Zürich | Swiss Casinos

Gravity’s rainbow sections 26-29 summary
Hello there, here is my humble contribution to this great reading group. Thanks to everyone involved and especially to bloomsdayclock for overseeing the logistics involved in this hefty operation. I am a tad late because I had to fill in for somebody at work yesterday. Furthermore, any mistakes made I will blame on the fact that my laptop broke down and I have written this thing on my phone.
My plan of attack is very simple. I will summarize the sections in a - I hope - lucid manner and make some simple observations about the text as we go along. Here and there I will point to some passages that I think are beautiful, astute or important; simple enough right? I don’t think it will be as a complex or exhaustive exegesis as my worthy predecessors have provided, but I do hope it will provide enough fuel for the discussion below. Let’s get into it!
SECTION 26 (part 5 of part 2)
We are nearing march 23d 1945 as “Wernher von Braun, [...] prepares to celebrate his 33rd birthday”. We have just been provided with some of the yuckiest scenes in the book so our lord and saviour, Pynchon, moves away from the morbid proclivities of the White Visitation and provides us with some more comically induced and lighthearted scenes, before we get into THE ZONE.
Slothrop has become more aware of the plot that has been created to his detriment. Therefore we are provided with the first of the proverbs for paranoids: “You may never get to touch the master, but you can tickle his creatures.” Through some paranormal activity he has been conversing with, or receiving necessary information from, Roland Feldspath about systems of control, and whatnot before he goes to Germany. Feldspath reminisces on a periodical, “Paranoid Systems of History”, in Germany which asserted that the hyperinflation was purposefully created to show the failures of the adherents of the Cybernetic Tradition. This is bolstered with some ruminations on the nature of entropy (not explicity) and the problem of Maxwell’s demon. This is to provide for the fact that the way of thinking of the rocket’s was reduced to a too simplistic notion by the scientists that created them. These scientists would only realize in death the mistakes they made. A foreshadowing (sorta) of Slothrop’s own rite of passage through this book.
(I think it is clear I’m having some trouble with going over this bit; if anyone feels inclined to feel in the gaps and maybe explain Maxwell’s demon in layman’s terms, that would be much appreciated.)
We are now (really) back at the casino, where slothrop stumbles into Hilary Bounce (from Shell) - who is going to learn him about propulsion. There are some things Slothrop needs to learn before he goes into the zone, among them are: the mechanics of propulsion; dialects like plattdeutsch (which just means something like ‘normal’ German - as opposed to ‘proper’ German); and also English English. Slothrop is thinking about and discussing with Bounce the curious nature and endeavors of Shell on both sides of the war. We are hit with the second proverb: “The innocence of the creatures is in inverse proportion to the immorality of the master”. Bounce shrugs Slothrop suspicions off by saying: “It’s only a “wild coincidence,” slothrop’”.
As part of Pointsman’s experiment Slothrop is learning about rockets via German blueprints. In such a blueprint a rather out of the ordinary insulation device catches his eye: Imipolex G. Rather than just plain out asking for more information, slothrop is a bit more slick. He gets one of his ladyfriends (Michele) to seduce bounce, so he can have Bounce’s teletype to ask about Imipolex G. This succeeds, Slothrop goes down to the same party where Bounce and Michele went to - and will read the info later.
SECTION 27 (Part 6 of 2)
This party is hosted by Raoul de la perlimpinpin who has been keeping this party going for a long while. Tonight instead of the usual spiking of the punch, the Hollandaise sauce has been flavored with some grass. Due to this people are asleep on the floor, and whoever is awake is eating everything they can get their hands onto. Slothrop receives “a kraft-paper envelope” to hold onto from swanky Blodget Waxwing - forgerist and arms dealer - to keep safe from Tamara(or Italo?). This he does for good reason as Tamara, for reasons très convoluté, shows up at the party in a Sherman Tank. Slothrop - in true hero fashion - saves the day. He receives a zoot suit and a nice keychain from Waxwing as was promised early.
I think this is a prime example of Pynchon’s visual (comedic) imagery! We get some more of this in the next sections (in the Raketwerke). I have read somewhere that this type of scene taps into cinema of this era, yet should not be viewed as Pynchon lauding popular movies, but it more so being a comment on this type of popular entertainment being not so necessarily good for our original thought. (It also exerts a certain amount of control by Them on Us, I guess?) Whilst this may be the case I think Pynchon also does it because he has a lot of fun doing this! It also shows how writers can use popular cinema to their advantage, by borrowing ‘cliché’ images and making them your own.
Of further interest is the fact that the loud noise did not cause an erection for Slothrop. Is this simply due to it being a tank and not a rocket? Or “because nobody was looking”, tapping into how an experiment can change when there is an observer vs. no observer? Furthermore, Waxwing says the tank scene did happen, but the scene with the octopus did not. This is because the octopus was planned? And therefore ‘artificial’? But the tank scene ‘natural’ and therefore ‘real’?
SECTION 28 (1) part 7 of part 2
Slothrop is reading about Imipolex G and we get some information on this plastic, but als on the scientific history of plastics in general and this one in particular. Of importance is the fact that: “Chemists were no longer to be at the mercy of Nature.” One of these chemists is Laslo Jamf who created Imipolex G for IG Farben ( IG = Interessegemeimschaft = syndicate/ cartel and farben = dyes) . Jamf was originally working Psychochemie AG (previously known as the Grossli Chemical corporation). Grössli was a spinoff from the Sandoz corporation. When the Germans (under the cover of IG Chemie) did business in Switzerland they bought a large chunk of Grössli stock the company was named Psychochemie AG. So both IG Farben and Psychochemie got access to the patent for Imipolex AG. Shell oil has info on Imipolex because of an agreement with Imperial chemicals (which is also partly owned by IG Farben) which stipulates they can sell it in the commonwealth. Psychochemie AG is still alive and kicking in their “old adress in the Schokoladestrasse in that Zürich, Switzerland.” Furthermore, the rockets that are falling on top of London “with the help of a transmitter on the roof of the headquarters of Dutch Shell”, share an “uncanny resemblance to one developed by British Shell at around the same time”. This information is being gathered by Mr. Duncan Sandys at the Shell mex house. A lovely bit of shady corporate dealings fuelled by malice and greed.
On the shell mex house, Slothrop stages a hypothetical raid with Waxwing. Wherein they find no signs of Evil but only “a rather dull room”. This prompts a rumination on Duncan Sandy’s role in this supposed plot who is just “a name only a function”, it is unclear where the plot ends and begins: this is due to Them who have made the organization charts (so what is the use in even asking this kind of question. Which leads into the third proverb (and my favorite): “If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about the answers.”
During slothrop’s rereading of the blue parts list which made him aware of imipolex G in the first place he finds a very special type of rocket: “‘S-Gerät, 11/000000.’” This is unusual because there he has come across an I- or J-Gerät but no S-. Furthermore he has not seen a rocket with so many zeroes before.
In the Casino Restaurant slothrop finds out (through a newspaper) about the death of his old pal Tantivy Mucker-Mafick. It is unclear whether this happened, if it happened who did it and why. What is clear is that Slothrop is getting increasingly paranoid.
He goes to Nice and tries to shake his tail by giving Claude the assistant chef his clothes and stealing a citroen with the keys in it (we find out later that They were still onto him in Nice though, but it’s a nice try!). Slothrop enters a hotel and on the top floor meets a mysterious “old motherly femme de chambre” (chamber maid). He shows her Waxwing’s card and she points him upstairs, where, there is a “kind of penthouse in the middle” here he finds three boys and girls smoking a thin cigarette of ambigious odor (might it be a cigarette dipped in acid? or is it just weed?). He shows them Waxwing’s card; he is not there, but Slothrop will get an id card the day after and a place to sleep.
After a rather unpleasant night of sleep filled with visits by various ghosts of the past: Murray Smile, Jenny, Katje and Tantivy. He is woken up by the noise of some American MPs and for the first time feels the threat their voices might hold for any non-American. His papers are brought up to his room. His new guise is Ian Scufflin, English war correspondent (hey that English English you have been learning might do you some good after all). With these new papers he’s off to Zurich!
SECTION 28 (2) Part 7 of part 2
After a long train ride he arrives in Zurich. During this ride he noticed the following in the landscape: “The war has been reconfiguring time and space into its own image. The track runs in different networks now. What appears to be destruction is really the shaping of railroad space to other purposes, intentions he can only riding through it for the first time begin to feel the leading edges of…” This is an important description of what the war has been doing and how it will affect the zone later on.
He checks into Hotel Nimbus and later makes its way to find the local Waxwing representative: a russian named Semyavin. They talk about information being/ becoming the currency of the world. “Is it any wonder the world’s gone insane with information come to be the only real medium of exchange?” (In the previous discussions Pynchon’s prescience has been a talking point; I find it to be especially strong in this small conversation between Slothrop and semyavin.) Semyavin provides Slothrop with three Zurich cafés that somebody with an interest in industrial espionage should check out. He begins loitering at these places, but is having trouble with sorting the corporate spies from the LOONIES ON LEAVE (from their “fancy asylums”).
He is accosted by a chorus of crazies and their keepers. In their song there is talk of entropy management, perpetual motion which has to do with Maxwell’s demon as well. This ties into the help Slothrop has been getting while giving nothing. Not realizing that he, himself is the information by which he is ‘paying’ for the help he’s been getting - as is similar to the way the problem of Maxwell’s demon was solved.
Furthermore there is this line where Slothrop is having trouble “telling Nuts from Keepers”. Which to me feels to be about a lot of things amongst which, the question of: who is in control vs. who is being controlled? And also about the maybe-not-so-rigid-difference between a nutcase and a genius. Which ties into Slothrop’s paranoia. Because in everyday use paranoia is seeing a connection between things that are not there, yet in this book it does not seem to be that negative (as Slothrop’s paranoia is by no means uncalled for). So are scientists who have their moment of eureka not paranoid crazies who are right and vice versa? Is a paranoid anything less than a genius who has not been able to prove the connection he sees? Or maybe I’m reading into these lines a bit much… Carrying on!
After the crazies have left him alone and some time flies by, Slothrop is chomping down on a bratwurst in Stragelli (one of the three cafés) and meets Mario Schweitar. Schweitar is from Sandoz a member of the swiss chemical cartel from the early 20’s remember? Which evolved into Psychochemie Ag (the German cover company). Slothrop sez: “I’d like anything they got on L. Jamf, a-and on that Imipolex G.’” Slothrop hears that getting this information will be difficult and also that Jamf is dead. For the info he wants, slothrop will need to raise 500 swiss Francs.
Semyavin advises him to pawn his zoot. He is not too keen on parting with it. Later he sees a car who is, ostensibly, checking him out, so we receive proverb 4: “You hide they seek”. In another attempt of hiding from them he calls his to his hotel from a restaurant asking: “‘can you possibly tell me if the British chap who’s been waiting in the foyer is still there, know…”’, this backfires, as a variety of people were watching him: they know know he knows.
As he’s killing time in the famous Cafe Odeon, he meets Fransisco Squalidozzi. They get friendly and Squalidozzi starts telling him about his heist of a German submarine and of his “plan to seek political asylum in Germany, as soon as the War’s over there…”, Slothrop does not get it as Germany’s a “mess”, Squalidozzi enlightens Slothrop with his perfectly logical reasoning. There is talk of the centralization of Argentina. The need to reign from Buenos Aires (entropy, control all that stuff). There is talk of Labyrinths. Labyrinths and Argentina? Ah there he is: “look at Borges.” Slothrop calls this centralizing progress. Squalidozzi waves slothrops (conservative Western) ideas away for mild insanity instead of rudeness. Squalidozzi further states that the war is changing something inherently: this gives him hope and is why he plans to settle there.
There are swiss people who want to assist squalidozzi in his anarchism-in-exile, he needs to get a message to Geneva. Slothrop can help him for some money. Anon, he flies there in a “battered DC-3”. He delivers the message with slickness that would make James Bond jealous. He goes back to Zurich by train, but gets off at a stop earlier at Schlieren in an attempt to lose his tail (which was succesful?). The next day he meets Schweitar to give him half his money in advance. They agree to close the deal (for info on Jamf and Imipolex G) in the mountains by Jamf’s grave. Slothrop is unable to find Squalidozzi though - so he can’t deliver his message to him…
Slothrop goes camping by Jamf’s grave and we get treated to this wonderful description of Zurich: “The city below him, bathed now in a partial light is a necropolis of church spires and weathercocks, white castle-keep towers, broad buildings with mansard roofs and windows glimmering by thousands. This forenoon the mountains are as translucent as ice. The lake is mirror-smooth but mountains and houses reflected down there remain strangely blurred with edges fine and combed as raind: a dream of Atlantis, of the Suggenthal. Toy villages, desolate city of painted alabaster…” Schweitar’s delivery boy comes along and gives him the goods. And we switch to Pointsman.
See you again in the zone Slothrop!
SECTION 29 part 8 of part 2
The white visitation has a small gathering at Whitsun by the sea. We find out they're in a bit of a crisis. They have lost Slothrop in Zurich or at least the secret service did. We recap to a duo called harvey speed and floyd perdoo who were/are investigating Slothrop’s sexual endeavors in London. They don’t do much though aside from eating and bickering with each other.
Pointsman is wondering when he is going to see it. He is worrying about data sets and of what can be perceived as truth/ trustworthy (evidentially vs. clinically). Slothrop being missing also causes worries at the Shell mex house, because Slothrop knows about some sensitive rocket stuff. Hehas information that Russians and Americans would be keen to have. Pointsman is also worrying about his team. So he organized a party to up the atmosphere a bit.
Pointsman, Mexico, Jessica, Dennis Joint and Katje are present. Mexico is having trouble with Jessica. Dennis Joint is eyeballing Katje who does not seem interested and Pointsman is losing his mind (what a fun get-together!). We also find out that Pirate Prentice has been asking about Katje at PISCES’ new brand office… for reasons unclear (for love or something else?). Pointsman starts up a conversation with Mexico that seems odd even for his standard. Then we find out in accordance with Murphy’s law or Gödels Theorem that there are actual Schwarzkommando’s in Germany (the hereros who will be explained thoroughly in the next sections). We go back to Pointsman losing control the party, the situation, his work, of Katje and of himself. And on this lovely note we end this section and part 2 of Gravity’s Rainbow!

• 1. Studio LPs & EPs

1965 Jokers Wild (Dave Gilmour)(320)
1966 Tonite Let's All Make Love in London
1967 Arnold Layne
1967 Relics
1971 Pink Floyd - Relics (Remaster AU 1987 CDAX 701290)
1967 Scream Thy Last Scream
1967 See Emily Play & Scarecrow EP (Remaster UK 2007 Bonus CDM 40th ADEd. 50999 5 03919 2 9)
1967 The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (UK Stereo First Pressing 24bit-96khz)
1968 A Saucerful of Secrets
1968 Pink Floyd - A Saucerful Of Secrets (Remaster Japan 1988 CP32-5272)
1968 It Would Be So Nice
1968 Point Me at the Sky
1969 OST More (Remaster Japan 1987 CDP 7 46386 2)
1969 Soundtrack From The Film More
1969 Ummagumma
1969 Zabriskie Point e Ultimate Z. P
1969 Ultimate Zabriskie Point [FLAC]
1970 370 Roman Yards 1970 (The Lost Zabriskie Point Album) [MP3]
1970 Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother (Remaster US 1994 UDCD 595)
1970 Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother (UK LP EMI Harvest SHVL 781 24bit-96khz)
1970 Roger Waters - Music From The Body (Soundtrack)(320)
1970 Syd Barrett - Barrett
1970 Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs
1971 Pink Floyd - Meddle (Remaster Japan 1988 UDCD 518)
1971 Meddle - 24-96 Vinyl Rip (FLAC)
1971 One Of These Days Single Vinyl 7 (Italy 1971 EMR-20388)
1972 Pink Floyd - Obscured By Clouds (Remaster US 1987 CDP 7 46385 2)
1973 Money Vinyl 12 (Remaster Netherlands 1981 Vinyl 12 1A K052Z - 78068)
1973 The Dark Side of the Moon - (Vinyl LP 24-96 UK Remaster 30 Harvest SHVL 804 24Bit 96kHz) - 200g Vinyl Rip (FLAC) - Audiophile MFSL Pressing VINYL {FR1 Cartridge SYBORG} - Unreleased Tracks
1975 Wish You Were Here
1975 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Remaster UK 1984 CDP 7 46035 2) & Unreleased Tracks
1977 Animals- (2016 Master) VINYL {FR1 Mk3 Cart} - (2016 Master) VINYL {Stanton 881 Cart} - (Remaster US 1985 CK 34474) - (Vinyl LP 24-96 US Columbia First Pressing JC 34474 24Bit 96kHz)
1978 David Gilmour - David Gilmour
1978 Rick Wright - Wet Dream
1979 The Wall - (Remaster Germany 2007 2xCD CDS 7 46036 8) - (Remaster US 1989 2xCD UDCD 2-537) - US UltraDisc 2CD- (UK Vinyl 2xLP 24-96 SHDW 411 24Bit 96kHz) - The Wall Work In Progress
1981 Nick Mason's - Fictitious Sports
1983 Not Now John Vinyl 7 (UK 1983 HAR 5224)
1983 The Final Cut (Remaster EU 2007 Oh By The Way Boxset CD14 50999 511267 2 8, 511 2672)
1983 The Final Cut (US 1983 QC 38243)
1984 David Gilmour - About Face
1984 Rick Wright - Zee Identity
1984 Roger Waters - The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking
1986 Roger Waters - When The Wind Blows
1987 A Momentary Lapse Of Reason - [1987] [FLAC] - [2019] Remix
1987 Roger Waters - Radio K.A.O.S. (320)
1992 Roger Waters - Amused To Death
1994 High Hopes & Keep Talking (France 1994 CDM 881 777 2)
1994 Take It Back (Netherlands 1994 CDM 7243 8 81278 2 0)
1994 The Division Bell - (2014) [HD Tracks] 24.96 - (Japan 1994 SRCS 7324) - [UK 1994 Vinyl 24-96 EMD 1055]
1996 Rick Wright - Broken China
2002 Roger Waters - Flickering Flame
2004 Roger Waters - To Kill The Child & Leaving Beirut (Single)(320)
2005 Roger Waters - Ca Ira
2006 David Gilmour - Arnold Layne EP
2006 David Gilmour - On An Island
2006 Smile (1-Track EU Promo CD Single)(320)
2006 Smile (2-Track EU CD Single)(320)
2007 Roger Waters - Hello (I Love You)(Single)(192-320)
2010 The Orb and David Gilmour - Metallic Spheres
2014 The Endless River

• 2. Live

1967-03-18 My Uncle Is Sick Because The Highway Is Green
1967-09-13 Starclub, Copenhagen
1967-09-25 BBC Playhouse Theater, London (BBC Sessions)
1967-10-30 Games for May - England
1967-11-13 Ahoy, Rotterdam, NL
1968-02-24 Bouton Rouge
1968-05-06 First European International Pop Festival, Piper Club, Rome
1968-05-23 Paradiso, Amsterdam (Late Show)
1968-07-27 Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles
1968-12-28 Margriethal, Jaarbeurs, Utrecht
1968-12-28 Owed To Syd Barrett
1969-03-27 Saint James Hall, Chesterfield, England
1969-04-14 Royal Festival Hall, London
1969-04-27 Careful With These Tracks
1969-05-09 University Of Southampton, Hampshire, England
1969-06-22 Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England
1969-06-26 Royal Albert Hall, London
1969-08-08 The Journey Through the Past
1969-08-09 The Paradiso, Amsterdam - Celestial Instruments
1969-09-17 Amsterdam '69 (TSP-CD-052) 1990 [VBR]
1969-09-17 Complete Concertgebouw
1969-10-11 Song Days Festival, Essen
1969-10-19 Around the Mystic - London
1969-10-25 Interstellar Zappadrive - Mont de L'Enclus, Amougies, Belgium
1969-11-21 Montreux Switzerland
1969-12-06 Afan Lido Sports Center, Port Talbot, Wales
1969-71 Echoes Of Atom Heart Mother
1969-73 Rare & Live Tracks - 3cds
1970 - 1971 Eclipse (2001)
1970 Fat Old Gigs 4cd
1970 Pepperland In The West
1970-01-18 Fairfield Hall, Croydon, Surrey
1970-01-23 Hotel de Champs-Elysees a Paris, Paris
1970-02-11 Town Hall, Birmingham
1970-02-28 Refectory Hall, Leeds University, Leeds, Yorkshire
1970-03-12 A Trick of the Light
1970-03-13 The Injustice of a Kaleidoscope Sound
1970-03-14 Meistersinger Halle, Nuremberg
1970-03-15 Niedersachsenhalle, Hannover
1970-03-20 Akademiske Foreningens Store Sal, Lund, Sweden
1970-04-11 Gymnasium, SUNY, Stony Brook, NY
1970-04-22 Capitol Theater, Port Chester, NY
1970-04-29 [HRVCDR016] Interstellar Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
1970-04-30 [HRVCDR034] - KQED
1970-05-01 Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
1970-06-27 Bath Festival Of Blues And Progressive, Shepton Mallet, Bath
1970-06-28 Holland Pop Festival, Kralingen, Rotterdam (JFE remaster)
1970-07-12 Open Air Pop Festival Aachen, Aachen Soerser Stadium
1970-07-16 Focus - Paris Theater, Regent Street, London, England - BBC FM
1970-07-16 Libest Spacement Monitor (TSP-CD-027 1989)
1970-07-16 Mooed Music - BBC Session Live, Paris Cinema, London
1970-07-18 Hyde Park, London
1970-08-08 Les Nuits Musicales, Saint Tropez (Pop 2 TV Show)
1970-09 & 1971-03 - Eclipse - APE
1970-09-12 Parc De Vincennes, Paris
1970-09-16 Pink Is The Pig (Live In London)
1970-09-16 Pink Floyd - Focus 1971 [FM]
1970-09-16 Playhouse Theatre, London
1970-09-16 Rhapsody In Pink (Italy 1990 LLRCD 044)
1970-09-26 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
1970-09-27 Fillmore East, New York City, NY (Early Show)
1970-10-17 Pepperland Auditorium, San Rafael, CA
1970-10-23 Creatures Of The Deep Disc 1-3
1970-10-23 Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
1970-11-06 Mind Your Throats
1970-11-07 Grote Zaal, De Doelen, Rotterdam
1970-11-11 Conserthuset, Gothenburg
1970-11-12 Falkoner Centret, Fredriksberg, Copenhagen
1970-11-13 Vejlby Risskovhallen, Aarhus
1970-11-14 Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg
1970-11-21 Smokin' Blues (Montreux Casino, Montreux )
1970-11-22 Altes Casino, Montreux - Swiss Made
1970-11-25 Fridrich Ebert Halle, Ebertpark, Ludwigshafen
1970-11-26 Messehallen, Stuttgart
1970-11-29 Circus Krone, Munich
1970-12-22 City Hall, Sheffield
1971 Atom Heart Mother Goes On The Road
1971-02-12 Lecture Theatre, University Of Essex, Colchester
1971-02-13 Students Union Bar, Technical College, Farnborough
1971-02-25 Grosser Saal, Musikhalle, Hamburg
1971-02-26 Stadthalle, Offenbach
1971-04-03 Oude Ahoy, Rotterdam
1971-05-15 Crystal Palace Garden Party, London
1971-05-18 Pathfoot Building Refectory, Stirling University
1971-06-04 Philips Veranstal Tungshalle, Dusseldorf
1971-06-05 Echoes - The Return of the Son of Nothing (West Berlin)
1971-06-05 Sportspallast, Berlin - Mauerspechte
1971-06-05 Vierundzwanzig Teile von Nichts (HRV-CDR-029)
1971-06-12 Palais Des Sports, Lyon
1971-06-19 Palazzo Delle Manifestazioni Artistiche, Brescia
1971-06-20 Palaeur, Rome
1971-06-26 Amstel Free Concert, Amsterdamse Bos, Amsterdam
1971-07-01 Ossiach Festival Stitschoff, Ossiach
1971-08-06 Hakone Aphrodite, Hakone, Japan
1971-08-09 Festival Hall, Osaka
1971-08-13 Festival Hall, Melbourne
1971-09-18 Live in Montreux
1971-09-23 KB Hallen, Copenhagen
1971-09-30 Meddled
1971-09-30 Meddler
1971-09-30 One Of These Days (TSP-CD-034 1989)
1971-09-30 Paris Cinema, London
1971-10-04 HRVCDR010 - Pompeii Rev B
1971-10-04 Live at Pompeii - Remains
1971-10-04 Pompeii (Remaster Netherlands PFP-A0118)
1971-10-04 to 07 In The Shadow Vesuvius - Italia
1971-10-04 Volcanic Destruction
1971-10-07 Live At Pompeii
1971-10-10 Great Hall, Bradford University, Bradford, Yorkshire
1971-10-16 The Eye of Agamotto - Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica
1971-10-17 Convention Hall, Community Concourse, San Diego
1971-10-17 From Oblivion
1971-10-17 Wind And Seabirds - Convention Hall, San Diego
1971-10-27 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
1971-10-28 Hill Auditorium, Ann Harbor, MI
1971-10-31 Fieldhouse University Of Toledo
1971-11-05 Hunter College - New York City, NY
1971-11-06 Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
1971-11-10 Labyrinths - Pavillion De La Jeunesse, Quebec
1971-11-12 Irvine Auditorium, State University, Philadelphia, PA
1971-11-16 Something from Nothing
1971-11-16 The Return of the Sons of Nothing
1971-11-20 Embryonic Madness
1971-11-20 One Of Those Days
1971-11-20 Taft Auditorium, Cincinnati, OH
1971-11-20 Taft Auditorium, Cincinnati, OH (2-source blend)
1972-01-20 The Darkside Rehearsals - Brighton Dome, Brighton, England
1972-01-21 The Guildhall, Portsmouth
1972-01-22 Eclipse Of The Dark Side - Winter Gardens, Bournemouth (Recorder 2)
1972-01-22 The Dark Side Winter Gardens - Bournemouth (Recorder 1)
1972-01-23 Gathering On The Moon - The Guildhall, Southampton
1972-01-27 Waiting for The Moon - City Hall, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
1972-01-28 You Are Number Six - Refectory Hall, Leeds University, Leeds
1972-02-17 - Rainbow Tapes Day 1
1972-02-18 - Rainbow Tapes Day 2
1972-02-19 - Rainbow Tapes Day 3
1972-02-20 - Rainbow Tapes Day 4
1972-02-19 Finsbury Park - Disc 1
1972-02-20 Finsbury Park - Disc 1
1972-02-20 The Best Of Tour 72 (TSP-CD-049 1990) [VBR]
1972-03-06 Acid Moon - Taiikukan, Tokyo, Japan
1972-03-08 Natural Dark In Osaka. Japan
1972-03-09 Echoes From Osaka
1972-03-13 The Dark Side Of The Ice - Saporro, Japan
1972-03-13 The Great Gig On The Moon
1972-04-28 Chicago
1972-05-21 2nd British Rock Meeting - Germersheim, Germany
1972-06-28 Eclipsed By The Dome - Brighton [MP3]
1972-09-22 Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, CA
1972-09-22 Staying Home To Watch The Rain[VBR]
1972-10-21 The Oxfam Concert - London [MP3]
1972-11-15 Echoes Of The Past, Sporthalle Böblingen, Stuttgart, Germany
1972-11-15 The Great Gig In Böblingen
1972-12-01 Harsh Realities [Stereo Tweaked]
1972-12-09 - In a Neutral Land - Zurich - Suiça (FLAC)
1972-12-12 Across The Swiss Border
1972-73 Nebulosity
1972-73 The Great Gig In The Sky (UK Unofficial SSR 41925)
1973-03-06 The Valley Of The Kings
1973-03-11 Yeeshkul!
1973-03-14 Live Music Hall - Boston, MA
1973-03-15 Dark Soundboard of Philadelphia
1973-03-17 Dark Side of Radio City
1973-05-19 Supine in the Sunshine
1973-06-17 On Stage Saratoga NY
1973-06-20 Breaking Bottles In The Hall
1973-06-20 Merryweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD
1973-06-29 When You're In...Tampa
1973-10-13 Set The Controls... - Vienna [MP3]
1973-11-04 Obscured At The Rainbow [VBR]
1974-06-24 Shine On Paris
1974-11-15 Black Holes In The Sky
1974-11-15 Work in Progress
1974-11-16 BBC Archives (HRV CDR 033)
1974-11-16 No Room Upon The Hill
1974-11-16 Time In London
1974-11-16 Wembley MTX-V2
1974-11-16 Wembley Pre FM-Master
1974-11-16 Wembley Wizards
1974-11-17 Getting Better All The Time
1974-11-28 Empire Theatre
1974-12-09 Manchester Day '74
1974-12-14 Stairstep To Abandon - Bristol, England [Vinyl]
1975-04-08 Azimuth Coordinator Pt. 1
1975-04-13 Riding The Cow.Cow Palace,California,USA
1975-04-26 Cruel But Fair
1975-04-26 Dogs And Sheep
1975-04-27 Hogs in Smog
1975-04-27 Los Angeles, CA master
1975-06-15 Faster Jersey
1975-06-15 Jersey Not Mother
1975-06-16 Random Precision
1975-06-18 Boston Garden Matrix Version
1975-06-18 Boston Gardens
1975-06-18 Crazy Diamonds [VBR]
1975-06-18 Echoes In The Gardens
1975-06-22 Heavy Rain
1975-06-28 Master Reel - Ontario (RTR-DAT-Source 2) (flac)
1975-80 - Azimuth Coordinator 1975 a 1980 (6CD box 1998)
1977-01-05 Iron Pigs On Fire - Fort Worth, Texas
1977-01-23 - If Pigs Could Fly
1977-01-23 Bugger's Eyes
1977-01-29 Desk Pig In Berlin
1977-01-30 Absolut Floyd
1977-01-30 Hunting Animals - Berlin, Germany
1977-02-01 Test Flight - Vienna, Austria
1977-02-20 Animals In Belgium - Antwerpen [FLAC]
1977-02-20 Ducks On The Wall
1977-02-20 Thirteen
1977-02-22 Dragged Down By The Stone
1977-02-22 Pavillion de Pigs
1977-02-27 Animals On The Wing
1977-04-22 Hurricane Floyd Hits - Miami FL
1977-05-01 Iron Pigs On Fire
1977-05-09 Animal Instincts
1977-05-09 Mr Pig - Oakland [MP3]
1977-06-19 Chicago '77
1977-06-19 Soldier Field, Chicago, IL (1st gen Charly C.'s tape - source 1)
1977-06-27 Boredom and Pain (Boston Gardens)
1977-06-27 Boston Garden, Boston, MA - The Perfect Day (FLAC)
1977-06-27 Boston Garden, Boston, MA (Lampinski)
1977-06-27 Pink Floyd 1977-06-27
1977-07-01 Live at Madson Square Garden
1977-07-02 In the Grassland Away
1977-07-02 Live at Madson Square Garden
1977-07-02 Prog King - Madison Square Garden
1977-07-02 Welcome To The Machine
1977-07-03 Madson Square Garden - New York
1977-07-03 Pigs Might Fly
1977-07-04 Sheep Independence Day (FLAC)
1977-07-06 Azimuth Coordinator Pt. 2 - Last Animals
1977-07-06 Fire Works Show In The Canadian Walls
1977-07-06 Montreal
1977-07-06 Who Was Trained Not To Spit On The Fan
1980-01-01 The Wall Rehearsals 1980
1980-02-07 Azimuth Coordinator Pt. 3 - flac16
1980-02-08 Little Black Book With My Poems In
1980-02-27 The Wall Live In Nassau
1980-02-28 Nassau - Coliseum - NY
1980-08-09 Soundboard on the Wall - Earls Court, London, England
1980-1981 Is There Anybody Out There The Wall Live
1981-02-19 Tear Down The Wall
1981-02-20 The Sixth German Show-Westfalenhalle, Dortmund
1981-02-20 Westfallenhalle,Dortmund, Germany
1981-06-16 Earl's Court, London (Watching The World Upon The Wall)
1984-04-30 (Gilmour) Live At The Hammersmith Odeon (London )(320)
1984-05-22 (Gilmour) Beacon Theater - New York City-NY
1984-06-16&17 (Waters w. Clapton) Sidewinder (Stockholm)
1984-06-29 (Gilmour) New Game - Berkeley [FLAC]
1984-07-12 (Gilmour and Friends) In Floyd We Trust (320)
1984-07-12 (Gilmour) Westwood One Concert (48kHz)(320)
1984-07-18 (Waters) Eric the Player, Roger the Singer
1985-03-20 (Waters) Live Radio City Music Hall, NYC [FM]
1985-03-28 (Waters) Complete Hitch Hiking Perfomance
1987-09-16 Echoes By The Lake Disc 1-3
1987-09-19 Prism
1987-11-01 Live at the Orange Bowl, Miami
1987-11-07 (Waters) Goodbye Mr. Pink Floyd (Remaster)
1987-11-30 MONEY GOES WEST - (The Sports Arena - Los Angeles, California)
1988 Delicate Sound Of Thunder (UK 7914802)
1988-02-19 Live in Melbourne (SOUNDBOARD)
1988-02-19 Melbourne - Soundboard Recording
1988-02-19 Tennis Center, Melbourne
1988-07-08 Nothing Is Changed (Modena, Italy) [VBR]
1989-06-12 Globe Arena, Stockholm
1989-06-13 Globe Arena, Stockholm
1989-06-14 Globe Arena, Stockholm
1989-07-01 Palais Omnisport de Paris Bercy, Paris, France
1989-07-15 Live In Venice 1989 {FLAC]
1989-07-15 Venice, Grand Canal
1990 (Waters) The Wall - Live In Berlin
1990-06-30 Of Promises Broken
1990-06-30 The Knebworth Tales
1994-03-30 Miami - The Live Bell
1994-04-16 Your Favorite Disease
1994-04-21 Pigs Over The San Francisco Bay
1994-04-21 They're Blowin Me Away - Oakland Master DAT
1994-05-31 3 Pigs At 3 Rivers
1994-06-11 The Bell Gets Louder
1994-07-18 By The Light Of The Silvery Moon
1994-08-13 The Sound Surrounds
1994-09-04 Softly Spoken Magic Spells - Feyenoord [MP3]
1994-09-13 A Night In Italy
1994-09-13 A Passage Of Time
1994-09-15 Udine - Italy
1994-09-19 - The Nights Of Wonder
1995 Pulse
1995 Wish You Were Here Live (CDM 7243 8 82207 2 9)
2000 (Waters) In The Flesh (Live)
2001-06 2002-01 David Gilmour in Concert (320)
2002-03-05 (Waters) The Happiest Night of Our Lives - National Stadium, Santiago
2005-07-02 Live 8 Reunion
2006-03-07 (Gilmour) Mermaid Theatre - London
2006-03-19 (Gilmour) Regathering Our Senses - Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam [FA025]
2006-05 (Gilmour) 2007 - Remember That Night
2006-07-29 Happy Birthday Dear Richard (Archive Konigsplatz Munich rec 4)
2006-08-26 (Gilmour) Live In Gdansk
2006-12-07 (Waters) Milan, Italy FM
2007 (Gilmour) 4 Tracks Live From Abbey Road (US Promo CD Single)(320)
2007-03-14 (Waters) 50000 Lunatics on The Grass Chile '07
2007-07-07 (Waters) Live Earth 2007
2008-06-15 (Gilmour) Ron's Psychedelic Supper Vol.2
2010-07-10 (Waters & Gilmour) The Hoping Foundation (320)
2010-09-15 (Waters) The Wall Live - Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
2010-09-16 (Waters) The Wall Live - Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
2010-09-18 (Waters) The Wall Live - Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
2010-09-20 - Roger Waters - The Wall - Chicago [MP3]
2010-12-18 (Waters) Flickering Flames On The Wall - Palacio De Los Deportes, Mexico D.F
2010-12-19 (Waters) Flickering Flames On The Wall - Palacio De Los Deportes, Mexico D.F
2010-12-21 (Waters) Flickering Flames On The Wall - Palacio De Los Deportes, Mexico D.F
2011-03-25 (Waters) Madrid - Experimento
2011-05-15 (Waters) Live At O2 Arena, London, England
2017 Live at Pompeii [FLAC]
David_Gilmour - Live Tracks - MP3

• 3. Rarities

1965 - Syd Barrett - Lucy Leave and Other Rarities [FLAC,Tracks]
1965-95 - Pinkie Milkie - Rarities Compilation
1966-67 London '66 - '67 (UK 1995 CDM SFMDP 3)
1966-67 Psychedelic Games for May
1966-71 Sophisticated Colours
1966-94 Early Flights Disc 1-10
1967 Reaction In G
1967-69 Music For Architectural Students
1967-71 Antiques- A Rare Collection of Oddities
1967-71 Antiques And Curios
1967-87 A CD Full Of Secrets
1968 Tonite Let's All Make Love in London OST
1968-69 The Embryo (TSP-CD-020 1989) [VBR]
1968-70 - Old Symphonies 1968-1970 - FM
1968-70 Ultra Rare Trax Vol. 1-3
1968-71 Spiral
1968-74 From Underground To The Moon
1969 - High Time
1969 - The Complete Zabriskie Point Sessions
1969-70 Omay Yad
1969-99 - Roger Waters - Rarities Vol 1-3
1970-71 - Syd Barrett - The Radio One Sessions
1971-72 Studio Outtakes & Demos
1972-06 From the Other Side (DSOTM Outtakes)
1975 - Tour Comic book
1975-76 Abbey Road to Britannia Row The Extraction Tapes (2014)
1978 The Wall- Under Construction
1978-79 Building The Wall
1979 Every Brick In The Wall (outtakes)
1980 - The Wall - Original Film Sessions 1980
1980 The Wall (Demos)
1982 The Final Cutting
1987 A Momentary Lapse of Reason Live Official Tour CD (Demonstration Not For Sale)
1987 One Slip CDM (UK 1987 CDEM 52)
1988 - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (Official Tour CD)_flac
1990-05-02 - Roger Waters - The London Rehearsals 1990
1994 - Just Warmin Up - The Rehearsals in Tampa - 1994
Pink Floyd - Just Warming Up (Tampa 1994 )
1996 Pink Floyd & Friends - Interstellar Overdrive (Canada 1996 PS-NEMS 1001-2)
2001 Pink Underground
2005...A Desperate Attempt of Perfection
2010 - Roger Waters - Is It The Fifth
A Tree Full Of Secrets (18xCD Box Rarities)
Have You Got It Yet
2008 Have You Got It Yet v2
HYGIY v2.0 Vol. 1
Live Anthology
Roger Waters - Rarities Vol 1-3
Secret Rarities (2014
Star Profile - audio documentary
Variations on a Theme of Absence 8-CD

• 4. Compilations

1965-72 The Early Years Limited Edition 10CD [FLAC]
1967 The First 3 Singles (Remaster UK 1997 7243 8 59895 2 0)
1967 The Syd Barrett Tapes
1967-11-17 The First Singles
1967-1973 - Anthology II [HL 325-326]
1967-68 Masters of Rock
1967-68 The Early Singles (EU 1992 0777 7 80572 2 2)
1967-71 The Complete BBC Sessions
1967-93 - Total Eclipse - A Retrospective 1967-1993 - Italy
1981 A Collection Of Great Dance Songs (Remaster Japan 2001 TOCP-65744)
1983 Works (US 1983 CDP 7 46478 2)
1988 - Syd Barrett - Opel
1992 - La Carrera Panamericana
1992 - Syd Barrett - Octopus
1995 - Greatest Hits 3 - Post Pink - 1995 - MP3.320kbps
1999 - Legendary Rock Stars - Greatest Hits
2001 - Echoes The Best Of Pink Floyd (US 2001 2xCD CDP 7243 5 36111 2 5)
2003 - Roger Waters - Flickering Flame (320)
2007 - David Gilmour - Take a Best (Bootleg)(320)
2007 - Greatest Hits - Star Mark - 320Kbps
2010 - Syd Barrett - An Introduction to Syd Barrett (2010)
2011 - CD Sampler - 2011
Syd Barrett - Wouldn't You Miss Me -The Best of Syd Barrett

• 5. Remixes

1994 Dark Side Of The Moon -[Trance]
1994 Wish You Were Here [Trance]
1995 Meddle (Trance Remix)
1998 A Momentary Lapse Of Reason (Trance)
2000 Welcome to the Remix
2003 Easy Star All Stars - Dub Side of the Moon
2003-01-01 - The Floydian Propulsion Project
2004 Out There
2005 The Dark Side Of A Dream [320]
2006 DJ Fish Remixes
2006 Pink Floyd & Eric Prydz - Proper Education
2010 DSotM - Moon8 - 8 bits

• 6. Tributes-Covers

1995 The London Philharmonic Orchestra - The Music Of Pink Floyd
2002 Pigs and Pyramids An Allstar Lineup Performing the Songs of Pink Floyd
2005 The Piano Tribute To Pink Floyd
2006 Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions of Pink Floyd

• 7. Interviews & Documentaries

1988 - Audio Documentario - Star Profile
2002 - Wish Youd Been Here - The Pink Floyd Story - Radio BBC
1974 - Tour Comic - 1974
1976 - Songbook
1987 - Songbook (VictorF)
2000 - Guitar Tab Anthology

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
After a flight to Zurich, an arranged car that would drive us to the Casino Zurich greeted us. Immunda and I stepped out, our mysterious benefactor had taken care of the bill.
The building was the opposite of what I’d expect of a Casino. The beauty of the Monaco Casinos spoiled me. Elegant architecture to hint the opulence and sin that was waiting within. A monument to greed and desire, both expressed in the building's content and in the domes and spires outside.
In stark contrast to Monaco, this was a four or five-story building, rectangular, with a sign on the front which read “Casino”. They lined the outside in lights and lit brightly, but the outside what wholly unremarkable. It almost looked like a bank or apartment building repurposed to a Casino. It was the definition of Swiss architecture: Function over Form, and that was dull.
It spoke nothing of what was inside, with lavish furnishings, intricate decorations and rows and rows of card tables. Through the bustle of the lobby, tourists and gamblers abound, Immunda and I finally tracked down the front desk.
One reason I enjoyed Switzerland because I could speak Italian with a fair chance that the other person also knows Italian, or at least enough to direct me where to go.
I explained, “My companion, and I were meeting someone? An American woman, Samantha Waldroop?”
She smiled, “Allow me, Ms. Waldroop is in the VIP Lounge, she said she would expect you.” She picked up a desk phone calling someone. She smiled brightly after her conversation in what I would only describe as a sweeter version of German, “someone will be with you shortly.”
A waiter came to greet us and motioned for us to follow him.
As we departed the front desk, the hostess called out, “Es het mi gfröit!”
I just waved back as they led us through a maze of slot machines, card tables, and televisions. The odd bar and restaurant sprinkled here and there. Ultimately, we arrived at an area that was far less crowded and secured by a velvet rope and a guard.
The guard immediately undid the rope, and moved across the entrance, allowing us to pass.
Finally, after passing many an empty table in a red and dimly lit room, we were let to a single booth that had a maroon curtain around it. Our escort opened the curtain and bowed slightly, his arm motioning for us to enter the private booth.
That’s when I saw the raven-haired American girl. She wore a black dress with a Bateau neckline with a black sequined trim; it reached down to her mid-thigh. Over the dress, she wore a one button coat by the same designer, as the colors matched flawlessly. With a pair of expensive Louboutin black high-heels, I was immediately envious of. Say what you will of the French, but fashion was their strong suit, and Samantha wore that French fashion well. A pair of dark sunglasses completed her look, despite the dimly lit room.
She turned to us, motioning for us to sit, she had an earpiece in of some sort, on the phone with someone.
“Yes, Derik,” she motioned to the escort, and made two motions with her hand, gesturing to us, and the escort vanished in a flash.
“No, Derik, I’m in Zurich. Yes. Because at this point I’ve got to ensure our assets are secure. Given the current economic climate, someone has to. No, I want anything liquid transferred to euros,” she growled, “Yes I said everything liquid, I did not stutter!” she threw the earpiece to the table, turning to us. “Sorry, not everyone shares my vision of prosperity, apparently.”
I sat down in the small booth next to her, and despite Immunda being further away, her nose curled at Immunda’s musky scent. Something I was growing increasingly used to, which I considered bothersome.
She didn’t bother shaking our hands, but immediately began to speak, “Time, I’m told, is of the essence.” She heaved a sigh, “or at least I’m told this is by my Master. To be honest? I don’t feel the need to rush for him.”
“Aren’t you in direct service of a demon?” I asked her, smiling, “wouldn’t that be disobeying?”
Samantha removed her sunglasses, revealing eyes which were nothing but a pair of black orbs, “yes, unwilling and willing all at the same time.” her dark globes looked me up and down, “Seems to be something you desire.”
I nodded, reveling in the abyss of her eyes.
She placed her sunglasses back on, “My journey is rather different from yours. I never sought the darkness, it found me.”
“How so?” I asked.
“My idiot brother bartered a deal with a demon, he demanded wealth, insane wealth,” she sipped bubbling champagne from a thin flute-glass, “of course, the demon gave the money to my parents,” she took another sip, “who died… then he died… all in exchange for my soul.”
Immunda scoffed, “another can not give a soul that isn’t their own without-”
“Consent, I’m well aware,” she took another sip, “which I gave.”
I smiled, “so you gained great wealth?”
“Among other obligations,” she said swirling the champagne around the glass, “demons, my dear Bella, don’t see us as much more than stepping stones. And the king of all demons? Lucifer? He despises our mere existence.”
“Those who don’t serve-” Immunda tried to interject.
“He hates us all,” Samantha clarified, she then turned to me, “... but your desire, Bella, is in line with his, isn’t it? You hate your fellow man, almost as much as he does. I’ve never seen such hatred in a mortal before. Dare I ask what brought it on?”
My smile fell, “I led my life for God, instructed by my mother. She was dutiful and pious. My father? Much less so.”
“What did he do that was so terrible?” Samantha asked.
“He gambled away everything we had, then died leaving us on the streets,” I heaved a sigh, “two nice girls on the street don’t stay there long. Soon enough, traffickers abducted us, they raped my mother to death before my eyes.”
Samantha placed her glass down, removing her glasses, her onyx spheres had a white glint in them. She reached into a large woven crocodile bag, pulling out a pair of small envelopes. “You’ll be in the mood for a change, then.”
“Change?” I reached into the envelope.
Inside was a black American Express card with my name on it. In addition, there was a German and Japanese Passport, all in my name. Last, was a bundle of Euros, there had to be at least five or ten thousand in there, of varying denominations. Finally, was a set of SIM cards and a new phone.
The phone was pricy, I could tell for certain, trimmed in gold and had an odd mark on the back, was a high-end Samsung phone. I turned it over to see some gold inlay under the glass of the back.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Tools,” Samantha explained, “Don’t worry about any finances, charge the card, there is nothing in the world you can buy that this won’t buy you, call wherever you want, find out anything you need from the contacts in those phones,” she sipped from her glass again, “while on your mission, live your best life, because Lord knows, when it’s all over, none of us will have a pleasant time.”
Immunda looked into his own envelope, and grinned, “Excellent, you’ve been most helpful,” and he left with that.
I moved to leave before Samantha grabbed me.
“Not so fast,” she advised.
I frowned, “what-”
“I can see your true desire, Bella.” Her black eyes locked on to mine, “Do you truly think it’s possible?”
I smiled smugly to her, holding my hand up, a small flame appearing within. “I already have power given by them, why wouldn’t they oblige my deepest desire for my loyalty?”
“Your desire to become a demon, while I understand it, is lofty.” Samantha warned, “if you fail…”
“I lose everything,” I explained, “I’m aware. You may also be aware: I have nothing. So what do I have to lose?”
Samantha was silent for a moment or two, “they really took everything from you, didn’t they?”
“I returned the favor,” I glared at her, “as you did.”
“It’s that obvious?”
“Yes,” I pointed out, “The way you explained his death,” I grinned, “Your parents, your brother, you killed them.”
Samantha nodded, “Yes, I did. My parents weren’t something I meant to do, my Master acted through me. I learned quickly, as my father and mother’s hearts stopped in front of me, that someone without a soul is at the mercy of their Master’s will.”
I nodded, “It’s the only reason I haven’t offered my free will.”
“Needless to say,” Samantha said as she took a sip of champagne, “I took my time with my brother. I was free after my parents died, and we were to inherit the fortune he sold my soul for equally.”
“And I’m sure you weren’t in the sharing mood at the time?” I suggested.
“No, I wasn’t,” she finished her champagne, “nor have I been since.”
“You and I aren’t so different you know,” I pointed out.
Samantha was silent for a moment or two before she faced me again, her black eyes scanning me, “It isn’t entirely too late. You’re young, there is a path to forgiveness, but if you walk this path now, there isn’t any going back for you.”
“You think I want to go to God?” I asked, offended.
“Want? No. But your goals are too lofty. You hope to become a demon, with what? Favors? Demons are not the generous sort to share their power with a mere human woman,” Samantha warned.
I shook my head, “It’s about proving loyalty, and showing them how vicious I can be. That I’m willing to do anything, to suffer any sin, and push past any moral barrier in their service.” I grinned, “Then, someday, I’ll be the one offering deals and bargains with desperate mortals.”
Samantha sighed, “Maybe you will reach your ultimate desire. You’d be a terrifying demon.”
I smiled, “Thank you.”
“But, if you don’t mind me asking,” she began, placing her sunglasses back on, “why do you travel with that want-to-be summoner?”
“He’s my decoy,” I explained, “as long as I’m with him, everyone will focus on him.”
Samantha sneered, “then get him clothed in something proper, and get him not smelling like a damp cellar.”
I nodded, and stood up, heading after him. Once I had done so, Immunda turned to me, “We have tickets, according to these,” he pointed to his phone, showing a flight that left in about five hours to Boston, in the US, of all places.
The phone that Samantha gave me soon buzzed, and a message appeared on the screen: “Live your best life.” On it was an appointment at a store, the name displayed on my phone was: “GAITO.”
…
I walked into a very pricey looking store; the racks had dresses from high-end designers, and shoes to match. They lined the racks with high-end brands, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Carolina Herrera, Akris, Valentino, Prada, I was in paradise!
Prices were nowhere on the products, as this was not the average clothing store.
An assistant walked out quickly, heading from the back as soon as I walked in.
“May I help you?” he asked. He was a thin man and wore a very well fitted three piece suit. The fabric shimmered in the light as he moved.
“Yes, I was told to come here,” I explained.
“By whom?” he asked, looking down his nose at me, something I was used to.
“Samantha Waldroop,” I informed.
His expression immediately shifted, “ah, you must be Bella!” He extended his hand, “A pleasure. I was told to spare no expense for your attire. Please, follow me.”
I followed, and he brought me behind a curtain, bringing out a tailor’s tape.
“Sizing?” I asked, smiling.
He nods, taking my measurements, “Ms. Waldroop has already selected a wardrobe for you. I’m told to send it to your new apartment in Boston.”
I smiled, “Oh?”
“Yes,” he chuckled, “she’s very discerning.”
“I would say so,” I grinned to him.
“I have one dress I’ll size for you right away, it should not take long. In the meantime, while you wait, I’ll give you a voucher for the closest salon and spa,” he finished jotting down my measurements, and fixed me with a sly grin, “I must say, Bella, you live up to your name. I truly cannot wait to see what a lovely gem like you will look like with some proper polish.”
“You flirt,” I laughed.
He smiled at me, “Perhaps the next time I’m in Boston, we can get together.”
“Certainly,” I lied as he handed me a voucher and his business card.
...
A few hours later I was sauntering into the airport wearing a dress that costs more than most people’s houses and a pair of heels that likely cost the same as some poor bastard’s car.
I was grinning ear to ear. After the salon, even Immunda cleaned up well.
We had to go to the airport soon, but I needed supplies. I turned to Immunda, “I’ll need some regents,” I explained.
“More shopping?“ Immunda grumbled, “You have that feather, isn’t it enough?”
I rolled my eyes, “I’m feeling too naked since the damn priest captured me.”
“Naked?” he frowned, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Just wait here,” I stopped by a pet shop, “I need to get a few things.”
I popped inside and purchased a set of feeding mice. Feeding mice are interesting little creatures. If you think they don’t know their fate, you don’t know body language. They know exactly what their destiny is.
I walked over to Immunda, “I’ll need a minute or two,” I then slipped behind an alleyway.
Immunda just shrugged and waited. He just leaned against the wall In his suit. An expensive one and while he refused to have his beard cut, it was at least now looking manageable. The stench was, lesser, masked by a cologne.
Regardless the alleyway was a welcome break from his stench.
I set the box of mice down and opened it up. The mice clustered together in the corner, fearful, worried a snake’s belly would soon be their fate.
A weak fire wrapped around my hand, flashing over the little creatures, “I was like you once,” I explained to them. As I spoke, my intentions flowed from my spirit into theirs, and they stopped their cowering. “They preyed upon me, like you. I now call on you to be a predator, with me. Give up your bodies, lend me your spirits, allow me to empower you.”
One brave little mouse snuck towards me.
I grinned and grabbed him with my flaming hand.
The mouse squeaked at first, its fur turning from bright white to black, and its body withered in my hand.
Soon the flame turned black, and the mouse’s mouth opened. A black spirit slid out, and coiled sweetly around my hand, coiling up to my arm.
“So much better than being fed to a snake, yes?” I asked it.
The spirit, which now appeared more snake-like than mouse-like, nuzzled it self against my shoulder.
I looked down to the other four or five mice, “Who’s next?”
I had emerged now with a series of little corrupted spirits coiled about my person. Some around my waist, others around my wrists and one felt rather comfortable around my throat.
I would use these spirits to empower my spells. Creatures that know their end is near have little qualms about becoming something more. Even these corrupted spirits would live on as something far more powerful than had they merely returned to the earth. Now they were far more than they ever could have hoped to be and loyal to me for it.
Immunda grumbled, “Are you quite finished?”
I nodded, “Yes. Thoughts?” I said, running my finger along the spirit that coiled sweetly around my neck.
Immunda shrugged, “You look the same as you did before.”
The idiot can’t even see the spirits? I thought. How has he gotten this far?
...
When we finally arrived at the gate, I displayed my ticket, first-class, the first time I had ever flown in such a style.
The woman at the gate looked over my ticket and beamed happily to us, “Oh welcome! You've got the best seats on the plane!” she assured.
I was unsure why Boston was the destination, but I didn’t concern myself with where we were going. I assumed Samantha’s master has pointed us in the proper direction, so with my fate cast forth, I relished the experience.
I had spent so much time stealing, seducing, and scraping my life together, it was a thrill to be privy to the royal treatment
“Oh, Miss DelAvana, you’re just in time for priority seating,” the woman at the gate said, as she ushered Immunda and I passed the gate and through the jet-way.
Soon I sat in a luxurious leather seat, Immunda sat at the window.
A stewardess walked over to me, “Miss, would you like something to drink we take off?”
“Absolutely,” I smiled, “whatever is your finest liquor.”
She beamed, “right away,” she turned to Immunda, “You sir?”
Immunda was nervous, looking out the window, he waved her off, “no, that’s fine.”
The stewardess, to her credit, asked “would you like something to help you sleep, sir? If you’re nervous about flying.”
Immunda nodded, “Yes. Thank you.”
A moment or two later, I had my drink, and Immunda had some water and pills to take.
I leaned back, watching as people passed my seats by. Lesser people, I had always felt this, but now it felt even more contrasted. None could know the power I had, not just the money recently given to me by Samantha, but the authority that it brought with it.
A deep and contented sigh filled me with elation as I enjoyed the luxury of everything around me. Even the little darkened spirits snuggled closer to me, pleased at my contentment.
Then they began to react, not in fear, dark spirits have little to fear. They reacted as if something tasty was nearby.
“Shush pretties,” I whispered, but as I looked up, I spotted him.
He was wearing a rather simple and drab outfit, almost dirty and unkempt blonde hair. He had tanned skin and vibrant green eyes. Frozen in place, he appeared as a deer stuck in headlights. He was a short man, maybe a hair over 165cm, but not unattractive.
My beauty and expensive clothing didn’t stun him. Rather, I could tell he wasn’t the average person.
His eyes were green, so was his aura. Like me, he had companion spirits, but his spirits were all little earthen spirits. They cowered before the dark spirits which surrounded me.
I smiled, “Oh my,” I gave him a sly grin, “what do we have here?”
He gathered himself up and attempted to push past me.
With a quick motion, I grabbed him with my free hand, “not so fast there,” I gazed at him, the spirit around my neck caressed my lips as I spoke, “what’s your hurry?”
“Get away from me, witch,” the short man insulted.
His little outburst barely phased me, “What was it you called me?” I said as I concentrated on burning one of his little earth spirits off his shoulder. The spirit around my neck readied itself to leap out and attack on my whim.
“Release me,” he threatened, his earth spirits now rallying around him, how brave! “Or I’ll turn the silver and gold in your dress into needles.”
It was nice to know the gold and silver trim in my dress was real, real enough for the earth mage before me to know and even consider manipulating it. Granted his little magics would need to get past my own darkened servants to do anything. Unlikely, all things considered.
But I did not know this mage, he could do so if he had enough report with them. The imagery of my skin being pierced, and me burning the boy to cinders before everyone on the plane played back in my mind. If I did that, I wouldn’t be able to get to Boston as I was being directed.
“Playful,” I teased, “I like that,” I tried to think of an insult to befit him, after him calling me a witch, “flower boy.”
Before we could finish our conversation, the first-class stewardess was there to interrupt us.
“Excuse me, Madam, is this man bothering you?” she gave the mage a stern glare.
I grinned, amused by someone pushed away from me as if they weren’t worth my time. Better yet, she did so without my request; the world assumed that he was lesser than me, just by our clothing.
“S-sorry,” he squeaked as they ushered him past me.
I called back to him before he vanished into the coach section, “Be careful in the air young man,” I taunted, “we’re a long way from your terra firma.”
I glimpsed something strange as he departed. A powerful earth spirit was being carted behind him, and I glared at what could contain such a thing.
Behind him was a rather large rose in a glass case and a flower pot. The rose wasn’t a normal flower, pulsing within it was a powerful life force! Some kind of empowered earth spirit with incredible potential.
A smile grew over my lips, I wondered: I could corrupt a spirit that powerful? Did it have a will of its own? What could I do with a spirit that strong?
He was in the same plane we were in, so all I had to do was spot him come out. Catching the little thing shouldn’t be hard.
I put it out of my mind, for now, considering how I’d take that rose from him, and see about corrupting it for my own purposes.
…
I still recall waiting for him to come off the plane at the terminal, Immunda impatiently waiting behind me.
“We should pursue my demon, she must be here,” Immunda grumbled.
I did my best to stop myself from slapping the shit out of him for referring to her as his demon again, “We’ll get to tracking her soon enough. I want to grab that Mage’s little flower.”
“Tracking her, right,” Immunda trailed off.
I snapped to him, “Master,” I began, “you can track her yes? You’ve had enough rest?”
Immunda turned to me, “She’s cloaked,” he explained.
“Cloaked?”
Immunda nods, “Yes. I cannot sense her. I felt her power briefly but the little minx is likely posing as a human and doing so very well.”
I could feel my blood pressure rise and I considered burning Immunda on the spot.
Suddenly I heard a familiar voice scream, “Allahu Akbar!” at the top of her lungs.
The entire terminal turned into an absolute mad-house! People panicked, some dove to the floor, others scurried out of emergency exits where they could.
I spotted a woman in black robes being tackled by several officers, and recognized her from the Vatican, “That’s the nun!” I shouted.
Immunda nodded, “she must be-oof!” he coughed as someone knocked him to the ground.
I looked around, frantic to find her, but in a sea of faces, I saw no one familiar. My search wasn’t in vain, however, as I spotted the mage rushing out a side emergency exit.
I pushed my way past a few people and forced my way out the same exit, hoping I could find the little bastard. This proved difficult in my stylish heels, and I tumbled to the side a few times as I struggled through the crowd.
What I came across wasn’t something I expected to see from the boy.
A police officer of some sort had tried to stop him, why I wasn’t sure.
But wrapped around the officer’s shoulders were roots jutting out of the ground. I tucked myself behind a pillar and peeked from behind the wall to spy on what was happening.
The officer screamed in pain as the roots dislocated his arms, pulling him down into the ground.
But beneath the officer wasn’t soft ground, but hard concrete!
I flinched as I watched the man’s knee-caps burst and his legs folded at an unnatural angle.
Despite the spectacle of blood and gore before me, however, I was more interested with the plant the mage has. The rose that accompanied the Mage was conscious!
It moved inside of the glass as if it were an animal, and I swear I could make out a face at the base of its flower! How powerful a mage was he?
More screaming from his victim brought my attention back to the man who was now being dragged into the earth below him.
I could see the roots empowered by incredible spiritual energy, flowing from the Mage directly into them. They swelled in strength and force, and ripped the man’s flesh down beneath the ground, his screams stopping only as he slipped under the soil.
The mage appeared shocked, though I was less surprised. Earth spirits, as with most spirits outside of holy and dark, are neutral. They don’t care about the life of the man, to them his flesh hasn’t changed state whether he’s alive or dead. An earth spirit might find a dead corpse a better place to grow a fruitful plant.
As if on cue, a sapling sprouted from the ground where the guard once stood. It appeared to be an oak tree, and as it grew, I heard a snapping noise I was rather familiar with. The sound of a jaw as it dislocated.
As the snap occurred, The Mage removed a ring from his finger, and its power was clear. The spirits calmed almost immediately, but I could sense power pulsing from the ring. That power vanished as he placed it into some kind of bag. What was that ring? Some kind of philosopher stone? Something that could empower magic so drastically, I had to have it! This mage was someone I needed to exploit to the fullest, that was clear to me.
I pressed my back to the wall, and I looked down at my dress. The threat of turning the borders of my dress into needles wasn’t just idle chatter. Was the Mage caught off-guard by my presence? Did he spare me merely because there were others around us? Should I be following him instead of Immunda?
“Oh my God,” the Mage’s voice said in despair.
His reaction added doubt to whether he’d be keen on making me into potting soil as he did the guard he had just mulched. He didn’t know his own strength, that was certain, yet he knew enough to be wary of me.
I heard a muffled scream, and glanced upwards to see the mage running off with his potted plant, “damn it!” I growled.
But the muffled scream continued. It was coming from the small sapling.
I approached the tree tentatively and watched as the leaves shook slightly. The muffled screams came from the soil below, and as I looked down, I saw the horrified eyes of the police officer that the Mage had cast his magic on.
“Oh dear,” I bent over, looking into his eyes, “you’re in a bit of a spot, aren’t you?”
He blinked, his eyes, now more bloodshot, darting back and forth.
I flicked the small trunk of the sapling, eliciting a groan from the soil. A thought came to me, and I snapped one of the smaller branches of the tree. Blood dripped from the small broken branch and the man screamed in pain. “My my, seems you and this little tree are one,” I looked down at him, a devious grin coming over me, “I doubt you wish to be down there forever… unable to die, unable to move, yes?”
His eyes blinked a few times.
“Blink twice for yes and once for no,” I smiled, pacing around him, “understand?”
His eyes darted back and forth and blinked twice.
“Good,” I smirked, getting down onto my haunches over him, “now… how’s about you allow my dark magic inside of you? I might get you walking again.”
His eyes narrowed, and he blinked once.
I shrugged, standing, “I wasn’t offering out of benevolence,” I began to walk away, ignoring his fading cries, “I’ll ‘leaf’ you alone then.” I grinned wide, I wondered if I came back to him in a few days, if he’d be more agreeable?
​
Part 5

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
After a flight to Zurich, an arranged car that would drive us to the Casino Zurich greeted us. Immunda and I stepped out, our mysterious benefactor had taken care of the bill.
The building was the opposite of what I’d expect of a Casino. The beauty of the Monaco Casinos spoiled me. Elegant architecture to hint the opulence and sin that was waiting within. A monument to greed and desire, both expressed in the building's content and in the domes and spires outside.
In stark contrast to Monaco, this was a four or five-story building, rectangular, with a sign on the front which read “Casino”. They lined the outside in lights and lit brightly, but the outside what wholly unremarkable. It almost looked like a bank or apartment building repurposed to a Casino. It was the definition of Swiss architecture: Function over Form, and that was dull.
It spoke nothing of what was inside, with lavish furnishings, intricate decorations and rows and rows of card tables. Through the bustle of the lobby, tourists and gamblers abound, Immunda and I finally tracked down the front desk.
One reason I enjoyed Switzerland because I could speak Italian with a fair chance that the other person also knows Italian, or at least enough to direct me where to go.
I explained, “My companion, and I were meeting someone? An American woman, Samantha Waldroop?”
She smiled, “Allow me, Ms. Waldroop is in the VIP Lounge, she said she would expect you.” She picked up a desk phone calling someone. She smiled brightly after her conversation in what I would only describe as a sweeter version of German, “someone will be with you shortly.”
A waiter came to greet us and motioned for us to follow him.
As we departed the front desk, the hostess called out, “Es het mi gfröit!”
I just waved back as they led us through a maze of slot machines, card tables, and televisions. The odd bar and restaurant sprinkled here and there. Ultimately, we arrived at an area that was far less crowded and secured by a velvet rope and a guard.
The guard immediately undid the rope, and moved across the entrance, allowing us to pass.
Finally, after passing many an empty table in a red and dimly lit room, we were let to a single booth that had a maroon curtain around it. Our escort opened the curtain and bowed slightly, his arm motioning for us to enter the private booth.
That’s when I saw the raven-haired American girl. She wore a black dress with a Bateau neckline with black sequined trim; it reached down to her mid-thigh. Over the dress, she wore a one button coat by the same designer, as the colors matched flawlessly. With a pair of expensive Louboutin black high-heels, I was immediately envious of. Say what you will of the French, but fashion was their strong suit, and Samantha wore that French fashion well. A pair of dark sunglasses completed her look, despite the dimly lit room.
She turned to us, motioning for us to sit, she had an earpiece in of some sort, on the phone with someone.
“Yes, Derik,” she motioned to the escort, and made two motions with her hand, gesturing to us, and the escort vanished in a flash.
“No, Derik, I’m in Zurich. Yes. Because at this point I’ve got to ensure our assets are secure. Given the current economic climate, someone has to. No, I want anything liquid transferred to euros,” she growled, “Yes I said everything liquid, I did not stutter!” she threw the earpiece to the table, turning to us. “Sorry, not everyone shares my vision of prosperity, apparently.”
I sat down in the small booth next to her, and despite Immunda being further away, her nose curled at Immunda’s musky scent. Something I was growing increasingly used to, which I considered bothersome.
She didn’t bother shaking our hands, but immediately began to speak, “Time, I’m told, is of the essence.” She heaved a sigh, “or at least I’m told this is by my Master. To be honest? I don’t feel the need to rush for him.”
“Aren’t you in direct service of a demon?” I asked her, smiling, “wouldn’t that be disobeying?”
Samantha removed her sunglasses, revealing eyes which were nothing but a pair of black orbs, “yes, unwilling and willing all at the same time.” her dark globes looked me up and down, “Seems to be something you desire.”
I nodded, reveling in the abyss of her eyes.
She placed her sunglasses back on, “My journey is rather different from yours. I never sought the darkness, it found me.”
“How so?” I asked.
“My idiot brother bartered a deal with a demon, he demanded wealth, insane wealth,” she sipped bubbling champagne from a thin flute-glass, “of course, the demon gave the money to my parents,” she took another sip, “who died… then he died… all in exchange for my soul.”
Immunda scoffed, “another can not give a soul that isn’t their own without-”
“Consent, I’m well aware,” she took another sip, “which I gave.”
I smiled, “so you gained great wealth?”
“Among other obligations,” she said swirling the champagne around the glass, “demons, my dear Bella, don’t see us as much more than stepping stones. And the king of all demons? Lucifer? He despises our mere existence.”
“Those who don’t serve-” Immunda tried to interject.
“He hates us all,” Samantha clarified, she then turned to me, “... but your desire, Bella, is in line with his, isn’t it? You hate your fellow man, almost as much as he does. I’ve never seen such hatred in a mortal before. Dare I ask what brought it on?”
My smile fell, “I led my life for God, instructed by my mother. She was dutiful and pious. My father? Much less so.”
“What did he do that was so terrible?” Samantha asked.
“He gambled away everything we had, then died leaving us on the streets,” I heaved a sigh, “two nice girls on the street don’t stay there long. Soon enough, traffickers abducted us, they raped my mother to death before my eyes.”
Samantha placed her glass down, removing her glasses, her onyx spheres had a white glint in them. She reached into a large woven crocodile bag, pulling out a pair of small envelopes. “You’ll be in the mood for a change, then.”
“Change?” I reached into the envelope.
Inside was a black American Express card with my name on it. In addition, there was a German and Japanese Passport, all in my name. Last, was a bundle of Euros, there had to be at least five or ten thousand in there, of varying denominations. Finally, was a set of SIM cards and a new phone.
The phone was pricy, I could tell for certain, trimmed in gold and had an odd mark on the back, was a high-end Samsung phone. I turned it over to see some gold inlay under the glass of the back.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Tools,” Samantha explained, “Don’t worry about any finances, charge the card, there is nothing in the world you can buy that this won’t buy you, call wherever you want, find out anything you need from the contacts in those phones,” she sipped from her glass again, “while on your mission, live your best life, because Lord knows, when it’s all over, none of us will have a pleasant time.”
Immunda looked into his own envelope, and grinned, “Excellent, you’ve been most helpful,” and he left with that.
I moved to leave before Samantha grabbed me.
“Not so fast,” she advised.
I frowned, “what-”
“I can see your true desire, Bella.” Her black eyes locked on to mine, “Do you truly think it’s possible?”
I smiled smugly to her, holding my hand up, a small flame appearing within. “I already have power given by them, why wouldn’t they oblige my deepest desire for my loyalty?”
“Your desire to become a demon, while I understand it, is lofty.” Samantha warned, “if you fail…”
“I lose everything,” I explained, “I’m aware. You may also be aware: I have nothing. So what do I have to lose?”
Samantha was silent for a moment or two, “they really took everything from you, didn’t they?”
“I returned the favor,” I glared at her, “as you did.”
“It’s that obvious?”
“Yes,” I pointed out, “The way you explained his death,” I grinned, “Your parents, your brother, you killed them.”
Samantha nodded, “Yes, I did. My parents weren’t something I meant to do, my Master acted through me. I learned quickly, as my father and mother’s hearts stopped in front of me, that someone without a soul is at the mercy of their Master’s will.”
I nodded, “It’s the only reason I haven’t offered my free will.”
“Needless to say,” Samantha said as she took a sip of champagne, “I took my time with my brother. I was free after my parents died, and we were to inherit the fortune he sold my soul for equally.”
“And I’m sure you weren’t in the sharing mood at the time?” I suggested.
“No, I wasn’t,” she finished her champagne, “nor have I been since.”
“You and I aren’t so different you know,” I pointed out.
Samantha was silent for a moment or two before she faced me again, her black eyes scanning me, “It isn’t entirely too late. You’re young, there is a path to forgiveness, but if you walk this path now, there isn’t any going back for you.”
“You think I want to go to God?” I asked, offended.
“Want? No. But your goals are too lofty. You hope to become a demon, with what? Favors? Demons are not the generous sort to share their power with a mere human woman,” Samantha warned.
I shook my head, “It’s about proving loyalty, and showing them how vicious I can be. That I’m willing to do anything, to suffer any sin, and push past any moral barrier in their service.” I grinned, “Then, someday, I’ll be the one offering deals and bargains with desperate mortals.”
Samantha sighed, “Maybe you will reach your ultimate desire. You’d be a terrifying demon.”
I smiled, “Thank you.”
“But, if you don’t mind me asking,” she began, placing her sunglasses back on, “why do you travel with that want-to-be summoner?”
“He’s my decoy,” I explained, “as long as I’m with him, everyone will focus on him.”
Samantha sneered, “then get him clothed in something proper, and get him not smelling like a damp cellar.”
I nodded, and stood up, heading after him. Once I had done so, Immunda turned to me, “We have tickets, according to these,” he pointed to his phone, showing a flight that left in about five hours to Boston, in the US, of all places.
The phone that Samantha gave me soon buzzed and a message appeared on the screen: “Live your best life.” On it was an appointment at a store, the name displayed on my phone was: “GAITO.”
…
I walked into a very pricey looking store; the racks had dresses from high-end designers, and shoes to match. They lined the racks with high-end brands, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Carolina Herrera, Akris, Valentino, Prada, I was in paradise!
Prices were nowhere on the products, as this was not the average clothing store.
An assistant walked out quickly, heading from the back as soon as I walked in.
“May I help you?” he asked. He was a thin man and wore a very well fitted three-piece suit. The fabric shimmered in the light as he moved.
“Yes, I was told to come here,” I explained.
“By whom?” he asked, looking down his nose at me, something I was used to.
“Samantha Waldroop,” I informed.
His expression immediately shifted, “ah, you must be Bella!” He extended his hand, “A pleasure. I was told to spare no expense for your attire. Please, follow me.”
I followed, and he brought me behind a curtain, bringing out a tailor’s tape.
“Sizing?” I asked, smiling.
He nods, taking my measurements, “Ms. Waldroop has already selected a wardrobe for you. I’m told to send it to your new apartment in Boston.”
I smiled, “Oh?”
“Yes,” he chuckled, “she’s very discerning.”
“I would say so,” I grinned to him.
“I have one dress I’ll size for you right away, it should not take long. In the meantime, while you wait, I’ll give you a voucher for the closest salon and spa,” he finished jotting down my measurements, and fixed me with a sly grin, “I must say, Bella, you live up to your name. I truly cannot wait to see what a lovely gem like you will look like with some proper polish.”
“You flirt,” I laughed.
He smiled at me, “Perhaps the next time I’m in Boston, we can get together.”
“Certainly,” I lied as he handed me a voucher and his business card.
...
A few hours later I was sauntering into the airport wearing a dress that costs more than most people’s houses and a pair of heels that likely cost the same as some poor bastard’s car.
I was grinning ear to ear. After the salon, even Immunda cleaned up well.
We had to go to the airport soon, but I needed supplies. I turned to Immunda, “I’ll need some regents,” I explained.
“More shopping?“ Immunda grumbled, “You have that feather, isn’t it enough?”
I rolled my eyes, “I’m feeling too naked since the damn priest captured me.”
“Naked?” he frowned, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Just wait here,” I stopped by a pet shop, “I need to get a few things.”
I popped inside and purchased a set of feeding mice. Feeding mice are interesting little creatures. If you think they don’t know their fate, you don’t know body language. They know exactly what their destiny is.
I walked over to Immunda, “I’ll need a minute or two,” I then slipped behind an alleyway.
Immunda just shrugged and waited. He just leaned against the wall In his suit. An expensive one and while he refused to have his beard cut, it was at least now looking manageable. The stench was, lesser, masked by a cologne.
Regardless the alleyway was a welcome break from his stench.
I set the box of mice down and opened it up. The mice clustered together in the corner, fearful, worried a snake’s belly would soon be their fate.
A weak fire wrapped around my hand, flashing over the little creatures, “I was like you once,” I explained to them. As I spoke, my intentions flowed from my spirit into theirs, and they stopped their cowering. “They preyed upon me, like you. I now call on you to be a predator, with me. Give up your bodies, lend me your spirits, allow me to empower you.”
One brave little mouse snuck towards me.
I grinned and grabbed him with my flaming hand.
The mouse squeaked at first, its fur turning from bright white to black, and its body withered in my hand.
Soon the flame turned black, and the mouse’s mouth opened. A black spirit slid out, and coiled sweetly around my hand, coiling up to my arm.
“So much better than being fed to a snake, yes?” I asked it.
The spirit, which now appeared more snake-like than mouse-like, nuzzled itself against my shoulder.
I looked down to the other four or five mice, “Who’s next?”
I had emerged now with a series of little corrupted spirits coiled about my person. Some around my waist, others around my wrists and one felt rather comfortable around my throat.
I would use these spirits to empower my spells. Creatures that know their end is near have little qualms about becoming something more. Even these corrupted spirits would live on as something far more powerful than had they merely returned to the earth. Now they were far more than they ever could have hoped to be and loyal to me for it.
Immunda grumbled, “Are you quite finished?”
I nodded, “Yes. Thoughts?” I said, running my finger along with the spirit that coiled sweetly around my neck.
Immunda shrugged, “You look the same as you did before.”
The idiot can’t even see the spirits? I thought. How has he gotten this far?
...
When we finally arrived at the gate, I displayed my ticket, first-class, the first time I had ever flown in such a style.
The woman at the gate looked over my ticket and beamed happily to us, “Oh welcome! You've got the best seats on the plane!” she assured.
I was unsure why Boston was the destination, but I didn’t concern myself with where we were going. I assumed Samantha’s master has pointed us in the proper direction, so with my fate cast forth, I relished the experience.
I had spent so much time stealing, seducing, and scraping my life together, it was a thrill to be privy to the royal treatment
“Oh, Miss DelAvana, you’re just in time for priority seating,” the woman at the gate said, as she ushered Immunda and I passed the gate and through the jet-way.
Soon I sat in a luxurious leather seat, Immunda sat at the window.
A stewardess walked over to me, “Miss, would you like something to drink we take off?”
“Absolutely,” I smiled, “whatever is your finest liquor.”
She beamed, “right away,” she turned to Immunda, “You sir?”
Immunda was nervous, looking out the window, he waved her off, “no, that’s fine.”
The stewardess, to her credit, asked “would you like something to help you sleep, sir? If you’re nervous about flying.”
Immunda nodded, “Yes. Thank you.”
A moment or two later, I had my drink, and Immunda had some water and pills to take.
I leaned back, watching as people passed my seats by. Lesser people, I had always felt this, but now it felt even more contrasted. None could know the power I had, not just the money recently given to me by Samantha, but the authority that it brought with it.
A deep and contented sigh filled me with elation as I enjoyed the luxury of everything around me. Even the little darkened spirits snuggled closer to me, pleased at my contentment.
Then they began to react, not in fear, dark spirits have little to fear. They reacted as if something tasty was nearby.
“Shush pretties,” I whispered, but as I looked up, I spotted him.
He was wearing a rather simple and drab outfit, almost dirty and unkempt blonde hair. He had tanned skin and vibrant green eyes. Frozen in place, he appeared as a deer stuck in headlights. He was a short man, maybe a hair over 165cm, but not unattractive.
My beauty and expensive clothing didn’t stun him. Rather, I could tell he wasn’t the average person.
His eyes were green, so was his aura. Like me, he had companion spirits, but his spirits were all little earthen spirits. They cowered before the dark spirits which surrounded me.
I smiled, “Oh my,” I gave him a sly grin, “what do we have here?”
He gathered himself up and attempted to push past me.
With a quick motion, I grabbed him with my free hand, “not so fast there,” I gazed at him, the spirit around my neck caressed my lips as I spoke, “what’s your hurry?”
“Get away from me, witch,” the short man insulted.
His little outburst barely phased me, “What was it you called me?” I said as I concentrated on burning one of his little earth spirits off his shoulder. The spirit around my neck readied itself to leap out and attack on my whim.
“Release me,” he threatened, his earth spirits now rallying around him, how brave! “Or I’ll turn the silver and gold in your dress into needles.”
It was nice to know the gold and silver trim in my dress was real, real enough for the earth mage before me to know and even consider manipulating it. Granted his little magics would need to get past my own darkened servants to do anything. Unlikely, all things considered.
But I did not know this mage, he could do so if he had enough report with them. The imagery of my skin being pierced, and me burning the boy to cinders before everyone on the plane played back in my mind. If I did that, I wouldn’t be able to get to Boston as I was being directed.
“Playful,” I teased, “I like that,” I tried to think of an insult to befit him, after him calling me a witch, “flower boy.”
Before we could finish our conversation, the first-class stewardess was there to interrupt us.
“Excuse me, Madam, is this man bothering you?” she gave the mage a stern glare.
I grinned, amused by someone pushed away from me as if they weren’t worth my time. Better yet, she did so without my request; the world assumed that he was lesser than me, just by our clothing.
“S-sorry,” he squeaked as they ushered him past me.
I called back to him before he vanished into the coach section, “Be careful in the air young man,” I taunted, “we’re a long way from your terra firma.”
I glimpsed something strange as he departed. A powerful earth spirit was being carted behind him, and I glared at what could contain such a thing.
Behind him was a rather large rose in a glass case and a flower pot. The rose wasn’t a normal flower, pulsing within it was a powerful life force! Some kind of empowered earth spirit with incredible potential.
A smile grew over my lips, I wondered: I could corrupt a spirit that powerful? Did it have a will of its own? What could I do with a spirit that strong?
He was on the same plane we were in, so all I had to do was spot him come out. Catching the little thing shouldn’t be hard.
I put it out of my mind, for now, considering how I’d take that rose from him, and see about corrupting it for my own purposes.
…
I still recall waiting for him to come off the plane at the terminal, Immunda impatiently waiting behind me.
“We should pursue my demon, she must be here,” Immunda grumbled.
I did my best to stop myself from slapping the shit out of him for referring to her as his demon again, “We’ll get to tracking her soon enough. I want to grab that Mage’s little flower.”
“Tracking her, right,” Immunda trailed off.
I snapped to him, “Master,” I began, “you can track her yes? You’ve had enough rest?”
Immunda turned to me, “She’s cloaked,” he explained.
“Cloaked?”
Immunda nods, “Yes. I cannot sense her. I felt her power briefly but the little minx is likely posing as a human and doing so very well.”
I could feel my blood pressure rise and I considered burning Immunda on the spot.
Suddenly I heard a familiar voice scream, “Allahu Akbar!” at the top of her lungs.
The entire terminal turned into an absolute mad-house! People panicked, some dove to the floor, others scurried out of emergency exits where they could.
I spotted a woman in black robes being tackled by several officers, and recognized her from the Vatican, “That’s the nun!” I shouted.
Immunda nodded, “she must be-oof!” he coughed as someone knocked him to the ground.
I looked around, frantic to find her, but in a sea of faces, I saw no one familiar. My search wasn’t in vain, however, as I spotted the mage rushing out a side emergency exit.
I pushed my way past a few people and forced my way out the same exit, hoping I could find the little bastard. This proved difficult in my stylish heels, and I tumbled to the side a few times as I struggled through the crowd.
What I came across wasn’t something I expected to see from the boy.
A police officer of some sort had tried to stop him, why I wasn’t sure.
But wrapped around the officer’s shoulders were roots jutting out of the ground. I tucked myself behind a pillar and peeked from behind the wall to spy on what was happening.
The officer screamed in pain as the roots dislocated his arms, pulling him down into the ground.
But beneath the officer wasn’t soft ground, but hard concrete!
I flinched as I watched the man’s knee-caps burst and his legs folded at an unnatural angle.
Despite the spectacle of blood and gore before me, however, I was more interested with the plant the mage has. The rose that accompanied the Mage was conscious!
It moved inside of the glass as if it were an animal, and I swear I could make out a face at the base of its flower! How powerful a mage was he?
More screaming from his victim brought my attention back to the man who was now being dragged into the earth below him.
I could see the roots empowered by incredible spiritual energy, flowing from the Mage directly into them. They swelled in strength and force, and ripped the man’s flesh down beneath the ground, his screams stopping only as he slipped under the soil.
The mage appeared shocked, though I was less surprised. Earth spirits, as with most spirits outside of holy and dark, are neutral. They don’t care about the life of the man, to them his flesh hasn’t changed state whether he’s alive or dead. An earth spirit might find a dead corpse a better place to grow a fruitful plant.
As if on cue, a sapling sprouted from the ground where the guard once stood. It appeared to be an oak tree, and as it grew, I heard a snapping noise I was rather familiar with. The sound of a jaw as it dislocated.
As the snap occurred, The Mage removed a ring from his finger, and its power was clear. The spirits calmed almost immediately, but I could sense power pulsing from the ring. That power vanished as he placed it into some kind of bag. What was that ring? Some kind of philosopher stone? Something that could empower magic so drastically, I had to have it! This mage was someone I needed to exploit to the fullest, that was clear to me.
I pressed my back to the wall, and I looked down at my dress. The threat of turning the borders of my dress into needles wasn’t just idle chatter. Was the Mage caught off-guard by my presence? Did he spare me merely because there were others around us? Should I be following him instead of Immunda?
“Oh my God,” the Mage’s voice said in despair.
His reaction added doubt to whether he’d be keen on making me into potting soil as he did the guard he had just mulched. He didn’t know his own strength, that was certain, yet he knew enough to be wary of me.
I heard a muffled scream, and glanced upwards to see the mage running off with his potted plant, “damn it!” I growled.
But the muffled scream continued. It was coming from the small sapling.
I approached the tree tentatively and watched as the leaves shook slightly. The muffled screams came from the soil below, and as I looked down, I saw the horrified eyes of the police officer that the Mage had cast his magic on.
“Oh dear,” I bent over, looking into his eyes, “you’re in a bit of a spot, aren’t you?”
He blinked, his eyes, now more bloodshot, darting back and forth.
I flicked the small trunk of the sapling, eliciting a groan from the soil. A thought came to me, and I snapped one of the smaller branches of the tree. Blood dripped from the small broken branch and the man screamed in pain. “My my, seems you and this little tree are one,” I looked down at him, a devious grin coming over me, “I doubt you wish to be down there forever… unable to die, unable to move, yes?”
His eyes blinked a few times.
“Blink twice for yes and once for no,” I smiled, pacing around him, “understand?”
His eyes darted back and forth and blinked twice.
“Good,” I smirked, getting down onto my haunches over him, “now… how’s about you allow my dark magic inside of you? I might get you walking again.”
His eyes narrowed, and he blinked once.
I shrugged, standing, “I wasn’t offering out of benevolence,” I began to walk away, ignoring his fading cries, “I’ll ‘leaf’ you alone then.” I grinned wide, I wondered if I came back to him in a few days, if he’d be more agreeable?
Part 5

Source : http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-41762132.html
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" The "Osservatore Romano", which registers all visitors to the Holy Father in its daily court chronicle, recently left a prominent guest unmentioned: the Italian Baron Bernadino Nogara, Pope Pius XII had given a special audience. Nogara, although a layman, has been one of the key figures in the Vatican for decades. As "Delegate of the Special Administration of the Holy See", he practically fulfills the functions of Minister of Finance of the Catholic Church.
Baron Nogara, who is already 86 years old and also suffers from atherosclerosis, had a clear reason for his visit:
He asked the Holy Father to release him from his ministry for reasons of age. As his successor, he proposed the sixty-year-old Baron Massimo Spada, who, like Nogara, has been a member of the Vatican's financial brainwave for many years and is the official treasurer of the Italian Catholic Action.Pius XII. allowed the aged Nogara to transfer part of his duties to Baron Spada, who has practically taken over the financial department. But he did not officially resign, which was considered a gesture of special favor in the Vatican to a person credited with the main merit that the Vatican is probably the largest shareholder in the world today.
The secrecy surrounding Nogara's audience with the Holy Father was consistent with the traditional discretion with which the Curia has handled all matters of finance since the founding of the Vatican City. Not only does the Vatican refuse any information about its assets or financial transactions, it also refuses to give account to its believers about its budget.Nevertheless, it is no secret that the Holy See is one of the world's largest financial powers and its political influence has grown steadily in recent years, not least for this reason. The sheer size of the Vatican's business activity is indicated by the fact that the name of the Money Manager Nogara appears on at least 74 boards of major companies. (In the Federal Republic, the banker Hermann Abs holds the top with 26 supervisory board posts.)
Maintaining the Vatican business secrets is, above all, ensured by the fact that the management of shareholdings is concentrated in the hands of a few lay Catholics. The left-liberal Roman weekly "Espresso" (subsidy donors: formerly the office machinery company Olivetti, now Fiat) recently published a list of these personalities, which has eleven names:Next to Nogara and Spada there are the three nephews of the Pope (Carlo, Marcantonio and Giulio Pacelli), Count Pietro Enrico Galeazzi (Director of the Vatican City Technical Works), Giovanni Battista Sacchetti (Upper Palatine), Eugenio Gualdi, Count Paolo Blumenstihl, Francesco Maria Oddasso and former Italian Ambassador Vittorio Cerruti.The names of these personalities appear on the boards of almost all leading companies in Italy, with the exception of the car rust Fiat and the rubber company Pirelli and thus give valuable information on where the Vatican has shareholdings.
In the banking sector, the Vatican has a blocking minority, most notably the Banco di Roma (Chairman of the Board Giulio Pacelli), and has significant stakes in Banco di Santo Spirito (Chairman Baron Spada), Milanese Banco Ambrosiano and Banco Novarra. Nogara's name appears in Milan's largest bank, Banca * Commerciale Italiana, Spada's name in Credito Italiano, both of which are predominantly owned by the public sector.The fact that the pope's nephews are also members of the boards of directors of the Roman gas and power stations is exploited time and again by communist propaganda. Roman workers jokingly call the word "Pacelli" to their wives when they have used up too much gas or electricity to suggest that Pacelli should not be earning any more.
As a Roman scandal revealed last year, the Vatican also has share packages of almost all property companies in Italy. In the "Generale Immobiliare", the largest company of this kind, which owns 800 hectares of land in Rome and its immediate vicinity, the Curia is likely to be directly or indirectly involved with about 40 percent. Chairman of the board of "Immobiliare" is Baron Nogara, General Director Eugenio Gualdi, who sits in a number of similar companies and is the property specialist of the Vatican.Overall, the "espresso" estimates the assets of the Holy See to $ 12 billion, which corresponds to an amount of 50 billion marks. (The nominal capital of all West German corporations amounts to about 26 billion marks.)
The rise of the Vatican to one of the world's most important financial powers has taken place in the last 80 years. The effort to invest the assets of the church in shares goes to Leo XIII who became famous as a proclaimer of the Catholic social doctrine, but at the same time was an ingenious financier and who closed the alliance of the Catholic Church with modern capitalism.The expropriations by the state immediately after the Italian unification in 1870 had been a heavy blow to the Vatican, whose possession had been predominantly immovable. Leo XIII One year after his accession to the throne in 1878, he founded the real estate administration "Beni Stabili", with the help of which he restored the chronically disordered finances of the Roman Curia in a few years.
His successors, the canonized Pius X and Benedict XV, who became known during his First World War peace mission, did not make much sense for such mundane matters as stocks and foreign exchange, so that the Holy See soon became in serious financial trouble again. Only Pius XI, predecessor of the present Pope, was able to cope with this calamity.
Pius XI founded the "Special Administration" of the Holy See to administer the two billion lire (at that time about 450. million Reichsmark), which paid Italy's government under Mussolini after the signing of the Lateran contracts for the after 1870 expropriated in Italy, church property. While the "Beni Stabili" manages the land ownership, the special administration oversees the shareholding of the curia.The current ruling Pope Pius XII. added a third to these two institutions, the "Opera Religiosa" ("Institute of Religious Works"), which has become the house bank of the Vatican. She works closely with the Schweizerische Kreditanstalt in Zurich, which in turn is to be involved with the Jesuit Order with a sizeable package. The close connection between the two financial institutions is already evident in the fact that an employee of the Swiss Credit Institute sits as a permanent liaison in the Roman "Opera Religiosa".
Account No. 1 of the "Opera Religiosa" belongs to the pope and is considered his private casket. The Peterspfennig, which flows into Rome as a contribution from the dioceses of the world, is also paid into this account. The "Opera Religiosa" has the advantage over all other banks that it can guard banking secrecy as well as confessional secrecy, since no tax authority of the Italian state has insight into business transactions on Vatican territory.
There are a number of privileged personalities in the Italian financial world who are allowed to set up accounts in the "Opera Religiosa" and benefit greatly, not least because Italian foreign exchange regulations do not apply in the extra-territorial Vatican City. Thus, it is alleged on Roman stock exchanges that the abdicated Italian royal family had secretly made substantial assets into neutral foreign countries as early as 1942 via the "Opera Religiosa".In addition to the billions of Vatican shares, it is necessary to include those assets that are in the hands of religious orders and are therefore controlled in whole or in part by the Vatican. In the first place as a shareholder is the Jesuit Order, whose holdings are estimated at five billion dollars.The influence of the Society of Jesus in the American financial world first became apparent fifty years ago, when Italian financier AP Giannini founded the Bank of California, which today is one of the largest banks in the world under the new name Bank of America. Giannini was an extremely skilful financier who owed his starting capital to the Jesuits and figured as their trust or straw man. Today, Bank of America is 51 percent owned by the Order.
In San Francisco, the Society of Jesus financed another Italian financier, the Sicilian Antonio Di Giorgio, who founded the politically influential fruit company "Di Giorgio Fruit Company". The group owns extensive fruit and banana plantations in Central America and a transport fleet of more than 100 ships.The Jesuits are also involved in the major US steel companies Republic Steel and National Steel, as well as in the four major US aircraft plants: Boeing, Lockheed, Douglas and Curtiss-Wright. They also control the independent petroleum company "Phillips Oil Co." in Galveston, Texas, and the Creole Petroleum Co., which has extensive concessions in South American Venezuela.
Until American companies launched competitor companies in South America a few years ago, the Society of Jesus also had a monopoly on mercury. In fact, in 1923, the Order's financial experts managed to seize all the shares of Almaden's famous Spanish mercury mines held by the Madrid bank Banco Hispano-Americano.
From the point of view of stock market history, it was a masterly coup, for the Jesuits beat America's largest chemical concern du Pont de Nemours out of the field; who also wanted to acquire the Almaden shares. The founder of this trust, Alfred II du Pont de Nemours; said then: "I have had a great experience, one should never argue with priests, especially with Jesuits."
In 1932, the Jesuits acquired the Tuscan mercury mines in Italy, which, together with Almaden, supplied the world market almost exclusively until a few years ago. During the Second World War, the Order earned on both sides with this armor-important resource. While the Spanish company supplied mainly to the Allies and Russia, the Italian mines supplied the German armaments.In France, the interests of the Society of Jesus extend to the car companies Peugeot and Citroen and the "Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas", the numerous companies in France, Belgium and Holland, such as Schneider -Creusot, but also the casino controlled by Ostend. The Jesuits also have a decisive influence on the Paris Bancque Francaise et Italienne for l'Amérique du Sud, in whose supervisory board again the Vatican financial expert Nogara appears; this financial institution virtually dominates the South American coffee market and the New York coffee exchange.
The assets of the Order are, however, largely in the hands of the American Jesuits, who are economically independent of Rome and do not wish the Holy See to have direct control over their possessions. The last Extraordinary Religious Consecration last fall saw considerable tensions as the Roman Curia demanded control of the entire American estate of the Order.The eight thousand American religious patrons, however, were able to escape access to Rome until further notice because they had the American bishops on their side. Their position is strong enough for the Roman Curia as well: The Vatican receives more money each year from the Archdiocese of New York than from all European Catholics.
* In Italy, banking institutions use both the masculine and older forms "Banco" and the newer feminine form "Banca".
Pope nephew Giulio Pacelli
On the stock exchange ...
... never quarrel with priests: Papal banker Nogara"

A friend and I, both males in our late twenties, are flying from NYC to Paris on Aug 10th and then from Zurich back to NYC on Aug 20th. We'd like to see more of Switzerland than France. We're thinking of spending two or three days seeing Paris/Lyon, then heading over to Geneva and eventually making our way to Zurich. We're going to be renting a car. We're mostly interested in, mountains, lakes, parks/forests, outdoor adventures, hiking, biking, waterfalls, and castles.
We're thinking of following this itinerary, in this order. What do you think?
Paris, FR
Lyon, FR
Geneva, CH

• United Nations
  
• Lake Geneva
  
• Lavaux vineyards
  

Montreux, CH

• Château de Chillon (castle)
  
• After lunch head forRochers-de-Naye, at 2,042m (6,698 ft.), reached by cogwheel train from Montreux. One of the greatest vistas in all of western Switzerland unfolds at the top. That night, if you're a gambler, you can descend on Casino de Montreux
  

Gstaad, CH

• walking and hiking trails

Oeschinen, Kandersteg, CH

• Lake Oeschinen

Interlaken, CH

• Jungfraujoch (snow peak)
  
• Trummelbach Falls (internal waterfalls)
  
• Go canyoning
  

Lauterbrunnen, CH

• View of the Alps and waterfalls
  
• Lauterbrunnen Valley
  

Gadmen, CH

• Trift Suspension Bridge, Switzerland
  
• Trift Glacier
  

Ticino, CH

• Castles of Bellinzona

Lake Como, Como, Italy
Lucerne, CH

• Mount Titlis (snow peak)
  
• Lion's Monument
  
• Lake Lucerne
  
• Mount Pilatus, Alpnach, Switzerland. The best way to go is to take a steamer from Lucerne to Alpnachstad, where you transfer to a cog railway. With careful planning, you can also visit Rigi, 24km (15 miles) east of Lucerne. Rigi (1,680m/5,510 ft.) is the most famous mountain view in Switzerland. Even Mark Twain climbed it. Return to Lucerne for a final night.
  
• visit theVerkehrshaus der Schweiz (Swiss Transport Museum), one of the finest museums of its kind in the world. With time remaining, you can take in one or two of the minor sites that interest you, such as the Picasso Museum, the Gletschergarten (Glacier Garden), or theNeues Kunstmuseum (Modern Art Museum). For atmosphere and good food, dine that night at the Old Swiss House.
  

Zurich, CH

• Rhine Falls
  
• boat trip along Lake Zurich
  
• walk down Bahnhofstrasse (main st. for shopping)
  
• Bierhalle Kropf (restaurant)
  
• Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum)
  
• take another tour, this one by boat and aerial cableway to Felsenegg at 795m (2,608 ft.). One of the greatest panoramas in this part of Switzerland
  

Sunday:
NORTHWEST:
· 1. Motorola Solutions sells remaining land in Schaumburg to Chicago-based UrbanStreet Group (Daily Herald)
· 2. Huntley Community School District 158 to provide Chromebooks for all high school students (Daily Herald)
· 3. Drunk driver hits motorcycle, injuring rider on Route 47 near Woodstock (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 4. Additions to three Elgin Area Unit School District U-46 elementary schools to be ready for school Aug. 17 (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 5. Fox River Initiative asks Kane County Board to fund programs that divert mentally ill from jail to treatment, expand police training (Daily Herald)
· 6. Aurora real-estate broker launches business that gives to charity that supports parents whose children pass away (Daily Herald)
· 7. Mother, daughter killed in three-vehicle crash on Grand Avenue near Bensenville (CBS 2)
· 8. World Relief DuPage Aurora allows 100 immigrants into citizenship clinic (Chicago Tribune)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 9. Inmate found dead Saturday morning in Crown Point's Kimbrough Center (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 10. Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission installs its own electric-car-charging station, part of 159-station chain (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 11. Lowell official calls for changes to how Lake County maps TIF districts, which may include properties that towns don't know about (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 12. Hobart denies resident's request for kennel license, but that doesn't stop her from trap-spay-release of feral cats on her 1.5-acre property (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 13. Merrillville officials to look into crime, suspicious activities at recently-reopened Deluxe Inn (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 14. Lowell gets second try at funding for solar-energy project at its sewage-treatment plant (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 15. Portage Police Department accepting applications for probationary patrol officers through Sept. 7 (Northwest Indiana Times)
Monday:
NORTH:
· 16. Eastbound Hawley Street in Mundelein reopened after construction (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
· 17. Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy in Glenview expands offerings to include EMS, police, public works training (Chicago Tribune/Skokie Review)
· 18. Illinois Attorney General settles lawsuit against Barrington Mobil station over January gasoline spill for $20,000 (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 18. Bridgeview-based used-car dealer Midway Autohaus considering location in Sleepy Hollow (Daily Herald)
· 20. Dundee Township Park District's first spray park opens in West Dundee (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 21. Chicago Cubs' second baseman Addison Russell to appear at Addison Goodwill store on Monday, Aug. 8 (CBS 2)
· 22. Anti-slavery organization SOS Enclaves addresses African slavery during event at Islamic Center of Naperville (Daily Herald)
· 23. Founders of PrivateBancorp return to Chicago area to take up positions with Aurora-based Old Second National Bank (Crain's Chicago Business)
· 24. Homeowners in Naperville subdivision claim mist from retention pond is toxic and making them sick (ABC 7)
· 25. Confrontation between motorcyclist, truck driver caught on camera in Aurora (ABC 7)
· 26. Illinois Department of Employment Security: Former College of DuPage controller deserves unemployment benefits (Chicago Tribune)
· 27. Schaumburg motorcyclist killed in crash while trying to pass a turning car near Sugar Grove (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 28. OSHA cites UPS facility in Addison for death of worker from Lansing in February (Chicago Sun-Times)
SOUTHWEST:
· 29. Truck from Channahon-based Allstar Trucking involved in deadly crash on I-80 near Ottawa (ABC 7)
SOUTH:
· 30. Man in custody following robbery of Manhattan gun shop (New Lenox Patch)
· 31. Calumet City approves $60 million budget, roughly $3.7 million decrease from 2016 budget (Northwest Indiana Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 32. LaPorte County Planning Commission OKs permit to build 4-acre lake to man with contract to sell sand being removed from land (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 33. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducting more-thorough investigation of lead contamination at East Chicago housing complex (CBS 2)
· 34. East Chicago City Councilman Juda Parks resigns, won't fight Lake County judge's decree that city employees can't also hold elected positions (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 35. Griffith man sentenced to 2 years in prison for his part in 'card-cracking' bank fraud scheme (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 36. Public-safety agencies are now using drones to monitor fires, search for suspects (WBBM AM 780)
· 37. Illinois Secretary of State to resume mailing out license-plate renewal notices (Northwest Indiana Times)
Tuesday:
NORTH:
· 38. One person dead, one wounded in shooting outside North Chicago gas station (Chicago Tribune/Lake County News-Sun)
· 39. New Trier High School graduate Charlie Tilson traded to Chicago White Sox, eager to play at U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago Tribune/Winnetka Talk)
· 40. Evanston removes rules, fees on taxis to level the playing field with Uber, Lyft (Chicago Tribune/Evanston Review)
· 41. Buffalo Creek Brewing LLC has eyes on former Long Grove art gallery for new brewery (Daily Herald)
· 42. Waukegan hires Maryland artist to create sculpture honoring science-fiction writer Ray Bradbury (Daily Herald)
· 43. Panera Bread to replace Pizza Hut location in Mundelein (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
· 44. Barrington motorcyclist killed in southern Wisconsin after trying to pass a truck in a no-passing zone (Daily Herald)
· 45. Arlington Heights considering hiking stormwater fee to pay for $40 million sewer project designed to alleviate flooding issues (Daily Herald)
· 46. Lake Zurich High School to have lacrosse team this coming school year ahead of state sanctioning in 2018 (Daily Herald)
· 47. Switzerland, San Francisco investment firms to jointly buy Rolling Meadows office building leased mainly to Capital One Financial (Crain's Chicago Business)
· 48. Des Plaines dentist settles lawsuit for $675,000 after dropping sharp object down Hoffman Estates man's throat during root-canal procedure (CBS 2)
· 49. Arlington Heights man charged with shooting his wife to death while she held the couple's 1-year-old baby (CBS 2)
· 50. Chicago man arrested, charged with residential burglary that occurred July 29 in Des Plaines (FOX 32)
· 51. Elgin Community College gets grant to help low-income, minority, first-generation immigrant students continue education (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 52. St. Charles City Council questions economic return of $526,000 payment to Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau (Daily Herald)
· 53. Hillside Fire Department responds to hazardous-materials situation along Mannheim Road (ABC 7)
· 54. WalletHub places Aurora as 103rd best city in which to flip a house (NBC 5)
· 55. Victims, families decry reinstatement of Aurora volleyball coach accused of sexual abuse of teens (ABC 7)
· 56. Windows of Naperville chiropractor's office shot out with BB guns over weekend (FOX 32)
· 57. Naperville man admits lying about not having been a member of Chinese Community Party in order to get immigration granted (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 58. New trail for Hidden Lake Forest Preserve near Downers Grove tied to improvements at Route 53 and Butterfield Road (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
· 59. Ikea, Samsung leasing industrial space at CenterPoint Intermodal Center near Joliet/Elwood (Crain's Chicago Business)
· 60. Alsip settles sexual-harassment lawsuit filed by former village treasurer against mayor for $120,000 (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown)
· 61. Bolingbrook police: Teen allegedly shot to death by Chicago police was driving a car stolen from Bolingbrook (Chicago Tribune)
SOUTH:
· 62. Federal prosecutors subpoena Lincoln-Way High School District 210's e-mails involving ex-superintendent, certain board members (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown)
· 63. Four people arrested after home invasion and armed robbery in Matteson turns into barricade situation (NBC 5)
· 64. Police: One person in custody after Lansing woman beaten to death in domestic dispute (Chicago Tribune)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 65. New Portage High School coach has shorter commute from Valparaiso than to his previous jobs (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
· 66. St. John Town Council removes member of Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals based on his registration as Democrat and his voting as Republican (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 67. Gary resident claims she was kicked out of Family Dollar store because of her Muslim clothing (ABC 7)
· 68. Crown Point to focus on getting new police station; new City Hall put on back burner (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 69. Merrillville-based Polycon Industries to hire 100 new employees after $15 million expansion is complete (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 70. Crown Point man convicted of illegally voting in Hebron after 2012 move (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 71. Municipalities' social-media policies place controls on public discussions (Chicago Tribune/Naperville Sun)
· 72. With 594 reported deaths, Illinois on pace to have more than 1,000 traffic fatalities in 2016 (WBBM AM 780)
Wednesday:
NORTH:
· 73. Evanston residents, cyclists at odds over narrowing of streets with the addition of bike lanes (Chicago Tribune/Evanston Review)
· 74. Speechwriter for former GOP Presidential candidate Jeb Bush sworn in as Grayslake village trustee (Daily Herald)
· 75. Victim of domestic abuse, seen being beat in Antioch bar, left with questions even after the man who attacked her is in prison (CBS 2)
· 76. Chicago Bears to have public practice at Warren Township High School in Gurnee on Aug. 20 (NBC 5)
· 77. Wilmette native Charlie Tilson, new Chicago White Sox center fielders, out for season with hamstring injury (CBS 2)
NORTHWEST:
· 78. Cream Bar Ice Cream Sandwiches to open shop in former Red Mango site at Streets of Woodfield in Schaumburg in late August (Daily Herald)
· 79. Headstone found in Arlington Heights back yard returned to Inverness cemetery (Daily Herald)
· 80. Laser Center to build manufacturing facility in Schaumburg (Daily Herald)
· 81. Neighbors upset that Schaumburg resident gets to keep 30-foot trailer in driveway; village says there's no ordinance prohibiting it (CBS 2)
· 82. Schaumburg look for shirtless man wants in connection with business burglary who may also have been responsible for another burglary in Elk Grove Village (FOX 32)
· 83. Black family from Mount Prospect wins lawsuit against white neighbor over racially-motivated harassment (Chicago Tribune)
· 84. Carpentersville Walmart refunds tax overcharges during first 11 days of store's operation (Chicago Tribune/Elgin Courier-News)
· 85. Owner of Rolling Meadows Walmart indicted on charges of bank fraud related to a mortgage scam run while he operated an Elmhurst mortgage company (Daily Herald)
· 86. Elgin Area Unit School District U-46, Geneva Unit School District 302 sign deal allowing joint swimming, diving teams at South Elgin High (Daily Herald)
· 87. Hanover Park Village Board appoints deputy police chief to top-cop post (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 88. USPS semi strikes SUV on Route 83 in Elmhurst, hospitalizing two people (Chicago Tribune)
· 89. Naperville police looking for man, naked except for a baseball cap, who got out of an SUV in front of a 15-year-old girl near the Prairie Path (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 90. Hispanic man sought in robbery of Elmwood Park bank (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 91. St. Charles-based Pheasant Run Resort abandons plans for houses, intends to build stores on property following fight with DuPage Airport Authority (Daily Herald)
· 92. Subsidiary of Toronto-based insurance company buys Oak Park apartment building for about $68 million (Crain's Chicago Business)
· 93. Aurora man charged with murder in shooting at Latin American Club (Chicago Tribune/Aurora Beacon-News)
· 94. Woman files lawsuit against driver, driver's employer over July 16 crash that killed both her parents on I-290 near Elmhurst (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 95. Naperville man arrested after his mother reports finding items stolen during recent vehicle burglaries (Daily Herald)
· 96. Graue Mill in Oak Brook reopens for the season (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
· 97. Man struck and killed by freight train in Blue Island (Chicago Tribune)
· 98. Evergreen Park man sentenced to 3 years in prison for reckless homicide after he struck and killed a German tourist in Chicago (CBS 2)
· 99. 50-year-old Oswego man charged with felony stalking of Naperville teen (Daily Herald)
SOUTH:
· 100. Grandfather dies after he and grandson pulled from pool in Lansing (CBS 2)
· 101. Man pleads guilty to two counts of aggravated DUI in crash that killed two parents, injured three children; sentenced to 15 years in prison (Chicago Sun-Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 102. Group looks to build multi-agency training facility similar to Glenview, Ill.-based Northeastern Illinois Public Safety Academy in Valparaiso (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 103. Indiana Department of Natural Resources releases $1.3 million in funds to improve lakes and streams throughout state, including Lake Michigan (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 104. Michigan City Common Council approves $5,000 annual scholarships for high school graduates funded by casino revenues (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 105. Lake Station man in prison for dealing drugs is among 214 people whose sentences were commuted Wednesday by President Barack Obama (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
· 106. LaPorte County Board decides to enforce 12-ton truck-weight limit on roads connected to sand-pit site that commissioners previously gave permission to operate (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 107. Taxpayers in 70 school districts footing bill for $4 million to send more than 3,000 teachers back to college (Daily Herald)
· 108. Illinois sets first-ever hunting/trapping regulations for bobcats, but northeastern Illinois is off limits (Chicago Sun-Times)
Thursday
NORTH:
· 109. Smithsonian's National Museum hopes skeleton of Glenview scientist who died 150 years ago will reveal his cause of death (Chicago Tribune)
· 110. Man shot in both legs during attempted robbery in Skokie; suspects at large (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 111. American lotuses return to bloom in Chain O' Lakes (Daily Herald)
· 112. Riverside police catch abused dog after resident reports animal outside their gate (CBS 2)
· 113. Man settles lawsuit alleging Fox Lake Police harassed him in Gliniewicz case (Chicago Tribune)
· 114. Light the Lamp Brewery in Grayslake plans expansion, move to 100-year-old building (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
· 115. Park Ridge Public Library considers allowing Maine Township High School District 207 teachers to get library cards, even if they don't live in the city (Daily Herald)
· 116. Hanover Park Runners group hopes to encourage community to run every week (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 117. Cook County judge appoints Kane County State's Attorney as special prosecutor in Laquan McDonald murder case (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 118. Kane County State's Attorney working to implement decriminalization of marijuana possession (Daily Herald)
· 119. Burr Ridge lake mysteriously drains in hours, leaving residents angry and confused (ABC 7)
· 120. Former Wheaton College student sentenced to 6 months in jail for secretly videotaping female students inside college-owner apartment building (ABC 7)
· 121. 19-year-old Auroran cited for driving while drugged in fatal Oct. 2015 crash on I-88 near Downers Grove (FOX 32)
· 122. Plainfield man charged with inappropriate contact with a child at Hinsdale Oasis (FOX 32)
· 123. Lombard Village Board considers raising restaurant tax, eliminate taxi-subsidy program to fill estimated $1.6 million budget deficit (Daily Herald)
· 124. Naperville collects 128 designs for new city flag; winner to be announced Nov. 4 at TEDx Naperville (Daily Herald)
· 125. Elmhurst couple jailed for wife's alleged sexual assault of a minor, husband's attempt to dissuade or bribe victim out of testifying (Daily Herald)
SOUTHWEST:
· 126. Authorities search for boyfriend of woman shot to death in Country Club Hills (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown)
· 127. Jailed ex-Bolingbrook cop Drew Peterson sues village to get police pension back (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 128. Gear from Romeoville-based Isovac Products in place for use during Rio de Janeiro Olympics (Chicago Tribune)
SOUTH:
· 129. Harvey man charged with murder in infant's shaking death three years ago (Chicago Tribune)
· 130. Man who assaulted Lake County, Ind., police officers near Shelby, Ind., facing extradition to Illinois to face charge of murdering Lansing woman (Northwest Indiana Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 131. Gary Dollar Express issues apology after clerk kicked Muslim woman out of store for wearing hijab and niqab (ABC 7)
· 132. Crown Point Little League team to compete in Cal Ripkin Majo60 World Series on Aug. 13 in Florida (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
· 133. Indiana Court of Appeals rules that police must get warrant to obtain cell-phone location data (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 134. Illinois Department of Public Health reports 46 cases of Zika virus in state; eight are pregnant women (CBS 2)
· 135. Boston-based Drizly to expand alcohol-delivery platform to Arlington Heights, Barrington, Crystal Lake and Norridge (Chicago Tribune)
· 136. Victims of fiery crash on I-80 near Ottawa include man from Warrenville, couple from Highland, Ind. (Northwest Indiana Times)
Friday:
NORTH:
· 137. Lincolnwood gun shop/shooting range gets permit to open under court order (Chicago Tribune)
· 138. Virtual-reality roller coaster 'Demon' scheduled to debut Aug. 13 at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee (NBC 5)
· 139. Deerfield couple, son to appear in court on charges related to domestic incident that injured three police officers (Chicago Tribune/Deerfield Review)
· 140. Lincolnshire working with Stevenson High School graduate on new village logo, municipal-marketing project (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
· 141. Longtime Maine Township trustee takes over for retired township highway commissioner (Daily Herald)
· 142. Man sues Palatine pet daycare facility for allegedly losing his dog (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 143. Schaumburg man who challenged village's treehouse ordinance removes structure, tree to get $100 fine dismissed (Daily Herald)
· 144. Commuters will be able to pay via mobile app at Fox River Grove Metra lot beginning Aug. 15 (Daily Herald)
· 145. Work on Arlington Heights' north parking garage completed (Daily Herald)
WEST:
· 146. Illinois Attorney General investigating whether Aurora Public Library Board illegally discussed budget cuts, reduction in operating hours, layoffs in closed session (Chicago Tribune/Aurora Beacon-News)
· 147. Motorcyclist killed in crash on Randall Road in Batavia (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 148. Rosemont hotel evacuated after fire breaks out; firefighters find 'suspicious materials' inside room where blaze broke out (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 149. York High School cross-country coach Joe Newton to retire at end of 2016-17 school year (Daily Herald)
· 150. Naperville police arrest four people during reverse-prostitution sting (FOX 32)
· 151. Glendale Heights couple found dead in home, likely of carbon-monoxide poisoning (FOX 32)
· 152. Kane County Health Department reports 3 cases of Zika virus from travel (Chicago Tribune/Elgin Courier-News)
· 153. Downers Grove village attorney: Sandack's resignation from Legislature had nothing to due with his role at state representative (Chicago Sun-Times)
SOUTHWEST:
· 154. Patients at Palos Heights-based Palos Community Hospital relocated after construction workers let bat inside (ABC 7)
SOUTH:
· 155. Monee mayor charged with aggravated battery for punching ump during July game (NBC 5)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 156. Jury convicts Portage teen in 2014 shooting death of Portage man (Chicago Tribune/Gary Post-Tribune)
· 157. Pure Cravings Paleo Meals offers prepackaged meals out of Crown Point (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 158. Former Merrillville Dollar Tree manager accused of robbing former employer with help of two Gary men (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 159. Illinois governor signs bill into law allowing 17-year-olds who turn 18 before the general election to vote in primaries (ABC 7)
Saturday:
NORTH:
· 160. Deer Park considers applying for grant to renovate, beautify D'Angelo Park (Daily Herald)
NORTHWEST:
· 161. McHenry man turns himself in after sheriff's police raid his house, find heroin and scales (FOX 32)
· 162. Child struck by van while walking between O'Hare International Airport Terminal 1 and Hilton Hotel (ABC 7)
· 163. Judge dismisses felony official misconduct charges against former McHenry County coroner, whose office didn't bury two dead babies (Chicago Tribune)
· 164. Chicago man killed in forklift accident at Des Plaines warehouse (Chicago Sun-Times)
WEST:
· 165. Campton Hills looking to temp agency to fill village administrator's post (Daily Herald)
· 166. DuPage County Board ponders spending $282,000 on lobbyists in Springfield (Daily Herald)
· 167. Make-A-Wish Foundation gives Oak Park teen, who underwent three heart surgeries as an infant, a trip to Rio de Janeiro Olympics (NBC 5)
SOUTH:
· 168. Lansing-based Sunnybrook Elementary School District 171 sees only half the expected number of kindergartners enrolled as predicted (Northwest Indiana Times)
NORTHWEST INDIANA:
· 169. Hammond woman killed by gun that discharged inside the car she was riding in (Chicago Sun-Times)
· 170. Valparaiso looking to buy Moose Lodge property, to build civic center there (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 171. Bureau of Motor Vehicles asks Indiana residents to vote for new license-plate design before Sept. 5 (Northwest Indiana Times)
· 172. Three local residents hope to establish hockey rink in Hobart (Northwest Indiana Times)
REGIONAL
· 173. Suburbs turn attention to dead, dying trees on private properties, threatening or imposing fines to get homeowners to get rid of them (Chicago Tribune)

Subreddit	Title	Brand
pics	United States Department of Defense jets fly over the Great Pyramids of Egypt during Operation Bright Star 1993. Photographer: United States Air Force Tech. Sgt. Dave Nolan	United
videos	GIVEAWAY - $25 Xbox Digital Gift Card and $20 PlayStation Store Cash Card!!! Open	Xbox
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: When did dueling in the United States die out and why?	United
Showerthoughts	I think Nike has become the #1 sock company.	Nike
videos	Ghost in the Shell 1995 - Movie Review	Shell
books	Began reading A People's History of the United States	United
AskReddit	Serious In your estimation, how long until Google shuts down Google Plus?	Google
food	Homemade Bison Steak au Poivre	au
worldnews	Trump: Legal Challenges To Travel Ban Mount As United States of America Join Action	United
Showerthoughts	The reason I love Ikea so much is because it's Legos for adults. Bonus: stubbing my toe into that Ikea dresser in the dark is the same as stepping on a Lego piece.	Lego
funny	What is this and why does Facebook think I need one?	Facebook
videos	This video of someone failing to reverse out of a Taco Bell drive-thru is mesmerising	Bell
todayilearned	TIL the slowest speed a United States Air Force USAF pilot flew his USAF SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance jet was 281.504 kilometers per hour kph = 174.918 miles per hour mph = 152 knots.	United
AskReddit	What are your sketchiest Google searches?	Google
AskReddit	People who live in the United Kingdom, what's the best and worst parts?	United
mildlyinteresting	I never knew England as Fanta shaped like this	Fanta
worldnews	Pret A Manger says one in 50 applicants is British - BBC News	BBC
IAmA	IamA DC Douglas - Voice of Wesker, Legion, Gunter, Chase & Many TV Episodes You Missed AMA!	Chase
movies	Ghost in The Shell PSA	Shell
movies	That 'Direct Line' insurance Advert starring the character Winston Wolf from Pulp Fiction has made me forever see the parodied scene like this...	Winston
videos	GIVEAWAY - $25 Xbox Digital Gift Card and $20 PlayStation Store Cash Car...	Xbox
OldSchoolCool	Stanley Kubrick and Malcolm McDowell filming A Clockwork Orange in 1971.	Orange
Showerthoughts	Cording to to the English langue Nike should be pronounced just "Nik" not "Nikey"	Nike
AskReddit	What gun laws do you think would be the best for the United States?	United
news	Shoplifter breaks arms and legs near Rogers Centre while fleeing from store staff	Rogers
funny	When the people at Walmart know what you truly need..	Walmart
AskReddit	What is your favorite Youtube Channel that makes long videos 10 minutes +?	Youtube
nosleep	My Uber driver is creeping me out FINAL	Uber
todayilearned	TIL Sony have a kind of 'drink verification can to continue' patent "for converting television commercials into interactive network video games"	Sony
todayilearned	TIL that a crayon molder named Emerson Moser worked at Crayola for 45 years and on his last day he revealed that he was color blind	Emerson
AskReddit	People from countries that were involved in the American War of Independence United Kingdom, United States, France, Spain, etc. what would you learn about it in school?	United
todayilearned	TIL that despite their tests being declared invalid by the NHTSA, Consumer Reports' claims in 1988 that the Suzuki Samurai "rolls over easily" ruined the reputation of the vehicle and its sales subsequently fell from 83,349 in 1987 to 5,041 two years later	Suzuki
AskReddit	What's a good third party Youtube app for Android?	Youtube
mildlyinteresting	Even spring water is sold by Coca-Cola in New Zealand...	Coca-Cola
videos	Barista makes a lit Starbucks Anthem	Starbucks
AskReddit	What should a new resident of the United States of America know?	United
AskReddit	What are some additions Facebook needs to get rid of?	Facebook
todayilearned	TIL In the 1976 season of Formula 1, the BBC pulled out of broadcasting some of the early races because the Surtees F1 Team was sponsored by Durex, the condom company.	BBC
videos	Hey Google Assistant, are you connected to the CIA?	Google
personalfinance	Can I rollover an annuity to a 403b Target Date Fund?	Target
television	Steve Zahn To Topline ‘The Crossing’ ABC Drama Pilot	ABC
Jokes	What's the difference between Xbox and Playstation	Xbox
funny	Invited friend to the Whitney Biennial, he joked back, Google suggested these responses	Google
worldnews	Swiss shooting: Three wounded near Zurich Islamic centre - BBC News	Zurich
worldnews	Swiss shooting: Three wounded near Zurich Islamic centre - BBC News	BBC
todayilearned	TIL Canada has a surprising amount of anniversaries in 2017: 150th anniversary of confederation, 375th years since Montreal was founded, 200th year since Bank of Montreal was founded, 100th year since the NHL was founded	Bank of Montreal
videos	Girlfriend and I starting a Pokemon Youtube channel	Youtube
AskReddit	If all former world leaders had and used Twitter during their rule, whose tweets do you think would be the best?	Twitter
Jokes	What do you call a contract driver riding a Ford ranger?	Ford
funny	Meet your Google ASS.	Google
gadgets	The first smart camera for Apple HomeKit works well, but it's far from perfect	Apple
Jokes	I bought a Rolex before trying & failing at stand up comedy.	Rolex
news	Tillerson recuses himself from Keystone pipeline issues US secretary of state says he will not work on issues related to the controversial pipeline due to ExxonMobil ties.	ExxonMobil
worldnews	US military nude photo sharing scandal widens beyond marines - BBC News	BBC
funny	TIL that UPS still uses trains to deliver packages and that "your package is delayed due to train derailment" is a real thing. 🚂 📦	UPS
news	How Much Money does an Uber Driver Make In 2017	Uber
news	US military nude photo sharing scandal widens beyond marines - BBC News	BBC
explainlikeimfive	Eli5 why can Youtube host apple exclusive songs but Google Play Music cant?	Google
explainlikeimfive	Eli5 why can Youtube host apple exclusive songs but Google Play Music cant?	Youtube
funny	[12,000LM Philips Cree LED Headlight Conversion for Replace HID & XENON	...](https://www.reddit.com/funny/comments/5yksyv/12000lm_philips_cree_led_headlight_conversion_fo)
mildlyinteresting	Sunlight brightens the desktop by going through the Apple logo.	Apple
mildlyinteresting	This IKEA tree is actually Harambe	IKEA
videos	1998 commercial - Philips introduces "flat screen TVs"	Philips
Music	Sync Apple Music to iPod	Apple
AskReddit	How do you meet with people in the age of the "going" Facebook RSVP?	Facebook
AskReddit	What are the best Youtube channels to binge watch?	Youtube
gaming	One of these is the new No Man's Sky update and the other is Robocraft. Which is which?	Sky
gaming	Shower thought: Lego Skyrim should be a thing.	Lego
gaming	If you were buying an Xbox One game today, what would it be?	Xbox
videos	Ghost in The Shell PSA	Shell
Music	King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Eyes Like The Sky Psychedelic Western faux-soundtrack	Sky
news	Hundreds of current and former employees respond to CBC report with stories of pressure to upsell customers at TD Bank... 'We do it because our jobs are at stake': TD bank employees admit to breaking the law for fear of being fired	TD
videos	This just happened on BBC News	BBC
pics	The remnants of Trump's name is still visible on the facade of the empty, 906 room, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ OC	Casino
funny	Kids interrupt their dad on live BBC World broadcast	BBC
pics	Night Sky at Le Mans, France	Sky
videos	This BBC interview is amazing. Just wait until the mum rushes in	BBC
videos	Children Interrupt BBC News Interview	BBC
videos	When you are doing an interview for the BBC and the kids walk in...	BBC
funny	'Funniest video of the year': Professor's BBC interview gatecrashed by children	BBC
funny	Children interrupt BBC News Interview - BBC News	BBC
worldnews	Oil giant Shell warns public faith in fossil fuel industry is 'disappearing' and calls for carbon taxes - "Shell is to increase its spending on renewable energy to $1bn a year"	Shell
funny	Children interrupt BBC News interview on South Korea	BBC
funny	F@#$ You Google Maps!	Google
gaming	Is Just Cause 3 worth buying on Xbox One?	Xbox
funny	Children interrupt BBC News interview - BBC News	BBC
worldnews	Environment Wins: Shell Sells over $7B in Canada's Tar Sands - "The company became the latest oil giant to leave the Canadian oil sands sector, which is one of the most environmentally damaging forms of oil extraction."	Shell
news	Children interrupt BBC News interview - BBC News	BBC
television	Guy's children interupt BBC news interview	BBC
videos	Paris Hilton rocking her synth	Hilton
funny	Children interrupt BBC News interview - BBC News	BBC
funny	When a BBC pundit works from home.	BBC
videos	Unexpected interruption on BBC News	BBC
mildlyinteresting	Bloomberg Marlboro cover photo this week	Marlboro
AskReddit	Old people who have Facebook and play videos on full volume whilst laughing loudly in the staff room, why?	Facebook
gaming	Is it just me or is No Man's Sky and Sean Murray/Hello Games starting to redeem itself?	Sky
worldnews	South African taxis block roads to Johannesburg airport in Uber protest, holding up thousands of travelers	Uber
gaming	So TERA is coming to Xbox One and PS4... Should it be on my Radar?	Xbox
Showerthoughts	Why is Nintendo known as "The big N" but other companies such as Microsoft are not referred to as "The big M" despite of being a bigger company	Microsoft
funny	Sliding into the BBC like...	BBC
todayilearned	TIL Royal Mail Celebrates Gold Olympic Winners by Painting there Local Postbox Gold	Royal Mail
worldnews	Children interrupt BBC News interview	BBC
pics	BBC reports on BBC interview that was interrupted by kids earlier today	BBC
funny	This just happened on BBC. While "The Dad" is on live teleconference with BBC television, the kids walk in, and then the mom slides in. The rest is history.	BBC
funny	Robert Kelly’s live BBC interview gatecrashed by his kids	BBC
movies	[Alien: Covenant	Meet Walter
funny	Professor's BBC interview gatecrashed by children	BBC
EarthPorn	Big Sky Montana Ski Resort OC 6000X3148	Sky
Documentaries	Herbs: Aromatic Influences 1983 - The Spice of Life - BBC production Prized by the ancients for treatment of ailments as well as for taste and fragrance,	BBC
photoshopbattles	PsBattle: This reflection inside an Apple logo.	Apple
funny	Kids Crash Dad's Live BBC Interview	BBC
AskReddit	Where do those "hanging off corner of a skyscraper with one hand" people that have become popular on Facebook come from?	Facebook
videos	Cybercrime Hacks and Apple Things You Didn't Know	Apple
aww	Cute lil puppy in his rain gear taken from Twitter user @RayyTrann	Twitter
todayilearned	TIL in an effort to one-up the Soviets during the late 1950s, the United States planned to hit the moon with a nuclear warhead-tipped ICBM. In the Air Force's infinite wisdom, however, the plan was scrapped because they felt the public would respond unfavorably to nuking the moon.	United
worldnews	Kansas shooting: How safe do Indians feel in America ? - BBC News	BBC
Futurology	How Google Is Revealing Unmapped Areas of the World in Virtual Reality	Google
videos	Giveaway - Nintendo Switch, Xbox And PSN Cards, Steam Card!!! Open Read Des	Xbox
AskReddit	What reference can you make that is so obscure that using Google wont help, but true fans will understand it completely?	Google
funny	Children interrupt BBC News interview.	BBC
funny	Kids walk in on dad during important BBC interview...	BBC
Showerthoughts	The ABC song, Ba Ba Black Sheep, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, all have the same tune.	ABC
television	Human Target and How the Forgotten DC TV Show Would Succeed Today	Target
videos	mOnSTers inTeRRrupt liVe BBC bROAdCast	BBC
funny	Just saw a car with the licence plate DU FOTZE. Thought it might be a family name at first, then remembered du is German for you. Quick Google Translate later... Of course the licence plate frame reads "United States Army."	Google
funny	Children interrupt BBC News interview - BBC News	BBC
videos	Hilarious! KIDS INTERRUPT LIVE BBC INTERVIEW!	BBC
funny	Raving baby interrupts BBC News broadcast...	BBC
mildlyinteresting	My Jeep rides so rough my watch thinks I'm riding a bike.	Jeep
mildlyinteresting	I dug this old glass Fanta bottle out of my gravel driveway	Fanta
personalfinance	Apple Barclays Card Northstar Collections	Barclays
videos	Found myself on the weird side of Youtube again	Youtube
funny	Elmer Fudd is writing the ESPN headlines	ESPN
Showerthoughts	I will not go to the 2nd page of Google for any reason but I absolutely will go through many pages on porn sites.	Google
videos	Best Buy Packard Bell 386SX Commercial 1991	Bell
gaming	A big thanks to UPS for throwing my Fallout Anthology in a lake and repackaging it!	UPS
news	'We do it because our jobs are at stake': TD bank employees admit to breaking the law for fear of being fired	TD
mildlyinteresting	Loading screen on a Coca-Cola soda machine	Coca-Cola
worldnews	North Korea: What can the outside world do? - BBC News	BBC
news	When the Kids Crash Your BBC Interview	BBC
worldnews	Putin Met with New CEO of ExxonMobil Today	ExxonMobil
videos	Let's not forget that this was an actual Burger King commercial	Burger King
funny	Kids crash BBC interview.	BBC
WritingPrompts	WP Narrate the events in the house that follow the BBC interview interrupted by the two children.	BBC
mildlyinteresting	I sold this Cheeto on eBay for $12	eBay
Documentaries	Walking Merchandise Child Trafficking and the Snakehead Trade 2013Documentary on Chinese children trafficked to the United States 29:34	United
funny	Kids Interrupting BBC Interview	BBC
Jokes	Q: Is Google male or female? ...............	Google
videos	This BBC news report where the interviewee’s kid runs in and interrupts with a dance is the best	BBC
gaming	[Horizon Zero Dawn	Trailer 2017 Playstation 4](https://www.reddit.com/gaming/comments/5ynfaq/horizon_zero_dawn_trailer_2017_playstation_4/)
funny	Friend's experience while waiting at the Jeep dealership this morning.	Jeep
Futurology	Using Deepmind Baidu created an AI that could synthesize human speech.	Baidu
mildlyinteresting	The old "S" we all drew in school stamped on the handle of a CVS back door.	CVS
funny	Dad got some unexpected visitors during BBC interview	BBC
news	Bartow, FL police officer on Administrative leave after Facebook comment referring to Obama as a 'gorilla'	Facebook
videos	Cab driver interviewed on BBC News, having been mistaken for internet music industry expert	BBC
food	Homemade Choux au Craquelin - Matcha, Cocoa, and Vanilla	au
videos	BBC News blooper - Children interrupt live BBC News interview	BBC
worldnews	After CIA hacking, Intel Security releases detection tool for EFI rootkits	Intel
AskReddit	Who should be the next President of the United States and why? Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are not allowable answers serious	United
funny	My Youtube Adventure	Youtube
news	EPA nets federal government $4.3 billion in Volkswagen settlement.	Volkswagen
todayilearned	TIL that there are 97 episodes of Dr Who that there is no existing copy of longer as BBC got rid of them to save storage space.	BBC
funny	Children interrupt BBC News interview - BBC News	BBC
gaming	[The $2200, 17 Year Old Dell Desktop	A Retrospective](https://www.reddit.com/gaming/comments/5ynpbm/the_2200_17_year_old_dell_desktop_a_retrospective/)
videos	POPIN COOKIN DONUTS - MINI DIY DONUTS - KRACIE	MINI
news	Pakistan passes law recognising Hindu minority marriage - BBC News	BBC
mildlyinteresting	This IKEA plant is actually Harambe	IKEA
movies	New Ghost In The Shell Poster	Shell
WritingPrompts	WP Uber for Henchmen, "Hench-Bench" is a new app based start up gaining popularity. Describe your first week working for various cheapskate Supervillains.	Uber
funny	So, as I was searching Facebook marketplace for a decent golf cart.....	Facebook
mildlyinteresting	This IKEA plant is actually Harambe	IKEA
television	Why is CN giving much of their shows little to no promotion?	CN
funny	Kids Crash BBC Interview	BBC
Futurology	Italdesign and Airbus unveil Pop.Up, the first modular, fully electric, zero emmision concept vehicle system.	Airbus
videos	Best of Chanel Westcoast!	Chanel
funny	Kids Crash BBC Interview	BBC
television	‘Mr. Robot’ Season 3 Gets October Premiere, Adds Bobby Cannavale and Ups BD Wong to Series Regular	BD
aww	Children Interrupt BBC Interview	BBC
IAmA	AMA Request The ninja that busted into that BBC interview and extracted those two children.	BBC
pics	A "group of goats Oreamnos americanus climbing some of the rock walls below Willard Peak" on 16 July 2011 in Utah, United States of America. Photo credit: SummitPost.org user Rocky Alps	United
videos	Lying cop doesn’t know Uber driver is actually a lawyer	Uber
photoshopbattles	PsBattle: Head of the United States Environmental Protection Agency: Scott Pruitt	United
pics	Follow the Goat Leader -- A "group of goats Oreamnos americanus climbing some of the rock walls below Willard Peak" on 16 July 2011 in Utah, United States of America. Photo credit: SummitPost.org user Rocky Alps	United
videos	reupload Verizon customer support doesn't acknowledge the difference between 0.002$ and 0.002¢	Verizon
worldnews	The US state department has instructed New York City's chief medical examiner not to disclose the cause of death of Russia's ambassador to the United Nations	United
movies	Original Ghost In The Shell Anime Actors Dubbing The Live-Action Movie In Japan	Shell
AskReddit	Serious What's better and why? Google Drive or DropBox?	Google
videos	The incredible sound of the Mazda 787b LOUD	Mazda
worldnews	EU summit: Poland cries blackmail over subsidies - BBC News	BBC
videos	When the Kids Crash Your BBC Interview	BBC
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: Solar radiation in the US Southwest is YUGE! Could a US/Mexico "border wall" be solar?	Southwest
Futurology	Oil giant Shell warns public faith in fossil fuel industry is 'disappearing' and calls for carbon taxes	Shell
AskReddit	When will Starbucks deliver?	Starbucks
gaming	Wii U Lego dimensions or Lego star wars the force awakens?	Lego
mildlyinteresting	NSFW I don't think Newegg intended to put this ad on my Facebook page	Facebook
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: Why does google offer services such as Google Photos, how do they benefit from hosting my personal images online for free?	Google