#and deaf as an artichoke

[imaginarycircus]

In bright sunlight the secret tiger stripes are revealed on our void cat.

[gurugirl]

Hiii bestiee!!!! How was was your day??

I'm obsessed by the way you have written sex tutor H!!! It was so perfect like Ahhh can't wait for part 2!!!

No pressure tho but was just wondering how is Mean king harry is!! Earlier you have posted a lil sneaky that was so perfect so is there any chance that you could give a lil sneaky of it!! Nd if not then it's okay too!!:)

Ahhh thank you! I'm just so happy y'all seemed to love sex tutor so much! Part 2 is in the works!

Mean King is slowly coming alive. It's a lot of work, though. Period pieces take a bit more research and while I'm sure I'm not going to get everything 100% right, I want to do the story justice. I can't say when it'll be ready quite yet.

BUT! Here's another sneaky for you since you asked so nicely :)

First sneak peek to mean king!harry here.

👑👑👑👑

But there was also the concern of the King’s marital status.

“You’ll need a Queen. Someone to continue the Styles’ lineage for Thornekeep. The people will want to know they are under the rule of a stable Sovereign.”

“What does it matter how the people feel? I can rule without a Queen. I’d rather not be hindered,” Harry waved a hand as he spoke unconcerned.

“Your Majesty, with all due respect, how do you expect to have a child out of wedlock?”

The cheeky grin that pulled up on Harry’s face had his advisor suddenly standing to stop the King from answering that question but Harry only laughed and looked at the man, “Sit. Do not interrupt me again. I think Our Lord Mayer would like a lesson in biology and I’m not one to turn down a teaching moment.”

The advisor relented with a sigh, sitting down (what was he to do? tell the King not to speak?), and Harry began, “One does not need the burden of wedlock to create offspring. It’s quite simple you see…” all the men knew where this was going as Harry continued, “All I need to do is stick my fiddle within the sweet quim whiskers of a beautiful woman and keep it in until I’ve done my duty. Could take a few rounds to set but I imagine soon enough the woman receiving my bounty will be heavy with child and upon the moment of birth will provide me an heir. No need for a marital contract of any sort.”

The men of the council looked around at one another in near shock at Harry’s dismissal of tradition as the Lord Mayor spoke, “That will not do. It is imperative you find a Queen, my King. You need a woman that will raise said heir in the castle with you, bring them up properly, and teach them our ways. This will be your legacy. You must see that.”

Harry knew of course that his words would fall on deaf ears. He knew he’d have to marry and make a show of it. But he did enjoy seeing the looks on the faces of the fancy and feathered men, all tensed with their sleek coverings of velvet and wool and white tights tucked into silk and leather shoes with shiny silver buckles and heels that made them appear taller than they were.

“Fine. I’ll have my selection in a fortnight.”

His selection. As if he were choosing a dish to be served for dinner. But that is how Harry saw it after all. He would have his choice of dishes just as he would have his choice of women. It would be the roasted venison with piping hot potatoes, smothered in butter, and artichokes for his dinner, and for his wife, he’d take the pretty redhead with the plump bottom and big bosom lying in his bed. She had the kind of tummy that would take a child well he figured.

[rjalker]

---

Every village in France is under the influence of some protecting saint, modelled according to the characteristics of the inhabitants.

Saint Michael watches over Lower Normandy, Saint Michael, the radiant and victorious angel, the sword-carrier, the hero of Heaven, the victorious, the conqueror of Satan.

But this is how the Lower Normandy peasant, cunning, deceitful and tricky, understands and tells of the struggle between the great saint and the devil.

To escape from the malice of his neighbor, the devil, Saint Michael built himself, in the open ocean, this habitation worthy of an archangel; and only such a saint could build a residence of such magnificence.

But as he still feared the approaches of the wicked one, he surrounded his domains by quicksands, more treacherous even than the sea.

The devil lived in a humble cottage on the hill, but he owned all the salt marshes, the rich lands where grow the finest crops, the wooded valleys and all the fertile hills of the country, while the saint ruled only over the sands. Therefore Satan was rich, whereas Saint Michael was as poor as a church mouse.

After a few years of fasting the saint grew tired of this state of affairs and began to think of some compromise with the devil, but the matter was by no means easy, as Satan kept a good hold on his crops.

He thought the thing over for about six months; then one morning he walked across to the shore. The demon was eating his soup in front of his door when he saw the saint. He immediately rushed toward him, kissed the hem of his sleeve, invited him in and offered him refreshments.

Saint Michael drank a bowl of milk and then began: “I have come here to propose to you a good bargain.”

The devil, candid and trustful, answered: “That will suit me.”

“Here it is. Give me all your lands.”

Satan, growing alarmed, wished to speak “But—”

The saint continued: “Listen first. Give me all your lands. I will take care of all the work, the ploughing, the sowing, the fertilizing, everything, and we will share the crops equally. How does that suit you?”

The devil, who was naturally lazy, accepted. He only demanded in addition a few of those delicious gray mullet which are caught around the solitary mount. Saint Michael promised the fish.

They grasped hands and spat on the ground to show that it was a bargain, and the saint continued: “See here, so that you will have nothing to complain of, choose that part of the crops which you prefer: the part that grows above ground or the part that stays in the ground.” Satan cried out: “I will take all that will be above ground.”

“It's a bargain!” said the saint. And he went away.

Six months later, all over the immense domain of the devil, one could see nothing but carrots, turnips, onions, salsify, all the plants whose juicy roots are good and savory and whose useless leaves are good for nothing but for feeding animals.

Satan wished to break the contract, calling Saint Michael a swindler.

But the saint, who had developed quite a taste for agriculture, went back to see the devil and said:

“Really, I hadn't thought of that at all; it was just an accident, no fault of mine. And to make things fair with you, this year I'll let you take everything that is under the ground.”

“Very well,” answered Satan.

The following spring all the evil spirit's lands were covered with golden wheat, oats as big as beans, flax, magnificent colza, red clover, peas, cabbage, artichokes, everything that develops into grains or fruit in the sunlight.

Once more Satan received nothing, and this time he completely lost his temper. He took back his fields and remained deaf to all the fresh propositions of his neighbor.

A whole year rolled by. From the top of his lonely manor Saint Michael looked at the distant and fertile lands and watched the devil direct the work, take in his crops and thresh the wheat. And he grew angry, exasperated at his powerlessness.

As he was no longer able to deceive Satan, he decided to wreak vengeance on him, and he went out to invite him to dinner for the following Monday.

“You have been very unfortunate in your dealings with me,” he said; “I know it, but I don't want any ill feeling between us, and I expect you to dine with me. I'll give you some good things to eat.”

Satan, who was as greedy as he was lazy, accepted eagerly. On the day appointed he donned his finest clothes and set out for the castle.

Saint Michael sat him down to a magnificent meal. First there was a 'vol-au-vent', full of cocks' crests and kidneys, with meat-balls, then two big gray mullet with cream sauce, a turkey stuffed with chestnuts soaked in wine, some salt-marsh lamb as tender as cake, vegetables which melted in the mouth and nice hot pancake which was brought on smoking and spreading a delicious odor of butter.

They drank new, sweet, sparkling cider and heady red wine, and after each course they whetted their appetites with some old apple brandy.

The devil drank and ate to his heart's content; in fact he took so much that he was very uncomfortable, and began to retch.

Then Saint Michael arose in anger and cried in a voice like thunder: “What! before me, rascal! You dare—before me—”

Satan, terrified, ran away, and the saint, seizing a stick, pursued him. They ran through the halls, turning round the pillars, running up the staircases, galloping along the cornices, jumping from gargoyle to gargoyle. The poor devil, who was woefully ill, was running about madly and trying hard to escape. At last he found himself at the top of the last terrace, right at the top, from which could be seen the immense bay, with its distant towns, sands and pastures. He could no longer escape, and the saint came up behind him and gave him a furious kick, which shot him through space like a cannonball.

He shot through the air like a javelin and fell heavily before the town of Mortain. His horns and claws stuck deep into the rock, which keeps through eternity the traces of this fall of Satan.

He stood up again, limping, crippled until the end of time, and as he looked at this fatal castle in the distance, standing out against the setting sun, he understood well that he would always be vanquished in this unequal struggle, and he went away limping, heading for distant countries, leaving to his enemy his fields, his hills, his valleys and his marshes.

And this is how Saint Michael, the patron saint of Normandy, vanquished the devil.

Another people would have dreamed of this battle in an entirely different manner.

[takingyournarrative]

gerrymichaels :)

because i like copying adrian <3

one-shots (least to most word count) - a game - fire triptych - artichoke - like an odd sight come out at night - a flag of white, but i'm not scared - the nights are lovely - go anywhere with you - gerry, michael, and the not!suez canal - kiss - and turn the white snow red - carving pumpkins - i thought the sky was bound to fall - i'm poised for your kiss - half as beautiful, too - vanilla twilight - i can be trusted walking with you alone - where the seeds of our shadows are sown - above the hollow place - how we are falling down - definition - you gotta see the artistry - i won't hurt you - dark honey from the dying day - your heart sings like a kettle - where the ringing bell falls deaf - triumphant, as each night is won - and it never goes out - let me recite to you the litany of despair - the mutual jeopardy makes me feel safer - to show me what i chose

series - will you divest me of the contents of my ribcage, too? -> do you no harm -> it's well worth it all -> like a lucky charm

multichapter - don't come calling my name - and our breathlessness as we run - what if the sea loved you back? - i give you every sigh - it's always sunny with you

[nite-shay]

Surprise! (Kirishima Eijirou x Reader)

Funny little idea I had. Reader finds out she is prego and wants to surprise her hubby with the news :)

A/N: Nothing really. Charters are aged up. Female pronouns used. 

Hope you enjoy it and sorry for typos, grammar and spelling errors! :)

************

You were practically floating through your local market store's aisles, humming has you picked up items on your list.

Today was a beautiful day. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and nothing could ruin your mood.

Not even the grumpy old lady blocking our path, complaining to a stock boy about ketchup prices could bring you down!

Any why might you ask? 

Because today you got the best news in the world.

A few days ago, you went to your local clinic. You'd been feeling rather tired here lately and even a bit nauseous. You honestly thought nothing of it and just figured you had a stomach bug that'd been going around.

Image your surprise when the nurse on the other end of the phone informed you that you were not sick, just pregnant. 

It took a few seconds for the information to process, but the moment it does. Oh boy! You screamed and cried in pure joy to the poor, probably now partially deaf nurse on the other end.

After many thank yous and a few apologies, you practically hung up on the women wanting to call your husband imminently. 

You tried him on his cell and on his desk, but he must have been out on patrol. Meaning you wouldn't hear from him until much much later in the day

Damn. 

That burst your bubble, but that just gave a chance to be... well, creative in your news delivery method. You'd spent the last few hours researching and watching videos in the theme of 'Surprising the father baby announcements.'

And boy, oh boy, did you get some ideas! Too many ideas! But you settled on one method in particular. 

You smiled as you made your way over to the produce section.

Ah-ha! There's an item on your shopping list.

You reached out and grabbed two bags of baby carrots before tossing them into your cart. 

It would be a night your husband would never forget!

Later that night...

Let me start off by saying this. You love your husband. Very very much.

Your husband, Kirishima Eijirou, is the most wonderful man on the planet. He is an amazing and loving husband. He is also an amazing hero. Ranked one of the best in Japan and one of the friendliest.  The man is a literal saint who against all odds befriended Bakugou for goodness sake! You love him more than life itself.

Your husband is a lot of things but currently, you can only think of one way to describe your husband. In the words of the blonde explosive best friend, 'he has rocks for brains'.

Bless your husband's heart some days, he can be denser than his skin in his unbreakable form.

You expected him to overlook some of the food you made, BUT NOT EVERY FUCKING THING!

You made a spread of baby-related foods that could give a buffet restaurant a run for their money. You had it all, baby carrots, baby spinach, baby artichokes, baby corn, baby back ribs, fingerling potatoes, a cornish hen, deviled eggs, popcorn shrimp, you had it all! Hell, you even dropped a 'bun in the oven reference'. Twice! 

But did he see the pattern? 

Nope!

His only response was to stare/drool at the food and said, 'wow hun, if I'd known you be making this much food, I'd have invited Amajiki and Togata over'. Later on, he commented on how Fatgum would be jealous of the amazing food he's going to have for lunch tomorrow'.

While you appreciate the comments on your cooking. You could have strangled at that moment. 

Dense. Very dense.

You chanted in your head while he pigged out, 'I love the father of my child, and I will not beat him over the head with chicken' over and over for most of dinner.

As the night continued, you realized after watching both 'Boss Baby' and 'Storks' that you would have to take drastic measures to get it through his thick skull. 

Tomorrow, you'd bring out the big guns!

Maybe you should get Mina involved…

The next day…

"Hey, Red! Wow, what's with all the food?" Fatgum shouted as he watched the redhead placed another container on the table.

"(Y/N) went overboard last night and made a feast! We had a lot of leftovers, so I brought some of them in. Want some?"

"You bet I do! I love her cooking! You really lucked out!"

"Yeah, I did! I have no idea why she made so much food, but I'm ain't complaining!" He flagged over Amajiki, who just walked into the breakroom. "Hey, Amajiki! Join us!"

"T-thanks…." He shuffled over and eyed the spread of food on the table. "Um… Kirishima… was yesterday a special day or something for the two of you?"

"No, I don't th-WAIT" Kirishima had a moment of panic before checking his phone. "Nope. Our anniversary isn't for another few months, and her birthday was last month." He sighed in relief. "Man, Jiki, you can't do that to me. You bout gave me a heart attack." He took a bite of food. "Why'd ya ask anyways?"

"Well… it's just… this is a lot of food... And very...v-very… specific food that doesn't seem to go together, in a traditional sense…" The quiet man commented.

"What do ya mean?" 

Fatgum took a second look at the food before his eyes went wide. "I-I think I see where you're going with this Sun.." He put down his bowl while his redhead appearance just looked cluelessly between the two. "So Red, what happened last night?"

"Nothing really. I came home, and she made this awesome food, we ate, watched a few movies and then went to bed." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Did she say anything about her day, or did she seem like she wanted to talk to you about something?"

"No. I mean, she said she had an awesome day but didn't really say what was so awesome about it. She looked great! Like… I don't know, she just… had this.. glow? Yeah, that's the word. She just seemed to be glowing! I mean, I'm not saying she wasn't attractive before! She's drop-dead gorgeous, but I don't know, here recently she's just been…. Wow…" Kirishima's features softened as he thought of his wife while Fat and Amajiki looked at each other. The older man's eyes lit up while the younger dark hair man gave a half-smile. 

"H-has she been feeling ok?" Amajiki pressed.

"Yea-" He paused for a moment. "Well, she did say she wasn't feeling too good the other day and that she went to the doctor... She didn't say what they said, though.." He crossed his arms while he thought back. "Now that I think about it, she really didn't eat much last night, and I could have sworn I heard her throwing up this morning... But she  just brushed it off when I asked about it…"

"Did she say what she thought was w-wrong?"

"No, she didn't. I even asked her if she wanted me to stay home with her today, but she said she'd be fine. She did promise me she'd take it easy." He almost jumped up. "You guys don't think she's getting sick, do you? I know there's been a stomach bug going around…"

"Oh, it sounds like she got bitten by a bug, alright!" Fat couldn't keep it in any longer as he gave the redhead a wide smile.

"Seriously? What do we do? Wouldn't the doctors have found out if she did? Do you think it was poisonous?!?!" Kirishima jumped up like he was ready to take off back home to tend to his 'sick' wife.

"Easy Red." Fat roared with laughter. "She'll be fine, but she's going to be feeling the effects of this for the next…. I'd say nine-ish months…."

"Huh?" 

"Kirishima, I think you r-really need to go home and talk to your wife…" Amajiki interjected while Fat wiped the tears from his eyes, trying to control his laughter. Which he was failing at btw. 

"Come on, guys! I'm freaking out here! Is (Y/N) ok?" The hero pleased with them trying to get a straight answer.

"Eijirou?" Every head in the room twisted in your direction as you stood in the doorway. 

"(Y/N)! You're here! Are you ok? You haven't seen any weird spiders or anything around, right?" Kirishima rushed over to you as you made your way into the breakroom. You'd heard Fatgum laughing from down the hall and figured your husband was too far away. 

"Spiders? Wait, what?"

"Fatgum thinks you might have been bitten by a bug! How are you feeling? Do you need a doctor?"

"Honey. Sweetie. I'm fine, I've already talked to the doctor." You chuckled as you tried to soothe your frazzled husband. 

"You have? That's great! What did they say?"

"Well…" You trailed off. This wasn't going as planned. Your plan was to visit him in his office and surprise him with the little gift bag in your hand; from there, you hopped, he'd get the picture. The top item was a cute little 'I'm a riot' Red Riot baby onesie you in the merch store down the street. The next was a mini-set of red baby crocs. If he didn't get it at that point across, your last resort was the medical report from the doctor's office, showing that you were, in fact, pregnant. You made sure to highlight it, just to be safe. 

"I'm afraid you're just going to have to be blunt about it (Y/N). He's really not getting it. Congratulations btw the way!" Fatgum was chuckling slightly still as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"S-sorry if we mess anything up…" Amajiki mumbled apologetically.

"Thanks! And don't worry about Amajiki, it's fine! This works out better anyway!" You smiled over at the two before turning your attention back to the love of your life. 

"Congratulations? Wait, what don't I get? Babe, please tell me what's going on". The worry in his eyes nearly broke your heart. 

"Honey" You grabbed his face with both hands and made him look you right in the eyes. "I'm pregnant."

His body stilled, and his eyes were wide. He just stood there staring at you for the longest time; you swear you could almost see the little hamster in his head go flying off its wheel and pinball around his skull.

"Eiji? Did you hear me?" No response. He didn't even seem to be breathing. "I think I might have broken him." You glanced over to the older man in yellow before returning to those crimson orbs.

You were honestly starting to get worried at this point. Was he just shocked? Was he happy... or... did he not want it? Finally, though, he seems to come back to his senses. 

Blink. Blink Blink. Deep breath in. Blink. Blink. Deep breath out.

"Y-Your…..preg...p-pregnant….."

"Yes. I'm pregnant." You choked a little up as it finally seemed to sink into that thick lovable skull of his. However, his expression didn't waver, and you still couldn't tell whether he was happy or not. 

"I'm… going to be a dad?" You could feel him start to tremble beneath your hands.

On no.. he doesn't... 

Your eyes started to water, but you try to keep your smile in place. "Y-yes. You are..".

"I'm going to be a… dad?" It was taking everything you had not to break down then and there

But then.. it happened. 

You watched as his face lit up with the biggest grin you had ever seen. His eyes glistened with tears until they streamed down his cheeks. "I'M GOING TO BE A DAD!!!!" Your pretty everyone on the whole floor heard his declaration, and before you knew it, you were being dragged into a tight hug and swung around the room. 

For the next hour, the two of you laughed, cried, and went around the ENTIRE building so your husband could tell everyone the news.  Afterward, you showed him your little gifts, and that caused another trip around the building so he could show off the baby items and, much to your embarrassment, the test results. 

Fatgum quickly realized that nothing else on the planet would get the red headed hero to focus on work right now, so he let him have the day off to celebrate.

After a round of visiting and phone calls to friends and family, the two of you were finally home. The moment the two of you were in your home, he pulled you to your bedroom for the most intense cuddle section you had ever had. 

"I'm... going to be a dad…" He whispered while gently rubbing your belly where.

"Yes. Yes, you are." You couldn't help but grin and give him a slow sweet kiss, which he gladly returned. 

"God, I love you so much…"

"I love you too. "

"Promise me one thing…"  Suddenly his gaze narrowed as he looked you in the eyes with a serious expression. 

"Anything…" You shifted, a little nervous in his abrupt mood change.

"If... If.." He swallowed hard. 

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Now you were worried. 

"If I'm ever that stupidly dense again, please, PLEASE, knock some sense into me!" You burst into a fit of laughter while he just pokes his lip out in a pout. "I'm serious! Get someone, anyone to knock me into next week! Tetsu, Bakugou, Hell call Midoriya! After everything I missed, I deserve a Detroit smash upside the head!"

Thanks for the read! If you want see the other stuff I’ve done, click the link bellow!

MasterList

[versatilewindow]

Fun Times in New Rome

Find it on Ao3

Summary: percy goes to see his GF in the gardens at New Rome, terrible writing ensues.

A/N: Reposting bc i hated the format from before. uhhh hope yall like this, I was feeling inspired to write something funny after my AP gov test

Percy was totally vibing at Camp Jupiter. He was talking with his boi, Jason, while on the way to see Annabeth at the gardens. Walking down the street in New Rome, Percy and Jason were having a chill conversation about artificial intelligence, not that they were well versed on that subject.

“All I’m saying is that if Elongated Muskrat wanted to put some AI in his cars, we could maybe create Lightning McQueen.” Jason very briefly paused at this statement. Cars was one of the greatest franchises known to man, after Spy Kids of course.

“Ok, caught the vibe, but that would cause some other problems, would cars then get civil rights? Because like, then they would be free thinking beings. Wait would cars be considered alive? Would it be slavery to own a car then?” The potential implications of putting AI in cars to create Lightning McQueen were too great for Jason, giving him a Fatty Headache™. “Look bro, I think I’m gonna have to dip, I was already on the verge of an existential crisis from talking to Annabeth about whether or not we should be living in a society. I’ll catch up with the two of you later.”

Percy saddened at the thought of his best bro going through his 3rd existential crisis in the week. “Ok dude, feel better soon,” he called out as Jason walked away, “And maybe don’t watch Ancient Aliens tonight.”

Percy continued on his way to the gardens at Camp Jupiter, which weren’t really gardens that you would think about, they were more like wild vegetables that happened to grow in the same area, with some neat flowers around. The best part was that they were totally organic, something very important to Annabeth.

Ahhhh, Annabeth.., ,,,. Percy swooned at the thought of her, with her ramen noodle lookin ass hair, the way her boobies looked in the Camp Halfblood shirt, which was such an UGLY color. But she made it look very sexiiii. He especially got horny at the way she made him feel dumb. That's feminism right? Thinking it's hot when girls womansplain? Anyways, Percy had finally made it to the gardens, and he saw Annabeth.

“What it do babeyyyyyy ;)” Percy said.

“Everyday I get more and more confused as to how you can say that aloud. Either way, I’m doing an experiment. I am crossbreeding this eggplant with a poison oak plant I found” This concerning statement fell onto deaf ears because Percy's eggplant was too focused on Annabeth’s peach. (if u know what I mean *wink wonk*)

Annabeth turned to face Percy and noticed his expression, which reminded her of this face :^0, because let's be real, Percy is 0 thoughts, only thots. This got Annabeth thinking..,.,. … ,, which was very unfortunate for our boi Percy.

Annabeth got up from where she was standing and tried out some flirting techniques she got from the Aphrodite girls back home. She gave Percy a sultry look, half lidded eyes, looked him up and down, then bit her lip. Only problem, she bit her upper lip, making Percy very confused for about .001 seconds.

“Damn girl u come here often?” Percy said while doing the fuckboi rub on his chin.

“Mayhaps, only when u’re around;)” Annabeth replies.

Then Percy goes crazy and stupid and starts kissing his GF!!!! In a vaguely public area!!!!! (its ok tho no ones around, Percy checked bc he’s smart like that >:3c). Things were getting real saucy, their tongues were #battlingfordominance, and stuff like that. Eventually it got to a point where they didnt know how far they were going to take it. The two of them paused, vaguely out of breath. Percy gave Annabeth a look that said ‘damn shawty we rlly gonna do this huh?’ In response our good sis Annabeth said, “Artichoke me daddy.” Percy went APESHIT after hearing that, mostly because they were next to the artichokes. He real quick picked her up and sprinted to their shared room in New Rome where they woo hooed for at least 69 hours

And they lived happily ever after, and that's on what? periodt sis. the end.

[aeromuses]

   Ch. 1 Valentine Blues (A Hey Arnold Fan Fiction)

   Notice: This fic takes place sometime between the FTi incident and now. Information may be semi-AU or not fit completely, based on my preferences or an easier “go-with-the-flow” storyline. With that being said, I still always aim to make my stories as canon as possible, or the very least to my standards. Enjoy!

   “Now, now - CLASS...”

   As the school room filled with excitable chatter, Mr. Simmons tried to maintain his importance throughout it all - the large swarms of elementary school children leaning forward in their desks, as he discussed the upcoming Valentine’s Day dance meant to wrap up their very last year at P.S. 118, knowing they would be all too excited, battling the anxious, yet strangely prideful fluttering in his stomach upon the sentimental realization that this would be his very last year teaching everyone. 

   “Class, everyone! Now I know we’re very excited for tonight’s dance, but let’s not forget the importance of slowing down to smell the roses, or oh, say - the snowflakes, since it’s currently a little blustery outside,” There was a light chuckle, until... “OH, who am I kidding? Class is dismissed early, kids! Everyone have a wonderful evening, and don’t forget to pick up your valentine’s on the way out. Wouldn’t want to forget those...”

   “Yeah, yeah...ya-de-ya-de. Valentine’s...sure, right. Looking into MY box is like gazing into the bottom of an empty PRINGLES can.” There was nearly always an almost inaudible muttering at the end of each day, Arnold had noticed, that was Helga G. Pataki, as she marched to the doorway, her voice, however, loud enough to just barely make it to his ears, sure that he could have easily heard past it, if he weren’t the second to last one out the door, observing how it was almost like...almost like she were talking to herself, but hoping someone would acknowledge that she was in the room. Arnold, regrettably, had never even really noticed this, consciously, until the beginning of the year...shortly after-

“Move-IT-”

   With gritted teeth, mind bubble popping like a firm balloon, Helga Pataki was simply standing right behind Arnold Shortman, as if waiting in line, almost resemblant to the way Brainy did, excluding any sensations of her breathing down his neck. 

   “What are you DEAF?”

   There was a hard silence, Arnold’s heart thumping at a noticeable pace, as he tried to shrug off any uncomfortable feelings she had been attempting to instill within him. This was Helga, and the last thing he needed was to admit to himself that she could be a little intimidating, to say the least...not Helga persay, but her proximity, rather, after their last encounter.  

   It had been 4 months...4 months since Helga had spilled her guts out to him, and even though they had brushed it off like it were an accident, Arnold had a hard time looking at her the same again. Deep down, he was just a little...freaked out, to be honest. 

   1....

   2....

   3...

   Seconds passed, until...

   WHAM! 

   And with a kick to his backside, he had hit the floor, hands extending, as valentine’s from his collected box flew everywhere.

   Everything...yet nothing had changed...

   An involuntary groan, and Arnold was rubbing the side of his head, feeling humiliated for letting it happen, again. That is, things escalating with Helga, her usual cackle and sneer as she abandoned him beneath the door frame.

   “See ya later, sucker.” 

   Frowning, Arnold had to wonder...Why did he have to freeze up like that, anytime he saw Helga’s assaults coming? Wasn’t he used to it by now? Would it just always remain the same? Helga, getting away with everything she did? 

   There was a sigh, until Gerald appeared, as if a knight in red hooded armor, always seeming to pop up at just the right moment...or the worst one, depending on how you looked at it.  

   “Aaar-nold, you know I love you man, but WHEN are you gonna STAND UP to the MAN? I hate seeing you push over to her like this. I oughta...oughta-” 

   Raising a hand in defense, there was a harmless shake of blonde hair. “It’s alright, Gerald. Really, i’m fine.” He wasn’t the one who saw Helga that summer ago, after all. It was he who had to live with that burden, not Gerald. “It only makes her-”

   “-look bad. I know, I know. I’ve heard it a hundred times...” A red sleeve wrapped around the boy’s shoulder, as his best friend pulled him in, so they were now shoulder to shoulder. “C’mon man, let’s get out of here and talk about somethin’ else.”

   “Slausen’s?” Arnold would smile at his invitation. 

   “Slausen’s, and then it’s game on!”

   Arnold frowned however, knowing what that implied. “You going with Phoebe?” 

   “I’m sorry, Arnold! Hey, it’s not like you don’t have time to ask anyone! What about Ruth or Lila or, or-”

   “No, it’s okay. You know what Gerald? I think I may actually head straight home...thinking of taking a nap, or maybe just forgetting the dance all together.”

   Besides, Ruth was graduated already by now, and Lila was only a friend. Arnold had gotten over her a while ago, and Gerald knew this. He couldn’t blame his friend, getting excited and going desperate measures. After a pitiful silence, Gerald spoke up once more.  

   “A nap huh? Are you...sure Arnold? I mean sure-sure?”

   “Yeah, i’m sure...” Forcing a small smile to convince his friend, Arnold began going his separate way.

   “Maybe you do need a nap.” He smiled, and then Arnold smiled back, waving goodbye, only to hide the indifference on his face as he turned the corner, a distinct look of apathy there, as his eyelids draped down halfway, displaying a new expression.

   Man, they sure do spend a lot of time together...

   Losing Gerald to Phoebe had been hard for Arnold, who had been feeling especially isolated lately, another sigh escaping him. He missed his best friend. The funny thing was though, he knew that if he told him, he would happily cancel plans. He supposed, deep down, that was about the worst part of it all...

   Arms stretching out wide, Arnold let his lithe frame collapse onto his bed, as he entered his room in the boarder house, rolling to his side only to set an alarm for an hour or so before the dance, in case he decided to show up.

      And before he knew it, there was his alarm, going “Hey Arnold, Hey Arnold!” signifying it was already time to hop back to reality. 

    MEANWHILE...

   Gosh, i’m so stupid, so hopelessly deranged, so horrible to that football head. How could I do something like that to the guy on Valentine’s Day? What’s wrong with you, Helga? Miriam must have had something slipped into her drink before I was born, for cryin’ out loud! What did I DO?

   Arms flailing out in every direction of the bed in desperation, as Helga lie in her adolescent bedroom, nearly kicking the covers right off and onto the floor, fists clenched, as tears were nearly welling up in the corners of her eyes. 

   “How dare I...must I...” An emotional sigh, turning into a scowl, however, as the young girl was interrupted. 

   “HELGA, how many times do I have to tell you not to lock this door!?” There was a loud rattling coming from the other side of the room, growing increasingly more aggressive, until Helga’s face had no other option but to go deadpan. 

   “Well jeez, he actually got my name right, the one time I don’t want to be noticed...nice goin’, Bob...” 

   Feet hitting to the floor lazily, Helga gets up like a zombie, slumping herself to the door. “Cripes, it’s not my fault these doors are busted! Weren’t you or Miriam supposed to call that one in or fix these or somethin’ - OUCH!”

   With some rattling of her own, the door finally busts open, Helga nearly pinching herself, on who knows what, as it swings open full force, just barely missing her head.

   “I don’t know, but things are going to start changing around here, young lady...” Bob walks into the room like a ‘friggin’ dictator’, for lack of a better word from Helga, noseying around the entire room.

   “Yeah, okay Hitler.” She rolls her eyes, as he begins popping open draws and scrummaging, eventually swinging open the closet door too, causing Helga’s eyes to pop open wide. “Hey, what gives!?”

   “HELGA, what is this mess!? Rotten watermelon? You better clean this up pronto! I’m looking for the remote to the TV! Thought you might have been hidin’ it up here.”

   “Dad, since when do I watch TV?” A whine, only ever emitted in the company of her parents, or when she was in the presence of something really scary, such as a sewer rat, suddenly vocalizing across the room. She couldn’t help it - Big Bob and Miriam were irritating!

   “And for your information, BOB, I don’t have it! I’m getting ready for a dance, actually, so if you would just EXCUSE yourself this way, rrrrrgh!” With all of her force, Helga tried pushing him back out the door, only causing him to turn and growl in more anger, harmlessly swinging at her pink bow. “You gotta go, dad, and you gotta go now! I don’t have much time to get ready and impress Arrrr, uh-uh artichokes!” 

   Artichokes! That was a good one! Why didn’t I ever relay that code name to Phoebe?

   And before she knew it, all she could hear was her dad’s mumbling about nut jobs, before something came crashing down abruptly, hitting her dead in the face, like your typical Helga G. Pataki epiphany.

   “WAIT a minute - did I just say impress Arnold? No, I can’t do that! Not after that stupid confession! He knows WAY too much. I can’t have the spotlight on me. That would just overwhelm us both! I gotta come up with a plan! Something solid...something...” 

   Eyes widening, scanning the room, stopped at the stand in closet, where all of Helga’s different outfits were kept, gasping to herself. This included disguises, of course.

   “Phoebe?”

   A squeak emitted from the other line, indicating her best friend and trusty sidekick had picked up.

   “Keep your eyes peeled, because tonight Cecile is making an entrance at the Valentine’s Day Dance.” 

   There was a smirk, and that was it, before Helga Pataki hung up the phone, leaving her friend to peice out the rest. 

[psychicphilosophies]

Chakras: Signs That You Have An Imbalanced Third Eye Chakra

In this post, I will be talking about the sixth chakra, ajna also known as the third eye chakra. This energy centre is situated in the middle of the forehead, in between the eyebrows. The third eye is about memory, meditation, intuition and inner perception. When this chakra is imbalanced, we feel anxious, nervous, depressed and disconnected to our own spirituality and intuition. Having either an under active or overactive third eye chakra can also have an impact on our sleep cycles and how frequent dreams are at night. People who might have an under active third eye, may not be able to experience dreams as frequently, whereas someone with an overactive third eye, might be prone to nightmares, insomnia and mental chatter at night. Just like all of the other posts I have done on the chakras, I will do the same with the third eye chakra also. I will also include holistic methods and yoga poses to help get it back into balance.

The Third Eye Chakra - Signs of imbalance:

Signs of emotional imbalance (Under active): Depression, disconnection to spirituality, ignoring intuition and inner knowing, infrequent dreams, poor imagination, lack of psychic abilities, poor visualisation skills, inability to look into the future, pessimism, denial and insensitivity.

Signs of physical imbalance (Under active): deafness, earache, hormonal imbalance, headaches, sinus issues, glaucoma, macular degeneration, conjunctivitis, styes, short sightedness, vision loss, cataracts, Mèniére's disease, colour blindness and low vision.

Herbs for Third Eye Chakra: Hyssop, myrrh, frankincense, chamomile, rosemary, peppermint, spearmint, feverfew, angelica, valerian, lavender, jasmine, sage, basil, holy basil, oregano, marjoram, juniper berries, fennel seeds and clary sage.

Crystals For Third Eye Chakra (Under active & Overactive): Amethyst, iolite, sodalite, dark blue tourmaline, tanzanite, labradorite, lapis lazuli, blue kyanite, dumortierite, blue quartz, blue sapphire, auralite 23, super seven, moldavite, rainbow fluorite, lepidolite, shattuckite, azurite, papagoite, purple fluorite, afghanite, hackmanite, purple tourmaline, rainbow moonstone and black moon stone.

Essential Oils for Third Eye Chakra (Under active & Overactive): Clary sage, juniper, jasmine, frankincense, myrrh, spearmint, rosemary, geranium, basil, star anise, hyssop, peppermint, vetiver, sandalwood, fennel, red virginian cedarwood, lavandin, lavender, agarwood, copaiba, roman chamomile, galbanum, atlas cedarwood, valerian, ylang-ylang and spikenard.

Foods for Third Eye Chakra: Red cabbage, purple carrots, blackberries, aronia berries, jostaberries, blueberries, purple sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, purple kale, red onions, blackcurrants, honey berries, elderberries, black rice, purple artichokes and beetroot.

Yoga Poses for Third Eye Chakra: Easy pose, lotus, child's pose and corpse pose.

Signs of emotional imbalance (Overactive): Strong intuition, powerful imagination, receiving an overwhelming amount of psychic information, frequent prophetic dreams, find it easy to astral travel, frequent out of body experiences, nightmares, anxiety, neurosis, OCD, telepathy, ADD, multiple personalities, autism, panic attacks, psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, hallucinations and ADHD.

Signs of physical imbalance (Overactive): Migranes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, meningitis, vertigo, dissociation, brain tumours, cerebral palsy, stroke and dementia.

So that's it for the third eye chakra, which is the second from last of the seven main chakras. I hope this post has helped you and gave you insight in how to bring it back into balance.

[thedigitalhuman]

Confirmed criminals were thus clamped in a position of acute and pitiful vulnerability in full view of the jeering mob to whom they proved irresistible targets and who were at liberty — encouraged, even — to chuck whatever they could get their hands on; clumps of earth, rotten eggs, cucumbers, turnips, offal and in their less charitable moments dead cats, paving stones, shards of glass and bricks at the victim's head. The stakes were high; an unlucky few died in the pillory (around 10 in the course of the 18th century, according to the historian Robert Shoemaker). Aside from sodomites who fared particularly badly, no creature was more despised than false-accusers who, for reward money, swore robberies against innocent parties. John Valler stood the pillory for just that in June 1732 and a pamphlet gleefully described how ‘the mob began to pelt him with cabbage, cauliflowers and artichoke stalks …[then] they pulled down the pillory, by which the skull of this unhappy wretch was fractured’. Still not satisfied, ‘as he lay on the ground, they stamped so hard upon his body that they broke his ribs’. He was dead within the hour. This had not been the authorities’ intention; two members of the crowd were convicted of his murder three months later.

Yet the crowd could be forgiving; sympathetic even, especially when they felt the defendant had been treated unfairly.

A pamphlet gleefully described how ‘the mob began to pelt him with cabbage, cauliflowers and artichoke stalks...

Famously, when Daniel Defoe was pilloried in 1703 after publishing a faux-bigoted rant against religious dissenters (of which he was one) on the orders of the pro-dissenter, irony-deaf whig government, the only thing anyone threw at him was flowers, while the very pamphlet itself was casually sold by his supporters. And in June 1763, the Post Boy reported how the crowd reacted to two elderly men in the New Palace Yard pillory for attempted buggery — ‘their tears, which flowed in great abundance, drew such compassion, that they treated them with the greatest lenity, and some money was collected for them’.

The most interactive and democratic of all of old London’s shaming rituals, audience responses could damage, destroy or save someone’s reputation or, in rare cases, kill them; in 1509, three pilloried offenders are recorded as ‘dying of shame’ — could they have been driven to suicide, like victims of online trolling in extreme cases?

Digital Human, Series 12, Episode 6 - Shame

[whimsicallioness]

Rules: Answer thirty questions, then tag twenty blogs you would like to know better.

1. Nicknames? Artichoke, Darjeeling, Sunflower

2. Gender? Cis Female

3. Star sign? Scorpio

4. Height? 5′6″

5. Time? 9:32 pm

6. Birthday? Nov 15

7. Favorite bands? Twenty One Pilots, Say Anything, Car Seat Headrest

8. Favorite solo artists? Tessa Violet

9. Song stuck in my head? Does not apply

10. Last movie watched? What the Health

11. Last show watched? Chobits

12. When did I create my blog October 2013, I think? How should I know this?

13. What do I post? Steven Universe, Portraits of people, Witty Text posts about Death, The void, and Anxiety, Deaf/ sign language stuff, Other language stuff, Some nature, Some foxes, Some Shiba Inu, A lot of Social Justice Commentary

14. Last thing I googled? Directeur Ecole Practique du Service Sociale

15. Do you have other blogs? I do! Though I barely ever use them anymore. They’re private. One is a darker themed red aesthetics blog, a Mass Effect one, and pastel aesthetics. I keep them for inspiration ✌️

16. Do you get asks Maybe once a month or so...

17. Why did you choose your url? Self-Identification; Whimsical love of adventure and stubborn, assertive prowess of a lioness

18. Following? 1,287

19. Followers? 635

20. Favorite colours? Teal, Green, Brown

21. Average hours of sleep? 9 hours

22. Lucky number? 9, I guess

23. Instruments? Flute, Uke, Recorder, Ocarina 

24. What am I wearing? The Future is Accessible t shirt and black leggings

25. How many blankets I sleep with? One comforter, no top sheet

26. Dream job? Something to do with Civil Rights for persons with disabilities and improving accessibility; preferably internationally.

27. Dream trip? I want to go to Hiroshima and see more of Japan in general. I don’t have a DREAM trip because my life is pretty fruitful with opportunity at the moment.

28. Favorite food? Pho chay

29. Nationality? American

30. Favorite song now?

Drunk Drivers - Car Seat Headrest

I tag @lucienskynet @fivesecondmemory @intheparlour @nvinciblesummer @lordinfinite If anyone else wants to do this

[bestketodiet]

10 Healthy Food Recipes For Dinner – Easy Healthy Recipes

This video have 10 Healthy Food Recipes For Dinner that I try collection for all of you and i hope all recipes you want to try.

1. Protein Pancakes 4 Ways: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/protein-pancakes-4-ways 2. Healthy Fritters 4 Ways: https://www.tastemade.com/shows/healthy-af/healthy-fritters-4-ways 3. Summer Rolls 3 Ways: https://www.tastemade.com/shows/hungry-af/summer-rolls-3-ways 4. Simple Almond Joy Energy Bites: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/simple-almond-joy-energy-bites 5. Artichoke 101: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/artichoke-101 6. Vegan Lemon Nut Cake: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/vegan-lemon-nut-cake 7. Burrito Bowls 4 Ways: https://www.tastemade.com/shows/healthy-af/burrito-bowls-4-ways 8. Breakfast Popsicles: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/breakfast-popsicles 9. Lettuce and Tofu Balls: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/lettuce-and-tofu-balls 10. Healthy Wraps 4 Ways: https://www.tastemade.com/shows/healthy-af/healthy-wraps-4-ways

Credit: Website: https://www.tastemade.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tastemade/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tastemade Thumbnails: https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/beef-and-bean-crescent-burritos/1caa8b17-2e48-462e-be7d-0960259dce67 —————————————–­———————-

VIEW MORE: ☞ Playlist “Healthy Food Recipes For Dinner”: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh0xbjbA6_58sWR_l3-1fnrTogDMuVHB5 —————————————–­———————-

MUSIC:

Connect with NCS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aEa8K-EOJ3D6gOs7HcyNg

Track: Cartoon – Why We Lose (feat. Coleman Trapp) [NCS Release]

DEAF KEV – Invincible [NCS Release]

Diviners feat. Contacreast – Tropic Love [NCS Release]

JPB – High [NCS Release]

—————————————–­———————-

* None of these images, music & video clips were created/owned by us. * This video is purely fan-made, if you (owners) want to remove this video, please contact me through email “rhubarbbloated@gmail.com” or the YouTube private messaging system. We will respectfully remove it.

from Best Keto Diet http://best.ketodietfactorfiction.com/diet-foods/10-healthy-food-recipes-for-dinner-easy-healthy-recipes/%20

[drtanstravels]

We returned a little over a week ago from our final trip for 2017 which revolved around Anna speaking at the Fifth International Congress on OCT Angiography, “En Face” and advances in OCT, an annual conference held by the American Society of Retina Specialists, on this occasion in Rome, Italy.

We’ve been to Italy before, back in September of 2012 on a trip that took us through Florence, Rome, Pisa and Milan for another of Anna’s conferences, although that little adventure is a bit of a blur for me. This time we’d be spending four nights in Rome and although I knew I had been before, it still all felt completely new to me. We have done quite a bit of flying this year so we were able to upgrade to Business Class for the flights both there and back, which is great for a 13-hour overnight flight to Europe. We were supposed to depart at about 1:50am on Friday morning, but it was probably closer to about 3:00am by the time we took off. It didn’t matter to Anna, she fell asleep almost immediately, however, I had to wait until we were airborne and my “bed” was laid out before I could drift away, the last thing I heard being a small Chinese lady who had walked down the aisle to yell at her husband in the seat next to mine, “Cover your stomach!”

Friday, December 15 Due to the seven-hour time difference, we touched down in Rome at about 8:30am and were out of the airport relatively quickly. It was about a 45-minute taxi ride due to the morning traffic to where we were staying, the Ergife Palace Hotel, which was also where the conference was being held. The entire drive there I had this playing on loop in my head:

Sure, I realise it’s not about Rome, but it’s a homophone and that makes it close enough for me. Anyway, before long we arrived at our hotel and one thing soon became glaringly obvious — There is not a whole lot to do in that part of town. It was a bit before 10.00am when we got there and our room wasn’t ready yet, but Anna was happy because she wanted to attend her professor’s talk which began at 10 o’clock. All she needed to do was freshen up a little and change her clothes, something she was able to do in a bathroom in the lobby. Anna attended the talk while I sat in the lounge area with a coffee or three and read my book. I saw Anna chatting with her professor at about midday so when she saw me we tried to check into our room, only to be told it still wouldn’t be ready for at least another hour. We decided to have another latte each and waited for the buffet lunch to begin at 12:30, which was complimentary for speakers at the conference. I on the other hand, had to pay €20.00 (approximately AU$30.00) for some pretty average food and there was no way of faking my way through this one, I clearly didn’t appear to be a doctor, although I did kind of blend in Italy; I was decked out in a pair of black Adidas track pants, a t-shirt with dinosaurs on it, and a cap. Add to this the fact that I was slowly marinating in my own juices from our flight over and smelled more than just a little rancid, most in attendance probably just assumed that I was some homeless guy that Anna had taken pity on and decided to give a free meal.

A sure sign that apartment prices are going to double in the next five years.

Our room was finally ready by the time we had finished lunch so I eventually got to peel off my soured clothes and scrub off a layer of grime. Anna cleaned up too and went back to the conference, leaving me with a few hours to kill so I decided to check out an area of town that had a few shops I wanted to have a look at. It had been raining quite heavily for most of the afternoon so I jumped in a cab that was out the front of the hotel and went to Quartiere XI Portuense. Clearly this was a recently gentrified area, as I was immediately greeted the second I stepped out of the taxi by a bucket surrounded by syringes with an old belt for a tourniquet and some used tissues inside (left). Nice. I continued looking around the shops for a couple of hours, dodging the intermittent downpours, and then spent almost another hour in the rain trying to find an ATM that would accept my card and then attempting to flag down a taxi back to the hotel. It’s quite difficult to get a cab in Rome so I ended up getting an Uber, but that took about twenty minutes because of the traffic. In fact, the Uber booking came with a warning that the driver was either deaf or hearing impaired so I wasn’t quite sure how to respond when the driver called me on my phone; trying to communicate with a deaf person on the phone has trouble written all over it, but one would expect it would be even more difficult as a foreigner. Fortunately, everything went fine, he was calling me to say that he would be at least another 10 minutes, then he called me again when he arrived to ask what I was wearing so he could pull over and pick me up.

When I arrived back at the hotel, Anna had been looking at places to eat and suggested going to the very area I had just come from. I explained that there didn’t really seem like much in the way of nightlife in that spot and fortunately people eat quite late in Italy so we went and grabbed a drink at Matrix Bar, a dive bar down the road from our hotel and really the only bar in its general vicinity, while we looked for somewhere else to go for dinner. Matrix Bar wasn’t a particularly classy establishment, averaging a whopping two stars on Google Reviews, the first of which just reads “Sad and dirty,” but we were glad we stopped by for the amusement alone. We both ordered a beer and cringed as an angry guy played the poker machines while a heavily pregnant woman and her mother both chain-smoked and drank. As for food, there was a pizza restaurant out the back and a fridge full of desserts in the bar that inexplicably had the entire range of Magnum ice-creams without wrappers. That’s right, to choose your flavour of unwrapped Magnum, you had to read the sign in front of them.

Anna out the front of Matrix Bar

My beer

Some of the entertainment options available

Possibly counterfeit Magnums down the bottom

We eventually decided that we would have dinner at Ditirambo, a great looking restaurant in Campo de’ Fiori, and we definitely didn’t regret our decision. We ordered some ham and burrata, then we got our mains. Anna had homemade tagliolini with pork cheek, artichokes, and sheep’s cheese and I got the same pasta but with drunken octopus and it was all spectacular! The only problem with proper handmade pasta is that is so filling and sometimes the portions here are enormous. It was a Friday night and there was a cool shisha bar a few doors down in the square so we dropped by for a drink but there were a few drawbacks. First, it was freezing cold, we had to sit outside and, although there were heaters, we were still a little underdressed for the conditions. There were giant clear screens around us to block the breeze, but huge gust of wind came up and blew over the one behind us, shattering it! The other problem was that we were both still running on Singapore time so it was the equivalent of being about 6:00am and we aren’t that young anymore. The jet-lag had caught up with us both and Anna had a presentation to give the following day so we finished our drinks and caught an Uber home for the earliest night we’ve had in quite some time. A few sights from that tiring evening:

Anna and her dinner

Mine

She’s always loved the old Fiat 500

In the square at Campo De’ Fiori

Where we attempted to have a drink before realising we were too tired

Saturday, December 16 Anna was giving her presentation just before 9:30am, immediately after two of her former colleagues and good friends from New York, Chandra Balaratnasingam and Rosa Dolz-Marco, who we had recently visited in Spain. I couldn’t attend so I chose to sleep in, but I was told Anna’s talk went exceptionally well and was sent some photos. The pictures aren’t particularly clear or flattering, but it should give you the general idea:

I always feel kind of proud when I see these

Anna is bottom left

Doing her thing

After it was over we decided not to have the free conference lunch, but maybe go to the market around the corner to get a bite to eat, but upon arrival it was somewhat of a letdown. A lot of the stalls weren’t open and very few of the ones that were had food, however, I would’ve had no problem getting a birth certificate printed there for some reason. Instead, we walked further into town and had more pasta, more cheese and a Roman artichoke.

Anna still had a bit of spare time before she had to go back to the conference so we walked around and looked at some of the shops in the area, mainly secondhand and vintage stores. First we went into a place that had a lot of cool secondhand clothes where Anna bought a really nice dress and I tried to purchase a Vegas-era Elvis statue to no avail, then we found what is the epitome of my kind of store — Mercatino Compra Vendita Usato, a giant thrift shop the size of a department store and it sold everything, including an old slot-machine. Unfortunately, the slot-machine was too heavy and too expensive so I just settled for an enormous Spanish tambourine that’s about 45cm (18″) in diameter that Anna talked me into buying, as well as a couple of records. Anna left before I did to get back to the conference, while I took my time and then enjoyed the walk back.

Some of the services available at the barely-open market

It’s a shame we wouldn’t be there for the opening

A Roman artichoke

Elvis wasn’t leaving that building

At the entrance of a store where I could happily spend all day

Old record player

The slot-machine

The tambourine with Anna’s hand for perspective

This looked kind of cool

Is there a correct term for a group of nuns?

One that strayed from the flock

I got home and we had plenty of time to relax for an hour or two before it was time to go out for dinner again. One of the speakers that Anna has worked with is from Rome so he booked a restaurant for a group of us, including Rosa and Roberto, her husband, as well as Chandra and his family, however, Chandra, his wife, and his son had all developed an awful stomach virus and would be unable to make it, instead opting to try and get in better shape for their long flight back to Perth, Australia the following day.

Roberto had the brilliant idea of having a look at the landmarks and ruins around the city before dinner to see what they look like at night, something I would recommend to anyone visiting Rome, be it for their first or fiftieth time, for several reasons; not only does everything seem to have a much more spectacular appearance under lights, but also you’re free from all the annoying people trying to sell you stuff and offer completely unwanted assistance, as well as the other shady individuals that seem to migrate towards the world’s tourist attractions. Roberto, Rosa, Anna, and myself started out at the Colosseum, down past the Basilica Aemilia and the Imperial Forum, to the Altare della Patria and then slowly made our along the Tiber river, taking in all of the sights along the way en route to the restaurant. Once there, Anna’s Italian colleague chose a selection of his favourite dishes for us and we just ate and drank until we could no longer move. This might seem like a lot of  pictures, but it is merely a taste of what we saw, ate, and drank that night:

The Colosseum

Arch of Constantine

There are shoes hanging from power-lines in every city, but the ones here are really nice too!

Making our way up the street

Still going…

Campitelli

Some columns near Basilica Aemilia

More of Basilica Aemilia

Rosa, Roberto and Anna

Still more…

and more…

Julius Caesar

Still walking

A fountain on the side of the Altare della Patria

The Altare della Patria

A column near the Alter

Up close

Some ruins around the back

More ruins

Near Capitoline Hill

The view across the Tiber

What’s left of a bridge

More of the Tiber

And more of that broken bridge

Anna and Rosa chatting and eating

The whole gang… and I

Sunday, December 17 Today was to be the first of only two full days Anna and myself would have to ourselves this time and part of that would consist of changing hotels. The Ergife Palace wasn’t a bad place, but there was just nothing nearby, the nearest areas worth visiting were a 90-minute walk or a €20.00 (AU$30.00) taxi or Uber away. Fortunately for us, Anna had found the QuodLibet Guest House, located a relatively short walk from the Vatican and it was an upgrade we definitely welcomed. We checked out of our hotel and caught a cab straight to the QuodLibet, but initially it was a little difficult to find the Guest House. It turned out we needed to go through a common doorway for several other business and then take a tiny vintage elevator with inward-opening doors to the fourth floor, but once up there the place was beautiful. It had a bunch of uniquely themed rooms and the owners were great, really friendly and offering us heaps of free croissants and coffee.

“Hey Denim Dan, where’d you get the Canadian tuxedo?”

Once we had settled in we took a walk into the city, but made a point of avoiding the Vatican as one can only imagine how crazy that gets on a Sunday. Instead, we opted to check out some of the markets and then go into town and spend the afternoon just shopping, eating, and taking in the sights. The markets were a bit of fun, although there was not a lot there that really appealed to us. What does become abundantly clear when you spend a bit of time looking through markets and vintage stores in Rome is that there must’ve been a period of time around 15-20 years ago when the place resembled an entire city full of at-liesure Jay Lenos (right) — There is so much secondhand denim available! It’s not just jeans, shirts, and jackets, pretty much any wearable item was available made from denim at the turn of the century in Italy. People often consider Italy one of the world’s fashion capitals, admittedly they are generally referring to Milan, but let’s not forget that there was a time not too long ago when visiting one of the most historically significant cities on earth may have easily been mistaken for a trip to the mechanic’s.

We walked into Campo Marzio, one of the main historical districts that also has an abundance of great restaurants and pedestrian shopping avenues. The first thing to greet you as you approach these streets at any entry point will be at least one military vehicle and a bunch of heavily armed military personnel, obviously in place to prevent a vehicle attack, as has been one of the more common terrorist methods of late, such as that which occured just before we visited Barcelona, Spain earlier in the year or in my home city of Melbourne, Australia just days before Christmas, which several friends of mine witnessed. Needless to say, we felt exceptionally safe with these guys around so we just relaxed and did what we set out to do; spend the afternoon eating, shopping and exploring, including looking at some of the same sights again, this time during the light of day. Another huge bunch of photos:

Walking to the market from our place

In the market

Selling pastries

In Piazza del Popolo

Anna hangin’ out

One of many water features

Another obelisk

They actually make you feel pretty safe

Walking around

My octopus

Lamb and artichoke

A Cardinal doing his thing

STEAK!

Trevi Fountain

More of Trevi Fountain

Anna striking a pose

The side of the Altare della Patria

Some more columns

Part of the Forum

Some horses

If I had a vespa, it would be this one

We were planning to have dinner and some drinks with Rosa and Roberto again, but first we had a look at some of the shops and bars in a kid of hipster district called Monti. There was a brilliant artist’s market there that we spent a lot of time in, then it was off for a couple of libations at a bar that had some great beer and some even more controversial local art. When it was time, we met up for dinner and then headed to the same shisha bar, this time well-rested and better dressed to handle the cold. Here is a sample of some of the paintings from that bar, as well as the token shot of us all drinking:

Frida Kahlo shaving

Pimpin’ ain’t easy

Doing what we do

Monday, December 18 It was our last day to soak in everything Rome had to offer and we both had only one thing on our collective minds to begin the day; breakfast. Anna told me she had found a place simply called Eggs and as a part of their essentially egg-based menu, they apparently serve ostrich eggs for breakfast! We tried to make our way down there posthaste, but there was one minor setback we hadn’t considered; we had to walk past the Vatican, which meant we were going to get hassled constantly. “Why?” I hear you ask. Well, here’s a little background on the Vatican:

Vatican City is a country located within the city of Rome. With an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of about 1,000, it is the smallest state in the world by both area and population. However, formally it is not sovereign, with sovereignty being held by the Holy See.

Within Vatican City are religious and cultural sites such as St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. They feature some of the world’s most famous paintings and sculptures. The unique economy of Vatican City is supported financially by the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications.

They even make phone covers of these guys!

What that means is that there is a never-ending throng of people trying to sell you shit and they don’t quit! Without any exaggeration, there is one of these guys, some of them local, but many of them foreign, standing every four or five metres along the footpath in the general vicinity of the Vatican, some trying to sell stuff, others trying to point you toward the entrances for museums, chapels, and other tourist attractions, most likely in an effort to get tips from American tourists. They just assume the only reason everyone is there is to do the touristy stuff and they will do anything to make a buck, especially off the Sistine Chapel. “Sir, the entrance to the Sistine Chapel is to the right. Sir? Sir…?” said one as we walked past him and was approached by another. “Sir, if you are looking for the Sistine Chapel, it’s just to the right,” said the next one, “Sir, do you need help?” inquired another, but my favourite had to be one we passed while walking through St. Peter’s Square; “Sir, this is not the Sistine Chapel.” No shit, Sherlock, I was able to figure that one out for myself because probably the most famous visible feature of the Sistine Chapel is its ceiling, covered by a world-renowned and critically-acclaimed painting by Michelangelo, consisting of nine scenes from the Book of Genesis. We, on the other hand, were standing in a sprawling outdoor area with an unobstructed view of a cloudless blue sky. Anna remarked that the Vatican had been cleaned up a lot since we were last there. Sure, the people trying to make a buck are a pain in the ass, but she told me that there aren’t as many gypsies, pickpockets, and criminals in general there. Just people bugging the shit out of tourists or trying to sell cheap souvenirs and fake handbags and quite a few homeless people and beggars. Apparently, last time we didn’t feel particularly safe in the Pope’s neighbourhood, but that wasn’t a problem this time so we took a couple of photos. Maybe it was just the time of the year, but it was a good thing we didn’t want to visit any of the sites because it was crowded as hell and this was on a Monday. Just look at the queues to get into the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica! I guess those annoying bastards are earning their keep:

Ann in front of a small portion of the queue

Panoramic shot of St. Peter’s Square

And another

That’s a long-ass line!

In front of the Obelisk at St. Peter’s Basilica

Back to the mission at hand — Getting those eggs. We were still perpetually getting hassled and I almost got to the point of asking the next person who inquired if I “need any help” if they happened to know how to get to the place that fries ostrich eggs, but I thought it was best not to encourage them. We eventually found our way to Eggs on our own, the walk there was beautiful, but the restaurant didn’t have ostrich eggs. They had the shells of ostrich eggs out the front, but the sole woman who who worked there spoke very little English so I pointed at the shells and she shook her head. Whether they don’t serve them or they just weren’t available that day is still a little unclear, but I still enjoyed the breakfast we had.

After breakfast we just walked around the city, checking out a different district to previous days, especially the market stalls that sold wine, cheese, ham, and salami, but one of the best decisions we made was going into Antica Salumeria, right near the Pantheon. Their website describes the place as follows:

Historical family from Norcia dedicated to salumeria for many generations.

Over the coure [sic] of the time it’s extended its branches in baking, food and pastry.

Loved by their loyal customers and by many tourists who rush into the store.

Screw the baking and pastry, if you love ham, salami, and cheese, this place will be to you what the Vatican is to Catholics! When we walked inside there was prosciutto and salamis hanging from the ceiling, as well as entire walls of cheese.

On our way to Eggs

The Pantheon

Out the front of Antica Salumeria

Once inside

Don’t worry, you were very tasty

Those black things up the top are wheels of cheese

Hemp cheese

We were given plenty of free samples and ultimately bought several shopping bags full of meat and cheese. The shop owners were extremely generous, giving us free bottles of olive oil and biscuits as we left.

We strolled around, another afternoon spent looking, eating, and shopping, be it for ourselves or buying gifts for friends and family back home. We found some interesting products available including a carrot sharpener (left). Judging by the text on the package, this product was most likely Danish, as opposed to Italian, but you never realise that you are coping without something until you first discover it. Still, with my giant tambourine, there probably isn’t enough room in my luggage for a carrot sharpener so I am destined to a life of blunt carrots.

Soon we were getting a little peckish again and it occured to us we still hadn’t had pizza since we had been in Rome. Neither of us felt like a big meal as we had already planned what we were having for dinner so we went to Alice Pizza. It may not have been traditional Italian pizza, more along the lines of fast food, but it was pretty damn good and with some kind of absurd flavours available, although it is hard to find a menu, leading me to believe that they change a lot of them daily. We went back to our apartment to relax for a while before dinner and before too long it was time to eat again, this time at a place that Anna loved last time we were in town.

After relaxing, we went out for dinner at Sorpasso. Sorpasso is split into two different places; Passaguai, which is mainly just a wine bar, and Sorpasso, the kitchen and restaurant area of the wine bar. We pulled up a seat and instantly recognised a couple of the waiters so Anna asked how long they had worked there and it turns out it was highly likely they were the ones that served us five years ago. Just as on that occasion, this time we ate like kings too.  We started off with a prosciutto platter, then had steamed cod with artichoke and some braised beef, followed by some pasta and a cheese platter. Have a look for yourself:

A carved tree stump near by

Anna insisted on a selfie

Ham platter

braised beef

Cod and artichoke

Some awesome broccoli pasta

Dinner was perfect, but our final night in Rome was only getting started. We went to a small nearby bar and sat in the main bar area, but it was little cramped and a tad depressing. It seemed like all the action was happening in the room next door, however, there was a sign that said it was a private function. The waitress said that it didn’t matter and that we should pull up a table and have some fun if there was a spare one. It turned out that there was so we crashed an office’s Christmas karaoke party and to say that it turned out hilarious is an understatement. Initially, we were welcomed with this group rendition of Wham’s seminal Christmas staple, Last Christmas:

The drinks flowed and the singing continued, some of it terrible, some of it quite decent, and on one occasion it was phenomenal. I’m referring to an African girl probably no older than about 12 or 13, the more-than-likely adopted daughter of one of the older employees, who did a mind-blowing rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s I will Survive. Things really got truly entertaining when, during a male employee’s heartfelt rendition of I’m Yours by Jason Mraz, it seemed that an incredibly drunk girl across the room (right) was flirting with me. She was constantly looking over at me, stroking the stem of her wine glass and occasionally mouthing the lyrics while staring me in the eyes, that kind of thing. Anna noticed as well and it was a running joke for us for the remainder of the night, but it was when I had to break the seal that it became clear that she was somewhat serious. The bathrooms in the bar were just two separate stalls side by side. I was in the midst of taking a leak in one stall when the door of the other stall closed and a woman’s voice began to sing seductively, “♫I’m yours…♫.” At first I thought it was just some regular drunk chick in the bathroom singing to herself, but when I went back to my seat I noticed the girl was no longer in hers. Anna then told me that the girl had got up just after I did and walked over to the direction of the bathroom. I informed her of what had happened while I was inside and neither of us could stop pissing ourselves for the rest of the night. Of course, the multitude of beer and wine certainly helped. We eventually staggered home, still laughing, and packed our stuff when we got back. Our flight was at around 11:00am the next morning and we don’t have the best track record when it comes to making flights comfortably on time so we figured we had better get some sleep.

Tuesday, December 19 I don’t usually make a big deal of writing about the day we leave, but in this particular case I’ll make an exception. We got up, enjoyed some of the free coffee and croissants that Gianluca, our host at QuodLebet, had prepared for us, accepted his parting gift of some traditional Roman Gentilini biscuits and half a kilogram of Gragano pasta from Naples and we were on our way to the airport. We got there with plenty of time to spare so we checked in and then went to the duty-free section to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Once that was completed we went up to the lounge and waited for our flight. In yet another example of our incredibly consistent ability to steal defeat from the jaws of victory at airports, we waited for the final boarding call and went to walk down to our boarding gate, which required us catching an elevator. We got in what we thought was the correct lift, albeit one with a bit of an industrial feel, and pressed the button for the floor, but it wouldn’t open when we arrived. Anna pressed the emergency button which rang an extremely loud bell, but the doors also eventually opened. We were then in an unfamiliar area so she pushed the handle on the first door in front of us, setting off a siren. It turned out that that door was to allow employees to access the tarmac. Oops We somehow found our way back to our gate, although we were the last to board our flight again, met with the same looks to what we experienced when we did something similar in Sweden. We made the 12-hour flight home, laughed while we were landing as a Chinese man who was at least in his mid-40s bawled while watching a documentary on the death of Princess Diana, and arrived back at our place at about 6:00am. I showered and, before going to bed for a nap, thought I’d weigh myself. Despite walking anywhere between 10-14 kilometres (6.2 – 8.6 miles) per day, I had still managed to pile on four kilograms (8.8 lbs)! I’m going to put it down to water retention from the flight or possible muscle development in my quads and gluts from all of the walking and climbing. No way was it all of that pasta.

Our second trip to Rome was a blast, just as we expected, but there were a few surprises, coincidences, and things we just generally don’t understand in Italy.

Pineapple, bitches!

First of all, despite all of the memes and everything else you may have read on the internet, yes, you can get pineapple on pizza in Italy (right). This one, however, might be a unique occurrence because it came from that Alice Pizza place and they did have some odd choices (banana pizza anyone?). Also, we never saw an actual Hawaiian pizza anywhere, but if this one exists, then there is nothing stopping anyone from adding a little ham to it.

Quite a lot of Uber and taxi drivers are called Massimo. In fact, almost every driver we had was called Massimo! The reason we noticed was when we ordered out first Uber, Anna said to me, “You’ll never guess what our driver’s name is.” I honestly had no idea what she was getting at so I just said something stereotypical like ‘Geppetto.’ “No,” Anna responded. “But do you remember The Bold and the Beautiful…?” It was hilarious at the time, but the reference lost its edge after we kept constantly encountering Massimos.

The final thing is quite a simple one — Why don’t public toilets have seats? Were people stealing them or something? I do everything I can to avoid a public toilet situation where I’m required to sit, but I think it would make the whole situation a little more tolerable if there were a seat. I’m not particularly good at hovering and that porcelain has to get a little cold on the cheeks during Winter.

Anyway, until next time, Italy, thanks to everyone who helped us out while we were in town and if you visit Rome make sure you stay at QuodLibet Guest House, you won’t regret it. The next time you’ll probably hear from me will be in a couple of weeks after I spend four nights in Bangkok with my mate, Owen.

Want to Gain Weight Rapidly? Visit Rome! We returned a little over a week ago from our final trip for 2017 which revolved around Anna speaking at the 

[djgblogger-blog]

Can you pass this smell test?

http://bit.ly/2wsPyJN

The smell of daffodils is a treat for most people, but some cannot experience the joy because they have lost their sense of smell. Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko/Shutterstock.com

Each of our senses gives us a unique view of our world. Our visual system detects parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, revealing movement, brightness and color, but also a smile or a tear. Our auditory system registers changes in pressure, but also allows us to hear the crash of ocean waves or the smoky contralto of Billie Holiday. To appreciate the flavor of food and drink, recognize the perfume of the first spring flowers or detect the danger of a gas leak, we rely upon our olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste) systems.

Smell and taste are intimately linked to each other. They are collectively known as chemical senses because each system functions to detect chemicals in our external environment. Our brains also process aspects of smell and taste together, especially when it comes to perceiving the flavor of food.

The chemical senses play hugely important roles in the lives of all animals. For example, a recent pair of studies showed that social order breaks down dramatically in ants with a disrupted olfactory system. These animals, which rely on odors to communicate with each other the way humans rely on language, could no longer perceive important social messages sent between individuals.

Anosmia, which is the complete loss of smell, and other smell or taste disorders can be life-changing for humans, too. Because your brain combines smell and taste to create a perception of flavor, impairments in either of these senses can make food seem bland or even unpalatable. And while we don’t rely on odors to communicate the way ants do, those who can’t smell their new baby, their partner or the freshly mown grass can feel isolated from others and from the world around them.

Unfortunately, there are no effective treatments for most patients with smell and taste disorders. Additionally, patients often find it nearly impossible to be properly diagnosed or to receive support that can help to improve their quality of life – critical needs that we are helping to address in the laboratory and the clinic at the University of Florida Center for Smell and Taste.

Test your knowledge

How well do you know your chemical senses? Answer these true-or-false questions below to find out more.

Humans can track scent on the ground the way dogs do.

True.

The human sense of smell is better than you were told. In fact, it rivals that of other animals. Humans can even follow a scent track on the ground.

Dogs in a field chase a scent. CG3/Shutterstock.com

However, dogs, rodents and many other mammals are attuned to parts of the chemical world of which we are unaware: They can detect specialized odors such as pheromones that may influence social interactions, mating behaviors or aggression responses. There is little evidence supporting a role for pheromones in humans, no matter what those internet ads might say!

Some people smell odors that aren’t there.

True.

People with phantosmia perceive an odor even when there is not one present. These smell phantoms (there are taste phantoms, too) can have many causes, including nasal infections, neurological damage accompanying surgery or conditions such as epilepsy. Phantosmia is but one type of smell and taste disorder, the most common of which are hyposmia, which is diminished ability to smell, and anosmia, which is the inability to detect smells.

Sweet taste can be an illusion.

True.

Artichokes contain chemicals that don’t taste sweet on their own, but leave behind sweetness when washed away by a drink of water. These chemicals act by locking the sweet taste receptor in your mouth into the “off” position; when the chemical is washed away, the receptors all snap to the “on” position simultaneously, evoking a sweet “water taste” even in the absence of sugar or other sweeteners. The sweet taste inhibitor lactisole – a compound added to jams and jellies to dampen the intense sweetness from high concentrations of sugar used as a preservative – can elicit a similar perception.

Mosquitoes (and other insects) have noses.

False (technically).

But they do have have antennae and other structures that function much like the human nose to detect odors. And they use their sense of smell to find you when they want a meal. The insect repellent DEET works in part by disrupting the mosquito’s sense of smell.

Sour can taste sweet.

True.

An unusual protein called miraculin, found in the “miracle fruit” of the tropical plant Synsepalum dulcificum, doesn’t taste sweet on its own but becomes a potent sweetener when exposed to acids. Suck on a lemon after eating a miracle fruit, and it will taste like lemon candy.

A lemon will taste like candy after you eat miracle fruit. grey_and/Shutterstock.com

Smell and taste aren’t the only chemical senses.

True.

While you can tell the difference between basil and garlic by their smell, your sense of taste is largely indifferent to herbs and spices. Then how do you sense of cooling of the menthol in mint, the heat of capsaicin in a habanero, or the tingling of sanshools in Szechuan peppercorns? Compounds in many herbs and spices trick temperature, pain and vibration sensors associated with the trigeminal nerve in the mouth and nose to give you these sensations. This third chemical sense is known as chemesthesis.

Mirrors can change smells.

False.

A mirror won’t alter a smell. But some mirror image molecules (known as stereoisomers – think of comparing your right and left hands) have very different smells. The best-known stereoisomers that evoke very different aromas are D-carvone and L-carvone, which smell like caraway and spearmint, respectively.

Few people may appreciate the biology and chemistry that allows us to experience our chemical world. But those of us who study the chemical senses hope that our research will lead to tastier and healthier food, reduce the spread of insect-borne disease, improve the lives of people with smell or taste disorders and create a better understanding of the importance of smell and taste.

Steven D Munger receives funding from the University of Florida and from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. He currently serves as the Past President of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences.

[full-imagination]

Dicksie Cribb

Dicksie Johnston Cribb, 64, of Spartanburg passed away on Thursday, August 10, 2017, at her home following a brief illness. Born on February 5, 1953, in Spartanburg, SC, she was the daughter of the late Troy Kenneth and Dicksie Brown Cribb. She graduated from Spartanburg High School and Converse College. Her education included studies in London and Taiwan. After college, Dicksie worked in the communications department at Clemson University, where she produced and hosted television shows for 4-H members, as well as other youth programs. She later held influential political appointments in the Reagan administration in Washington, DC. She served as a key official at the Department of Labor and helped oversee the development and implementation of the Jobs Training Partnership Act, a Reagan initiative that emphasized private sector training expertise. At the Federal Communications Commission, she served as Special Assistant to the Chairman during a period when the American broadcasting system grew from four networks to scores of channels. She was well known in the Reagan administration as one of the president’s most loyal and fervent supporters. Dicksie returned to Spartanburg to work at Flagstar and then the SC School for the Deaf and Blind. She adored working with the school’s children. She learned sign language and was known for her extraordinary empathy. Like her mother, Dicksie loved music and the theater. She made her operatic debut at age four as “Trouble” in Madame Butterfly at Converse’s Twitchell Auditorium. She loved working backstage for the Spartanburg Little Theater, volunteering as props mistress for many productions. She also sang in the choir at Trinity Methodist Church for many years. Dicksie’s most memorable productions were the ones she directed for family Christmas Eve gatherings. Every year, she gently prodded relatives young and old into performing, sometimes accompanying them on the baritone ukulele. Dicksie was a wonderful writer and took great pride in being published in a Hub City Writers Project anthology. She was the family genealogist and delighted in uncovering ancestors’ histories. She loved cooking for her family and was famous for her baked artichoke dip, caviar pie, and homemade fudge. An animal lover, Dicksie was rarely without a dog from the animal shelter or a cat she had befriended. She was never happier than when sitting on the screen porch at her beloved Lake Summit with a good book, her dog Mamie, and a cup of coffee. Dicksie dedicated many years of her life to taking care of her mother, an act of devotion for which her family will always remember her with loving gratitude. Dicksie is survived by her siblings Kenneth Cribb, Jr., Billy Cribb, and Evelyn Cribb Ritchie with her husband Jim, all of Spartanburg, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins. A memorial service will be conducted at 11:00 AM Monday, August 14, 2017, at Trinity United Methodist Church, 626 Norwood Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302, conducted by the Rev. Neal Woods. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Walker Foundation at the SC School for the Deaf and Blind School, 355 Cedar Springs Road, Spartanburg, SC 29302 www.walkerfdn.org or Trinity United Methodist Church. An online guest register is available at http://bit.ly/2lcbDXM Floyd’s North Church Street Chapel from The JF Floyd Mortuary Crematory & Cemeteries via Spartanburg Funeral

[newhealthyrecipes2016]

10 Healthy Food Recipes For Dinner – Easy Healthy Recipes

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1. Protein Pancakes 4 Ways: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/protein-pancakes-4-ways 2. Healthy Fritters 4 Ways: https://www.tastemade.com/shows/healthy-af/healthy-fritters-4-ways 3. Summer Rolls 3 Ways: https://www.tastemade.com/shows/hungry-af/summer-rolls-3-ways 4. Simple Almond Joy Energy Bites: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/simple-almond-joy-energy-bites 5. Artichoke 101: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/artichoke-101 6. Vegan Lemon Nut Cake: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/vegan-lemon-nut-cake 7. Burrito Bowls 4 Ways: https://www.tastemade.com/shows/healthy-af/burrito-bowls-4-ways 8. Breakfast Popsicles: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/breakfast-popsicles 9. Lettuce and Tofu Balls: https://www.tastemade.com/videos/lettuce-and-tofu-balls 10. Healthy Wraps 4 Ways: https://www.tastemade.com/shows/healthy-af/healthy-wraps-4-ways

Credit: Website: https://www.tastemade.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tastemade/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tastemade Thumbnails: https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/beef-and-bean-crescent-burritos/1caa8b17-2e48-462e-be7d-0960259dce67 —————————————–­———————-

VIEW MORE: ☞ Playlist “Healthy Food Recipes For Dinner”: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh0xbjbA6_58sWR_l3-1fnrTogDMuVHB5 ���————————————–­———————-

MUSIC: Connect with NCS: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aEa8K-EOJ3D6gOs7HcyNg

Track: Cartoon – Why We Lose (feat. Coleman Trapp) [NCS Release]

DEAF KEV – Invincible [NCS Release]

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* None of these images, music & video clips were created/owned by us. * This video is purely fan-made, if you (owners) want to remove this video, please contact me through email “rhubarbbloated@gmail.com” or the YouTube private messaging system. We will respectfully remove it.

The post 10 Healthy Food Recipes For Dinner – Easy Healthy Recipes appeared first on Healthy Recipes.

[shotguns-and-socialites]

Organic Fruits & Vegetables

Organic fruits and vegetables are special ingredients that can only be used by characters with the Registered Nutritionist accomplishment. Otherwise, they function just like normal ingredients.

Organic Orange

Item, Ingredient

Cost: $3

Item Level: 1st

Meal TN: 11

A tart, orange fruit with a thick rind, said to prevent disease.

Meals made with oranges provide 1 protection against electric, fire, water, and poison damage. If the margin of success is 10 or more, they also prevent the eater from spreading or acquiring communicable diseases.

Organic Tomato

Item, Ingredient

Cost: $6

Item Level: 2nd

Meal TN: 12

Tomatoes were once widely believed to be poisonous, but are now one of the most popular foods in the world.

Meals made with tomatoes add 1d4 poison damage to all attacks. If the margin of success is 10 or more, whenever the eater deals at least 1 poison damage with an attack, they recover 1d4 HP.

Organic Bell Pepper

Item, Ingredient

Cost: $9

Item Level: 3rd

Meal TN: 13

Bell peppers are sweet vegetables from southern Arixo, and come in a wide variety of colors, including green, purple, brown, and white.

Meals made with bell peppers cure and prevent temporary deafness. If the margin of success is 10 or more, it also prevents (but does not cure) permanent deafness, and allows eaters that can hear to hear sounds just outside their normal hearing range.

Organic Banana

Item, Ingredient

Cost: $12

Item Level: 4th

Meal TN: 14

A yellow, pleasing fruit perfectly shaped for the human hand.

Meals made with bananas grant a +4 bonus to attack rolls with physical attacks. If the margin of success is 10 or more, the attacks also deal an additional 1d6 damage.

Organic Nectarine

Item, Ingredient

Cost: $17

Item Level: 5th

Meal TN: 15

Peaches without the fuzz. Olympians eat desserts made with nectarines to celebrate the new year.

Meals made with nectarines grant  a +4 bonus to attack and damage rolls with mental attacks. If the margin of success is 10 or more, and if the eater is fully grown, then there is a 1% chance that they do not age the following year.

Organic Olives

Item, Ingredient

Cost: $22

Item Level: 6th

Meal TN: 16

Olives are usually black or green, and are associated with virginity and rebirth.

Meals made with olives cure all temporary standard status effects. If the margin of success is 10 or more, it also purges all ongoing effects of powers on the eater.

Organic Artichoke

Item, Ingredient

Cost: $31

Item Level: 7th

Meal TN: 17

An edible flower from eastern Ginen and western Thule. The pureed heart is used in a wide variety of religious rituals.

Meals made with artichokes provided a shield against death. The first time after eating that the eater falls to 0 HP, if they are alive, they recover 1 HP. If they are dead, they make a TN 40 Profession check, and if they pass, they come back to life with 1 HP. If the margin of success is 10 or more, they instead recover to full HP in both scenarios.

Organic Cucumber

Item, Ingredient

Cost: $44

Item Level: 8th

Meal TN: 18

A green gourd often confused with courgettes. Often used to make pickles.

Meals made with cucumbers add 1d6 water damage to all attacks. If the margin of success is 10 or more, it instead adds 1d12 water damage to all attacks.

Organic Cherry

Item, Ingredient

Cost: $61

Item Level: 9th

Meal TN: 19

A sweet, red fruit with a hard seed. In eastern Lemuria, its red skin was often associated with romance.

All the characters who eat the same meal made with cherries have a special link. They may redistribute any amount of PP among the group as a free action once a turn. No character can have more PP than their maximum. If the margin of success is 10 or more, each character in the group can use one power they don’t know that another character in the group knows. This can only be used once per meal.

Organic Milk

Item, Ingredient

Cost: $86

Item Level: 10th

Meal TN: 20

The milk of a heritage variety of cow, touted by those “in the know” as a superfood. Super-culinary grade milk is often processed into cheese, heavy cream, or other dairy products before being sold.

Meals made (successfully) with milk have their margin of success increased by +10. If the margin of success is 10 or more (before the bonus is applied), the margin of success is increased by an additional +10. All of these effects are applied after the effects of flour and xanthan gum.