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Ancient Folklore, Christian Folklore, Demon, Demons, Folklore, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic Romance, Gothick, Infernal, Infernals, Medieval Folklore, Medieval Magic, OGL, Romantic Horror
"The Dreaded Name" Demogorgon is inspired by literary sources including Milton, Percy Shelley, and Voltaire. This is probably not the Demogorgon you think you know.
Demogorgon (The Dreaded Name)
A primordial demon-god whose name is not to be spoken.
Signs & Portents: The sound of strange music from no discernible source. Intermittently strong winds. People are gripped with either manic elation or hopeless melancholy.
Number Appearing: 1
Initial Impression(s): A turbulent black cloud of no definite form. An ancient man wearing golden robes, and a barbarically ornate crown of gold and enormous gems.
Size: Human-sized
Perversity: 30
Disposition: Aggressive or Friendly (equal chance per encounter)
Charisma: 20 Intelligence: 20 Wisdom: 20
Strength: 20 (or by form) Dexterity: 20 (or by form) Constitution: 20 (or by form)
Speed: 9 (or by form)
Armor Class: 10
Hit Dice: 20 (120 Hit Points)
Attacks: 1 (by weapon type)
Special Abilities: Demonic Characteristics, Creation
Weaknesses: Demonic Weaknesses, Limited Power Over Spirits, Sensitive to Ridicule
Assets: None
Afflictions: Insane
Preternatural Powers: All Maledictions, all 0 – 3rd Level, Divinations, Evocations, Fascinations, Glamors and Transmutations, but no Blessings.
Favored Preternatural Powers: Augury, Cause Critical Wounds, Confusion, Curse, Darkness, Infest Wounds, Prodigious Regurgitation, Rain of Fish, Rain of Flesh, Rain of Frogs, Summon Spirit III (Possessor Demon), Stinking Cloud
"The Dreaded Name" Demogorgon reigns from throne of pure black stone deep within the highest mountain on Earth. Utterly insane, Demogorgon claims to be the creator of the Earth, its ultimate sovereign, and also the force that will eventually destroy all of creation. It also claims to be the Lord of Fate. According to certain stories, the being is the offspring of Chaos and Night – others state it to be the child of the god Jupiter, or a mysterious entity called "The Demiurge". Apparently, Demogorgon has remained (or been trapped) in its current Incarnation for at least several thousand years, and perhaps since before the Earth came into being.
Every five years The Incarnation of Demogorgon calls all the lesser Spirits dwelling on Earth to pay homage to it. It should be noted that unlike other Incarnations, Demogorgon can Summon, Bind and Banish Spirits of any type (up to Level 5), as long as they are already in the Mundane World. Naturally, the Fairies (who enjoy living away from their native Otherworld) are the ones most affected.
It is said that Demogorgon can hear its name whenever it is spoken, and wise people avoid saying it.
Special Abilities:
Creation: If it takes no other actions, Demogorgon can create any object, material, or non-supernatural creature it desires, at the rate of a 10′ cubical section per minute. It could create a carriage, a lady's gown, or a tiger, for example. Given enough time, for example, Demogorgon could create a palace. It claims to have created the Earth itself in this way.
Paradoxically, Demogorgon can create items made of iron or salt, although he will not touch them thereafter. Things created by the Incarnation of Demogorgon endure for their normal lifespans, or until the material form of their creator is defeated or destroyed.
Demonic Characteristics: Demogorgon is immune to all weapons, except those which are made of iron, blessed, or otherwise enchanted. It cannot be harmed by acid, cold, disease, or any Special Ability or Preternatural Effect which target minds or emotions. "The Dreaded Name" can see perfectly regardless of illumination, is immune to blindness or any other debility caused by extremely bright light, retains the ability to distinguish colors in conditions of total darkness, and does not need time to adjust its eyes to changing light. Demogorgon can speak, write, and understand all languages and forms of communication.
Demonic Weaknesses: Demogorgon is burned by holy water as if it was acid, cannot enter holy ground or touch blessed objects, and is subject to the power of Faith. It is Vulnerable to Iron, and will not voluntarily touch it. Additionally, Demogorgon is repelled by pure crystalline salt. The being is susceptible to all Preternatural Effects that target spiritual entities. The entire Nearby Area around Demogorgon is discernibly cold.
Limited Power Over Spirits: While Demogorgon can use Summon Spirit, Banish Spirit, and Bind Spirit against Spirits of any type, he can only do so if the Spirit is already on the Earth. He can Summon a Possessor Demon that is inhabiting a nun in France, for example, but not snatch an Imp from out of Hell.
Sensitive to Ridicule: Demogorgon cannot bear to be ridiculed. If subjected to a full minute (6 Rounds) of uninterrupted insults and belittlement by a single person who is doing nothing else, Demogorgon will be defeated. Of course, any being who attempts to ridicule Demogorgon will have to survive for a full minute while the demon-god does everything in its power to stop them. If Demogorgon is to be believed, the Earth itself will also be destroyed along with his Incarnation. Of course, the demon-god might be lying…


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The Samantha Parkington doll was released in 1986, along with Kirsten Larson and Molly McIntire. They were American Girl's first three Historical Characters. Samantha was officially archived May 2009 after selling out Feb 3, 2009.
Samantha was rereleased in 2014 with the launch of BeForever.
Samantha Doll
- Face Mold: Classic Mold
- Skin: Light
- Hair: Dark Brown, wavy, bangs.
- Her hair is pulled into a half-ponytail in the back.
- Eyes: Brown
- Samantha has decal brown eyes, which are different from the standard brown on most dolls. The only other doll that these have been used on is Ivy Ling.
Meet Outfit
Classic Meet Outfit
Samantha's Classic meet outfit is an example of what girls her age and class would have worn during the Edwardian era. However, until around 1998, the only illustration of it was on the cover of Meet Samantha.
Samantha's dress is checked taffeta in burgundy, brown, and ivory. It features a dropped waist, pleated front, and burgundy satin sash. Velcros up the back and wrists.
White cotton bloomer-style underpants with elastic around the legs to make them puffy.
Long black ribbed tights. Though the official descriptions call them 'stockings,' these are full tights which are worn under her underpants. Technically she would have worn garters and stockings; this is demonstrated in her Lacy Whites.
Black plastic slip on Mary Jane style shoes. Her shoes are identical to Molly's. In the books, Samantha wears high button black boots most of the time; she is rarely shown wearing Mary Janes, as they were just starting to become a style of children's shoe.
Hair Bow
Wide taffeta bow made from the same material as the dress.
BeForever Meet Outfit
The BeForever Outfit for Samantha was available alone for $36. It was released in 2014 and retired as a separately available purchase in 2018.
Meet Accessories
Classic Accessories
Burgundy faux-velvet hat with rose, dove grey, and gold colored ribbons tied into bows and allowed to dangle in the back. Samantha is generally not shown wearing the hat in illustrations and is instead carrying it in her hand; this was also true for many of the catalogs. Older hats have a rose ribbon also around the band.
Locket Brooch
A golden bow-shaped brooch with a heart-shaped locket. It comes with pictures of her mother and father to place inside and is pinned to the front of her dress.
A rose velvet clutch purse with a golden clasp and chain that slips over her wrist.
Indian Head Penny
A shiny reproduction Indian head penny, a coin used during Samantha's time. Samantha's coin was an authentic Indianhead penny until it was replaced with a reproduction penny in 1994.
A white lace-trimmed handkerchief with blue and pink embroidered flowers.
BeForever Accessories
Dress Like Your Doll
A girl-sized outfit was sold as the Afternoon Tea Dress for $80; a heart-shaped locket was sold as Samantha's Keepsake Locket for $14. These were phased out around the year 2000.
Dress Like Your Doll: BeForever
An outfit inspired by Samantha's BeForever Meet Outfit is available:
- Pink Polka-Dot Dress: $58
- Rosy Headband: $12
Pre-Mattel, Mattel, BeForever, and White-Bodied Doll Differences
- White bodied Samantha dolls have a white muslin cloth body; both Mattel and Pre-Mattel Samanthas have matching cloth bodies.
- Most of the White Body Samanthas have lighter brown and curlier hair; Some have darker brown hair that is long. Mattel dolls have darker hair that is more wavy than curly and a little shorter. PM dolls transition between the two.
- Older versions of Samantha have straight-line eyebrows. The BeForever Samantha's eyebrows are feathered.
- The pattern on Samantha's original locket (prior to BeForever) is identical to the pattern on Molly's, but Molly's locket is a silver necklace.


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Calling It In
Look back through 2015, this was a tough year for a lot of people. Not necessarily in relation to tragedy, but more so in terms of pushing through barriers and personal challenges. I've certainly noticed it in all of the coaching work I've been doing in the past year. Think about some of the things…Details


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1 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 apple, cored and grated
1 carrot, grated
1. In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat and all purpose flours, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.
2. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Pour over flour mixture along with apple and carrot and stir until combined.
3. Spray large nonstick skillet or griddle with some cooking spray and place over medium high heat. Pour batter using 1/4 cup (50 mL) measure and spread out slightly to form pancakes. Cook until bubbles begin to appear on top, about 3 minutes. Flip over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove to plate and repeat with remaining batter.
Serves 6-9
Nutritional information for this recipe is available at Half Your Plate.


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I've got it....never mind12:45 AM
I learned something new and critical to life today. The moment I utter the words "Oh no thank you, I've got it." whatever object I am referring to will come to life and voraciously launch itself as far from my body as is possible. The items become projectiles in a show of willpower and supremacy of inanimate objects over my ability to contain them. I went shopping at the magical, amazing local bookstore today and had my usual stack of books on my lap. A kind person asked me if I needed help with my items and I repliec "Oh no thanks, I've got it but I appreciate the offer." A minute later those books were flying as if possessed by literary demons and scattered in a semicircle around me as if a small explosive device had detonated. Now blushing, I collected the books from the floor with much difficulty and much shame. After purchasing my newest treasures (I had a gift card left over from Christmas- bonus!) I decided to visit the Starbucks at the store because it is the closest thing to a real coffee shop I can get to in this town. As the cashier handed me a tray with my Italian Soda and Banana nut muffin on it she asked if I wanted her to carry it to the table for me. I once again replied "Oh no thanks, I can get it but thank you for offering. Three rolls later and everything goes sliding forward at terminal velocity. Somehow by slimming my knees up as high as possible considering my feet are strapped down, jerking the chair backwards, and grabbing for my drink I manage the world's most ungraceful save and only encounter minor whiplash. I saved the Starbucks, which is the most important thing because a spilled Starbucks is worth crying over! So it seems that people asking me if they can help triggers some switch in the universe that causes my objects to scatter with great speed. So now I know if someone asks me if I need help and I say I am fine I should immediately secure all items in their full and upright positions and prepare for turbulance. :)
Governmental Logic1:01 AM
I do believe that the world has gone insane, and our government is leading the way. Two weeks ago I sent in the eighteen page pamphlet to apply for Medicaid, thus becoming complicit in the deforesting of an acre of rainforest. I called today because my insurance runs out on March 31 and I am becoming a little anxious here. It turns out that the program the social worker feels I best qualify for requires me to fill our more paperwork, because one acre of rainforest is just for sissies, and then send it to the state capital for them to decide if I am disabled. If I am then bonus, I have health insurance. If they deny it then I am screwed. The best part is that this is usually a three month process. Right. I tried to explain to her that I don't have three months, hell I don't have three weeks and she said to get samples from my doctors. Because doctors give out three months of samples of medications that cost $650 a month or injections that cost over $1500. Apparently if you are disabled and most in need of medical insurance they figure you can afford to wait three months to get it. So soon I will be picking and choosing which medications I purchase, discontinuing Botox until further notice, and avoiding labwork and doctors offices like the plague. There is one last ditch effort I can make to try and get insurance to continue and I plan on trying what I call plan desperate tomorrow.
Just for fun, this time after the Botox injections I ran into a slight complication. OK slight as in one of the injection sights became wickedly infected. No I did not go to a doctor, I bandaged it at home until finally I called the neurologist who did the injections because it was swollen, red, the size of a quarter and had an open sore in the center. Charming, I know. He gave me some directions and it seems like it may be slowly healing. I have had severe cellulitis before when an angry ghetto spider bit me in Pittsburgh, so I know what to look for and how much it sucks. That time I looked like I was smuggling a golf ball under my skin and there was a fun red line wrapping up my arm. This is no where near that bad. Although I do want to bring in the next of kin for the ghetto spider for questioning, just to rule them our for revenge. :)
Last time I promised a more up beat and witty entry and well, you can thank the Government for the fact that that one didn't arrive yet. I will try again later this week.
Welcome Spring?11:33 PM
On Pins and Needles6:43 PM
Yesterday was round three of the Botox injections, and hopefully not the last. Hopefully whatever replacement I find for my ending health insurance will cover Botox as it has been a tremendous benefit and provided relief. The photograph above is of the very old EMG machine used to check and make sure the Botox needle is in the right location prior to injecting medication. I liked the creepy mad scientist look it gave in the photo. :)
So the injections went as well as can be expected, and I am actually grateful for the fact that I have sensory loss in my legs because looking at him using the muscle to bend the needle back behind my shin bone it occurred to me that this should probably be painful. Yes, I supervise and watch because when anyone is coming at my body with a needle that size I prefer to monitor exactly what they are doing with it. Plus it is a control thing. I am noticing a pattern though. All three times after the injections I have crashed within a relatively short period of time. Yesterday was the shortest as I was not out of the office building and I was starting to feel dreadful. We stopped to get me something to drink so I could load up on meds, and then I focused on breathing during the hour and a half long drive back to my house. The drive sucked. By the time I got home I was beyond pale with a lite tint of green around the edges but I had managed not to vomit in my Dad's truck, for which I think I deserve bonus points. I was knocked out pretty much for the rest of the day. Today I am hung over not just from the crash but the day after Botox hangover - sore weak muscles, flu like feeling, low grade fever. I slept until noon today, woke up long enough for a cup of coffee, and then slept until 4:30pm. I will try writing a more witty, insightful, and informative entry some time this weekend but I am exhausted and foggy from the combo hangover. My poor legs look like I went to a fencing contest in Lilliput and lost. Thank you for all the prayers and support!! I am so blessed!


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Global and International Funds
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text: The Business Encounters are presented the 2nd Tuesday of every month at the Temecula Chamber from 12:00-1:30pm. Each class is taught by a Temecula Chamber member on a different business related topic. This event is Free to Temecula Chamber members and $20.00 for non-members. Please note the month you plan to attend with this registration purchase.


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AiG-UK MOVES IN
Dr. Monty White, CEO of AiG-UK sent this report today:
Well, we are in our new home at last. We all have pleasant clean offices---much better than the old dusty offices in our previous location (an old house built a hundred years ago). Most of the staff are in open plan offices and this has allowed us, for example, to put the Ministry Section with the Finance Section together with our new Writer/Speaker, Paul Taylor. These offices are also on the same floor as the General Office and my Office (I think that in the USA it would be called the second floor). Downstairs we have the warehouse---all our materials are now on the same floor and in the same space area. Before, our warehouse was in four different areas, some in different rooms! This will improve the efficiency of the warehouse operation. We also have a large room which has several functions. We have devotions there at 09.00 every morning. It is also accommodates our library and is our resources room housing our natural history collections (fossils, shells, etc). It will also be used to hold our all important Board meetings. Our staff are delighted and as an added bonus, there is adequate car parking for them. I am sure that this new building will be a place where our ministry will continue to expand and be a blessing to our country as we try to change the culture and bring people back to believing the Bible from the very first verse, recognising God as their Lord and Saviour and serving him.
God bless, Dr A J Monty White Chief Executive AiG(UK/Europe)
AiG-US congratulates AiG-UK on this great step forward as the creation ministry continues to expand and influence the spiritually dead United Kingdom and rest of Europe.
Yesterday I mentioned that our video department video taped me talking about AiGs Katrina relief efforts. You can see a portion of that video and at the same time get a bit of a sense of what it was like here yesterday as the volunteers and staff prepared all the items for the big trip to Mississippi tomorrow (Thursday).
View the video when you link to the blog's video page (or click on my picture above).
A Washington Post (one of the leading newspapers in the nation) reporter visited us today to conduct interviews and tour the Creation Museum construction. He spent a total of four hours with Mark Looy and myself--asked good questions and we had a good discussionwe will let you know when the article appears.
This morning I also did two interviews with a Christian radio station in Boise, Idaho to advertise the AiG conference in October. With phone calls, meetings, catching up on emails etcthe day disappeared!
Tonight my wife and I saw War of the Worlds movie (I was hoping to maybe write an article about it)I read the book many many years ago, so it was interesting to see a modern movie (it was a bit slow though) based on this book (it only had one reference to evolution and millions of years!!so we probably wont write an article after all).
Thanks for stopping by


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Cover Reveal with Giveaway 8 WEEKS (Time For Love Series #1) by Bethany Lopez
Author: Bethany Lopez
Publication Date: March 24, 2014
Is eight weeks enough time to earn back the love of someone you've betrayed...the only one you've ever loved?
Shelly has been in love with Cal since they started dating in eleventh grade. Despite everyone saying that the odds were against them, they got married after graduation and built a life together. Now, six years later, she is faced with the ultimate betrayal. Devastated, her first instinct is to call it quits…
After a drunken binge at his best friends' bachelor party, Cal betrays the one person who has always been there for him, his wife, Shelly. Terrified and realizing she might divorce him, Cal must come up with a way to prove to her that his love is true…
Cal asks Shelly for eight weeks. Eight weeks to convince her that their marriage is worth the fight. Will Shelly be able to trust him again, or will their marriage end the way many others do when faced with opposition… In divorce?
About Bethany Lopez
Award-Winning Author Bethany Lopez began self-publishing in June 2011. Since then she has published various YA and NA books. She is a lover of romance, family, and friends, and enjoys incorporating those things in what she writes. When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with her husband and children, traveling whenever possible.
Author links: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
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- Hedger Humor is a popular internet cartoon that focuses on families and relationships in a refreshing, creative, and, of course, relatable way.
- The brains behind the cartoon is Adrienne Hedger, a mom of two who's been drawing cartoons ever since she can remember.
- In an interview with INSIDER, Hedger discusses her creative process and what she'd like her readers to get out of her cartoons.
Jokes that focus specifically on relationships, marriage, and parenting aren't exactly hard to find. But if you've ever come across Hedger Humor — a popular internet cartoon series tackling the trials and tribulations of being married and raising a family — you'll know the comic strip has a certain way of differentiating itself from similar forms of media.
The brains behind Hedger Humor is Adrienne Hedger, a mom of two who's been drawing cartoons ever since she can remember. INSIDER spoke with Hedger to learn how she creates the cartoons, why she does it, and what she wants her readers to get out of Hedger Humor.
Hedger Humor helps capture certain moments in everyday life that might otherwise be forgotten.
What makes Hedger Humor noteworthy isn't necessarily the technique Hedger uses to construct the cartoons. Rather, it's how each comic encapsulates certain mundane experiences that many people go through each day, but in a way that makes them seem a little more exciting.
Most of Hedger's comics focus on family and relationships, but you don't have to be a parent or have a spouse to find them funny — chances are, if you are a human being who has lived in the world, you'll laugh at Hedger Humor.
Hedger does this by drawing (quite literally) from things she and the people around her go through.
"Nearly all of [my cartoons] are based on real-life experiences," Hedger told INSIDER. "I'm constantly keeping track of events, conversations, and funny things so I can turn them into cartoons later. Most of it is from my family, and some of the ideas come from encounters with my friends."
Hedger tries to rely on her own personal experiences for inspiration.
Due to the popularity of Hedger Humor, fans of Hedger's work often send her suggestions for new cartoons. But unless something feels true to her own experiences, Hedger rarely takes the bait.
"I only want to draw things that have either happened to me personally or that I can completely relate to," Hedger told INSIDER.
Hedger's cartoons, which often shed a humorous light on situations that weren't so funny in the moment they actually happen, tend to have a kind of therapeutic quality — both for readers and Hedger herself.
"I would say that the cartoons help me, and that in turn likely helps my relationships with my family," Hedger said. "For example, when something annoying happens, I find myself thinking, 'Well maybe this could be a cartoon,' and that thought alone makes me feel less annoyed. Like one time I was really stressed, trying to finish work, and my daughter showed up in my office with a karaoke mic turned to volume level 10. I was so irritated, and yet part of me appreciated that this would someday become a cartoon."
Hedger's ultimate goal for her comics is to bring people together.
"I'm aiming for connection in my cartoons. I want people to see themselves in my work, and realize that we're all more similar than we are different," she told INSIDER. "I love the idea that no matter where they are on the globe, people can relate to many of the same things. I see people tagging loved ones and sharing my cartoons with friends and family and it makes me so happy that I helped create that moment of connection for them."
Clearly, this goal is coming to fruition — the Hedger Humor Facebook page currently has over 250,000 likes and each post on the page garners thousands of likes, comments, and shares.
So, next time you're feeling annoyed with your partner, sick of your family, or just fed up with life in general, check out Hedger Humor. Chances are, you'll find something that makes you smile.
Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.


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Friday Headlines
the weekly newsletter from EHS
Christmas comes to the library
09 December 2016
This week, the Library in Senior School has been buzzing with activity. Girls have been choosing holiday reading, making seasonal decorations, cards and book marks. The book marks were required to include 'Happy Christmas' or 'Happy Holidays' in a Modern Foreign Language to reflect another aspect of their curriculum studies.
Mrs Sansom
Library at Christmas
Click image for full view


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Cheap Jeff Samardzija Jersey Online
With the San Francisco Giants out of the playoff hunt, it wouldn't be a shock to see Jeff Samardzija's name in trade chatter. But the pitcher likely won't be on the move, especially because he has a say in the matter.Rumor CentralAndrew Baggarly of San cheap jerseys mlb Jose's Mercury News reports that Samardzija is unwilling to lift his no-trade clause, which allows him to reject any trade to 22 teams. "Obviously it hasn't gone the way we wanted it to, which has put some people in some trade talks," Samardzija said. "But we also know that we have a great core of guys here [and] as long as we do our jobs and have confidence and momentum and excitement, we're going to do really well." He added to Baggarly that he loves being in San Francisco. Samardzija, 32, is in the second year of a five-year, $90 million deal that brought him to San Francisco last season after a year with the Chicago White Sox. He has struggled to a 5-11 record this season with a 4.85 ERA. One thing the right-hander can provide to any team is innings, as he has topped 200 frames each of the past four seasons. Of the eight teams that Samardzija can be traded to without his permission, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Nationals and New York Yankees all are in the market for starting pitching but seem to be focused on higher-end options. It remains to be seen if a market will develop around Samardzija, but he maintains some control of his destiny.


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Wednesday, September 12, 2012
You Wanted a White Flag, Right? The Brannock Device Refuses to Let Up
The only moment I sense hesitation on The Brannock Device's EP Into the Witness Chamber comes at the beginning. Marco Pascolini's guitar tries out three chords, lingering on doubled notes, shimmering. It's like he's put his key in the ignition of a very powerful machine, and he's taking a moment to admire its fine lines before firing it up. He vamps around searching for a riff, and, when he settles in, the Brannock Device roars to life.
Or maybe he isn't admiring the machine. Maybe he's simply enjoying a moment of peace before he has to contend with all of the varied forces that drive this band. After all, the drums on opening cut "Sightseer (I Read It So It's True)" are built around a charging fill. The bass pattern may only have four notes, but it moves as fast as those drums. Even when the band coasts behind Elaine McMilian and Jason Beers' declamatory refrain, the bass keeps pulsing, the snares stay shimmering and the guitar flashes light through the spaces between.
In a recent interview with KC's The Deli, drummer Bernie Dugan says The Brannock Device is "about pushing and being shoved, but in a good way." He's ostensibly talking about what it's like playing drums in the band (like everyone in The Brannock Device, he plays in a few), but he also sums up something elemental about this particular group. The Brannock Device is no one's elevator music; it won't stay in the background. In an age when it's an asset for music to sound alterna cooing through your workplace computer speakers, The Brannock Device promises to make your cubicle unapproachable. It's assaultive and manic and brilliant.
Into the Witness Chamber isn't an ironic record; it's a record filled with irony. On "King of the Soapbox Derby," some jazzy equivalent of slapstick incidental music answers McMilian and Beers' stentorian calls to "Know This! Believe This!" The whinging complaint of "Monochrome" begins with the boldest herald here and finds its way to some of the record's funkiest guitar and bass exchanges. "Into the Witness Chamber" seems to race forward with all of the energy of every other song, but the beautiful melodic bass riff highlights the dread in the vocals. And the album ends with "Deus Ex Machina," which swings from McMilian and Beers managing a delicate Anglican choral rendering of the title before dropping to a bloodthirsty call to "unleash" whatever kraken might bring this violence to an end.
Nope, you're not getting your reports finished while this thing's on.
You are getting four of Kansas City's finest musicians throwing all of the raw energy of punk into a head-spinning, groove-centered improvisational charge against the very idea of limits. Maybe that's why there's a particular poignancy to a song like "The Consequence of Hope," which climaxes with McMilian's soaring admission to "going nowhere" intertwining with Beers' rougher-edged agreement, both trying to leapfrog out of the truth even as they name it. Or there's the way the guitar on "You Wanted a White Flag, Right?" never stops searching for a way out despite the rest of the band's pounding admissions to being beaten down, despite the fact that the bass and drums seem to pace and flail in vain. Pascolini's guitar lights a flare behind the voices, and the song ends with its cries of inspiration bouncing against the walls of some echo chamber.
As surely as the lyrics on Into the Witness Chamber suggest a band that has been beaten enough to sound convincingly cynical, the music argues hope's consequences certainly include a few dreams come true. As much as they poke fun at the arrogance of the loudest voice in the room--even when it's their own--the members of the Brannock Device make a case for dreaming big and fighting hard. When I hear "King of the Soapbox's" "Know This! Believe This!," I can't help but smile. A soapbox fighter myself, the Brannock Device is shoving me with its satire, and I'm shoving back with an equally earnest counterweight. If the derby sounds this true, damn straight I believe in every beat, every rhyme and every word.
Know this--
Posted by Danny Alexander at 7:25 PM 2 comments:
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A Banchory primary has stepped up its efforts to encourage pupils to be active during the school day.
To develop and enhance physical activity levels, and as part of a continuing focus on health and wellbeing, Hill of Banchory introduced the Daily Mile across all age groups.
The now international initiative, which sees youngsters running or jogging for 15 minutes daily, was founded in Stirling in 2012.
It exists to improve the physical, social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing of children, regardless of age, ability of personal circumstances.
Research has shown that the impact of the project can be transformational, improving fitness, concentration levels, mood behaviour and event attainment.
To keep the children on track, Robertson – which provides facilities management services at Hill of Banchory Primary School – has painted arrows on the playground, giving participants a measured route to follow as they step towards success.
Visiting specialist PE teacher Mark Witt said: "To make this a whole school event, we have been recording the number of miles covered and plotted our route on a world map.
"After making it to Moscow in time for the start of the World Cup, we then headed north to explore the Arctic.
"I would like to express my thanks to Robertson Facilities Management for painting the arrows so that the pupils can follow them – it's made a big difference."
Ian Gibson, managing director, Robertson Facilities Management, added: "Encouraging young people to follow a healthy lifestyle is so important and the efforts of the staff and parents at Hill of Banchory Primary School should be applauded.
"Robertson was more than happy to help fund the directional arrows at the school.#
"We look forward to hearing about the continued success of the 'daily mile' project and the wider health initiative."


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The SEC charged a former executive at New York-based broker-dealer Jefferies & Co. with defrauding investors while selling mortgage-backed securities (MBS) in the wake of the financial crisis so he could generate additional revenue for his firm.
According to the SEC's complaint filed in federal court in Connecticut, the former executive arranged trades for customers as part of his job as a managing director on the MBS desk at Jefferies. The SEC alleges that the former executive would buy a MBS from one customer and sell it to another customer, but on many occasions he lied about the price at which his firm had bought the MBS so he could re-sell it to the other customer at a higher price and keep more money for the firm. On other occasions, he misled purchasers by creating a fictional seller to purport that he was arranging a MBS trade between customers when in reality he was just selling MBS out of his firm's inventory at a higher price. Because MBS are generally illiquid and difficult to price, it is particularly important for brokers to provide honest and accurate information.
The SEC alleges that the former executive generated more than $2.7 million in additional revenue for Jefferies through his deceit. His misconduct helped him improve his own standing at the firm, as his bonuses were determined in part by the amount of revenue he generated for the firm.
"Brokers must always tell their customers the truth, particularly in complex securities transactions in which it is difficult for investors to determine market prices on their own," said George Canellos, Deputy Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement. "[The former executive] repeatedly lied to his customers and invented facts to bring additional profits into his firm and ultimately his own pocket at their expense."
For more information, visit SEC Charges Former Jefferies Executive with Defrauding Investors in Mortgage-Backed Securities.


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