered for auction at Sotheby's in New York, but then, at Palmer's behest, was removed.
The dealer sought an objective opinion. The middle man put him in touch with Professor Drewe of Art Research Associates, who months earlier had ''thoroughly investigated'' the painting, issuing a report that concluded ''the provenance of this painting is not in question.'' The dealer arranged to meet Drewe at the National Art Library, where they studied the forged Ohana Gallery catalogue. It included the Giacometti, in reproduction, amid other impressive works by modern masters, many of them, of course, forged.
By way of provenance, there were letters from Harris, conveniently dead, together with correspondence from a number of previous owners -- including Len Martin, who never existed -- plus a stack of concocted invoices tracing the picture's path out of Giacometti's studio. Despite Palmer's insistence that the painting was a fake, and despite Sotheby's reluctance and Scotland Yard's interest in Drewe, the dealer, overwhelmed by the mountain of perfect provenance, was convinced the picture was real. Afterward, Drewe took him to an expensive lunch, bragged that his wife was a first cousin to Itzhak Perlman and that he spent most of his time researching art lost to the Nazis in World War II. The dealer paid Drewe $600 for his efforts. ''This is a shark-infested business,'' the dealer now says bitterly.
It is the provenancing that distinguishes Drewe's scam. ''People don't think a forger is going to go to such great lengths,'' Bevan says. ''This was a full-time job. Drewe chatted up the families of the artists to find out their domestic details, their love lives, so he could write antique letters -- from de Stal to his lady friend, for instance, in 1950 -- as part of the provenance.'' Alan Bowness, former head of the Tate and the son-in-law of Ben Nicholson, was fooled into authenticating two of Myatt's fake Nicholsons, not because the pictures were good -- in fact, the general consensus was that they were unimpressive at best -- but because the provenancing was flawless.
''I've never experienced anyone who had the level of sophistication of John Drewe,'' says Melanie Clore, director of the Impressionist and modern-art department at Sotheby's, which sold 14 of Myatt's forgeries. ''He was phenomenal. You're not talking about obtuse pictures that came in with a dear old lady that have no history, and they've been sitting in an attic.'' In the case of one Giacometti, Clore says, ''this was a major picture meant to belong to the director of the I.C.A.''
Indeed, Drewe changed and fabricated so many records at both the Victoria and Albert and the Tate, and with so many different artists, that the directors of both museums admit that they may never know how much of their collection has been corrupted. And the scandal has also reverberated in the United States. Lowry, for one, is deeply concerned about MOMA. ''We take our role as a public institution very seriously,'' he says. ''That means providing as much access as possible to research documents. The thought that we have to think about restricting access is profoundly troubling.'' Once Drewe was discovered, Lowry says, a process of reverse screenings took place on both sides of the Atlantic. Records were scoured, paintings were re-examined, all to purge the system. ''It will take years, probably, before it is fully accomplished,'' he says.
More than any other art fraud in recent memory, the Drewe scandal has raised the ire of London's independent art dealers, much of it directed at the auction houses, which, they claim, willfully moved Myatt forgeries knowing they were fakes in order to boost profits. How else to explain passing off supposed oil paintings by famous artists made with vinyl paint and K-Y Jelly? The auction houses, in turn, insist they were conned like everyone else.
''These pictures were not flung in sales and we turned a blind eye,'' insists Melanie Clore. ''Reputable academics authenticated the pictures, and people who have a lot of experience with these particular artists condoned them. I think it's a case that affected the whole art establishment, dealers, auction houses, academics, collectors. We were as diligent as we could be.'' Complaints about the auction houses, she says, sound more like the sour grapes of dealers bitter and embarrassed about being suckered themselves.
In the case of one Giacometti, Sotheby's withdrew the picture just hours prior to its sale because Lisa Palmer of the Giacometti association was suspicious of it, in spite of what appeared to be an overwhelmingly substantiated provenance. ''You go to the Tate Gallery archives,'' says Clore, ''and you look through the stock book of the most reputable gallery in London in the 50's and you find the picture reproduced in black and white. You can't be more diligent than that. You can't underestimate the lengths to which Drewe went.'' Christie's refused to comment beyond the assertion that it checked the provenances thoroughly and so did nothing wrong.
Thomas Hoving doesn't think that the auction houses are always, or even often, purposely deceitful. ''The auction houses get stung from time to time because of the volume they deal with,'' Hoving says. ''In general, they simply don't have the time to confirm the authenticity of everything. The amount of things they deal with is awesome.''
Lowry of MOMA adds, ''If it is determined that a dealer or an auction house is a willing purveyor of forgeries, their credibility is so affected that at the end of the day it's self-destructive.''
Peter Nahum, a senior director and head of Sotheby's British paintings department for 17 years and one of London's most respected art dealers, was among the first to be bilked by Drewe. He complains that too many private dealers and auction houses ''are really interested in churning through as much money and getting as much profit as possible,'' and that both are consequently complicit in their own corruption. While at Sotheby's, Nahum sold up to 10,000 paintings a year and looked at up to 40,000. As a dealer, he sells 300 to 400 a year, and though he looks at about 100,000, he says the smaller number of sales reduces his chance of being conned, but doesn't eliminate it.
Nahum argues that in recent years the market has been thinned of good art, and that the auction houses have cut costs by firing their experts. ''Nowadays,'' Nahum laments, ''expertise gets in the way'' by slowing the process. ''You can't expertise on 100,000 pictures a year. You can't do your job properly and make any money.'' Leslie Waddington, another London dealer, agrees: ''It's a much bigger problem than the discussion about Drewe. The real question is, Who are the experts at Christie's and Sotheby's? Are they just experts at selling and chatting up old women? . . . If the auction houses dominate the world, where is the expertise going to be? Will they have no one who has visible knowledge?''
Nahum's first contact with Drewe came in the late 80's. Unbeknown to him, Drewe had been offering Nahum paintings by Ben Nicholson and Laurence Lowry for years through his band of runners. ''They were bad and expensive, and I ran them along,'' Nahum says. ''But then we're in the middle of a very bad recession. We've all lost a lot of money. We're all desperately trying to meet our overhead. There is no business. It's hell.'' In 1984, Drewe's next-door neighbor, Clive Bellman, ''came in with a Graham Sutherland 'Crucifixion,''' Nahum said, adding that he thought it was junk. But Christie's, Nahum had been told, had just sold a group of similar Sutherlands for $24,000 to $32,000 each. This Sutherland came with letters of authenticity from an order of monastic priests, the Order of Servite Mary -- all, it would turn out, forged. Nahum bought the painting and sent it to auction at Christie's in London. Eventually, Nahum bought the Nicholsons. ''They weren't great paintings, but they were flashy, colorful, what the market desires. The market doesn't want anything difficult or intellectual.''
Those paintings, too, had come with convincing documentation, including, according to Nahum, supporting letters from Alan Bowness, the world's top Nicholson expert. In flusher times, provenance is often checked more thoroughly. But, compromised by the necessity to move product, experts sometimes can't afford to look too hard; thus, the poisonous combination of raw commercialism and the desire for discovery. ''The Dubuffets were a joke,'' Waddington says. ''One or two of the Nicholsons looked good. I thought the fakes were third-rate. I say that glibly now. When I saw them I was worried, but I didn't say they were fakes.'' As Nahum says, ''None of the innocents are innocent.''
But raising an alarm, or even offering solid evidence of fraud, is no guarantee that a painting won't be sold. In 1994, Waddington was approached by Jean Dubuffet's concerned daughter with photocopies of 18 of her father's gouaches, some of them his trademark cows. ''Some of these I was very worried about,'' Waddington recalls. ''I thought they were fakes, but the provenances were good. I thought maybe Dubuffet had a bad phase.'' Then the dealer noticed that the paperwork had been signed ''Jean Dubuffet,'' but knew that the artist almost always signed his name ''J. Dubuffet.'' His suspicions aroused, he then noticed that three or four of the photocopies showed inscriptions to ''Lawrence'' or to ''Lawrence Alloway,'' curator of the Institute of Contemporary Art in the 1950's. But Dubuffet was rigid in matters of social etiquette, and would have inscribed the works to ''Monsieur Alloway.'' The last tip-off was the date on the art, ''1955.'' Dubuffet stopped doing cows in early 1954.
The Jean Dubuffet Foundation was alerted. But the dealer soon learned that even after the warnings, Armande Trentinian, director of the foundation, issued certificates of authenticity for the works without having seen the originals. Because her lover had bought one for himself for $16,000, Trentinian's blunder was probably a product of stubbornness, possibly to cover her initial mistake. The Pace Gallery in New York had already bought four of the pieces. ''Everyone was profiting,'' Waddington says, suggesting that there was little motivation to stop the flow of fakes. Trentinian has since resigned.
''When I authenticated these works, I believed they were from Dubuffet,'' Trentinian says. She claims she had the drawings analyzed. ''The ink was good. The result was perfect. All the analysis was good. . . . If the elements we have now show certainly that these works are fake, then I regret my mistake.''
In another instance, the forged Giacometti, the 1955 ''Nu Debout,'' passed through the hands of two independent dealers before it was offered to the American purchasers. After Lisa Palmer could not guarantee the picture's authenticity, the Americans had the painting analyzed privately by Eugena Ordonez, a conservator who also worked at MOMA. Though Myatt had painted the picture sloppily and in an emulsion paint not invented until the mid-60's, a decade after the picture was supposedly done, Ordonez's report was ''inconclusive.'' Ordonez says she had been hired only to analyze the pigments, which gave satisfactory results, but not the medium, which might have raised suspicions that the painting was a forgery. ''What I say in my report is what I was asked to do,'' Ordonez explains. ''What I think and know about a painting is something else entirely different.'' When asked if a conservator who suspects the picture's origins, but doesn't object when the picture is sold and later determined to be a fake, is an accessory to a crime, Ordonez paused, then replied, ''That's a good question.''
As Lowry puts it: ''When a forger is as successful as Drewe was, it's not one person who's corrupt, it's not one dealer. It's a whole system that has failed. A lot of checks and balances that should have connected, didn't.''
By late 1994, Myatt had begun to pine for the simplicity and safety of his pre-Drewe life. He began to dread Drewe's phone calls. ''The sound of his voice going on and on,'' he recalls now, ''I needed a stiff drink afterward.'' Myatt had also become repulsed by how Drewe preyed on the vulnerable, the dead and the dimly acquainted to concoct art owners. Drewe had used Myatt's dying father's name on some of his fake provenances; he had done the same with Stoakes's. He had even cannibalized portions of his own mother's will. Myatt had also grown vaguely afraid; twice Drewe showed off his weapons. And after nearly nine years, Myatt yearned to return to painting in his own style.
The last straw was a Christie's auction that Myatt attended with Drewe, where he watched one of his own Dubuffets sold off for a lot of money. ''It was strangely depressing,'' Myatt says. ''It should have been my own work.''
Meanwhile, Drewe had walked out on Goudsmid but had left behind incriminating evidence of his forgeries. She in turn contacted the police and left three incriminating letters from Drewe with a friend. A third person, an acquaintance, took other documents from Goudsmid and kept them in his house in the London neighborhood of Hampstead. In mid-January 1995, Drewe called Myatt to inform him that Goudsmid had the papers and was blackmailing them. Myatt recalls Drewe's saying, ''I can't stand for it.'' He told Myatt he'd ''burn down the house.''
According to Goudsmid, Drewe heard that some of his papers were now in the house of Goudsmid's acquaintance. Drewe called her repeatedly, badgering her about how many locks were on the doors and whether there was an alarm. By this time, Goudsmid had taken the evidence back to her own home. The next night a man fitting Drewe's description was found hiding in the acquaintance's basement by a young renter. A few hours later, the house burned. A 25-year-old Hungarian woman renting the top floor jumped from the flames and later died of her injuries. Based on Goudsmid's statement and the witness's description, Drewe was arrested and put in a police lineup. But he had shaved his mustache, cut his hair and taken off his glasses. The young renter failed to identify him. Reluctantly, the police released him.
Three months later, armed with Myatt's confession and Goudsmid's evidence, police raided Drewe's house and rearrested him, charging him with conspiracy to defraud and forgery. Even after four days of interrogation, Drewe refused to admit guilt, never wavering from his story that the paintings were genuine and that Myatt was just a man he'd hired to reline some pictures he'd bought at auction. Drewe's ''all-consuming drive to pull the strings -- hence his title 'puppet master' -- has left him unable to live outside his own version of reality,'' says Detective Constable Inspector Miki Volpe, a 22-year veteran. ''He's a verbal bully who thinks he can manipulate anyone. As you start to learn more about this man, you realize the enormous web of deception he has spun. . . . He was certainly the most devious character I had ever come into contact with in my service.'' Drewe was released on bail and immediately disappeared.
While on the lam, Drewe obviously reconsidered his case, for when he was reapprehended two months later -- his mother was followed to his hiding place on the south coast -- his story changed from blanket innocence to a fantastical frame-up defense. He no longer denied the fraud, but now claimed that he has been set up as fall guy for a widespread conspiracy that included Scotland Yard, the Ministry of Defense and the governments of at least seven nations; that there were not 200 paintings, but more than 4,000, all sold to help finance covert arms deals that he helped broker between British weapons manufacturers and Iran, Iraq and Sierra Leone; that Myatt wasn't a ''starving artist'' but actually an operative for Combat 18, the violent neo-Nazi group, and that Peter Harris, who appeared on countless false provenances, was really a South African intelligence agent and weapons broker. Drewe explained the mysterious blank 15 years in his life by claiming to have worked covertly for the British Government. ''I was very active in the development of certain items of defense technology,'' he told me in Pentonville Prison. ''The sale of the paintings relates to some pretty devastating things. They include the sale of a ballistic-missile guidance system which I was responsible for selling to Iran in 1991. I have got the papers to prove it.'' Asked repeatedly for corroboration, Drewe produced not a single source. The prosecution's position is that Drewe's story of international intrigue is a figment of the imagination of a fantasist and consummate con artist.
At the trial, which began last September, Drewe fired his lawyer for refusing to conduct the art-for-arms defense and took up the case himself. The courtroom was arrayed like an art gallery, with nine of Myatt's forgeries hung about the walls. The trial, which was expected to last three months, stretched to six. Myatt sat in the witness box and called Drewe a ''psychopath'' and a ''liar'' to his face. By the trial's end, Bevan was mocking Drewe with the identities he had assumed: ''The truth is that you are Mr. Drewe, you are two sorts of Mr. Cockett, you are Mr. Sussman, you are Mr. Green, Mr. Atwood and you are Mr. Martin and Mr. Bayard the researcher and Mr. Coverdale, aren't you?'' The jury returned with a guilty verdict in less than six hours. Drewe is appealing his conviction.
If Drewe's success provides any lesson, it is that the art world's aura of sophistication creates a false sense of security that makes it especially vulnerable to what was, in the end, a confederacy of mediocrity. Myatt's sloppy pictures, Drewe's litany of far-fetched identities and the ignorance of his pitiable salesmen should have been no match for the likes of the auction houses, scholars and dealers that Drewe conned. But in the end, the system's multiple lines of defense -- dealers, galleries, auction houses, museums, archives, world-class experts -- proved all too permeable.
But if a picture brings esthetic pleasure and is beloved before its fictitious pedigree is exposed, and the only person who loses money is a collector probably wealthy enough to absorb the loss, then where exactly is the problem? As Van Meegeren said at his 1947 trial for forgery about a Vermeer he had faked: ''Yesterday this picture was worth millions of guilders, and experts and art lovers would come from all over the world and pay money to see it. Today, it is worth nothing, and nobody would cross the street to see it for free. But the picture has not changed. What has?''


text:
Recall Notification Report
Recall Notification Report 057-2013
Congressional and Public Affairs
Richard J. McIntire (202) 720-9113
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1, 2013 – Central Valley Meat Company, a Hanford, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 89,720 pounds of ground beef that may contain small pieces of plastic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today.
The following FSIS-regulated products are subject to the expanded recall:
- 40-lb. cases containing 10-lb. chubs of "Fine Ground Beef."
The products bear the establishment number "Est. 6063A" inside the USDA Mark of Inspection. The products were produced on July 23, 2013, and can be further identified by case code "6063A3204A" or "6063A3204B" or "6063A3204C." The products were shipped to distribution centers in Arkansas, Nebraska, and North Carolina and intended for use by the National School Lunch Program.
FSIS sampled the product as part of an on-going investigation. FSIS and the company have received no reports of illness or injury due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an illness or injury should contact a health care professional.
FSIS routinely conducts recall effectiveness checks to verify recalling firms notify their customers of the recall and that steps are taken to make certain that the product is no longer available to consumers.
Media and consumers with questions about the recall should contact Brian Coelho, company general manager, at (559) 583-9624.
Consumers with food safety questions can "Ask Karen," the FSIS virtual representative available 24 hours a day at AskKaren.gov or via smartphone at m.askkaren.gov. "Ask Karen" live chat services are available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. The toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), is available in English and Spanish and can be reached weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day.
For information on how to report a problem with a meat, poultry or processed egg product to FSIS at any time, visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/report-a-problem-with-food. For information about the National School Lunch Program, call 703-305-2281, or visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/food-safety/food-safety.
|USDA Recall Classifications
|Class I
|This is a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that the use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death.
|Class II
|This is a health hazard situation where there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product.
|Class III
|This is a situation where the use of the product will not cause adverse health consequences.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Viciedo Heads a Host of Heroes in Victorious White Sox Home Opener
Regardless of who you may have chosen as today's White Sox "Pick to Click," you could likely make a case for your choice as the Sox celebrated their home opener with a host of heroes in their 5-2 triumph over the powerful Tigers.
Conventional wisdom would seem to be on the side of Dayan Viciedo, who put the Sox ahead 1-0 in the fifth with a long homer over the centerfield fence (pictured above) and made a spectacular catch in left of the bat of Andy Dirks to prevent the tying and go-ahead from scoring with the Sox ahead 3-2. The catch was certainly a game changer.
But how about Alexei Ramirez, whose diving grab behind the second base bag started the key double play off the bat of the dangerous Miguel Cabrera with one out and men on first and third in the eighth inning. Another game changer.
Or how about Jake Peavy, who gave up just two runs in 6 2/3 while striking out eight.
Then there was Paul Konerko who singled in Alejandro De Aza in the sixth for the sec0nd Sox run and A.J. Pierzynski who tripled in Konerko all the way from first for run No. 3.
And we can't forget three others–De Aza who tripled in the eighth and scored on a Brent Morel single to give the Sox a 4-2 advantage (the fifth run scored on a wild pitch) and Hector Santiago, who recorded his third save.
OK, let's give it to Dayan with a bunch of honorable mentions.
Sox note of note: In the category of nothing's perfect, it's interesting to note that the three regulars in today's lineup who weren't very heroic were the same three hitters who had such poor seasons a year ago: Adam Dunn, who K'd four times, Gordon Beckham, who struck out on three occasions, and Alex Rios, who struck out twice. In all fairness, Rios did smack a double and was at the plate when the final Sox run scored on the wild pitch.


text:
Jennifer Nettles' Two Hopefuls Remain in 'Duets' Competition Following First Public Voting
Country music's resident mentor Jennifer Nettles and soul singer Robin Thicke kicked off week 7 of 'Duets' competition with their jazzy rendition of the 1980 Queen rock classic 'Crazy Little Thing About Love,' setting the bar high for a night of live Standards performances from the remaining four hopefuls.
Before the competition even began, one contestant was forced to pack their bags following the first public voting after last week's episode. America voted, and Robin Thicke's teammate Olivia Chisholm was sent home after a shaky version of Lady Antebellum's 'Need You Now' last week. Both of Nettles contestants were safe, accounting for half of the remaining contestants.
Nettles and J Rome took the stage second to perform the Billie Holliday standard 'God Bless the Child,' which the Sugarland singer hoped would show the young hopeful's versatility as a vocalist. Following the soulful performance, the remaining three judges had nothing but positive praise for the clear series frontrunner.
"Oh my gosh — I stood up three times and my foot is killing me," said an injured Kelly Clarkson, who fractured her foot last week following a stumble onstage during a concert. "You're so talented," added Clarkson.
Robin Thicke echoed Clarkson's thoughts, saying, "I have to agree with Kelly. That was a Grammy Award-winning performance right there. It was like you were doing a Billie Holliday tribute — and you were both superstars up there," Thicke added, referring to J Rome's vocal support from Nettles.
After giving J Rome his first taste of constructive criticism last week, John Legend had nothing but compliments for the young singer. "He just murdered that," Legend said following the performance.
"I want this more than anything else in the world," J Rome told the cameras just before taking the stage tonight. "Whether I win or lose this show, this is what I'm supposed to do."
John Glosson had nothing but his support from his family and friends back home in mind tonight as the singer took the stage third to perform the Ray Charles classic 'Georgia on My Mind.' Nettles and Glosson not only share a big-voiced talented — but also love for their hometown of Douglas, Ga. After receiving some constructive criticism from Legend last week, Glosson redeemed himself with his spectacular vocals this week.
"That was the perfect amount, you know," Legend said following the performance, referring to the amount of "syrup" involved in this week's performance. The singer panned Glosson last week, telling the young hopeful that he felt the performance was "too syrupy."
"I love pancakes and I love going to the Waffle House in Georgia," Legend added playfully.
Technical issues kept Clarkson from enjoying the performance fully, but the Texas native gave Glosson the benefit of the doubt considering his good standing in the top half of the contestants this season. "In all honesty, I'm looking forward to watching you on television," admitted the singer, referencing a microphone issue. "I could tell you were singing the heck out of it."
Thicke kept the assessment positive, saying, "That was amazing. The song was perfect for your voice. Jennifer did an amazing job, too," acknowledged the soul singer.
When it comes to landing in the Top 3, Glosson believes the top prize is still up for grabs for any of the four remaining contestants. "It's anyone's chance to win," said the singer. "I'm doing my thing one day at a time."
Nettles echoed Glosson's speculation, saying, "You never know what will happen when America votes."
One hopeful will be sent home at the beginning of next week's episode following the second public voting of the series. Fans hoping to see Nettles' two young proteges in the Top 3 can vote toll-free from landlines.
Call 1-855-952-5002 to vote for J Rome.
Call 1-855-962-5004 to vote for Glosson.
Tune in to ABC next Thursday evening at 7PM CT to find out if both of Nettles' hopefuls make the cut!


text:
Britain's Prince Harry took down his Facebook page after privacy concerns over naked photos of him in Las Vegas were released to the press last week.
Apparently the royals are opening an inquiry about his recent trip to Sin City, according to Australia's The Telegraph. Apparently Harry is worried that more damaging images may show up -- namely allegedly "wilder" antics at Virgin mogul Sir Richard Branson's private Necker Island. His girlfriend, Cressida Bonas, also allegedly chucked him over the photos.
U.S. & World
Britain's The Telegraph also claimed that Prince Harry had also been using another Facebook account with the pseudonym of Spike Wells, which many believe to be a nickname for the prince.
Last week, after the furore and privacy concerns surrounding the publication of naked pictures of the Prince partying in Las Vegas, his advisers reportedly told him to delete his Facebook page. . . . At the same time Mr Wells' Facebook page also vanished from the internet.
We hardly think it's surprising that a famous young man has an alternative account. Actually it's more surprising that Prince Harry had a private account on Facebook at all. It's hardly a very security-conscious decision. It also is a little hard to figure out why the prince's handlers or security detail would allow someone to be taking photos of the prince in various states of undress.


text:
"Do you really think Sam's gonna make me get a tattoo of her face?"
iStakeout is the 20th episode of the first season of iCarly.
PlotAn iCarly webcast draws attention from the Seattle Police Department when a Convenience Store Clerk suspected of making pirated DVDs is caught walking behind "Crazy Fruit Dude" on the segment "Who's That Weirdo in My Neighborhood?" One of the officers in charge of the case is an old bully that Spencer knew from summer camp, named Stuart Stimbler, nicknamed "Spanky." Unfortunately for Spencer, Spanky hasn't changed at all since he was a kid.
In the meantime, the two police officers who are trying to bust the alleged bootleg video ring use the Shay apartment as a post to gather evidence, and bring no results, but end up exploiting the Shay family as much as they can. They eat all the food in their refrigerator, order a pizza using Spencer's credit card, and cancel a webcast after it begins. Spanky also spends much of his time seeking opportunities to spank Spencer (hence his nickname, Spanky), and later takes his obnoxious son on the stakeout, who eats Spencer's special "sock cake", which he made for Socko's birthday, and messes with Carly's PearPod. This causes Spencer to lock the son in a large glass container (with a curtain that can be pulled over it) to stop him causing any more trouble, with Stuart's permission.Frustrated with the police's inability to do anything else but make their lives miserable, Carly, Sam, and Freddie decide to go undercover themselves and enter the convenience store where the videos are being sold. After Carly and Freddie get nowhere attempting to be subtle with the store clerk (played by Curtis Armstrong), Sam comes right out and tells him that she and her friends know about the DVD-ring. The clerk finally reveals that the videos exist, but that they're all homemade pirate movies, not pirated movies, and are incredibly amateurish, to say the least. One copy of the movie convinced the cops that they have nothing on the clerk, so they pack up their equipment and leave.
However, before Spanky gets the chance to leave, Spencer talks him into letting him handcuff him to the couch by telling him that there is an easy way to get out of them. Spencer tells Spanky, "Payback Spanky!", and retaliates for all the torment he had to go through at summer camp, and during the investigation by spanking him back with a broomstick repeatedly. Spanky's son watches happily through the glass container, cheers and giggles as Spencer spanks his father in front of him. Carly, confused about what is happening goes upstairs.
During the police visit, Freddie offers an MPEG of the show that may have had their suspect, which triggers an argument with Sam over the meaning of MPEG. Sam says that MPEG stands for "Moving Picture Experts Group," and Freddie says it stands for "Mega Pixel Electronic Gallery." Both finally try to settle the argument with a bet - the loser must get a tattoo of the other person's face. Freddie looks it up on the Internet and finds that Sam is right.
He is then forced to get a tattoo of Sam's face on his arm, by Sam's cousin Annie, a tattoo artist.
Freddie spends a great deal of time trying to keep the tattoo concealed from his mother, wearing his shirt in their mother-son swimming class and telling his mom he was too old for the bi-weekly body checks she used to give him.
At the end of the episode, Freddie's mom finds out he has a tattoo, and Freddie is dragged to the doctors to have it removed. Carly talks to Sam and reveals to Spencer that the tattoo was fake. Freddie doesn't know the tattoo was fake, but Sam says "the doctor will figure it out".
- The fictional soft drink brands in the episode, Peppy-Cola, and Mocha Cola are parodies of Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
- At one point, a commercial was shown on Nickelodeon where Nathan Kress and Jennette McCurdy were in a car together, and a fan dared Jennette to call her mom and tell her that she got a tattoo. That could be a reference to this episode.
- One of the cashier's DVD, Pirates of the Lima Bee-An, is a parody of the Walt Disney Pictures movie series starring Johnny Depp called, Pirates of the Caribbean.
- In this episode, it was first revealed to Carly and Sam that Freddie's first name was Fredward when his mom called him that after finding he had a tattoo.
- This marks the second time an iCarly webcast has been interrupted by someone of authority. The first time being in iWant a World Record when they are interrupted by men after Freddie's lightbulb broke, causing a gas leak.
- This episode contains two quotes which would eventually be seen on Penny Tees and later on Carly's pillows in her new room: "Church Pants" and "Parole Baby".
- Carly asks if the store clerk has a cheaper copy of Scarlett's Web, which is a parody of the classic children's book, Charlotte's' 'Web.
- Stu Stimbler bears a reference to Wee-man on Jackass.
- When Carly, Freddie, and Sam are in the convenience store and Freddie is about to go up to the guy at the counter, there is a Blix machine behind them. Blix is a drink usually featured in Zoey 101.
- A poster advertising Frazz, a sports drink Quinn Pensky invented on Zoey 101 that was extremely powerful, is on the wall by the clerk's desk in the convenient store
- Carly watches a "bouncy jogger man" through the iCarly studio window, but in "iWant My Website Back," there was an alley right next to the building. But later they could have built the building after "iStakeout"
- The boy picks up a plastic bottle, and when he throws it at the door, it breaks like glass.
- Mrs. Benson addresses Freddie as "Fredward", and Carly repeats the name in surprise as if she is just learning that this is his full name. However in an earlier episode "iPromise not to Tell" at school Sam addresses him as Fredward in Carly's presence, although Sam might not have known at the time and just called him Fredward for fun.
Freddie: Do you really think Sam's gonna make me get a tattoo of her face?
Carly: I don't know, but if she does, won't your mom freak?
Freddie: She freaked when I spilled one tiny drop of mustard on my church pants!
[Carly laughs at what Freddie said]
Freddie: What?
Carly: Church pants.
Carly: [After Sam asks Carly if Freddie lost a bet] I want no part of this. I'd rather watch the bouncy jogger man. [during Freddie getting a tattoo] Oh my God, now he's doing jumping jacks.
Carly: [Grumbling to herself while cleaning up the apartment] Stupid cops... Not cleaning up after themselves... Interrupting our webshow... Making me grumble to myself ...
Sam: Some people just have no manners. [Tosses her soda can on the floor for Freddie to pick up]
Spencer: [To Freddie] Do you know what it's like to be harassed every day by some kid?
Freddie: [Turns to look at Sam]
Sam: [Grins widely, teeth stained by ice pop]
The store clerk: [Picks up a guitar and sings] Camptown ladies sing your song, doo dah, doo dah, Yank my toe till it's 5 miles long, oh the doo dah day! Everybody! Yank my toe all night...
Freddie: Forget it!
Carly: "Aaarrrg"?
The store clerk: That's a pirate word. It means: "Hello", "Goodbye", "Peace." It's like "shalom", only for pirates.
Spencer: Please, don't spank me with my own cucumber!
Freddie: I lost.
Sam: And now my face will forever be a part of your skin. Whaa!
Related iCarly.com blog posts
Carly's blog: WEIRDOS in Our Neighborhood!
Photo Gallery
See photos for this episode here.


text:
From the DiS arrive, this originally appeared on DiS back in 2009 and has been updated over the years....
DiS has hand-picked almost four hours of music to soundtrack your All Hallow's eve and somehow managed to avoid anything as, ahem, obvious as including The Horrors.
On this playlist we've mixed theme tunes from TV shows and songs from horror movie soundtracks with some ghoulishly titled tracks from some of DiS' favourite acts, plus some gothic ridiculousness from Cradle of Filth and found Burroughs reading some Edgar Allan Poe.
Anyway, if you don't know the Spotifriday deal by now you'll need the Spotify software on your computer (download it from spotify.com and then you CLICK THIS PLAYLIST LINK and the tracks magically appear on your computer).
Spotifriday: DiS does Hallowe'en
Mogwai – Kids Will Be Skeletons
Bright Eyes – Devil Town
Kate Bush – Hammer Horror
The Phantom Band – The Howling
TV on the Radio – Wolf Like Me
Health – Die Slow - Zombie Zombie Remix Primal Scream – Miss Lucifer
Zomby – Where Were U In '92?
Guns N' Roses – Sympathy For The Devil
Apocalyptica – Enter Sandman - Instrumental Version
Ray Parker, Jr. – Ghostbusters - Instrumental Version
The Beach Boys – Monster Mash - Live;2001 - Remaster
Cliff Richard – Devil Woman - Live At The Royal Albert Hall; 2004 Digital Remaster
Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London - 2007 Remastered
The Birthday Party – Release The Bats
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – Psychosis Safari
The Jesus Lizard – Thumper
Melvins – Lexicon Devil
Goblin – Death Dies
Slayer – Raining Blood
The Stranglers – The Meninblack (Waiting for 'Em)
Abe Vigoda – Skeleton
The Cramps – I Was A Teenage Werewolf - 1989 Digital Remaster
Mclusky – Dave, Stop Killing Prostitutes
Interpol – Evil - Zane Lowe BBC Session
Nerf Herder – Buffy The Vampire Slayer Theme
The Mother Goose Singers – Count Duckula
Lord Kitchener – Love In De Cemetery
Bauhaus – Bela Lugosi's Dead
Megadeth – She-Wolf - 2004 Digital Remaster Machine Head – The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears
Cradle Of Filth – Hallowed Be Thy Name
Gothminister – Thriller
Marilyn Manson – Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Recoil – Breath Control
Beck – Richard's Hairpiece - Remix By Aphex Twin
Mazzy Star – Ghost Highway
Soap&Skin – X-Ray Heartlard - Fennesz remix
The X-Files – The X-Files
Björk – Pagan Poetry
Annie Lennox – Love Song for a Vampire
Bat For Lashes – The Wizard
The Horror Theme Players – Pyscho (Cover Version)
Munich Symphony – Main Title
Portishead – Sour Times
William S. Burroughs – William S. Burroughs Recites Edgar Allan Poe's The Mask Of The Red Death Suicide – Frankie Teardrop
Spotifriday Playlist: DiS Hallowe'en Special
Oh and one bonus track, which someone informed me of this morning but I couldn't find on Spotify from Aereogramme...
Alternatively, if you think the above is rubbish, you could put on The Twilight Saga: New Moon - Music From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (on Spotify here) ahead of its release, although don't confuse New Moon with this Elliott Smith album, obvs. We know we've probably missed a bunch of obvious tracks, so please feel free to make suggestions or go one better and share your Hallowe'en themed playlist in the comments section below.
Happy trick or treating...


text:
The best Christmas present ever is causing me problems! Researching green house cleaners (actually house cleaning services not the products) has now been added to my VERY long "to do" list. I'm ashamed to say that I knuckled and bumped it to the top. I did so out of selfishness and more than a healthy dose of the need for assistance in digging through the after holiday clutter and confusion.
Before my awakening to the dangers of household cleaning products I might have called the first commercial cleaning service with an impressive ad in the yellow pages. But now I want to know more about what will be left behind after my merry little helpers leave my home.
Here are some questions that I plan to ask all of the green house cleaners that I call.
- Does your company use commercial chemical free products or do you make your own out of baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and the like? If you buy your green cleaning
products can you give me the name of the company?
- Are you bonded? I don't have a lot of valuable stuff but I like to know I'm covered because once upon a time (pre-babies) I had a decorator that dropped a hammer on my brand new Kohler toilet while hanging pictures and found out the hard way that she was not insured.
- Do you hire workers or are your cleaning professionals co-owners of the company? I like the idea of the owner polishing my furniture.
- Will the green house cleaners who visit my home have GREEN cards and speak English? I would prefer that there be no illegals in my house and I want to be able to communicate my needs as we go, if you please.
- What kind of vacuum cleaners and vacuum cleaner filters do you use? If it's not HEPA, it's not happening in my house.
- What do you charge and do you do windows? Even though I won't be paying the green house cleaning crew for several visits, I want to know that once I'm fully and completely addicted to having help that I can afford to keep it coming.
I'm just starting the process of interviewing green house cleaners and I have to make my phonecalls during naptime so it could take awhile but right off the bat I'm pleased to report that there are quite a few household and commercial cleaning services that advertise that their cleaning products are environmentally safe and chemical free.
That's encouraging, but we all know that talk's cheap and they are going to have to prove their claims to me before I let them in the door. If you have questions about who gets the job of becoming my environmentally friendly house cleaners, I'll probably be posting about them on Family Recipes, Babies and Green Parenting Issues in the next few weeks.


text:
Some 500 tubes loaded with pyrotechnics are set to explode over Cortez tonight.
The fireworks show is slated for 9 p.m. Friday at Parque de Vida.
The man behind the city's annual Fourth of July fireworks show, Keenan Ertel had beads of sweat on his brow Tuesday morning as he oversaw a crew of about six volunteers who were wiring up electronic matches on nearly 500 aerial displays.
"There's a cable that comes off the end of the shells into a junction box," Ertel said from his ranch north of town. "That's wired to a main panel where I have 20 different stations to monitor rails that each have 15 queues. Then you start down each row of toggle switches to fire the shells."
That's when the magic happens. Standing 50 feet away, Ertel will send red, white and blue explosions upward of 500 feet into the night air: all to honor the nation's 238th birthday.
"The show will last about 45 minutes," Ertel said.
Asked how much time he exhausted in preparation for the show, Ertel chuckled.
"I couldn't tell you," he said. "A bunch."
"Probably 65 to 70 hours just by myself," he added.
Ertel quickly interrupted the interview to provide his crew, standing atop a ranch trailer loaded with hundreds of shells, with some last minute wiring instructions.
"Lay down a rail there, and put 15 in that," Ertel said, pointing.
"It doesn't matter which one goes in which side?" a pyrotechnic assistant asked about the wiring.
"No," Ertel replied. "Just push down the tab, so you know you got a tight lock on it."
"You got to fold over the end of the wire," another volunteer reminded the crew.
Ertel then walked into a nearby barn and sat on the edge of another trailer. It was covered with a tarp, and loaded with hundreds of other shells.
The 6-inch shells have quarter-size "stars," black powder wrapped inside rice-hulled paper, and the stars inside the 3-inch shells are about the size of a dime.
"A 6-inch shell will go up approximately 550 feet into the air," Ertel explained. "A 3-inch shell will go up about 280."
"When you're firing, you'll set off a few 3-inchers, then maybe a 5 and a 6," he added. "Then you come back down and do some fours and a five. You stage them, so they break off at different altitudes."
Ertel said he was not equipped to choreograph his fireworks shows to music. He said that capability was left to "more professional" pyrotechnic displays with computerized firing sequence software.
"They do stuff that I can only dream up," Ertel said.
A member of the Western Pyrotechnic Association, Ertel is licensed with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; National Fire Protection Association and Colorado Department of Public Safety. He's also bonded with $5 million in liability coverage.
Suffering a few minor burns and singed hair in the past, Ertel said the most dangerous aspect of a pyrotechnic show would be what's called a "flower pot," when the shell explodes inside a waist-high firing tube. The second most dangerous scenario is what's referred to as a "low break," when the star doesn't reach proper altitude and explodes close to the ground.
"That's why we need such a large fallout area," Ertel said.
Ertel also reminded pet owners who live near the park to consider keeping their pets inside during the fireworks show.
"People need to keep their pets protected," Ertel cautioned. "Pets can get spooked and run off."
A Montezuma County Commissioner, Ertel and his colleagues instituted a fire ban on Monday, which prohibits the use of fireworks because of the area's drought conditions. City fire crews will be on hand tonight to ensure public safety.
"Bring a blanket or a chair," Ertel said. "Get comfortable and enjoy the show."


text:
When Is An Image 'Manipulated Enough' To Become An Original Creation?
from the tricky dept
Images manipulated using programs like Photoshop or the GIMP are a familiar sight online. Indeed, the ease with which images can be modified has led to an amazing flowering of this new branch of the visual arts. But like much in the digital world, this brings with it problems. Here, for example, is the interesting case of a competition on the MINI Space site, which is run by BMW as an oblique form of marketing for its Mini car. An article on the PetaPixel photography blog explains what happened when the site invited submissions on the theme of "check-mate" (pointed out to us by @copyrightgirl). Here's "PapiloChessBoard", the photomanipulated image that gained the winner a MacBook Pro laptop:
Pretty impressive. But it later transpired that it was based on the following image by the photographer Kevin Collins:
As PetaPixel explains:
Collins was never contacted for permission, and he never allowed his photo to be manipulated and published without attribution -- much less as an entry in a contest. (He did Creative Commons license the photo, but required that any use carry attribution).
Initially, the MINI Space site seemed untroubled by this fact:
We hear that the contest was contacted by the second place winner regarding the violation. Their response was that the photo was not a violation of the rules or copyright due to the fact that it was "manipulated enough" to qualify as original artwork.
But it seems now to have changed its mind, as an update on the competition page explains:
After the "Check-Mate" winners were announced, it came to our attention that the first place entry was in violation of our competition rules. MINI Space values its community above all else, and as such, the original winning entry "PapiloChessBoard" has been disqualified retroactively.
Since the original photo's attribution was not included, there's no doubt that the modified image breaches the CC licensing terms, even though they were hardly onerous. But leaving that aside for the moment, this episode does raise the interesting question of when a modified image is "manipulated enough" by software to become a new creation in its own right. Of course, that's not a new question, but the ease with which photomanipulation can now be carried out to create complex re-workings of existing images means that it's one that is likely to be posed increasingly frequently.
Follow me @glynmoody on Twitter or identi.ca, and on Google+
Filed Under: copyright, image manipulation


text:
European summer lovely girl v-neck women ruffles sleeves sweet floral lady mini chiffon dress back invisible zipper cf buttonss
Professional Manufacturer for OEM & ODM Service
Product Specification:
Production Images:
About us:
Guangzhou Dongfan Garment Factory established in 2007 is a professional manufactory of garment, we produce women's clothes, men's clothes, children's clothes, such as skirt, dress, T-shirt, shirt, blouse, uniform, romper suit, suit, coat, jacket, pants, swimsuit, sports clothes, adult onsite etc
We have been exporting garment for more than 7 years, 80% of our products are made for oversea market. Our factory is closed to the Zhongda textile and garment raw material market, which is one of the world biggest garment and textile market, and rich in production experience, we can provide you with high quality products with competitive prices.
Some famous brand companies have been cooperating with us for a long time. Our major market is USA, Canada, Russia, UK, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, the Middle East, and Hong Kong etc.
Welcome you to visit our factory in Guangzhou City, our address is: Floor 4 No.2 Jingye Industrial Zone, Nanzhou Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China.
Please tell us the color name you want, if there is no color you want in my color chart, please show us your color before order. Sincere computer screens have chromatic aberrations, especially between CRT screen and LCD screen; I cannot guarantee that the color of our dress will be exactly the same as the photographs you saw.
1.Q:Do you have a factory? A:Yes,we have our facotry,We are one of the most professional customized service companies in China, We have professional team of workers ,service and inspection.
2.Q:Where is your company located? How can I visit there? A:Our company is located in Guangzhou City, Guagdong Province, China.
3. Q:which item is your main item?A:We are selling good quality women,children and clothing, jackets, coats, jeans, t-shirts, pants, polo, shirts, sweater, pullovers, skirts, blouses, etc.
4. Q:How about the sample?A: we will provide sample to you if you need, the sample cost can be refund when you confirm your order,If you purchase desire, but the freight is on your charge.
5. Q:what's your advantage?a.We have a very good reputation in this business circleb.Good qualityc.professional designers service for you
d.Our factory neary by Zhongda fabric,one of the biggest fabric market this area.We can hele you purchase the fabric quilkly.
Welcome to inquiry~
Thank you!


text:
"A book no household should be without."—Sanjay Gupta, MD
"The Empowered Patient is a must-read for everyone. Elizabeth Cohen reveals insider knowledge about the uncertainty of medicine—things every doctor knows—and then helps you steer a clear path to health!"—Christiane Northrup, MD, author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom
"Elizabeth Cohen offers guidance to get the most from your doctor, your insurance company, and even your medicine. This book will hold your hand, make you smart, and may even save your life."—Nancy Snyderman, MD, chief medical editor, NBC News


text:
Law Enforcement has specific surveillance needs: a clear image, optimal storage capabilities, and ease of exporting and playing back video without degradation. With Axis' mission to create a smarter, safer world, the duty of law enforcement and investigation especially resonates. Whether your aim is protecting people or property, we offer network video solutions to help deter, proactively prevent, and investigate potential disturbances. With the use of Axis network video you can:
Also, video surveillance can be an enormous asset to first responders. With high quality images, you can play back video to see the sequence of events, as well as proactively survey an area before sending in first responders. Image quality and usability is arguably one of the most important features of any video system, and Axis IP video solutions adeptly support you where lives and property are at risk.


text:
If you've tried this recipe please rate it!
Eat and Enjoy!
Traditional Greek food as cooked by Greek mothers!! Delicious and easy recipes!!
Hi. Didn´t know this recipe.
It´s similar to our chicken soup "Canja" until you add the eggs.
A bit off topic: I have a gift for you in Portuguese Menu. You don´t have to blog about it if you don´t want, I just like your blog and thought I could share the awards with my favorite food blogs.
A good Sunday. Mizé.
This soup looks so thick with an easy recipe & all rich ingredients.
thank you!! :-)
We love soups in winter, warming nourishing and usually make my own. This one looks so thick and my kids like thick one too. I would give it a try.
My yiayia always beat the egg whites first when making avgolemono. I always thought it was an unnecessary extra step but I made give it a try again.
Excellent recipe! Death Ave, Estiatorio in NYC makes their soup very similar and we love them for it. The only noticable difference is that they use brown rice. Anyways we followed your recipe and it was almost the same ;)
The simple truth is I like this article, the author's writing was very honest, very clever writing skills.
Books and Manual
Hi. Didn´t know this recipe.
It´s similar to our chicken soup "Canja" until you add the eggs.
Revo Uninstaller Pro v3.1.5 Patch
It looks really yummy i really like any kind of soup but once i tried hot and sour soup recipe found on internet was just mouthwatering. Thank you so much for sharing such a nice post.
This is it !!! The real deal :):):):) authentic .... :):):)


text:
Write Your Own Success
While writing can often be a lonely journey, publishing your book doesn't have to be. You and your work—be it a novel, true-to-life story, poetry collection, or children's tale—can get all the publishing, marketing, and bookselling support here at Xlibris.
Xlibris has the expertise to guide you all the way:
Publishing Packages, Editorial Services, Add-On Services, and Marketing Services
Get Started
Our FREE publishing guide will walk you through the self-publishing process as well as outline the superior publishing, editorial & book marketing services.
It's all about our authors
Author Videos
Become inspired by Xlibris authors sharing how their dream books became a reality, motivating advice for writers and future authors, and how their books are making an impact on others.
The self-publishing route has many completion tasks along the way to a published book. Browse our helpful and detailed articles guiding you toward the self-publishing finish line with ease.
Xlibris has assisted hundreds of writers become published authors. Come dive into a world of reading, discover thousands of our authors' special books, and perhaps find your next read.


text:
Rocky Point Resort is a charming resort and perfect for romantic getaways and intimate weekends.
The resort is located in Thapsakae district, Prachuap Khirikhan province, Thailand.
This private resort presents countryside architectural design and offers scenic views of rocky frontage and blue sea.
All rooms are surrounded with views of tropical gardens.
It takes about four hours drive down south of Bangkok or only about one hour and a half more after passing Hua Hin and Pranburi Prachuap Khirikhan province, Thailand.
Superior RoomThere are 4 rooms suitable for 2 persons with twin bed or one bed room. The area requirement is 28.70 square meters.
Deluxe VillaThere are 6 Deluxe Villas suitable for 2 persons .The area requirement is 41.5 square meters with its private balcony and its outdoor garden shower.
Deluxe Villa Pool SideDeluxe Villa Pool Side there are 5 Deluxe rooms suitable for 2 persons.
The Area requirement is 41.5 square meters with its private balcony and outdoor garden shower.
Sea SuiteThere is only one suite room fits for 2 persons with a king-sized bed. The area requirement is 61.5 square meters with its private balcony.
Family Villa, 2 BedroomsThere is also only one Family 2 Bedrooms with king-sized beds. The area requirement is 102.5 square meters suited for 4 up to 6 persons.
|Rocky Kitchen
|Rocky Kitchen
|Sea Food
Swimming Pool:
|Swimming Pool
|Beach Chair
Talu Island
The most beautiful of a rich marine life here, is an attraction to bring a lot of visitors coming and visiting the pure and beautiful nature. There are shallow snorkeling areas here.
A Sky Heaven
Wat Thang Sai is located at Thong Chai Mountain there is a large Buddha statue worth seeing at the top of the hill - Pra Phu Takitti Siri Chai and Pra Maha Tat Jede Pukde Prakad.
Surrounded by a Thai traditional way of life. The warm welcome will be extended to the visitors by the local people and they will feel comfortable, relaxed and far away from the usual hard time and their busy life.
|Snorkeling at Talu Island
|Biking by bicycles
|Rocky Point Resort is situated about 40 kilometers down of the city of Prachup Khirikhan and 365 kilometers of Bangkok. Rocky Point Resort is the beach-front resort, fascinatingly located in a 13-Rai of a parcel of coconut farmland. There are 16 guestrooms, each of them right by the sea and the rocks from which the resort gets from its name. Each building of the resort is uniquely constructed with its one-of-a-kind appealing design. Here is looking to draw holidaymakers wanting to escape the crowds.


text: Make it clear to the competition that your Sooners spirit won't be rattled by colder temps or their pitiful excuse for "team spirit" when you sport the Bump 'N Run hoodie sweatshirt from Nike. With unique features like a chenille applique logo horizontal stripes with a tonal team name overlay and a contrast hood this cozy fleece sweatshirt boasts that you don't settle for anything less than extraordinary. Plus the hidden mp3 pocket tucked into the front pouch pocket allows you to jam out to your favorite tunes or listen to your daily sports podcasts when you're on the go. As the competition flees the stands in defeat you can stand tall and proud knowing you're representing Oklahoma's undeniable prowess on the field.


text:
- Swiss officials announced today that Roman Polanski won't be extradited to the United States until L.A. courts make a "decision on the question of an in absentia trial." For now, he'll remain under house arrest at his Swiss chalet.
- Last month a State Superior Court judge ruled that Polanski must return to the U.S. for sentencing, but earlier a California appeals court suggested he didn't need to be present. "When the question is still open, why should he be extradited?" said the Swiss official. "As long as the question is still open, our decision depends on that." [LAT, NYT]
- Pierce Brosnan, who stars in Roman Polanski's new film The Ghost Writer, says when he heard about his arrest, "I was shocked. I was very disappointed and saddened by his arrest. I wondered why now, after such a long time? ... I was very upset for his family, for his children." [Reuters]
- John Mayer already apologized for using the "N-word" in his Playboy interview, and now GLADD wants him to apologize for using the "F-Word". The group said in a statement, "Just as Mayer indicated in his apology, that he meant no offense in his use of the racist slur, we hope the intent behind his use of the F-word was not malicious. As a public figure with millions of fans, Mayer should be more cognizant of the impact his casual use of both slurs can have." Mayer used the word when describing why he kissed Perez Hilton in 2007 saying, "I can outgay this guy right now. I grabbed him and gave him the dirtiest, tongue-iest kiss I have ever put on anybody — almost as if I hated f**s." [Us]
- The stripper who reportedly claimed she was having Josh Duhamel's baby now insists she's not pregnant. "Apparently, because of mistakes I made in the past they feel I'm fair game and can print whatever lies they want just to sell magazines – I want this to stop now," she says. "This has not only hurt me but other innocent parties, including my children, who have to deal with the bully tactics of other children – that is not fair." [TMZ]
- Anchor Bay Entertainment has acquired the distribution rights to Brittany Murphy's final film Abandoned. "Releasing this young actress's last film is both an honor and bittersweet," says company president Bill Clark. "It was important…that the timing of this release be right, because we're sensitive to such a tragic loss.... However, we also recognize that Brittany's fans will want to see her amazing work." [E!]
- Apparently Justin Timberlake didn't accept Gabourey Sidibe's invitation to the Oscars — she's bringing her mom as her date. [People]
- Unless Jaimee Grubbs slept with Tiger Woods and George Clooney at the same time, we do not care. [Radar]
- Evander Holyfield has agreed to go to marriage counseling with his wife Candi, so she's agreed to as the court to lift her temporary protective order against him. [Radar]
- A tax lien was filed against Terrence Howard to the tune of $1 million. That could buy a lot of baby wipes. [Daily Express]
- 200 villagers in Malawi refused to move from a plot of land where Madonna wants to build a $15 million school for girls, but the government has sided with Madonna and they'll be forced to move. [HuffPo]
- Radar reports that a naked photo of Snooki has surfaced on "a website." The photo shows Snooki in her bedroom on her knees, but it's "strategically posed, hiding much of Snooki's body." [Radar]
- Courtney Love missed Hole's first London gig in 11 years when a riot broke out in an empty mansion, preventing her from leaving her hotel. [Spinner]
- Russell Brand has already signed on to star in the remake of Arthur and apparently "everyone is desperate" for Meryl Streep to play Arthur's valet. [Showbiz 411]
- Carnie Wilson is appearing on Dr. Oz because she says she wants help losing the 60 pounds she put on during her pregnancy. "I have to be a teacher to my daughters," she says. "Lola started to notice commercials on TV with people who are trying to lose weight, and she looks at me. She's thinking about this stuff, and it's getting to her." [People]
- Shar Jackson, who is on the new season of Celebrity Fit Club, says the put on weight when Kevin Federline abruptly left her for Britney Spears. "People seem to know me as K-Fed's baby mama," Shar said. "I want somebody to come into my life and not bring up the same thing, 'How's Kevin? How's Britney?'" [Radar]
- Yes, Nadya Suleman is in talks with the Game Show Network to host a dating game show. [Radar]
- Catherine Zeta-Jones is at the top of PETA's annual worst dressed list because, "With her creepy cow-skin pants, ugly fox coat, and icky alligator bag, Catherine Zeta-Jones looks like she's working her way through Noah's ark with a knife. Maybe she's trying to get into character for an upcoming role as a serial killer - or a taxidermist." [Access Hollywood]
- The Danville, California jewelry store that's selling donated gems to raise money for Jaycee Dugard through a program called "Jewels For Jaycee" has been flooded with calls and donations. The proceeds are going to the East Bay Fellowship Church, which has been paying Dugard's rent for the past few months. [Radar]
- Tim Gunn says of Heidi Klum, "I don't know how she does it. She really is Superwoman. I don't have even one quarter of what she has on her plate, and I always feel like I'm a hair shy of a psychotic breakdown."[People]
- Eric Dane says when Rebecca Gayheart gives birth, "I'll be in the room. I'm going to stay close to my wife and make sure that she is all right. I'm really excited. I'm also very interested." Not interesting: That comment. [People]
- Jerry Seinfeld says his new show The Marriage Ref is, "Definitely a talk show, definitely a comedy show, definitely has stand-up, definitely has a reality element. Put them all in a blender... I can't wait to put the show out there. It's like I found some bizarre precious gem and want to show it to people and say, 'Look at this thing I found in the dirt!'" [Parade]
- Judah Friedlander says the last think he saw on Broadway was, "Carrie Fisher's show Wishful Drinking. That chick fuckin' rocks. Easily the best one-person show I've ever seen. Legitimately funny, heavy, and serious at the same time, without ever pandering, being cheesy, manipulative, or forced. Carrie's the real deal - a great writer and a great performer - and naturally funny." [New York Magazine]
More from Jezebel
See, the problem is that John Mayer has a gay-pride-parade heart but a Focus on the Family dick.


text:
Best Lip Balm
Big hips and cracked lips we all know some of us have these types of problems. While we can't help with the big hips, we've got you covered with the lips. Grab your coffee, it's time to talk the best lip balm! Are you sick of all those store bought lip balms? Trying with no luck to find lip balms with more natural and organic ingredients? Maybe you're just trying to find a cool and unique gift to give your friends and family? Or maybe you're even looking for a fun favor for future parties? Well then you have most definitely come to the right place!
Here at Nature's Garden, we have an awesome solution to your problems! We actually have kits for you to make your own lip balm! Great right?! Our lip balm base is 100% natural, and many of our ingredients are certified organic. On our home page, on the very top underneath Bath Supplies, select Bath and Body Kits. That will show you all of the bath and body kits we offer. (However, if you would like just the lip balm kits, type lip balm kits into our search bar on the top left corner of our site.) We have four different lip balm kits that you can choose from. There are so many different options of lip balm out there, our Lip Balm kits even include a vegan option for all you vegans out there! We also have Chocolate Avocado, and Strawberry Cheesecake! Who wouldn't want Strawberry Cheesecake lip balm?! I mean that's just totally awesome! Our kits will make everything as easy as possible for you, we even include complete directions in them! You also can go all through our site and purchase all of the products separately.
What if the recipes in the kits we offer don't appeal to you? Well, on the bottom left hand side of our site, there is a Lip Balm Recipes option. (You can also type Lip Balm recipes into our search bar.) That will take you to many more recipe options for lip balm! Our newest addition is our Honey Vanilla Lip Balm! You should definitely try it out! We also offer a recipe for a lip balm made with our Monkey Farts flavoring. There is even a Chocolate Peppermint lip balm recipe! And it gets even better! Not only do we offer lip balm recipes, we also offer recipes for lipsticks, lip gloss, and even sugar lip scrub!
Your friends and family will definitely love your homemade lip balms! They will be such a cool gift or future party favors! If it is your first time experimenting with lip balms, definitely purchase one of our kits with its complete directions. You will have so much fun with all the excitements of your lip balm that you will want to make it over and over again! Please don't hesitate to contact us here at Nature's Garden with any questions or concerns you may have. We are here to help you succeed! Keep posted for more Enlightened by Layla posts!


text:
I am looking to start digitizing my work by re-drafting it from sketch books. This question is less about specs and hardware and more about the feel of the media, both in terms of mechanical pencils/micro-point rollerballs (my two primary media which I will be replicating) and the computer hardware.
This is specifically about digitizers as opposed to tablets solutions.


text:
COVID-19 updates
Quality CareFind out why Mayo Clinic is the right place for your health care. Make an appointment.
Meet the StaffFind a directory of doctors and departments at all Mayo Clinic campuses. Visit now.
Research and Clinical TrialsSee how Mayo Clinic research and clinical trials advance the science of medicine and improve patient care. Explore now.
Visit Our SchoolsEducators at Mayo Clinic train tomorrow's leaders to deliver compassionate, high-value, safe patient care. Choose a degree.
Professional ServicesExplore Mayo Clinic's many resources and see jobs available for medical professionals. Get updates.
Philanthropy at Mayo ClinicYour support accelerates powerful innovations in patient care, research and education. Give today.
Subscribe to Housecall
Our general interest e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.
Canned pumpkin puree is available all year. When pumpkins are in season, however, you can make your own puree by roasting a small pie pumpkin and processing the flesh in a blender or food processor.
In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup water over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Don't let onion dry out.
Add remaining water, pumpkin, broth, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and cook until hot. Don't boil.
Ladle soup into warmed bowls and garnish with black pepper and green onion tops. Serve immediately.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.
Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below.
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization and proceeds from Web advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any of the third party products and services advertised.
A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.


text:
Launch of the Volvo V60 and Volvo V40 boosts Volvo Car Corporation's growth towards 200,000 cars in China
Volvo Car Corporation is one of the fastest growing luxury car brands in China - and the journey towards selling 200,000 cars per year in the world's most dynamic car market continues in 2012. "The introduction of the Volvo V60 and the all-new Volvo V40 will help us maintain the desired growth momentum," says Freeman Shen, Senior Vice President Volvo Car China Operations.
Last year Volvo Car Corporation sold over 47,000 cars in China, an increase of more than 55 percent compared with 2010. At the Beijing Auto Show, Volvo Car Corporation presents two valuable additions to the company's model line-up.
Combining luxury, fun and functionality
The Volvo V60 is a luxurious, sporty and exciting-to-drive Sports Activity Vehicle for customers who understand and appreciate both fun and functionality.
"In addition to a great driving experience the Volvo V60 offers the owner rational functionality, the opportunity to enjoy life together with friends and family. It is a perfect choice for true car enthusiasts," says Freeman Shen. He adds:
"The all-new Volvo V40 is a premium hatchback that offers the same virtues as the V60 - in a slightly more compact package. It has an outstanding, beautiful design and it is charged with sophisticated features you normally have to buy a large car to get."
Second home market
China is Volvo Car Corporation's second home market. The company's full-fledged business operations in Shanghai include product development, design, purchasing and staff support functions.
"We are also expanding our retailer network and our industrial system to provide a growing number of Chinese buyers with Scandinavian luxury cars, accompanied by first-class service and hospitality. Our recruitment continues with more talented people joining us. Currently we have close to 800 employees working for Volvo Car Corporation in China." says Freeman Shen.
A Volvo manufacturing plant in Chengdu is the next step in Volvo Car Corporation's ambitious industrial strategy. This new plant will be up and running in the second half of 2013 and will have a production capacity of more than 100,000 cars per year.
"Our co-operation with New York Knicks' rising basketball star Jeremy Lin is another milestone in the continuous strengthening of our brand position in China. As our new Brand Ambassador, Jeremy Lin will participate in corporate and marketing activities. He will also appear in advertising," concludes Freeman Shen.