#happy sulphur saturday

[demonologist-in-denim]

Dean: What’s your body count?

Crowley: Do you mean sex or murder?

#spn incorrect quotes #dean winchester #crowley #happy sulphur saturday

[crowleybigbang]

Hiiii

I hope I'm still on time for National Poetry Month. The Crack And The Wound

Wound and cracks are where The light crawls in Shining on a soul Letting it grow, go, fall.

So there’s light and dark And all in between. There’s sides and hearts There’s beats and views.

In a less damaged world I would be able to pick I would happen to be on just one side

But here I am the flaw I am the crack and the wound I am the shattered glass Flecked atop a wall Separating and apart Just a crack and a wound.

Sorry, Nonnie! We completely forgot to reblog this.

Sharing for a much belated National Poetry Month (April).

#crowley #spn #poetry #national poetry month #happy sulphur saturday

[howlingbreeze]

happy STS miles!!!

I'm back to ask you to just rant about something! anything, really!

(@andromedatalksaboutstuff)

am i getting to this at 11:30pm on Saturday? sure. don't look at me. i dont really know what to ramble about, so i guess ill go to my default which is space bc I'm a whore and fucking tired.

im reading a book called The Plants by Andrew Cohen and Brain Cox, and I'm reading about Mercury atm. so Merc being so close to the Sun most people think it's a bajillion degrees. Still, it isn't! the side facing away from the Sun is negative degrees (which i believe it common knowledge). what is interesting is that Merc's surface (which was analysed for 2 years by the Messanger spacecraft) found that sulphur, potassium & phosphorus were on the surface of the planet.

These elements are called volatile elements because they evaporate from the surface after a particular amount of exposure to heat/radiation, yet it's embedded in Merc's surface! sulphur was intended to be ten times the amount as on the moon and Earth! (page 34, if you ever get your hands on the book).

it's the densest planet in the solar system, its iron core taking up 75% of its mass, whereas Earth's takes up just over 50%.

that's all i have at this time, everyone is always welcome to invade my inbox about space things.

#mk. asks #mk. astro chat #mk. sts #love you forever andi!

[thayerkerbasy]

12.15 Deleted Scenes

Thanks to the @spnscripthunt​ team for buying the script for Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell. Apparently the script was too long, so there was a whole bit with Crowley and Dean teaming up to fight off Ramsay’s pups that was cut. (There are Sam and Gwen scenes interspersed with these in the script.)

#spn 12.15 #spn 12x15 #spn deleted scenes #crowley #dean winchester #hellhounds #somewhere between heaven and hell #happy sulphuric saturday

[crowleysfavouritedemon]

Cain’s back. He’s gone dark, and I need the Blade.

#10.14 #10x14 #dean #winchester #crowley #dean winchester #the executioner's song #call #happy sulphuric saturday

[houndsharkk]

SULPHERIC SATURDAY IS A THING??? WHY DIDNT YALL TELL ME

anyways, crowley appreciation :]

he's worth five pigs, at least <3

#sulpheric saturday #supernatural #cw supernatural #crowley #crowley spn #supernatural crowley #comfort #comfort character #comfort show #supernatural fanart #beet's rambles #happy sulphuric saturday #<3

[princesssarisa]

The Names of the Seven Dwarfs

If anyone asks you the names of the seven dwarfs, it's obvious which names they're probably thinking of:

Doc, Grumpy, Dopey, Happy, Sneezy, Bashful and Sleepy.

These are the dwarfs' names in Disney's 1937 animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and in pop culture they're the names inescapably associated with the characters.

But of course they're not the only names the dwarfs have ever been given. Non-Disney adaptations have found many other interesting names for them:

In the 1912 stage play and 1916 silent film, their names are Flick, Blick, Pick, Whick, Snick, Glick and Quee.

In the 1955 West German film, their names are Wurzel, Klaps, Flink, Troll, Purzel, Tröpfchen and Bimbam (or in the English dub, Whitey, Bushy, Eddy, Teddy, Freddy, Blacky and Bimbam).

In the 1961 East German film, their names are Rumpelbold, Naseweis, Purzelbaum, Huckepack, Pick, Packe and Puck.

In the 1965 Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo episode, their names are Axelrod, George, Dexter, Cornelius, Bartholomew, Eustace and Ferdinand.

In the 1984 Faerie Tale Theatre episode, their names are Barnaby, Boniface, Bruno, Baldwin, Bertram, Bernard and Bubba.

In the 1987 Seattle Children's Theatre production, where they're seven normal-sized siblings whose surname is Dwarf, their names are Walt, Roy, Rose, Elliot, Howie, Jean-Louise and Peg.

In the 1987 Cannon Movie Tales version, their names are Iddy, Biddy, Diddy, Fiddy, Kiddy, Giddy and Liddy.

In the 1987 Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics anime version and the 2001 film Snow White: The Fairest of Them All, their names are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

In the 1994 UAV animated version, Snow White and the Magic Mirror, their names are Dickie, Danny, Dewey, Dougie, Dobie, Donny and Fred.

In the 1994 anime series The Legend of Snow White, their names are Boss, Chamomile, Vet, Gourmet, Woody, Goldie and Jolly.

In the 1995 Native American retelling from the animated series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, their names are Bright Silver, Sharp Flint, Fool's Gold, Rough Copper, Heavy Metal, Hard Jade and Smelly Sulphur.

In the 1995 Jetlag animated version, their names are Sunbeam, Toadstool, Fawn, Hedgehog, Robin, Cricket and Tadpole.

In the 1998 Golden Films animated version, they're all named Joe.

In the 2009 German TV film from the Sechs auf einen Streich series, their names are Gorm, Niffel, Wichtel, Querx, Quarx, Knirps and Schrat.

In the 2012 film Mirror, Mirror, their names are Will Grimm, Butcher, Wolf, Napoleon, Grub, Half-Pint and Chuck.

In the 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman, the eight dwarfs are named Beith, Muir, Gort, Nion, Coll, Duir, Quert and Gus.

In the 2019 German TV film Schneewittchen und der Zauber der Zwerge, from the Märchenperlen series, they all have the names of dwarfs from Norse mythology, four of which were used by Tolkien too – Bömburr, FIli, Ori, Jari, Gloin, Ginarr and Thekk.

In the 2019 animated film Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs, their names are Merlin, Arthur, Jack, Hans, Pino, Noki and Kio.

The different names chosen for these characters obviously reveal something about the different tones of each adaptation. It will be interesting to see what kind of name theming the next non-Disney adaptation chooses for them.

@ariel-seagull-wings, @superkingofpriderock

#snow white #fairy tale #the seven dwarfs #character names

[soweirdondisney]

2021 saw the world begin to reopen and with it So Weird content was prominent in plenty of on and offline ways. Let’s take a look!

This year, Weirdos:

Sent a get well video to Mackenzie Gray as he went through physical therapy

Embraced Secrets of Sulphur Springs

Were impressed with s2 of Are You Afraid of the Dark’s reboot

Received an official copy of Rick and Rachel’s Twin Code (Everyone say, “Thank you, Jon Cooksey.”)

Freaked out (in a good way) when the Twin “Behind the Ears” promo was uploaded in Better-Than-144p-Quality

Uncovered remnants of Fi’s old site

Completed #SoWeird20 as The River turned 2 decades old

The So Weird Podcast:

Hosted its first ever script reading

Then went on to do 3 more live script reads

Interviewed executive producer and showrunner Ali Marie Matheson

Reviewed Secrets of Sulphur Springs and AYAOTD’s s2

Celebrated its 5th anniversary with an interactive livestream

So Weird as a show was featured in:

USA Today as one of “The 20 Best TV Shows on Disney+ Right Now”

Retropond’s “Top 5 90s Live Action Creepy Kids Shows”

A 2000+ word Vulture piece that dived into “10 Essential Episodes”

ET Online as one of the “22 Reasons to Sign Up For Disney+”

America: The Jesuit Review about its use of faith and sacrifice

Decider’s “Best Halloween Movies and TV Episodes to Stream”

The official Disney+ Hallowstream list

Regarding the cast, well…

Patrick Levis returned to movies in The Man from Nowhere

Mackenzie Phillips co-launched the podcast America Recovers and attended Chiller Theatre Expo

Jewel Staite wrapped s2 of Family Law after attending Galaxy Con for a Firefly reunion

Erik von Detten was interviewed by E! News and welcomed his second child

Alexz Johnson was a guest on Survival of the Artist Show to walk through her career and discuss artist-parent balance

Kyla Pratt returned to Disney Channel for a prime time airing of The Proud Family Movie

Dave Squatch Ward uploaded a Mother’s Day tribute song

Belinda Metz shared pics from her Disney days on IG Story and told her followers to stream So Weird

Dionne Warwick continued to be the icon she is in a 60 Minutes interview, as a surprise guest on Saturday Night Live, and collaborator with Chance the Rapper on a new song

Elsewhere… State Senator from Delaware, Sarah McBride, tweeted about Erik von Detten and asked if anyone knew So Weird. She even linked the theme song! And Saturday Night Live featured Brink! during Weekend Update.

All of this (and tons more) kept the fandom going through a year filled with uncertainty, and we’re grateful for every moment.

We’re also grateful for you. Your interactions through likes, tags, reblogs, retweets, follows, and listens helped keep us connected over a show so many of us felt alone in watching.

So Weird and its fandom have come a long way in 20 years because of that outreach and we’re all not so alone anymore.

Wishing everyone a happy New Year, let’s keep the faith in 2022. 👽

#Mackenzie Phillips #Erik von Detten #Kyla Pratt #Jewel Staite #Dionne Warwick #Ego Nwodim #Alexz Johnson #Andrew Dismukes #Mackenzie Gray #Sarah McBride #Brink #60 Minutes #Saturday Night Live #Weekend Update #Jon Cooksey #Ali Marie Matheson #Patrick Levis #Belinda Metz #Dave Squatch Ward #Firefly #Survival of the artist show #Family Law #Twin #Disney Plus #The Proud Family Movie #Brink! #SoWeird20 #Secrets of Sulphur Springs #Are You Afraid of the Dark

[demonologist-in-denim]

Dean: We couldn't do this without you, Crowley.

Crowley: Sure you could. Not as stylishly, of course...

#spn incorrect quotes #dean winchester #crowley #happy sulphur saturday

[crowleybigbang]

Not to mix fandoms, but:

Authors can still sign up here. Artists sign up in May.

What’s the Crowley Big Bang? Check it out here!

#crowley #spn #supernatural #crowley big bang #stede bonnet #our flag means death #ofmd #why? #because this is how I felt as a mod today #trying to coax people into signing up #i have a very 'people positive' approach to captaining #i mean - modding #happy sulphur saturday

[originalmancient]

I have never been a great fan of Kebab. But the kebab of #frendo - geotagged - is simply delicious. And @trollheads_nessi agrees fully. Happy Saturday! BTW... From a health perspective, kebab ain't bad. Lean meat, lots of vegetables, spicy sauce. Especially onions, with their sulphurous compounds, are beneficial. (at Alvar Jacobsson AB) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXEFzKkKotw/?utm_medium=tumblr

#frendo

[thayerkerbasy]

Sulphuric Saturday

is on hiatus this week (at least here on my blog) because between work and back to school and fostering a feral kitten, I haven’t even had time to think about what to post. Sorry to all three people who actually look forward to Sulphuric Saturday. The usual “whatever I felt like reblogging” will appear on my blog today, and our regularly scheduled barrage of Crowley will return next Saturday.

#blog maintenance #thayer stuff #happy sulphuric saturday

[crowleysfavouritedemon]

Let me guess. Bringing it to your wee pal, the Winchester boy. You’d give that to the one person who can harness its power against you. He’s a threat to you!

rule number 1: no one talks about his bestie 

#10.14 #10x14 #crowley #rowena #the executioner's song #happy sulphuric saturday #crowley fridays

[dr-archeville]

INDY Week: And Now, for Something Completely Different

Everything you need to know this morning

Thank you to this week's sponsor, Sig Hutchinson, who is running for Wake County Board of Commissioners District 1.

Support the INDY Press Club: Better Journalism for a Better Community

It's Friday, October 30.

Hey y'all,

Happy almost-Halloween! In celebration of this most chilling of holidays, I asked my colleagues at the INDY if I could write a Halloween-focused humor piece for today’s edition of the newsletter. Think about the sort of piece you might find in the "Shouts and Murmers" section of the New Yorker, except focused on the Triangle — that’s sort of what I’m going for here. So, when you scroll down, that’s what you’re going to see in place of my usual dollop of news analysis. Before we get to that, though, please remember that today and Saturday are your last days to vote early before Tuesday’s election.

Like the INDY Daily? Share it with your friends and ask them to subscribe!

The INDY Daily is made possible by the INDY Press Club, which is helping us keep fearless, independent local journalism viable in the Triangle.

A Tour of the Burlington Arms, Durham’s Newest Condo Building that Definitely Isn’t Haunted by Moloch

[Editor’s Note: As I mentioned above, what follows is a humor piece that I wrote, told from the perspective of a clueless property manager trying to rent an apartment in a (fictional) new, and very ominous, converted loft building in Durham. If you’re not in the mood for jokes, feel free to scroll down to the Quick Hits below. I promise I don’t mind!] Welcome welcome welcome to the Burlington Arms, Durham’s latest and greatest in authentic and chic loft-style condo apartment living. Thanks to you both for signing the COVID-19 safety protocol intake form. I see you’re already wearing masks, but we’d truly prefer if you wore these complimentary face coverings, which adhere to the standards set out in the intake form and feature a lovely silhouette of the century-old looms that originally populated the building before its conversion into the state-of-the-art mixed-use commerce and living space in which we stand, resolute in our faith that yesterday is today and tomorrow is yesterday — and therefore, also today. Now, I’ll just need your bank details, as we require a $5,000 deposit for the use of our complimentary face coverings (fully refundable upon completion of the tour, of course). Why yes, the mask deposit does equal the security deposit plus first month’s rent on the unit, what a completely arbitrary and not-at-all ominous coincidence! Along the Eastern wall of the lobby, situated betwixt Ye Old Durham Lobster Market and Research Triangle Paella, you’ll actually find one of the original looms from the building’s time as a mill. What’s that you’re pointing at? You mean the cucumber water? The forage-your-own-smoothie atrium? Oh, you mean the figure that appears to be a blood-red pentagram in the middle of the lobby floor? Hahahahahaha. Ha! HA. Ha. Well, one of the reasons Spaulding Capital Partners, our delightful private-equity parent with footprints in thirty-six mid-major metropolitan areas — we’re a B-corp, naturally — selected this building was for its unique local character and personality! Legend has it that in the olden times, the looms were situated in a way that blocked a portal into the realm of Moloch — the old Canaanite god of fire, whose thirst can only be quenched by blood — and prevented this vengeful deity from bursting forth and wreaking havoc upon the all-too-mortal population of the earth. And, ah, well, when we moved all the looms, the figure that curiously resembles BUT IS IN NO WAY A PENTAGRAM TRACED IN HUMAN BLOOD just appeared. Our technicians have narrowed the issue down to either newly-disturbed sulphur buildup in the foundation or a leak of some sort. You know how these old buildings are — full of quirks! Just down this hall, you’ll find the unit you inquired about, the Riggsby E-Studio, our most popular floor plan. A true domicile of the future, it comes fully equipped with smart speakers, a smart TV, a smart Murphy bed complete with a Casper mattress, a smart fridge, a smart kitchen island, smart bathing cubbyhole, smart cameras, and a smart thermohydranginated temperature regulation system, all communicating seamlessly other thanks to the Apple Watch you’ll be given on move-in day. So much future in such a small package, humming in a digital synchronicity that’s just a few decibels north of auditory. Oh, don’t tell me you’re quibbling about the square footage — our extensive market research has found that the keen-eyed consumers who gravitate to our spaces actually prefer the minimalist lifestyle offered by the 350 square-foot Riggsby E-Studio! Think of it as your own personal cocoon, catering to your every need even before you know you need it. As you can see, our studios have ample counter space, reclaimed carpet from another Spaulding Capital Partners property that sadly didn’t survive the economic downturn, freshly installed built-in shelving lining the eastern wall, WAIT NO PLEASE DON’T TOUCH THAT BUILT-IN! And whatever you do, don’t move that copy of Infinite Jest — another ounce of weight and the shelf collapses, take the book away and… well, it also collapses! What’s that? Don’t be silly, of course it doesn’t come with the apartment. You’ll have to provide your own copy of Infinite Jest, but you’ve seen Raiders of the Lost Ark, right? The scene where Indiana Jones switches the idol with a bag of sand? It’s like that. You’ll be fine, we’ve never had a civilian death in the building and we’ve already been open for two months? My, how time flies when you’re in Asheville! Durham. Durham. Damn it Harvey, don’t blow this, it’s Durham! Where were we? Ah yes, so if we continue past the credenza — also built-in, structurally very sound, the doors can be replaced with chicken wire for an even more authentically Southern aesthetic, and our service technicians can even add hinges to the chicken wire to create a crate-type space for your small-to-medium dog, if you don’t have a dog we can also supply one, free of charge — we’ll reach the, ah, well, the back wall! That’s about it for the tour, I guess. We hope you enjoy living in the Burlington Arms. Your move-in date is, errm, well, it’s today, actually! The COVID-19 safety protocol intake form you signed was actually also your lease, and the deposit you paid on the face coverings was, in fact, your security deposit and first month’s rent for the unit. As I mentioned previously, here at the Burlington Arms, we specialize in catering to your every need before you even know your needs yourselves, and, well, we just knew you needed the Riggsby E-Studio! Before you say anything, what if I told you that you could keep the face coverings? Listen, we here at Spaulding Capital Partners pride ourselves on the access to transparency we offer — it is, after all, why we provided you with a 55-page legally binding contract written out in four-point type that you would have been more than welcome to read if you’d simply thought to have a magnifying glass on your persons when you entered the building. No, no, the possibility of Moloch rising up from beneath our feet is minimal, I can assure you. Moloch, the cruel and vengeful Cannanite god of fire, intent on smiting all within his path, is merely a fairytale, a silly story. The story of now, the story of Spaulding Capital Partners, the story of the Burlington Arms itself… is progress! As represented by the artisanal MacBook repair kiosk located conveniently within the lobby. WAIT, I TOLD YOU TO PLEASE NOT TOUCH THE COPY OF INFINITE JEST! PUT IT BACK, SIR, I BEG OF YOU, FOR IT IS THE ONE TALISMAN WHICH KEEPS MOLOCH AT BAY! Oh no, oh dear, oh no oh dear oh dear oh no, that rumbling we all feel is nothing, probably just an earthquake, we’re all in this together now anyways and any damage caused by the vengeful Moloch who is in no way thrashing about the lobby can be deducted from your security deposit, and — Ah, Moloch! Welcome welcome welcome to the Burlington Arms, Durham’s latest and greatest in authentic and chic loft-style condo apartment living. If you would be so kind as to sign this COVID-19 safety intake form…

Statewide COVID-19 by the numbers: Thursday, October 29

2,885 New lab-confirmed new cases (269,021 total; seven-day average trending upward)

36,124 Completed tests (3.95 million total; most recent positive rate was 6.4 percent)

1,181 Current hospitalizations reported (seven-day average holding steady; 4,283 total deaths)  

Quick Hits

In a surprising decision, the Supreme Court has rejected Republican efforts to strike down the North Carolina Board of Elections’ November 12 deadline for receiving absentee ballots (as long as those ballots have been postmarked by Election Day). [ABC 11]

The UNC system has a $6.5 billion endowment fund. Who runs it? What’s up with it? How does it make so much money, and why does so much of that money go towards the people in charge of it as opposed to the students and faculty who make North Carolina’s public higher education system what it is? [INDY Week]

Two people who attended an October 21 Trump rally in Gastonia have tested positive for COVID-19. [News & Observer]

Aaaand, one person has tested positive for COVID-19 who attended an October 21 rally in Burnsville with Dan Forest and Madison Cawthorn. [WRAL]

In North Carolina, split-ticket voting might be becoming a thing of the past. [WUNC]

This weekend’s weather: Sunny and gusty today, with a high of 60 and a low of 41. On Saturday, expect occasional clouds on an otherwise sunny day; high of 59 with a low of 43. Sunday will bring scattered showers in the morning which should clear up by evening, with a high of 63 and a low of 35.

Song of the day: "Halloween" by Danzig

The best Halloween song is just the one called "Halloween." There are a few vintage videos of the Misfits performing this song live on YouTube, and while the sound — and video — quality is as grainy as you’d expect footage that’s nearly 40-years-old be, there’s undeniable energy and charm loaded in clips like this one, in which the band performs the song in Dearborn, Michigan and one of the members introduces it by saying hi to his mom.

— Drew Millard — Send me an email | Find me on Twitter

If you’d like to advertise your business to the Daily's 33,000-plus subscribers, please contact John Hurld at [email protected].

Love the INDY Daily? Support it by joining the INDY Press Club.

#news #NC #Durham #Moloch #spoopy

[redditnosleep]

Two Facts You Should Probably Know

by DoubleDoorBastard

Here are two facts you should probably know:

Fact the first: When a human being is driven into a corner, you should never underestimate the levels of stupid and dangerous they will resort to in order to escape.

Fact the second: If a deal seems too good to be true, it is.

Normally, I wouldn't be the kind of guy you should be taking advice from. If I wrote an autobiography, it'd be called "Jesus Wept." But in this very specific instance, I have some valuable experience. It started, as most tragic stories tend to, with a series of short-sighted mistakes.

About a decade or so back, I was a few years out of college and trying to build a life for myself. I was single, educated, and driven - all the qualities someone needs to succeed in life. Well, not the "single" part, but you get the idea. I had prospects, some real potential - but, like Oscar Wilde once said, I can resist anything except temptation.

Yeah. I was an English major.

I didn't get hooked on meth or porn or anything like that. No, my vice was the thrill of chance. Gambling was the greatest rush I'd ever experienced - just giving up control, letting the gods of probability and randomness decide your fate. I got hooked, kept going to those damn casinos night after night. Looking back, I was naive, I was foolish. It'd take an idiot, blinded by a lust for sensation, to not realise another crucial fact: the house always - I repeat, always - wins.

To make a long, painful story short, at the tender age of 24 the local pit bosses had taken me for all I was worth and then some. As a result, I was indebted to some unsavoury characters who were not all that keen on giving me some leeway on the money I owed them. I managed to pull together just shy of a hundred dollars in a week doing odd jobs, but that was a fraction of a fraction of what I was in for.

At the time, it seemed like a better idea to just piss away what money I had at a local bar rather than carrying on my sad little exercise in futility. So that's exactly what I did, and by virtue of a few gallons of the cheapest spirits you can possibly imagine, I can't remember a great deal of what happened after that.

Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a puddle behind the bar, having been turfed out for making an ass of myself. The electric buzz of the neon signs above my head felt like I was taking a power drill to the frontal lobe, while the cold, filthy water below my face helped to sober me up a smidgen. Just enough to make me aware.

It was right then, in my lowest possible moment, that I met him.

"Hey there, buddy," He said, his voice pleasantly cheerful and melodic, "You look like you need a helping hand. Thankfully, I've got two."

There was a gentle tug on both of my shoulders, pulling me upright. He leaned me against a wall; I could finally take a better look at him.

To begin with, I wondered if I was hallucinating. He seemed so strange, so out of place.

My Good Samaritan was about six and a half feet tall, but he was built like a pack of uncooked spaghetti. A long, lean, string bean of a man. That being said, the black-and-white pinstripe suit he was wearing still somehow managed to be form-fitting, like it was just painted directly onto a featureless body. Above his collar - fastened to the top button and held in place by a large and ugly bow-tie - sat a pale, grinning head with black hair parted in the middle.

Truth be told, my initial thought after properly taking in the sight of him was as follows: holy shit, I died in that puddle, and this is death himself come to collect my pathetic soul. Sadly, that was not the case, I was, in fact, still alive.

"There we are, pal, that's a lot better, isn't it?" He said, kneeling down on his long, rail-thin legs to look me in the eye, "We'll have you feeling like a million bucks in no time. Never fear!"

While back then I just assumed that it was my drunken mind playing tricks on me, I remember his eyes seeming strangely...yellowish. They had a kind of jaundiced sheen to them, like sclera and iris just melted together into a single, formless mass. Eyes like goddamn egg yolks.

"It's always such a shame to catch folks in a pickle, such a shame," He said, largely to himself, I think, "Whatever happened to helping people out, you know? It's a good feeling."

"Who are you?" I managed to choke out.

The kind stranger smiled and turned his sulphuric eyes towards me.

"You're asking the wrong person there, amigo, I'd tell you if I knew. Honest!" He replied with a laugh, "What's your name, though?"

"Nate," I said, wondering if I was about to vomit or not, "Nate Wilson."

"Oh my god, that's such an awesome name!" The stranger said, as the sudden explosion of interest on his face told me that he wasn't faking his misplaced enthusiasm, "Nate Wilson. It has a ring to it, don't you think? God, what a great name. You're a lucky guy, Nate. Lucky to have such a great name."

"Uhh, thanks, I guess."

There was a long, awkward silence after that. I sure as hell didn't know what to say, and the stranger seemed more than content to just stand there and stare at me, grinning like a freak. It felt like it was my responsibility to break that irritating silence.

"Look, I really appreciate you helping me, buddy..." I began.

"Wait, you consider us buddies?" He asked. His tone was, at that stage, ambiguous.

"I mean, you saved me from breathing alley-water, so I guess so, yeah."

This might seem hard to believe, because I definitely didn't believe it at the time, but the stranger literally jumped up into the air and whooped loudly. A grown man, behind a dive bar, doing that. It was like something out of a strange dream that your one boring friend always wants to tell you about.

"This is fantastic!" He said, grinning ear to ear like he'd just won the fucking lottery, "It's so wonderful to make new friends!"

He extended a spindly arm towards me, his hand open and his spidery fingers outstretched.

"Put her there, friendo." He said.

And because that night wasn't weird enough already, you better believe I did.

"That's what I'm talking about," He said with another childish cackle, pulling me to my feet with disarming levels of strength, "Through the power of friendship, anything is possible."

Sure, he may have spoken like his only experience with the outside world was watching Saturday morning cartoons, but he seemed innocent enough. A benign weirdo, just trying to help people along his way. Though I must admit, the fact he was reluctant to tell me his name was somewhat of a red flag for me.

"Now, I'm going to be completely honest with you, Nate," He began, his amber gaze turned downwards in what might have been embarrassment, "There was a reason I followed you out here. It wasn't just a stroke of good luck."

My heart immediately sank. I knew he was too good to be true - this was when he stabbed me, cut me up, wore my skin as a suit and turned the rest of me into a makeshift lasagna. Nobody was ever that happy at that hour of the night if they had all their psychological ducks in a row.

"Well, if you're being honest," I said, swaying on my feet, still too drunk to defend myself, "Would that reason happen to be my murder?"

He seemed shocked at first, then began to laugh.

"Do you think a murderer would be this friendly?" He asked.

"Molestation, then?"

"Jesus, no way, Nate. You're a good-looking guy, don't get me wrong, but you're not really my type."

"Then what does a guy like you have to do with a guy like me?" I asked, the needle on my internal emotive scale creeping from 'curious' to 'irritated.'

"Well..."

He paused again, as though searching for the proper words. He was looking at everything but me.

"The bar," He finally said, "How much of what happened in there do you remember?"

"Somewhere in the margin of nothing, I think." I said, now leaning against the wall for support.

"You were talking to the bartender. Loudly," He said, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, "I wasn't eavesdropping, not at all, I just happened to overhear. You were talking about some kind of...money troubles."

I'd almost forgotten about them myself, but the second he said it, all the memories came barreling into me like some nauseating tidal wave. I'd ranted and raved, screamed at the top of my lungs. Debt. Debt. Debt. I got belligerent when I felt they weren't showing me enough sympathy, and when I got belligerent, I was rightly thrown out on my inebriated ass.

"Oh, don't worry about those," I said, my cheeks reddening with shame, "That's not your problem. I'll deal with it."

"But Nate, you didn't sound like you could deal with it."

"What the hell is it to you?" I snapped back.

The stranger stopped talking, and began reaching into his jacket. I got a sudden flash of paranoia that he worked for one of the casinos, and he was going to put a bullet between my eyes.

"You're my best friend, Nate," He said, "And friends are meant to help each other out of sticky situations, aren't they?"

He produced a stack of bills from a pocket inside his suit, and passed it over to me.

"Will this be enough?" He asked.

It was at this point that I was most open to the idea of this all being some crazy dream. With the ferocity of a madman, I quickly counted the money this total stranger, calling me his best friend, had handed to me.

Twenty-fucking-grand. It could bail me out, and then some.

"Holy shit," I said, though I can't remember if it was out loud or in my head, "I...I can't possibly accept this."

"Please do," He said with another ear-to-ear grin, "You need it an awful lot more than I do."

A sober me might have been too proud to indulge him, but - funnily enough - drunk me had a far more realistic take on my level of desperation. I was a desperate, desperate man, trapped in a corner.

Fact the first: When a human being is driven into a corner, you should never underestimate the levels of stupid and dangerous they will resort to in order to escape.

"But why?" Was the only question I could summon.

He smiled and shrugged.

"Because I like you," He said, "And I like helping people."

"But you've only just met me."

"So what? A friend is a friend is a friend. Why overthink it?"

I collapsed back against the wall, holding the stranger's twenty grand. It was a way out of my dire situation.

"I'll pay you back. Every penny, with fucking interest, I swear to god." I said.

The stranger laughed.

"No need. I've got no shortage of money. Just take it and bail yourself out, okay? Then promise me you'll stop gambling."

There were big, swollen tears running down my burning cheeks. The stranger's kindness was baffling, but it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever experienced. He was a true Saint in flesh and blood.

"I'll never gamble another penny." I said.

Without another word, I lunged forward and hugged him. A long, warm, tight embrace. By the end, I could feel his emaciated limbs wrapped across my back.

"Thank you so much." I whispered, my tears dripping onto the shoulder of his suit.

"What are friends for, right?"

When I finally prized myself off of him, I just couldn't stop laughing - it was nerves, probably. The stranger watched me, a kind of eccentric joy burning in his big, yellow eyes. He seemed to like just observing.

"Oh, one more thing," He said, reaching into his jacket again, "A little something I wrote up in the bar, just to help you out."

He passed me a piece of paper, folded into the size of a pamphlet. I didn't even think to check it at the time, I just shoved it into the pocket of my filthy coat and carried on thanking him. I needed that money, lord knows I did, but I couldn't just take it without giving something in return.

"There must be something you want, man," I pleaded, palms open in deference to his generosity, "Anything. I owe you my life, man, you just name your price. I can't thank you enough."

The stranger grinned and stroked his narrow chin in contemplation.

"Now that's an irresistible offer," He said, almost jokingly, "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Wilson. Leave it with me, okay? I'm sure I'll think of something."

He began walking away after that, whistling - of all things - "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" as he did so.

Now I was laughing again. Half out of giddiness, half in acknowledgement of the sheer strangeness of the events transpiring around me. Right then, as I sat outside a shitty bar, covered in dirty water, my own tears, and more than a little puke, I was the luckiest human being on the planet,

"What do you give to the man who has everything?" I said aloud.

The stranger looked over his shoulder at me one more time, his odd eyes meeting mine.

"Almost everything, Nate," He corrected, "Almost everything."

And just like that, the stranger was gone. Almost funny, isn't it? How someone like that can have such a profound impact on your life, then just up and disappear just as quickly. Like a comet, just trailing past. You only catch its light for a brief instant, then it's dark again.

Using the stranger's money, I paid off my gambling debts in full, and still had a little left over. I swore to stick to my promise, for my own sake and his. In the ten years that've passed since that day, I haven't gambled a cent.

Once I was all square with the house, I finally took a moment to check the piece of paper that he'd left me with. At first I only sort of skimmed it, and it didn't make a great deal of sense to me: just a list of dates from 2007 to 2017, each accompanied by a sentence fragment. It was only when I sat down and took a long, hard look at what those fragments actually were that I realised the stranger couldn't possibly have been human.

No, he was so much more than that.

It was a list of instructions, specific down to the days, minutes, hours, and seconds. Where to be and what to do in order to maximise success at that given moment. He'd left stock tips for companies that didn't exist, but would come into existence exactly when he'd predicted they would. He'd left exact instructions on which house to buy, and how to get it at the best price. Clothes to wear, jobs to take, friends to make.

Fifth of October, 2009. Go to Starbucks in town. Meet Jessie O'Brien. 3:51:17 PM.

Two years later, Jessie O'Brien became Jessie Wilson. The stranger had even engineered me meeting the love of my goddamn life, precise to the exact second we'd first make eye contact.

I invested in the right stocks and pulled out of the wrong ones, avoiding company deaths and market crashes like some financial Houdini. My capital skyrocketed and my personal wealth just grew greater and greater.

Eighth of June, 2011. Buy House 10 Aspen Way. Don't Rent. 6:14:43 PM.

And so I did. Jessie and I moved into that big, gorgeous house once our honeymoon was over. We were wealthy, healthy, and deeply in love - but something was missing, something the stranger had accounted for, too.

Seventeenth of August, 2012. Conceive child with Jessie. 8:31:19 PM.

Our little girl is called April. The stranger picked it, not me. She's four now, and I love her with all my heart.

The stranger, a man who I'd known for less than an hour, had steered the entire course of my life in the best possible direction, out of nothing more than the kindness of his heart. He'd saved me, he'd saved all of us. Even though it'd been ten years since that day and I was drunk out of my mind at the time, I remember every detail vividly.

That's why, as I was walking down the street this morning - my arms full of grocery bags - when I heard someone singing "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" a few feet behind me, I recognised the voice instantly.

"Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows, everything that's wonderful is what I feel when we're together!" His melodic voice sang, his tone screaming joviality, "Brighter than a lucky penny, when you're near the rain just disappears, dear, and I feel so fine!"

Without a moment's hesitation, I turned to face him. It looked like that strange, strange man hadn't aged a day in an entire decade. He even wore that same pinstriped suit that he had on the first night I met him.

"Just to know that you are mine." He finished the verse with a smile, and threw open his arms.

"Jesus Christ," I said, my face cracking into a smile impossible to hide, "It's actually you."

"The one and only, baby," He said with a laugh and a grandiose hand gesture, "How's Jessie, by the way?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but he raised a hand, as though to politely silence me.

"I'm sorry to drop in after - gosh, has it really been ten years? Jeez Louise, time really does tend to get away from me," He said, "Anyway, the reason I'm here is because I finally figured out what I wanted from you."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Ten years ago, you said you owed me something, anything," He replied, though I almost heard it back in my own voice as he said it, "I couldn't decide at the time, but I think I know now."

"Oh, of course! That's wonderful to hear, man," I said, my heart filled with a sudden trepidation, "So, uh, what is it you want?"

The stranger gave that same ear-to-ear grin that he was wearing back behind the dive bar in 2007.

"Well, I've thought about it for a long time, amigo, and I've finally made my decision," He said, "I know what I want from you, Nate."

He paused to take a step closer to me. His eyes were just as golden in the daylight.

"I want your name, Nate."

I almost laughed to begin with, but I soon realised he wasn't joking. He was deadly serious.

"My name?"

"Yes, Nate, I've always loved your name, it's so wonderful," He said, wringing his hands with glee, "See, I've never had a name myself, and it's always left me feeling a little left out, you know? I've wanted a name for so long, and I decided just recently that the name I want is yours. I think it'll fit me just right."

This man had given me my entire life. He saved me from getting killed by casino sharks back in '07, and every wonderful success I'd had since I owed entirely to his decade-long itinerary. With all this in mind, who was I to turn him down this last batshit crazy request?

If he wanted to go around calling himself Nate Wilson too, what right did I have to stop him?

"Sure thing, buddy." I said with a smile.

He leaned forward and embraced me, almost crushing the groceries against my chest.

"You have no idea how happy you've made me."

"It's the least I can do after all you've done for me." I replied.

The stranger - or rather, Nate Wilson - extended another spidery hand towards me.

"Let's shake on it." He said, his voice elated.

And I did.

We went our separate ways after that. I walked home, and he ran off into the city, singing and cackling with mirth. It brought me some peace of mind to know that my debt to him was finally repaid, and that some simple token gesture was all that I needed to do it.

When I arrived back at 10 Aspen Way, I saw April playing around with her toy lawnmower in the front yard. I smiled and called to her, but she didn't respond. She was too wrapped up in her fictitious duties.

I made my way inside with the groceries. Jessie was in the kitchen, cutting up carrots. Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows blasted out of the radio. Today just kept getting weirder and weirder.

"Hey, babe," I called to her, putting the groceries on the kitchen table, "You'll never guess who I ran into this morning."

Jessie didn't respond. She just carried on chopping, and hummed to the tune.

"Babe? Everything okay?" I asked.

Still no response. At this point, I was beginning to get a little...worried.

With a peculiar heaviness to my every movement, I walked over to Jessie, and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder.

It just went straight through. Straight though her goddamn body - like she was a hologram, or I was. I recoiled with a short, sharp yelp, and fell against the kitchen table. Again, no response from Jessie.

What the hell had happened?

"Honey, I'm home!" I heard a familiar voice call from the hallway outside.

Jessie suddenly perked up, turning her head towards the noise.

"Hi, sweetie," She said, "You were a while out there. I was beginning to get worried."

The stranger walked into the kitchen, a smile stretched across his waxen face.

"Sorry about that, honey-bunny," He said, "I met an old friend in town. We had a little catch-up."

As he said that last part, he threw me a sickening wink with one of his piss-yellow peepers.

"Huh," Jessie said, "Anyone I know?"

She leaned forward and gave the stranger a kiss. The kind of kiss she always gave me.

"Nah," The stranger said with a chuckle, "I don't think you've ever met him."

I felt like my mind was going to implode. Nothing going on was making any kind of goddamn sense. The whole world had gone crazy.

April called from outside, something about the grass.

"You mind taking over the carrots for a sec, babe?" Jessie said to the stranger, "I better go check on April."

"No problem, honey." He said, taking the knife from her hand and giving her another kiss.

Jessie left the room, leaving just me and the stranger, all alone. I quietly fumed, and he chopped carrots.

"What the fuck is going on?" I finally asked him, when I'd gained the modicum of composure required to do so, "What have you done, you crazy fucking weirdo?"

He carried on chopping the carrots. His eyes never left the chopping board.

"My name is Nate, stranger," He said, "I'd really appreciate it if you called me by it."

In my state of fury, I tried to grab him by the shoulder and turn him to face me. I could actually touch him, but he wouldn't budge. It was like trying to move a mountain.

"That's my name. This is my house. And that's my wife," I said to him, rage and confusion rendering my voice a crackly mess, "I want you out of here and out my life."

The stranger chuckled.

"See, that's where you're wrong, slick. All that changed hands," He said, "This is Nate Wilson's house. Jessie is Nate Wilson's wife, and this is Nate Wilson's life. And, by the terms of our recent deal, I'm Nate Wilson. And you, good buddy? You're nobody."

"I won't accept that." I yelled, slamming my hand down onto the kitchen countertop.

Without another word, Nate Wilson rammed the knife through my hand. There was no pain, no blood. It just phased through, as though I no longer even existed.

"Word to the wise, stranger, reality marches on regardless of whether you accept it," He said, as I pulled my hand away from the knife, "Everything you have, everything you've tricked yourself into believing you earned, you got from my instructions. You never owned this life, stranger, you just rented it from me, piece by piece. Now, it's mine, and there's not a thing you can do about it."

He stuck the knife into the chopping board and turned around to me.

"Except, of course, leave, and let me, my wife, and my daughter get on with our lives. Do you understand, stranger?"

I stood in crushing silence for a minute or two.

"But can I see them again?"

"Sure you can, you can see them any time you like, but only I can see you. Just like, up until around an hour ago, only you could see me. It doesn't feel good, does it? Being nobody. Being nameless."

The gravity of it all was finally closing in. I fell onto my ass and began to cry.

"God, I was so fucking stupid," I said, "How did I fall for all this?"

Nate Wilson shrugged and ate a piece of carrot.

"Don't blame yourself, buddy," He said, "I was waiting for centuries before I found someone who I could interact with. It isn't your fault you happened to be that person, or that you had such an awesome name at the time."

"My name..."

"You were only going to waste it, friendo. If I wasn't there that night, a heavy would have broken your legs the next day, you'd have gotten into painkillers, and OD'd a few months later. Nate Wilson becomes gravestone fodder. What a waste that would have been, huh?"

"But what do I do now?"

"What I did, stranger," Nate Wilson said, eating another piece of carrot with undue relish, "Ask around, find someone you can talk to. Might be this afternoon, who knows? Sure, could be a week, month, year, decade, century, but I'm an eternal optimist."

"A century?" I said, trying to ebb the stream of tears flowing out of me, "I can't wait that long."

"You'd be surprised, pal. Patience is something you'll learn, being nameless. When you finally do manage to wrangle yourself a name, you'll appreciate it a little more this time. You'll make something of yourself."

Fact the second: If a deal seems too good to be true, it is.

"So is that it?" I asked, "Is that all you have for me?"

Nate Wilson nodded.

"I'm afraid so, good buddy," He said, "But you seem like a nice enough guy. I'm sure you'll figure something out. You can always depend on the kindness of strangers, don't you know."

As the man who had just stolen my entire existence carried on hacking up vegetables, I left the room, walking out of the kitchen, through the hallway, then out of the house entirely. I stole one last look at Jessie and April, my - no, his - family, playing on the lawn, totally carefree. All smiles. They'd never even know that I was gone.

Perhaps it was better that way, no heartache.

I whispered a goodbye that they'd never hear, and closed my eyes in a pointless attempt to shut off the tears I knew would be coming either way. I set off into the city after that, walking alone, in search of something - hell, anything - to call myself.

And that was that. The story of my un-naming. Perhaps Nate was right, perhaps it was his life all along. Maybe he'll live it better, live it kinder. He might be a better father, a better husband, a better Nate.

I don't feel so attached to that name anymore.

But, if you know all this now, that means one good thing: you can read what I'm writing. If you can read my words, perhaps you can hear them? And if you can hear them, perhaps you can reply.

If so, I hope to hear from you soon. We have a lot to talk about, you and I, a lot to discuss. I think I can do some great things for you, dear reader, dear friend. I'll help you out of any bind you need, and I'll barely ask for anything in return.

Barely anything at all...

#creepy #horror story #author: DoubleDoorBastard

[bhuwank]

HOW TO AVOID MONOTONOUS INTAKE OF FOODS

Consuming same type of food brings about monotony in life this is because we consume almost similar foods following similar cooking procedures. This deprives us of various new tastes which we fail to explore. Since heart patients are advised to avoid certain food stuffs it is better to have variety of food so that it can be followed for a long time. Given below is an example of various combinations that one can follow and plan one's menu.

SEVEN DAYS FEAST

Planning is an important aspect in human life. Somehow, till now we have ignored it as in terms of our daily eating habits. Unknowingly, we keep on repeating the same menu day after day. To make our everyday eating a more pleasurable experience, try SAAOL Seven Day Menu for a week. (If suitable, can be continued for long with some modification as per individuals likes and dislikes).

Monday               Tuesday               Wednesday        Thursday             Friday                    Saturday              Sunday

                               Skimmed milk    Rava Idli with     Vegetable           Missi roti with    Oat meal/            Pav

Stuffed roti,       1 cup with           tomato chutney,  Sandwiches    mint coriander  Cracked wheat  bhaji

Low fat yogurt, cornflakes,          Suji upma, any  Macaroni             chutney, Water                porridge (Dalia) poha,

Sliced Banana    toasted bread   seasonal whole Fruit Shake         melon/any          Egg whites,         whole

and apple,           with jam,             fruit, SAAOL                                       seasonal fruit     Fresh fruits         fruit,

SAAOL Tea          Green/Black       Tea                                                                                                                         SAAOL

                               grapes                                                                                                                                                  Tea

 Raitas: Anar raita / Grapes-cucumber raita /Spinach-bathua raita / Pineapple raita / Mixed vegetable raita / Sweetned yogurt / Mint raita

Dessert: Fresh Fruit custard/ Jelly / Sevai / Rice Kheer / Stewed fruit. Raitas and Desserts or any other milk preparation can be included in the daily menu after adjusting the recommended allowance of skimmed milk (200 ml).

RECIPE FOR A HAPPY YEAR

Step one: Take 12 complete months. Clean them carefully of all bitterness, hate and envy. Cut each month into 29, 30 or 31 pieces, but do not cook them all at the same times.

Step two: Prepare one day at a time, with the following ingredients: a pinch of a faith, a pinch of patience, a pinch of courage and pinch of work. Add to each day one part hope, faithfulness and kindness.

Step three: Mix well with one part prayer, one part medication and one part application.

Step four: Season with a portion of good spirits, a pinch of happiness, a little action and a good measure of humor.

Step five: Place everything in a vessel of love.

Step six: Cook well on the fire of radiant happiness.                                                                        

Step seven: Garnish with a smile and serve abundantly.

HEART FRIENDLY FOODS

Oats: High in fiber, low in fat, sodium-free and a good source of complex carbohydrates, they contain more protein than any other major grain. During the 1980s, oats, and oat brain in particular, was touted as the magic bullet to vanquish cholesterol and save hearts. In the 1990s, the mighty FDA has finally sent down word that indeed, a diet rich in oatmeal can go a long way toward protecting a healthy heart. best of all, this natural "health" food can be enjoyed in a multitude of dishes, because unlike many other grains, you can dress it up, cook it in a variety of dishes.

Sprouts: Sprouts are beneficial to the heart. They not only are a good source of Vitamin E but also are rich in Vitamin B-complex, calcium and iron. Since they contain lot of moisture they increase the bulk of food and thus help in reducing weight. They can be taken in breakfast as such or as fillings in variuos sprout based recipes.

Garlic: Garlic has been used since the days of Egyptians to treat wounds, infections, tumors and intestinal parasites. The more garlic people eat the lower their risk of heart disease. Garlic has a great impact on improving the elasticity of the aorta, main artery in the blood. Garlic's sulphur containing compounds lower cholesterol by stimulating the release of bile by the gall bladder and by reducing the production of cholesterol in the liver. In addition, garlic compounds gently lower blood pressure by slowing the production of the body's own blood pressure raising hormones.

Wheat Bran: Also known as choker, it is the roughage, which is present in the wheat. Choker is fiber and if mixed with flour reduces its calorie content besides having the benefits of fiber.

How to Reduce Calories

* Stuffing chapatis with vegetables like potato, cauliflower, cabbage, radish, palak, methi, green peas.

* Stuffing chapati with chokar.

* Take plenty of soups.

* Salads/fruits before food and between foods.

* Drink a glass of water before meals.

* Use of equal, sugarfree, sweetex in place of sugar and jaggery.

* Juices in plenty whenever you are hungry.

* Rice with huge amount of vegetables.

Hope you liked this blog!

This blog is written by Dr. Bimal Chhajer (Heart Doctor New Delhi)