1 Forge Magazine

EDITORIAL

For two years now we have enjoyed bringing the

best of the virtual world with the real world to all

the readers of Forge Magazine.

We are proud that we get to release our two

year anniversary edition with our long time standing sup-

porters and greeting in our new supporters. To the new

supporters, we say welcome to Forge and to the long

time supporters, we say thank you for sticking with us

even when it seemed the darkest.

We would like to remind our readers that anything we

put in this magazine is thoroughly researched and will

have facts involved. This does not always mean that

our supporters agree with the facts or the opinionated

pieces. So please, if there are any issues with an article

in the magazine, contact Forge and not the supporters.

With that being said, on behalf of the staff of Forge Pub-

lications, I present to you the 2 year anniversary edition

of Forge Magazine.

CEO of Forge PublicationsEditor of Forge MagazineAngelic Leigh

CEO of Dark Desires PublicationsEditor of After DarkTwistedMep

CEO of Forge PublicationsEditor of OhEmmGeeSinner Leigh

Writers:BelladonnaofDeathRunesKavainMithrilKittehAlliSoullessMisery

Models:ToxicTrollingSoullessMiseryTwistedMepAngelicLeigh

PR:DespinaDoveTriviani

Blogger:StormCross

© 2014 Forge Publications. All Rights Reserved.

Staff

April 2014

CONT ENTS

41

65

91

Should have been switched

14 years in the making

LoveA Timeless

47. Bullying: How far is to far

53. Flagging Vs. DMCA

73. A Gold Heart

85. Business Tips

105. VIP Equals Guinea Pig

111. Pro Vs. Junior

8Forge Magazine

13

59 7919. Working Together

22. What is and What Could Be

35. Democrat Vs. Republican

112. The Dangers of File Sales

117. Arbor Day

123. Artist of the Month

133. What Do You Think?

137. The Pink Moon

138. Jealousy is Unbecoming cont.143. Reinventing Disney

161. The Empire Speaks Out

173. Writer’s Block

185. Skin Cancer

186. Art Nook

202. Food Court

219. New Danger for IMVU

225. State Sovereignty

226. Yearbook

13 Forge Magazine

Alisa’s Butterflies

On an election day ripe with ques-

tions for a Republican Party politically

wounded by a government shutdown,

torn between competing factions and

struggling to find its footing a year

after a disappointing loss to President Obama, this

much was certain: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was the

GOP’s man of the hour.

Christie decisively won a second term in office in a

heavily Democratic state, a victory that will boost his

national brand and stoke talk about a potential run for

president.

Just after polls closed Tuesday evening, the Associated

Press called the race in Christie’s favor. Speaking about

40 minutes after polls closed Tuesday, Democrat Barbara

Buono told her supporters she had called Christie to

congratulate him.

The governor’s long-expected victory offered a way for-

ward for the moderate wing of the GOP on a day that

threatened to stoke intra-party discord and raise new

questions about Republican candidates.

Alisa’s Butterflies

19 Forge Magazine

WorkingTogether

The biggest issue that some

feel is on IMVU is that there

is too much fighting be-

tween the creators and not

enough team work. We at

Forge were pleased to find

that four creators were working together.

The great thing is, none of these creators

are romantically involved with each other,

even though there are some rumors go-

ing around about Geo and DrlzzT. These

great developers are Pro developers in

our eyes whether some have the nifty little

pro badge by their name in the shop or

not.

We were able to sit down with all four of

these wonderful creators to ask them a

few questions.

AngelicLeigh: How long have you been a creator on IMVU?

msSlinkySilks: nearly seven years, Ang... this JuneGoodLife: On and off now for about six years. I started seriously creating about three years ago.DRlZZT: close to 3 years.. started in sep of 2010Geo: Eight years this year AngelicLeigh: So all of you are pro devs and have worked together on different projects. Have you found it difficult to work with each other? GoodLife: Geo is a perfectionist.. its an-noying. just playingDRlZZT: no he isn’tGoodLife: We had fun doing the Pavone setmsSlinkySilks: i haven’t found it difficult, yetDRlZZT: the sad part is Geo isn’t the one that really picks everything apartGeo: lol.. i know i ammsSlinkySilks: most of the time, it’s bad Tim-ing, not bad attitudesDRlZZT: the sad part is Geo isn’t the one that really picks everything apartGeo: rofl ikrGeo: I’m not sure about the rest of them...

but my orders list never gets shorterGeo: and I’m so ocdDRlZZT: they make me.. cause everyone else is too scared to say boo to them. i get to be the ass hole who says.. this doesn’t line up,, that doesn’t flow right.. blah blah blah.Geo: i spend most of my working time on Skype with drizz and GL.. so i can say drizz tell them this or that when I’m multi-tasking and failing badly at it. AngelicLeigh: Now how does the collabo-ration get inspired? msSlinkySilks: someone gets a bright idea :)DRlZZT: normally one of goes “Hey i got an idea” and it gets passed aroundmsSlinkySilks: and the rest punch he/she in the arm until the idea stands on it’s own merits :)DRlZZT: most of the time it’s me cause i have a very messed up imaginationGeo: well for the new model walks with Vicki... she was the best at animations so we went to hermsSlinkySilks: well i was already remaking model walks, Geo ... just had to make few more :)

Geo: see timing!! AngelicLeigh: Now we have heard other collaborators that are usually in a rela-tionship and how they go sour. How do you all keep it to where you are all still good friends and not let business get in the way? Geo: you have to realize ... and I’m sure we all do... that we have bad days as well as good...DRlZZT: i don’t.. i’m perfectGeo: and if anyone is grumpy they get put in a cornerDRlZZT: i Never loose my cool and I’m humble to.Geo: GL gets put on time outGoodLife: Drizzt is fibbing for one. Drizzt yells on Skype. We put him in time out as well AngelicLeigh: So safe to say D hasn’t came out of the corner yet? Geo: yepGoodLife: lol.. no he hasn’tGeo: thats why he is over thereAngelicLeigh: So we’ve heard so much

21 Forge Magazine

controversy with Pro and Junior Devs. Knowing that one is a Junior Dev with Pro work, can you debunk the theory that Pro devs forget the lesser tiered Devs? msSlinkySilks: well Ang.. i don’t grade people by their Tier level... it’s not ac-curate to talent and skillsGeo: i agree with silksDRlZZT: `chuckles~Geo: there are some amaz-ing lower tier devs out theremsSlinkySilks: gaining a tier point by submission a few hundred stolen products ... that’s not a reflection of talent or skillGeo: they just have to be seenmsSlinkySilks: that’s where tiers is also unfair measure :D AngelicLeigh: It is wonder-ful to see creators work together on respective projects and that there is trust there. Is it safe to say that the collaboration will continue in the future? Geo: oh for sureDRlZZT: i don’t see why it would’t continue. AngelicLeigh: Do you have any advice to other cre-ators in the manner of working together that you have learned? DRlZZT: don’t be afraid of other devs so much.. for every 1 who’s an ass and a thief there are 5 more

that aren’tmsSlinkySilks: yes.. Use Man-nersGeo: create to your strengths... not someone else;smsSlinkySilks: how each talks to each other, how we re-late to others, tactics used in disagreements... all key to High CommunicationDRlZZT: be honest and up front with people and don’t let your ego over ride your skills

35 Forge Magazine

There has been so

much controversy

when it comes

to politics. Many

people do not

even know which side to

pick anymore. Personally, I

choose Bugs Bunny because

while both parties hold valid

points, I have hopes that my

country would be United as

it once was and sadly the

two respective parties of

Democrats and Republicans

have torn apart.

So let’s break down the

viewpoints of each politi-

cal party so that way when

the next elections come up

then you know which party

represents you best or if you

want to do a write in on the

ballots.

Be Informed before you go to the

polls to vote. Find out if you would

fit better as a Democrat or a Re-

publican.

DEMOCRAT Vs

Republican

36Forge Magazine

DEMOCRAT REPUBLICANPhilosphy: LiberalEconomic Ideas: Favors minimum wages and progressive taxationStand on Military Issues: Decreased spendingStand on gay marriage: SupportStand on abortion: should not be made illegal; supports Roe v. WadeStand on Death penalty: equally support and opposedSocial and human ideas: based on community and social responsibilityTraditionally strong in states: California, MassachusettsSymbol: DonkeyColor: BlueFounded in: 1824Website: www.democrats.orgSenate Leader: Harry ReidChairperson: Debbie Wasserman SchultzFamous Presidents: Franklin Roosevelt, JFK, Bill Clinton, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama

Philosophy: ConservativeEconomic Ideas: believe taxes shouldn’t be increased for anyone (including the wealthy) and that wages should be set by the free market.Stand on Military Issues: Increased spendingStand on gay marriage: opposeStand on abortion: should not be legal; oppose Roe v. WadeStand on Death penalty: a large majority of Republicans support the death penalty.Social and human ideas: Based on individual rights and justiceTraditionally strong in states: Oklahoma, Kansas, TexasSymbol: ElephantColor: RedFounded in: 1854Website: www.gop.comSenate Leader: Mitch McConnellChairperson: Reince PriebusFamous Presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Richard Nixon

41 Forge Magazine

“We’ve b

een throug

h so m

uch we’ll b

e friends fo

r

the rest of o

ur lives. We co

uldn’t im

agine no

t being

there for ea

ch other in so

me w

ay.”

The times have changed since my generation

were kids. In the days I grew up, we identified

people by their sexuality. If you liked the op-

posite sex than what you were, you were called

straight, if you liked the same sex you were gay.

There were no gray areas that we knew of then. Now, a

whole new ball park opened up to define people.

Can you imagine being a teenager and literally not

feeling right in your own skin? Well for two teens, Ka-

tie Hill and Arin Andrews, this was their lives. Katie was

born a male and Arin was born a female. Both felt that

something was amiss when Katie wanted to wear pretty

clothes and Arin acted more of a tomboy. What’s the big

deal in this?

It would take a bit for both teens to realize that in their

hearts, they were not supposed to have been born in

the bodies that they had. So the transition began. Where

Katie’s was a little more simpler at the first stages than

Arin’s none were any less confusing to help them through

the process. Katie had to begin taking hormones to help

Should Have Been

Switched

42Forge Magazine

“We have a very

unique bond be-

cause we’ve been

through the same

stuff, even though

it was in opposite

directions.”

become more feminine while Arin took hormones to be-

come more masculine. Arin, having to take Testasterone

hormones, began to fill out as a man would. However,

there was two issues. One was that he did not have

male genitals and the second was he still had his female

breasts. For Katie, she had to go through gender reas-

signment surgery to remove her male genitals.

The two began dating while the transition was going on.

However, because of multiple reasons, the two separated

and remained good friends. Both have memoirs being

published speaking about their respective transitions

and what is next for them.

47 Forge Magazine

Why is it that it is easier to be hateful to someone that is

different than it is to be nice? Why is it easier to make fun

of someone, start drama on a website, or say the cruelest

things instead of getting the help that is needed?

I have seen in the past month how nasty some people

can get when you share either an unpopular opinion or a

proven fact that did not bode in someone’s favor. We for-

get to easily that there are other people on the other side

of the screen and we say things that we were all raised

never to say. I know I was raised to do unto others as i

would have done unto me. But honestly, it seems that the

morals that we were all taught by our parents, grandpar-

ents, uncles, aunts, or whatever the case may be has gone

BULL

YIN

G: H

OW

FA

R IS

TO

FA

R?

48Forge Magazine

out the window when it comes to protecting ourselves or expressing our opinions.

I suppose the worst part of this is knowing that most of the comments that I saw post-

ed came from grown adults that obviously have nothing better to do than tear others

down because their own lives are miserable. I mean isn’t that what any psychologist

will tell you when you talk about these issues in therapy? How about trying to report

these mean and hurtful things to the websites? Did you know most of the reports that I

made personally on some of these conversations came back as saying “Nothing wrong

with the content?” How is there nothing wrong with telling someone that they should kill

themselves and that they would send a bullet personally for that person to use? To me

that is just appalling.

In my personal opinion, any person that commits to bullying another person into sui-

cide should be held just as guilty as if they killed the person personally. Then of course,

we also have the lovely people that do not take the bullying into their own hands but

give information out to others in hopes that they would do it for them. Even if it looked

like a mistake in identity, a person was still found to give out a female’s personal infor-

mation out that included her name, where she lived, her phone number, and pictures of

her children.

So I ask you, the readers, what are your opinions on bullying? When do you feel that

bullying goes to far or does it go too far just by even posting the first comment that

can be sometimes as painful as the other posts?

53 Forge Magazine

Learn the difference be-

tween flagging items and

DMCA’ing them. Also learn

the concequences for

falsely flagging an item.

There has been

a lot of things

going on IMVU

within the creator

community. The

biggest issue is theft. The

second is false flagging on

products. So let’s clear up

some possible misunder-

standings when it comes to

the flagging process and

the DMCA process.

The first time that we see

the flagging area is when

we are in peer review. This

flagging process is to let

IMVU know how to rate the

product appropriately. The

rates are simple. The first

is General Audience (GA).

This is were anyone can

FlaggingVS

DMCA

54Forge Magazine

view it regardless if they

are an adult or under the

age of 18.

The second rate is Acess

Pass Only (AP). This is

where the item is not suit-

able for anyone under the

age of 18. This could be

because of alcohol, sexual,

or violent content.

The last rate is unsuitable

for IMVU (UFI). This is where

it violates TOS, promotes

hate crimes, harm to minors,

etc. This will cause the item

to be banned from the

shop and removed com-

pletely from the servers. Yes,

this includes your inventory.

Now the other time we see

flagging is when we are in

the shop. There are many

people that have used

this method in order to

get payback on someone

that angers them. Most of

the time the complaints

come from beginner to

junior devs about beign

flagged for no reason.

Well never fear when it

comes to flagging. Usu-

ally the worst thing that

happens is that an item

you have made will be

rerated to either GA or

AP. Very rarely are they

removed.

Now DMCA is the process

that a creator does in

order to remove an item

from IMVU because of

stolen content. This could

be textures, meshes, etc.

The initial process is about

two weeks long and it’s

a pain to wait but it is

needed. Now there are two

determinations that can

be made. One is that the

DMCA goes through and

the item is removed. The

other is when the crea-

tor being accused of the

theft files a counter DMCA.

This holds up the process.

Now, if the determination

comes back in the favor

of the other creator and

not you, don’t fear. Just hire

an attorney for that’s the

second step of the DMCA

process.

Hope this helps.

59 Forge Magazine

One of the

major

issues

that sur-

round us

on IMVU is the fact that

underage people still find

ways of getting Access

Pass on the website. For

those that are not famil-

iar with IMVU, Access Pass

allows a person to view

and participate in adult

content on the 3D chat cli-

ent. Now many have been

outraged because of their

rights being taken away by

IMVU of having adult con-

tent on the client. So here

is the 411 on how to get

Access Pass on IMVU now.

Where it was not a require-ment to get the age verifi-cation when I started on the site in 2010, IMVU has now made it mandatory to get the age verification token before the purchase of Ac-cess Pass can be done. Now the token has to be bought in either two ways. The first way is by making the pur-chase through a cell phone. This will allow IMVU to see the account holder’s name and any other information that will verify that they are of the age of 18 or older. The only problem with this is that a child can use their cellphone (which is normally paid for by their parents under their name) and gain the age verification to buy Access Pass. The second way is by credit card. Now while there is a bit more of an issue using a parent’s credit card, the same prob-lems do exist and this would

In the ever

changing world

of IMVU, find out

how purchasing

AP might affect

you or someone

you know.

IMVU AP Policy

60Forge Magazine

be the second way that you can purchase the age verification. Now when I purchased the age verification token I not only had to input my name and birthdate, I also had to input my so-cial security number. Now unless the kids know their parent’s social then this might prevent them from gaining Access Pass. So here’s some tips to ensure that your children are not gaining access to things that they shouldn’t. 1. Make sure that they do not have access to your wallet. Let’s face it. Kids will be kids and when they want something bad enough they will go and get it. 2. Make sure financial statements are locked

up that holds credit card numbers. Now even if they do find the credit card number they still need the 3 digit security number on the back of the card. As long as they cannot get this, then they cannot use the card number. But this is good practice anyway in case your home is burglar-ized. 3. Call your cellphone company and make sure that no 3rd party pur-chases can be done. This means that the companies that IMVU goes through to make purchases such as age verification and credits cannot put the purchase through. What it will show the person trying to use the phone number to make purchases will get an error message. 4. Investigate what your

kids are doing on the net. I have four children and no matter how mature the children are, I feel that they are not mature enough to handle sites such as IMVU. So make sure that your kids are not messing with sites that can have content on it that you don’t want them getting involved with. This includes Myspace and Facebook. Let’s face it, the world is not a safe place anymore like when I was a kid. It is our duty as par-ents to make sure that our children are safe and not participating in anything that could hurt them or get them in trouble. It is time as parents to put our foot down and tell our children that they cannot do some-thing just because every-one else is.

65 Forge Magazine

Could you imagine going 62 years without knowing what really happened to

your spouse? Peggy Seale Harris couldn’t. Her husband, Lt. Billie Dowe Har-

ris, went missing in action in France during World War II. The questions and

searching for the truth of what happened to her husband during that fateful

war would not be answered for six decades.

Like any love story begins, the couple met through the mail at the suggestion of Lt. Harris’s fa-

ther who worked at the same base that Peggy Harris worked at. Lt. Harris was stationed in San

Antonio at the time of their meeting. After corresponding for several months and after meeting,

Lt. Harris proposed to Peggy. He was 21 at the time and she was 18. The couple married Sep-

tember 22, 1943. The couple would not even get the two weeks for their honeymoon like they

had originally thought. Due to some ships being torpedoed in the Atlantic, Lt. Harri’s group was

called up. This was in October of 1943. What little Peggy knew was that it would be the last

time she ever saw her husband alive.

Lt. Harris was assigned to the 355th Fighter Squadron/354th Fighter Group, stationed in south-

east England. During the next few months, he would fly bomber support missions into Germany

in the P-51 Mustang. After the invasion of Normandy, France, the attacks changed to ground

targets with Lt. Harris flying multiple daily missions across the English Channel. During this time,

he would earn two Air Medals with 11 oak leaf clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. “He

told me very little about what he was doing,” Harris said. “There was a lot of censoring of the

mail, but I knew he was flying missions.”

By July 1944, Lt. Harris had completed over 60 to 100 missions and was eligible to be sent

A Timeless

Love

66Forge Magazine

home. “He wrote to me that he would soon be home. In fact, he had been assigned a place on

a returning troop ship only to learn that wounded had priority, and he would have to wait for

another ship. I thought it was only a matter of time until he would be able to come home.” The

date was July 8, 1944.

In late July, Harris received a telegram stating that her husband was “missing in action” as

of July 7, 1944. The telegram would be the first mistake in a long series of errors that would

interweave itself into Harris’ life for the next 62 years. “After I got over the shock, I went to the

telegraph office and told them there had been a mistake,” Harris said. “I told them I had a

handwritten letter dated July 8, so he couldn’t have been missing on July 7. I didn’t know if the

telegraph operator had made a mistake or if it was a mistake at the war department.” Har-

ris subsequently received a second telegram correcting the missing in action date to July 17,

1944.

By March 1945, when no further word came concerning Lt. Harris, his wife again went to the

Red Cross and asked if the military hospitals could be contacted. “I was told it was too ex-

pensive to launch a search, and they were sure Lt. Harris would soon appear.” Harris next

contacted Congressman Ed Gossett in Washington D.C., who in turn sent the information to the

International Red Cross in Switzerland. Thereafter began a long series of conflicting reports, in-

cluding notification that Lt. Harris was missing in action, then killed in action, then again missing

in action. It appeared no one could agree on what had happened to the young pilot. In fact,

no one seemed to know what had happened.

67 Forge Magazine

“Until his parents died in the 1980’s, they continued to have hope that their son was alive,”

Harris said. And the story might have ended there with Harris never knowing what had hap-

pened were it not for a cousin of Lt. Harris who had become intrigued with the situation.

“Billie’s cousin, Alton Harvey, had heard the story of Billie all of his life. He was born after Billie

died. He wanted to know what really happened, and after he retired, he began searching for

the truth.” During his extensive research over the past few years, Harvey found that some pilots

had been buried in France, and he discovered that files were now being made available

from the Department of the Army. Initially, however, he was told it would be difficult to access

the files because of limited staff. A few days after his inquiry, however, he received a call from

Washington D.C., informing him that a Frenchwoman had also been inquiring about the same

files some six months earlier. The files had been pulled and were available.

The Frenchwoman, it turns out, was Valerie Quesnel of Les Ventes, France. Quesnel was a board

member of the little French town, which in 2004 decided to observe the 60th anniversary of

the French liberation. It was during these preparations that the complete story regarding Lt.

Harris would come to light. Representatives from the French Embassy in Canada were invited

to attend the ceremony, which paid tribute at a war memorial to citizens who had been killed

in an air raid on the town in 1944, to those who had fought in the French resistance, and

to a pilot whose plane had been shot down in the nearby woods - a Canadian named Lt.

Billie D’Harris. However, an article detailing the 2004 ceremony caught the attention of a Mr.

Huard, president of the Normandy Association for the Remembrance of Aerial. Huard wrote to

the town council that he believed the pilot in question was not Canadian, but an American.

It was also noted that the pilot’s body had been moved from the town in 1946, although a

large marker remained there, and had been temporarily buried in another cemetery, then later

permanently transferred to the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-Sur-Mer.

Quesnel made a trip to the cemetery and confirmed the information. It was then that she

began her research through the Department of the Army in Alexandria, Va. In September 2005,

Quesnel received over 200 pages of information concerning Harris. It was about this time that

Harvey’s research had led him to the same department, and he also was able to obtain the

information.

Harvey and his wife drove from Austin, where they currently reside, to Harris’ home in Vernon to

personally present her with the documentation and perhaps the last piece of a puzzle that

had gone unsolved for over 60 years. Among the information was the name and address of

68Forge Magazine

Quesnel. Harris immediately wrote a letter expressing her appreciation to the small town of Les

Ventes for their original burying of her husband there and the subsequent years of tribute they

had paid to his honor. Thereafter a correspondence began between the two women, and

Harris was able to finally learn what had happened on that July day in 1944.

Through records, documentations and eye-witness accounts, Harris learned that on July 17,

1944 around 7 p.m., Harris’ plane had crashed in the forest outside the small village of Les

Ventes, France, about 90 miles northwest of Paris. The plane did not burn, and French resis-

tance members were the first to get to the aircraft and discovered the pilot had not survived.

The men removed his handgun and codebook. They quickly left, however, when they heard

Germans approaching the crash site. “Because his flight jacket bore the letters Billie D Harris, it

was assumed it was D’Harris,” Harris said. “They thought from that that he was Canadian.”

Among documents Harris received was a letter written on July 20, 1944 by the town’s mayor,

a “Mr. Desfriches,” in which he stated that the Germans had removed an identification tag with

the pilot’s name, identification number and his mother’s name and address, and a glass medal-

lion containing a four-leaf clover. Found on the pilot was a ring with a “kitten” on it, bearing

the inscription PLS, and Vernon HS 1941. This ring was actually Harris’ high school ring, placed

on her husband’s finger on their wedding day in 1943 because she couldn’t afford to pur-

chase a wedding band. The ring has subsequently vanished.

On Sunday, April 9, some 300 people gathered at a monument at the city hall, where Lt. Harris’

name is listed among those martyred during the war. Mayor Fessard read aloud the names

inscribed there. Since that day, Peggy Harris has made arrangements for flowers to be sent to

her husband’s grave several times a year, including Valentine’s Day, Easter, Christmas and on

July 17, the date of the plane crash; Nov. 11, Veteran’s Day, and Oct. 14, his birthday.

The last months have been an emotional experience for Harris, who had preferred to bear her

grief in private these past 62 years.

“I don’t want to say this has been closure, because I don’t like that word,” Harris said. “I guess

the best way to describe it is ‘relief ’ to finally know the entire story, to be able to bring it all

together, and to know what really happened.”

There are many people that are trying to help out those families in need

during the ongoing economic crisis. One surprising twist is that one of these

good samaritans is an 8-year-old little boy at Challenger Elementary School.

This little boy had a big goal and would do whatever it took to get to the

rewarding end of his venture. Well, you would think it was the end anyway.

Cayden Taipalus was just an average third grader at his school until he saw another

student, during lunch, struggle to pay for his meal. Cayden watched as his fellow stu-

dent had to put his hot lunch down and go without. This upset Cayden as much as it

A

Heart

of Gold

A

Heart

of Gold

did the student.

Cayden launched his program called “Pay it Forward: No Kid Goes Hungry”. He started

off by collecting cans and bottles with his mom in order to cash them in to help pay

for school lunches for his fellow students. His family also reached out on Facebook to

help get donations for the cause. So far, Cayden has raised enough funds to pay off

the entire Livingston County district for lunches for his fellow students.

If you wish to help Cayden in his goal to pay it forward, please visit https://fundrazr.

com/campaigns/7htY4.

79 Forge Magazine

Giv

ing B

ack

to the

C

ommun

ity

No one understands how hard it is in today’s age to make a friend, especially when

you are disabled and do not have the right social skills to make friends. This is true for

fifth grader, Colin. His mother, Jennifer, set out to prove him wrong silently by setting up a

Facebook page called “Happy Birthday Colin”.

The page has reached over 2 million people that have all liked, friended, and left mes-

sages for the boy to let him know that he is not alone and he is greatly loved. This in-

cludes love from the Kalamazoo Wings, Michigan’s Hockey Team. The PR rep stated

that the story reached the team’s heart and wanted to go eat with him. Well, they

did one even better than that.

The team surprised Colin and his mother at the pizza parlor and gave him a one

day contract that stated for one day he would be a full-fledged team member.

That Sunday following, Colin was seen with his team jersery on, #11, at the game.

It was the first hockey game for Colin, who according to his mom has a disorder

similar to Asperger syndrome that causes difficulties with facial expressions, under-

standing verbal cues and interacting in social settings. But thanks to the Facebook

page Colin’s story has attracted more than 2 million “likes” and 78,000 pieces of

mail and gifts from well-wishers.

“It’s been just overwhelming,” Jennifer said. “I have seen him in this last month blossom

because he knows he has 2.1 million friends and that is something that nobody else

has. His self-confidence has grown.”

“I think he was a little mesmerized by the contract. He was staring at the paper for

at least 5 minutes,” says the Wings’ Modugno of the deal presented by head coach

Nick Bootland, team captain Elgin Reid, and assistant captains Sam Ftorek and

Eric Kattelus. “Our players did joke that he should have asked for a better signing

bonus.”

Yet even without that, Colin described his birthday experience as “a little bit crazy and

wild” as letters to him continued to arrive.

“It’s been very heartwarming is what I would say,” he added. “I just love that so many

people did this.”

Business TipsThat will make you more successful

86Forge Magazine

Running any business is hard but not as hard as a small business. This could include a

mom and pop shop to a beginning Publishing Company. With all the chaos of trying to

get your business up and running, there are things that even the super organized could

forget. So here are the five most important tips that will help your business avoid failure.

1. Give up Delusions of Grandeur

We all want our businesses to

flourish and be successful. You cannot do

this without hard work, dedication, and

team work.

2. Nurture Your Network

Not all businesses will have a ready

set network that will be ready for the

owner to tap into. This means that every

phone call, every industry event, and

getting involved with the community are

going to be essential keys to getting your

business successfully off the ground.

3. Keep In Touch With Your Customers

Customers make the business. If they

are not satisfied with the product or the

contact that they had, it’s a common fact

that they will go tell about ten people

who in turn will tell another ten people.

Before you know it your business is sunk

before it began. So make sure you ask for

the customer’s contact information so you

can send thank you notes, newsletters,

and event information to them. This will

keep them happy and wanting to come

back over and over again.

4. Pick a Niche

Let’s face it. There is not a high

demand for certain fields anymore while

others are booming. So when starting a

business make sure you are getting in with

the popular demand. It will pay off for you

in the end.

5. Know Your Numbers

I get asked a lot for the numbers of

the magazines under Forge Publications.

The reason is if you don’t have the

numbers then less likely will you get the

clients. So keep track of everything.

This would include work hours, account

spending, website views, and anything

else that attracts a customer, even the

Facebook account. This will tell you if you

are heading in the right direction with

your product.

14 years

In The Making:Celebrating GeneralVanity

14 years

93 Forge Magazine

Harlee

94Forge Magazine

HarleeSitting at the vanity in her room, The Raven looked to the mirror as she brushed the long crimson and ebony locks that cascaded over her shoulders. Careful not to take hold of a small braid that was behind her ear placed by the Shamain with the feather of the raven, she smoothed the tossled hair from a night’s rest. On the corner of her vanity was a picture of her General, her other half, her brother. She looked to it and smiled softly. Thinking to herself of all that had happened in their life together. Picking the frame up, she caressed over the picture with gentle fingers. He had watched her from the shadows, protected her in secret. While she shined in her job, he was content in watching her with a silent pride in his eyes from a distance. If there was something that she was passionate about, he walked a step behind to let her have the glory of it. He was her strength in all things. As she looked to the picture, she smiled as she thought to herself that it was only recently that she had found out the name of the man that she called brother. His perfect and beautiful face without a name for so long. And hidden within the image of the perfect soldier was the feelings and smile that he hid from the world. She knew well his heart and mind. Once more, she place the picture upon the corner of her vanity and rose to walk to her closet. Within it, she found her clothes from her past life and the ones from her new one. Softly, her fingers ran over the dresses and clothes that she had given him such a hastle in wearing. Selecting her favorite gown, the first one he had ever given her. It was the crimson red of her eyes and held a platinum diamond broach just under the bust. It meant so much to her. Slipping it on, she left her room and walked into his office. A room that incased all that her brother was as a general. Her eyes looked upon his case of weapons. Everything from standard swords to the Vanity Axe and his signature hammer. Her fingers softly stroked over the metal of the war hammer. Through it had been well used, it barely carried a scratch. It caused her to wonder. Did he know that he was her hero? That in all she did, she wished to be like him. When she took flight as the Raven, she flew higher then the eagle. For in her eyes, he was the wind beneath her wings. She turned from the weapons case and walked over to his desk. Upon it was the pictures of their family. Her nieces. Her nephew. Their brothers and the two of them. She knew all that he did for them all. She held it all in her heart safe from all that would seek to take those memories. Walking from the office, she closed the door behind her. Her steps silent as always while she walked through the halls towards the garden that she had spent a lot of her time in. Thinking about everything that had happened in her life. Seeing the man standing in the walkway looking to the fountain, she smiled. The sun glimmered off his violet and platinum armor and she couldn’t have been prouder at that moment of all that he had done in his life. She knew much of it as she had been told by him and seen through visions that had come to her of his past. She knew the truth of his actions. Walking over to him, she placed her arm though his and held his hand while she laid her head against his shoulder. Turning her head up to look at him, she spoke softly. “Did you ever know that you’re my hero? You’re everything I would like to be.” From the large tree that was in the center of the garden, she watched as the raven that she had come to know well took of with a great flapping of it’s ebony wings. Soaring higher and higher yet higher still. Passing an Eagle in flight as the Raven continued to soar higher. It’s wings stopped flapping and it simply soared against the bright and clear sky. She then looked back to him. Her smile bright and warm. Her hand holding tightly to his as she contently looked at the beauty of the garden. A moment in their lives that it was peaceful as they both enjoyed the moment. ~ My Gen-eral. My brother. My other half. My friend. Congratulations on the anniversary of your life and the Empire. To tell you how I feel is a point that would only seem ridiculous. You already know. I love you. Forever yours. Your sister. Harlee

TwistedMep

What can I say about this man ....well a lot actually. I met Gen through Geo, and he was a colorful character to say the least . I was always so timid, yes I know I’m Mep and I don’t get timid, but around him I was. It wasn’t until I had to make the first of many to come custom items for him. I asked him, what do you want me to make you ? And I about fell out of my chair when he told me to “Make me thong, with cuffs, make it red , make it sexy. “ I thought he was kidding but I was quickly assured he wasn’t joking. So I made what he asked me to and I can honestly say from then on out I wasn’t timid around him anymore. I quickly grew to appreciate his comedic look on so many things. But, even though he was funny and hoot to be around , more then anything he was fiercely loyal, caring and honorable . There is nothing he has not always given 110% on. We have been through so much as friends and partners. We have had our ups and our downs, we have argued , downright fought when we didn’t agree , if butting heads could hurt our virtual avi’s our skulls would be split in half. But at the end of the day , he is one of maybe 3 people I can say that no matter what , even if it was from afar and in the shadows , he has always had my back in everything I do . I have wanted to leave so many times, wanted to give up on so much but he has always put his foot in my ass so to speak and told me to get back up and don’t let whatever or whoever apposes me win. It’s because of him I have fought when no one else would fight, stand firm when everyone else would walk away and hold my head high when other would look at their feet and run away . I can’t really even tell you how much he has done for me as a creator, as a person and as a friend. He has made me laugh, made me cry , both good and bad tears , but above all he has supported me in every way imaginable. I think I can say we have been everything to each other but lovers (I don’t have the right equipment for that :P ) I haven’t known him for the 14 years he has been in role play but I am certain that he was then as he is now just as fierce of a opponent to battle, and just as loving, loyal, brave, and down respected as always . I personally can’t imagine an online world without him in it . There is but one thing I would change , if anything at all I could and that would be that I would love nothing more then to be standing in front of him , face to face in real life and give him the biggest bear hug of all time and to tell him just this: General , no matter what or who come and go, I do now and always will truly love you my dear friend and I will be here , by your side and at your back as long as you will have me there. Congratulations on such an amazing journey and may you have so many more years to come. Love Always and with All My Heart Mep

AngelicLeighMy dearest and longest friend. For too long you have been in my corner helping me out along the way. Whether it be through role-play or through this quest with Forge, you have always been there to guide and help in any way you can. For the first time, I am left speechless of what to write because I fear there are no words that I can ever say to you or about you that will ever add up to how I feel about you or our friendship. You are family to me no matter if there is a relation or not. So to you my friend, happy anniversary. We were truly blessed the day you first logged on. All my love, Angelic.

97 Forge Magazine

98Forge Magazine

105 Forge Magazine

Every time you log on to IMVU there is usually always some new feature that is

only available to VIP customers. With all the changes that have come about

IMVU, many customers are starting to sway to SecondLife. Could it be the

endless crashing no matter what you are doing? Could it be that the most

popular feature (creating) is now only available to VIP’s unless you were

grandfathered in? It could be a million and one things. But why should the VIP’s get

all the fun? Yes, the VIP customers pay their monthly dues to do whatever they want

on the website within TOS terms but, how many customers out there are grandfathered

accounts that share nothing more than a normal guest does except for the creator?

What’s worse is that with all the new additions they are making, such as Shop Together,

it is really wearing the customers out for all the extra features that are not really want-

ed. Sad to say, IMVU, the service is going down to where no one will pay for VIP any-

more cause the main issues are still not fixed.

All new features are tried out on VIPs firstVIP Equals

106Forge Magazine

All new features are tried out on VIPs firstGuinea pig

111 Forge Magazine

So the big hoopla between

Junior devs and Pro devs.

What does it all really come

down to? I’ll tell you. Submis-

sion fees and a badge. Yep,

that’s right folks. The coveted

position of Pro Dev gets you

lower submission fees and a

nifty badge to put on your

profile card. Now remember, if

you do not maintain the Pro

status you not only pay high-

er submission fees but you

also lose the nifty badge.

So let me break down the

tiers for you since you have

to look on IMVU real hard to

find the info.

Points 0 is 500 submission

fee and you are at Tier 0.

Points 1-3 is 450 submission

fee and you are at a Tier 1.

Points 4-6 is 400 submission

fee and a Tier 2. 7-9 points

is 350 submission fee and

you are at a Tier 3. 10-12

Points is a 300 submission fee

and a Tier 4. 13-15 points is

a 250 submission fee and a

Tier 5 (Pro). 16-18 points is

a 200 submission fee and a

Tier 6 (PRO). 19-21 points is

a 150 submission fee and a

Tier 7 (PRO).

PRO VS JUNIOR CREATORS

112Forge Magazine

THE DANGERS OF FILE SALESFile sales are the most common occurance on IMVU. The issue with File sales is that you don’t know who is legit and who is not anymore. Many of the texture thieves will use extractors to gain the items that they want and then turn around and sell them as if they were there own. Is there any way to protect yourself against these sales? Remember it ’s a buyer beware. Check out the imvu catalog to see who else might have used the textures. If you are still not sure if they are legit, then it would probably be a good idea not to purchase the files.

ChicByTrinity also has a database that you can see on their webpage. This database lists known thieves on IMVU so you can stay clear of them and protect your work and account. Remember, if you are found in fault of stolen textures and meshes without any proof that you didn’t steal them, IMVU can and will ban your account. So be safe when buying.

In the picture depicted below, A creator found out that the skins that they had bought were stolen. Now the actual thief was not Blazin. She was just as clueless about them being stolen and lost her account because of it. Remember there are devs out there that will help you. All you have to do is ask.

117 Forge Magazine

ArBor

Arbor day was orignially celebrated in 1805 in a small span-

ish village called Villanueva de la Sierra. This celebration was

done by the local priest and had the support of the entire

population.

America adapted Arbor Day on April 10, 1872 by Julius Ster-

ling Morton of Nebraska City, Nebraska. It was reported on this

first Arbor Day that over a million trees were planted.

Why are trees so important? Trees play a significant role in reducing erosion and

moderating the climate. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store

large quantities of carbon in their tissues. Trees and forests provide a habitat for many

species of animals and plants. Without trees, we would lose vital oxygen supply, lumber,

food, shelter, and ecosystems would fail to exist the way that they currently do.

So get out there April 25th and plant a tree.

To inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees

Day

118Forge Magazine

124Forge Magazine

You may call him weird or a pea-

cock, but at the end of the day,

TaintedVi has something going

on and it’s hot. Who would have

known that this creator would

be making a hit with haute couture and out-

landish rooms. This is why TaintedVi was one of

our picks for Artist of the Month.

AngelicLeigh: How long have you been creat-

ing on IMVU?

TaintedVi: to long XD. nah...oh god...since sum-

mer of 2011 official.

AngelicLeigh: What inspired your decision in

creating couture instead of the normal things

we see in the shop?

TaintedVi: In order to create on IMVU one must feel an attachment to the genre they are designing. With me i love elegance that can be seen from both the simplistic pov, and also the avant garde.

AngelicLeigh: Does this stem into your own personal life?

TaintedVi: Yes it does. Most guys whom are gay tend to be over the top. I’m not..I’m clean cut..I’m happy with my blue jeans and nice shirts..and some nice sneakers. I can make it work to my advantage.

AngelicLeigh: What are your goals for your creating on IMVU?

TaintedVi: To achieve the impossible. In the sense of bettering myself as an artist, and

as a person. True we are all role playing a character on IMVU. Yet , to me simply seeing something and knowing I cant do it is enough to push me to work till i get what i see physi-cally onto IMVU.

AngelicLeigh: How do you feel about the infestation of Texture and Mesh thieves on IMVU? are you worried that your creations will be in danger of such theft?

TaintedVi: Good question... Everyone that creates on IMVU understands there is a risk of this occuring. If it occurs to me I will follow proper protocol, and have them brought to justice. Yet, there is only one way a thief can be caought. We as a members of IMVU must know what designers there are and what there signature style of graphic is. When we see someone useing theres..report them to the creator so they may notify IMVU. From the cre-ator side...we all need to get our work copy-righted...then you can have the thief gone in rl for infringement.

AngelicLeigh: We all know that you had the conflict with another creator reacently. Any advice to others that may have a situation like that happen to them?

TaintedVi: Always be open and truthful. Pro-vide evidence when needed. Always be your-self, and use that time to relax and focus on clearing yourself. Its tough haveing accusa-tions brought against you both mentally and physically. Never give up because as long as you know your innocent...then wait for the final verdict to come in then make it known. Yet, dont be mean about it..take the high road out...its always the best way.

AngelicLeigh: Any other advice that you would like to offer budding creators or even those veterans?TaintedVi: Always push yourself to get better, and to always take a risk with your designs. You may never know when you will need what you will learn.

Artist of the Month

126Forge Magazine

BelladonnaofDeath: How long have you been

creating on IMVU?

MrsStapleton: About a two years now

BelladonnaofDeath: Do you remember the first

thing you ever created?

MrsStapleton: Oh yes, aside from the funky, lit-

tle black t-shirt thing, it was another vest top.

It was horrific.

BelladonnaofDeath: lol did you learn from

watching tutorials or just jump right on it?

MrsStapleton: Well, my friend Brooke told me

how much fun it was, once you figured out

the basics. And she pointed me towards a

few tutorials on youtube. The first tutorial was

really bad, too fast, couldn’t see properly, so I

just dived in.

BelladonnaofDeath: Do you find anything

challenging to dev still?

MrsStapleton: Oh yes. Shading is my nemesis

BelladonnaOfDeath: What is your favorite

aspect of being a creator and what product

category would you say you enjoy working

on the most if you had to choose?

MrsStapleton: My favorite aspect of being

a creator, is creating something new, some-

thing different and it’s came from me and the

inspirations around me. Clothes has definitely

been my favorite category to work in, most

definitely.

BelladonnaOfDeath: What would you say in-

fluences you the most when it comes to being

inspired to create?

MrsStapleton: My daughters and their crazy

dolls they collect. I just love to see what little

outfits they muster together. I also have some

wonderfully gifted friends that suggest ideas

for me to do, for them. That’s always fun.

BelladonnaOfDeath: What is your least fa-

vorite thing about creating?

MrsStapleton: crashing. lol. Happens way too

often for my liking. But so far, the least item I’ve

derived that frustrated the life out of me, was

a skin.

BelladonnaOfDeath: Do you have any advice

to give to new creators who are just starting

out?

MrsStapleton: For new creators, the best ad-

vice I can give them, is read up on the forums,

for the tutorials, go through youtube. Have

a play, the best thing to do, learn whilst you

work. I am huge believer of trial and error.

BelladonnaOfDeath: Do you have any short

term or long term personal goals when it

comes to creating?

MrsStapleton: Personally, my main goal, is to

continue enjoying what I do. When it becomes

a drag, then something needs to change. But

for now, I absolutely adore creating. It’s my

outlet from the stress of day to day life. How-

ever, for the future...I am not craving the “pro”

status, as that is just a label given out via

statistics, I believe the pro creator comes from

the quality and originality of the product. :)

BelladonnaOfDeath: If you could change one

Artist of the Month

127 Forge Magazine

thing about the creator program, any-

thing you like, what would that be?

MrsStapleton: Hmm, mostly, being able to

try on products you’ve created on with

other pieces, before submitting it, to see if

they all work well together. Going back to

edit a product can be annoying some-

times. That and make so nobody can

steal from it -sigh- but I doubt that is ever

going to happen.

BelladonnaofDeath: How do you feel

about some creators that allow others

to dev off of their meshes without chang-

ing a thing? Do you feel that this helps to

promote the start of theft?

MrsStapleton: Personally, I wouldn’t let

people do that if I ever figure out how to

mesh. I think, in order to learn, you need

to do things your way from the beginning.

However, everyone has their own ways of

doing things, so if that dev wants their

items used in such way, then that’s their

choice. As long as they state these terms

and conditions.

BelladonnaOfDeath: Is there anything you

do to get in the creating mood? Some

people listen to certain types of music

when they dev, for example.

MrsStapleton: Well, unfortunatley, due to

the age of my laptop, I can’t hold a chat

room open while creating, so I usually

tend to pop netflix on or some music. My

music taste is so varied, but my persoanlly

favorite is grunge music, like Nirvana <3

BelladonnaOfDeath: Is there anything you

wish you could create but feel is outside

of your personal skill set?

MrsStapleton: Meshes. They’re definitely

beyond my skill set.

BelladonnaOfDeath: What brought you to

IMVU MrsStapleton?

MrsStapleton: My friend Brooke told me

about it. We met on a different game. We

became really close, met a lot of other

people, but we wanted more from our on-

line experience. And then we came here,

and I’ve not looked back since.

BelladonnaOfDeath: Is it safe to say the

good experiences outweight the bad

ones as far as IMVU goes for you?

MrsStapleton: Oh yes. I’ve met a few not-

so-nice people on here, but that’s life. You

take the rough with the smooth. But I can

honestly say, I’ve had a lot more smooth.

BelladonnaofDeath: How would you de-

scribe IMVU if you were trying to explain it

to someone who’d never use it?

MrsStapleton: Imvu, in my experience is a

place to come to meet new people, new

connections, you can make into whatever

you choose it to be. If you want to be

creative you can, if you’re looking for an

extended social connection, you can do

that too. You can make it into whatever

you want.

MrsStapleton: I 100% support my fellow

dev’s. We all need each other, for word of

mouth, or just simple recognition. If I see

something I love, then I support it. And, the

best part about this, is discovering the

dev underneath it all. It’s just wonderful

seeing how people tick.

128Forge Magazine

133 Forge Magazine

The Stolen Texture that is

on an item called Floating

Heaven.

What Do You Think:Is this Texture Stolen?

Scrolling through the shop with Pro Creator,

Geo, there was very disturbing things that

were found. There is a creator that had tex-

tures exactly like Geo’s. Now anyone who has

seen Geo’s work knows that the textures are

not easy to duplicate if not darn near impossible to du-

plicate. So are the textures Geo’s and if so how did this

creator get a hold of them?

Researching into the matter, We found that the creator

134Forge Magazine

belonged to a file sale

group. So with hopes that

it was a cautionary tale of

she didn’t check the tex-

tures, we went to check out

the group to see if any of

the textures matched the

ones that were Geo’s. How-

ever, there were no textures

on the site that matched.

So this left only one con-

clusion. The creator must

have used an extractor

to gain the textures and

used them on her own items

thinking she wasn’t going

to get caught.

Assisting Geo in filing a

DMCA on eleven items in

the person’s catalog re-

ally left a sour taste in my

mouth. But this shows that

anyone can be a victim of

theft. Even ones that have

their work copyrighted like

Geo. The only difference

between Geo and the

other creators is that with

her textures and meshes

being copyrighted, she

can easily sue for Digital

Media abuse and Theft

and she would win. The

rest of us have to show

burden of proof. Not the

other person. So tell us

what you think. Are the

textures the one and the

same?

Original Texture

from Geo

137 Forge Magazine

What is a Pink Moon? The full moon that appears in April is called the Pink Moon. This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest wide-spread flowers of the spring.The Pink Moon of April is sometimes referred to by names associated with other signs of full spring. In other cultures, this full moon is some-times call the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Fish Moon, be-cause this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.Now the Pink moon will appear

on the 15th of April at 7:43 PM. The Night before, you will see the Blood Moon Eclipse. The Eclipse will occur on April 14-15 at 9:20 PM. Now if you want to go out and enjoy the

lunar eclipse and take some pictures, you will have no wor-ries in doing so. A lunar eclipse is com-pletely harmless unlike a solar eclipse. Just make sure that you are not driving or operating any heavy machinery. If you get

too distracted it could cause harm that way.

Blood Moon Eclipse

April 14th @ 9:20

Pink Moon

April 15th @ 7:43

THE PINK MOON

Jealousy

Is

UnbecomiNG

Continued

Last month we went through a journey of tourmoil, bullying, and every thing else with TaintedVi on his quest to clear his name of the accusation of theft delivered to him by Andzelica, DancingElk, and Dartalins. We continued to research the matter even after the first article was published. So here is the update on the horrific event.

The name calling, abuse, and bullying continued from Andzelica and her friends towards not only TaintedVi but to a couple of the staff members and to advertisers of Forge Magazine. These advertisers were not told the full story and there fore a few made a decision based on pure hate from someone that new they were in the wrong. We were sad to see them go as we enjoyed working with them and advertising their catalogs.

The mess finally died down after a Troll (internet term for someone who just posts ugly stuff without fear of the consequences and to bug the subject of their troll) came in and began posting how idiotic he thought the whole matter was. This included both sides. It eventually led to everyone blocking each other. However, it was reported that Andzelica and her friends did not stop the slander there.

This also led to a Pro Creator being involved and giving out a staff members personal and private information out in a form of payback for refusing service and wanting nothing else to do with the mess. The situation was reported to the local police department.

As for the DMCA’s that were against TaintedVi, it was revealed that ChicByTrinity was the one that filed the DMCA’s. This was because the skins that TaintedVi had in his shop were actually stolen textures of Chic’s. The research went in to find that not only was TaintedVi a victim but so was Blazin’ and DespinaDoveTriviani in the same texture sale. Sadly, Blazin was not as fortunate as TaintedVi and DespinaDoveTriviani and lost her account. With this found information, Chic removed TaintedVi off of his database

Chic has the names of the original theives and has submitted them on his data base of known thieves on IMVU. You can view that information here http://imvuthieves.6te.net/index.php?p=72.

We hope that when a situation like this arises that you all keep in mind to keep the feud on IMVU and not take it to an outside identity such as Facebook. Regardless if you have a creator account for Facebook or not, that is still your personal real life. There are real people behind the screens and avatars of every account. We all have rights and feelings.

161 Forge Magazine

The Sin Empire isn’t happy .

Find out why.

THE Empire Speaks out

The Sin Empire’s Prime

Minister, Apokalypse,

and Liasion, Pheoy-

nix, sit down to have a

chat with Forge’s CEO.

163 Forge Magazine

GeneralVanity is known among the masses as the Sin Empire’s acting

General. He is also known for his massive heart and helping the com-

munity on IMVU as much as he can. In light of things that have come to

pass, where does the Empire sit knowing that their General has taken

hits for others without even a single thank you.

AngelicLeigh: This interview is about the recent events that sadly have dragged the

highly respected GeneralVanity and we wanted to hear from those within the Empire of

their thoughts about the situation.

Apokalypse: absolutely I am glad to give it, I am a horrible rambler so by all means

guide with questions and I will keep my timer ready.

AngelicLeigh: With hearing of Andzelica and her attack on the General, what are your

views on this?

Apokalypse: I am not surprised,

I am not naive on the nature

of the average typical human

being in today’s society but

It was certainly surprising from

the professional aspect. Every

day a customer throws a bit

fit to a store clerk and whines

and screams until a manager

gives them their way, but for the

situation to be switched and

widely support when in any

other organization it wouldn’t

be allowed and the profes-

sional individual being repri-

manded to the worst degree,

its certainly different. I almost

give her a bit of credit. If I

worked in a Wal-mart and knew

instead of a customer harrass-

164Forge Magazine

ing an innocent stocker doing their job the best they can, I could just harass a harm-

less customer as much as I wanted and get the entire store and chain to support me

in treating customers like garbage I might fill in an application.

AngelicLeigh: How do you feel about the creators that the General has shown support for that has not given him the same support?

Apokalypse: Well anyone can say the obvious but I don’t waste my time on petty in-sults or simple honest remarks on garden variety back alley garbage, the General has always for all of his power and brutality had a soft spot for flies on fecal matter trying to make them into something more so their involvement and actions are hardly remark-able or worth my time, tommorrow the General will still be the General and still be out giving his support to bring the next flower from the dung pile even despite my insis-tence there won’t be any but they will stay as they are, they just prefer to sit on their beloved corn log. The bottom line is they burned a bridge they will not get back, and the bridge they kept leads to a what exactly? they will be stuck, reeking and drowning in a urine puddle. Well luckily there are still some talented and skilled creators worth dollar over dollar more than the dime a dozen penny candies that are in the Empires garbage bin so someone can Develop a glass of water for me to drink while you pick up the next question for me dear. So while you answer will Geo, Donatella or Goodlife

the still talented Developers to the Empire who have as much character and dignity as talent to stand by the General, please gift a glass of water for me.

AngelicLeigh: I appreciate you joining us Pheo. I was asking the Prime Minister his views on the recent development with Andzelica and how he feels about the creators that the General offers support to that has shown him no support recently. Would you care to share your opinions on these two topics?

Pheoynix: Hmmm. Well, yes I do have something to share. In regards to this pathetic excuse for a person, Andzelica, I am not sure I could place her in the same catagory as ‘back alley garbage’. That would indicate she had, at some point, even had the slightest bit of impor-tance in someone’s world. When someone chooses to let their mouth run, threatening and making petty accusations against others, and then can’t handle it when they have been proven wrong or at the very least, finding the powers that be do not always sway their opin-ion in their favor lacks all form of discernable importance or manners. Their opinions matter little in the scheme of things and take up very little in any real person’s world. As far as the developers that the General has chosen in the past to assist, now choosing not to come to his defense and aid...tsk tsk tsk poor form. Sadly this only proves to our General what some of us have been trying to explain to him for some time. A number of these individuals see him as a personal ATM/free PR department/muscle/bodyguard/lawyer etc, and nothing more. They want to reap the benefits of such an affiliation, but do not wish to get their hands dirty and return the favor, even when said favor is just speaking up for him when someone wishes to try to do him or his

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reputation harm.

AngelicLeigh: Prime Minister and Liasion, what are the standings of the Empire con-cerning the further attacks that Andzelica and her so called friends are continuing on the General and those that are loyal to him?

Apokalypse: May I dear? I love to pour out the gasoline and watch you throw the match.

Pheoynix: Of course my dear, be my guest.

Apokalypse: The standings of the Empire are usually right on top of someones throat, and no one has more stylish steel cleats than we do. The Empire to begin with has made its growth off having the fortitude to build its strength and share its strength, we can stand alone in a fight against armies, and have stood alone in a fight against armies and get bored of winning, thats all I see happening. These attacks were bor-ing when they started and they will be boring in every form and definition of the word whenever they end. The Empire and the loyals worth its investment will do what we have always done, continue to grow while they waste whatever time of their worthless lives they want to waste on their grade school fat kid attacks, just know that now that me and the Liason had to get out of bed to hear this wonderfully repetitive news they can expect something in return very soon, and that is not a threat of an attack by the way, you attack someone that might survive and you better believe I will pay extra milk money to make sure the pain lasts for a real long time just so something interesting can finally happen. Unlike the 20 dollar reality show pregnant teen hooker hillbillies you find here and there, we don’t bully, we don’t punch, we don’t manipulate. Thats why the General invests in Devs, its why we all have an appreciation for genuine art and pro-duction, because we are masters of only one kind of art and that is pure torture. We will innovate a way so new and never seen that when you decide to be a fly in our ointment the swat will come by surprise and will make you regret not just buzzing at our picnic we will make you regret the waste that was their existence, and since we are up, here and certainly buzzed as slight as it may be it will come, just because I don’t like flies at my picnic.

Pheoynix: I do believe the Prime Minster has said it best. I have other things, much bet-ter to do, than to have to sit and listen to the drabble of someone who has a much higher view of their worth and importance in this world than they truly do. The Empire, and the General, have been threatened by much worse than this little insignificant flea and have walked away with our heads held high as we wipe them from our minds. And yes, as the Prime Minister said, this is by no means a threat of an attack, this person is not worth such an honorable duel. We have other ways of getting our point across.

AngelicLeigh: Now it also has come to light that Invictus’s family, most notably Wednes-day Adams, has joined the crusade against the General with Andzelica. Any special thoughts on this development?

Pheoynix: I say the more the merrier. I have met with Mr. Invictus before and he as well has an over inflated sense of his worth. Most of his family members I have encountered do not fall far from that tree. I spoke to him once, he blocked me. That is not much of a ‘man’ that speaking to a woman brings him to block me. I have not had the pleasure

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of meeting this Wednesday Adams, but the name is a pretty good give away that the individual is little more than a spoiled child that thinks they are worth the air they breathe. My guess is they are a bit more than some butt hurt that the General ended his affiliation with Invictus and they are now using this as a means to get to let out some gas.

AngelicLeigh: Is there anything that you hope that has been learned from this entire mess?

Pheoynix: ~looking to Angelic~ And to answer your question, I hope the General finally sees what we have been trying to get him to see for some time, that not everyone is worth his kind hearted nature in matters such as these. There is a reason I have pulled much of the Empire’s funding and backing to things, because I do not like being played. I do not give multiple chances like the General. And as the Prime Minister has said, my mastery is in torture, be it physical, mental, or emotional. I choose not to expel that much energy on those that are not worth the effort. However, when I am brought out of my office and home life to be presented with such triffling whines of petty chil-dren, my creative juices start to flow with a renewed vigor.

AngelicLeigh: Prime Minister, do you share the same views on the lesson learned?

Apokalypse: Absolutely, I don’t think the General will learn it because he is a bigger person than anyone will ever know, thats another thing we do, We house bigger and better people than you will find anywhere else, people that do things with a greater ability and spirit than you will ever understand. While I would gladly call a million people worthless, drop them down a trapdoor into a pool of acid spewing crocodiles and invest only in the first person that can at least show some decent manners. ?The General will persist in putting in the work and sacrifice, be sure to say it slow Sack Rowf Ice to give people that chance that I would say none deserve to find those gems, which to his credit he has. He will never stop because of those people he has in all honesty found. I have already forgotten all the laundromat news about whats her bro-ken face and her welfare check collecting bug collection in just remembering what we have, and its for those developers that we will devote our time and attention, and why we will have an interview I am sure this time in the next 5 years or so when the General manages to catch us asleep and goes out investing again. I am where I am because of an innate ability to tell the future and read minds, I didn’t predict what happened because there were no minds to read amongst the opposition, and as for the Future? well we all know the story, somebody is going to end up at the oscars collecting gold time after time while the snot nosed teen model that thought she was good enough to treat people like dirt and all her little acting troupe end up with staring roles in the next creature feature on the poor mans Sci Fi channel.

AngelicLeigh: Thank you both for taking the time to speak with us on this matter. It has been an honor.

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Skin cancer, is a type of Carcinoma, also know as the most common type of cancer. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the two most common types of skin cancer. Skin cancer can be deadly if left untreated, as it spreads to the inner parts of the body; from the muscles and bones, to even the organs. Some cases of Keratoacanthoma are treated as squamous cell carcinoma, when the tumors do not go away or stop growing. Irregularities, and bumps on the skin may be skin cancer, but it is best to have them checked out by a doctor to be sure. Melanoma another form of skin cancer, and takes place in melanocytes, or darkened skin pigment; which is a protective response to sun exposure. Melanoma if caught early enough is completely curable. About 80% of non-melanoma skin cancers, are basal cell carcinomas according to the American Cancer Society. Basal cell carcinomas commonly return in the same place, and people who have previously had it, are more likely to get again. Basal cell carcinomas are least likely of the 3 types to spread to tissues and further. Squamous cell carcinoma the 2nd most common type of skin cancer, is more likely than basal, but less than melanoma. Squamous cell carcinoma, like the other two types, commonly occurs where the sun exposes most on the skin, however it may occur in other places on the body where tissue is weaker. According to information gathered on skincancer.org, “One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.” Majority of skin cancer cases are caused my ultraviolet radiation. Melanoma being the most deadly is a high risk cancer for a person who burns easily in the sun. But, the sun is not the only risk factor towards skin cancer. Indoor tanning machines, increase risk of cancer more than getting a sunburn. Treatment for these cancers can cost anywhere from $249 million to under $2.5 billion. Treatments can be done in many forms, a few being: Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, cauterizing, and even radiation. In suggestion to prevent skin cancer, avoiding tanning and direct sunlight are among the simplest. Covering up, and applying sunscreen are other ways of preventing skin cancers. It is also suggested to get an exam once a year and to also examine yourself every so often to watch for changes that are not usually there.

SKIN CANCER

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New

Dang

er for

IMVU C

reato

rs

We can’t stress enough the dangers that Creators face on IMVU of their textures and meshes being stolen. Most are aware of the extractors that are on the market today. What they might not be aware of is this new extractor that can pretty much get through anything and can rip 10 or more products at the same time. So we figured you would like to see what this bad boy can do. Now we will not release the name of this disease nor tell you were to get it.

But we can tell you the features so that way if there is a way to protect yourself and your work, then you can.

Features:-Rip any product (AP/VIP/PRO)-Use any account (Ap/VIP/Guest)-No vip needed-cant be banned-Drag and drop file support for quick file loading-Rip tons of products quickly-Can rip products protected by product protectors-Can rip products that say “not ready for editing”-Don’t need IMVU installed-Can run along side your IMVU client (don’t need to close IMVU)-Free updates-Free support

State

So

vere

ignt

yAMENDMENT X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

Many of the states have declared Sovereignty from the Federal Government. What does this mean? This could mean a possible succession from the Union if the states continue to feel that the Federal government is treading on their mandated rights by the Constitution. What does this mean for the residents of these states? Well, brush up on your American History, particularly the Civil War. If there are states that choose to succeed from the union there is a possibility of a second Civil War. To check to see if your state is one that claimed sovereignty, please see the map below. This map was the last knowledge since August of 2010. God Bless America.