#western blt

[cosmerelists]

What Cosmere Characters Would Order at Subway

This post not sponsored by Subway. I don't even really like Subway. Nevertheless, here's what I think Cosmere characters would order.

1. Navani: Sweet onion chicken teriyaki

Subway's sweetest sandwich

2. Dalinar: Chicken classic with pepperoni and spicy mayo

Subway's manliest (spiciest) sandwich

3. Wayne: BBQ pulled pork

Feels Western to me

4. Wax: Steak melt

Western, but also more for rich people.

5. Steris: Southern style chicken

This is my last "they're in a western!" joke I promise.

6. Hoid: Smashed falafel

Subway's meat is from actual animals (I hear), so Hoid will have to go vegetarian for this one.

7. Siri: Seafood Sensation

Hallandren has lots of seafood, and the name sounds exciting.

8. Vivenna: Chicken strips

I'm sure it doesn't have any flavor at all.

9. Lopen: Meatball melt

Are meatballs similar to chouta? Maybe.

10. Rock: BLT

At least it would have a little bit of crunch through the bacon.

11. Szeth: Chicken classic

They have chickens in Shinovar, right? So maybe this would taste nostalgic.

12. Lift: Whatever sandwich you ordered

It's what she always gets.

[nadekofannumber1]

Sometimes when I’m imagining my in theory perfect cafe collab I come up with ideas and am not sure if it works like that or is a thing and when it is it simply all starts coming together.

Anyway if suruga bonehead was a meal it would be a toasted BLT (or a vegan style blt I think fried tofu skins or a vegan bacon type thing would suit the dish well also, it just needs to be balanced and crispy, I like the idea of a turmeric+red pepper paste+chili oil (with honey or another sweetener) as an idea for marination for these tofu skins instead of the standard flavor, they sound so good I might just wanna add marinated fried tofu skins or fried tofu to the base with the bacon honestly either sounds great) (I’d personally use marble rye however if they wanted to print the sandwich squares like sliding doors I’d also think that’s cool and in that case maybe a sourdough)

with a black garlic aioli on the side (which possibly for acclimated flavor or color could have a sort of teriyaki sauce mixed with if they do not find a way to dye said dish black, I’d personally take the route of simply mixing said flavors with perhaps a black bean dip but it could be considered too western for the theming (even if it is a blt) I haven’t tried vegan aioli but if one imagined this as a vegan recipe it probably would not be hard to do),

with salt and pepper fries (possibly wedges, potentially sweet potato)

I have reasons for all these choices however I’m not saying them rn lol

[euphorial-docx]

i need to know so badly what american culture means to you

i am happy you asked!

i don’t want to sound like an america stan— we definitely are The Worst in a lot of ways— but america is one of the most diverse countries in the world. and additionally every state, and every county within every state, is wildly diverse too.

i’ll try to somewhat organize my thoughts:

sports like football, baseball, cheerleading, volleyball, skateboarding, snowboarding, basketball. and obviously the culture surrounding sports that stems from those, namely football.

fashion like blue jeans, street wear style, motorcycle jackets, cowboy attire (which is generally all throughout north and south america), and the plethora of traditional native dress.

our school system in general has its own culture with prom, the dress codes, marching bands, bring your tractor to school day, spirit week.

music with jazz, blues, rock n roll, hip hop, country, surf, bluegrass, gospel, disco.

foods like soul food, tex-mex, cajun, american chinese. specific foods like chicago deep dish pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, hard shell tacos, s’mores, pbj, blt, coke and pepsi, and fry bread (y’all it’s so good. please try it when you have the chance.)

cultures like appalachian, western desert, creole, cajun, surf, skate, chicano, tejano, the numerous native cultures that are still very much alive, and so many more.

and then stuff like drive in theaters, regional accents and dialect, comic books, barbecues, tailgating, greek life, modern halloween, rodeo, county fairs, mardi gras, and pow wows.

a lot of american culture comes from our black and native populations, as well as from the immigrants that helped and continue to help make this country. we’re called the “melting pot” for a reason and that’s one of the things i do love about my country.

it’s always bugged me that so many people just write it all off as nothing— even people in america write it off. these influences aren’t nothing. there are rich cultures all across america; cultures that are from specific regions, cultures that are nationwide, and then cultures that north and south america share.

[formeryelpers]

Flour Fresh Cream Donut, 833 S Western Ave #38, Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA 90005

Love whipped cream, so the idea of milk cream donuts definitely appeals to me. Flour Fresh Cream Donut opened last year inside the Rodeo Galleria in Koreatown (there was once a froyo stand inside the Rodeo Galleria). The Korean donut shop has a variety of filled, raised donuts (e.g., crème brulee, Boston cream, s’mores, misugaru, sweet potato, blueberry milk cream, black sesame, strawberry milk cream), and also fluffy twist donuts. The donuts start at $4 each. They also have donut sandwiches, coffee, and tea (including Korean tea).

If you order at least 4, you get a nice box. I don’t think there’s any quantity discount though.

Strawberry milk cream donut ($4.50): There’s plenty of cream in the center but it’s piped in (vs. splitting the donut in half and making a donut cream sandwich) with a swirl on top. The donut is served cold (refrigerated). The temperature threw me for a second. The raised donut was chewy and not too sweet. The cream was also not that sweet. I was expecting more strawberry flavor though. The cream had no strawberry flavor. All they did was add half a fresh strawberry on top.

Unfortunately, they don’t have the sandwich style milk cream donuts.

BLT donut sandwich ($8): The round raised donut was cut in half. The donut was not glazed and wasn’t that sweet. It had some type of crumb (panko?) on the outside. The sandwich was really good and with ample filling– lots of romaine lettuce, thick pieces of bacon, an egg, thick slice of tomato, and mayo. It was simple but the donut elevated it.

Order at the counter. They have a few tables inside. Parking is easy to find and limited to two hours.  

4 out of 5 stars

By Lolia S.

[pearlsmith25]

Bacon Market: Embarking on a Flavorsome Journey of Bacon Bliss

Bacon, a popular pork product, holds a significant presence in the global food market. Known for its distinctive savory and smoky flavor, bacon is enjoyed by people worldwide and is a versatile ingredient used in a variety of dishes. From breakfast meals and sandwiches to salads and pasta dishes, bacon has become a staple in many cuisines.

Market Overview:

The global bacon market has experienced steady growth over the years, driven by increasing consumer demand, evolving food preferences, and the popularity of bacon-based products. The market encompasses both retail and foodservice sectors, catering to household consumers as well as the commercial food industry.

The global bacon market size was valued at USD 23,446.30 million in 2021 and is anticipated to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.13% from 2022 to 2030.

Factors Driving the Market:

Taste and Flavor: Bacon's rich taste and unique flavor profile have contributed to its widespread popularity among consumers. The umami taste and smoky aroma of bacon add depth and enhance the flavor of various dishes, making it a sought-after ingredient.

Versatility and Application: Bacon's versatility in cooking and its ability to complement a wide range of dishes have made it a favorite among chefs and home cooks. It can be used as a standalone ingredient, added to sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, and even desserts, thereby expanding its application in the food industry.

Convenience: Pre-packaged bacon offers convenience to consumers, as it is readily available in supermarkets and grocery stores. The ease of cooking and the short preparation time associated with bacon products make it a convenient choice for consumers with busy lifestyles.

Growing Foodservice Industry: The rising popularity of eating out, fast-food chains, and casual dining restaurants has boosted the demand for bacon in the foodservice sector. Bacon is extensively used in burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, breakfast menus, and other dishes offered by restaurants and cafes.

Evolving Consumer Preferences: Changing consumer preferences, particularly the increasing demand for protein-rich foods and a growing interest in indulgent and flavorful options, have contributed to the steady growth of the bacon market. Consumers are also showing an inclination towards premium and artisanal bacon products.

Regional Market Analysis:

The bacon market is geographically diverse, with several key regions influencing its growth and consumption patterns. Here are some notable regions:

North America: North America, particularly the United States, is a significant market for bacon. It is widely consumed as a part of breakfast meals and is an essential component of popular dishes like BLTs (bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches) and burgers. The demand for bacon-based products, such as bacon-wrapped foods and bacon-infused recipes, has also witnessed a surge.

Europe: Bacon holds a prominent position in European cuisines, with countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, and Denmark being major consumers. The British breakfast, featuring bacon and eggs, is a classic example. European consumers also favor bacon in sandwiches, salads, and various traditional dishes.

Asia Pacific: While bacon consumption in Asia Pacific is relatively lower compared to other regions, the market is witnessing growth due to the increasing influence of Western cuisines, changing dietary habits, and urbanization. Countries like Australia, Japan, and South Korea have witnessed an upswing in bacon consumption.

Rest of the World: Bacon consumption is gradually expanding in other regions, including Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, as global food trends and exposure to international cuisines continue to shape consumer preferences.

Key Market Players:

The bacon market is highly competitive, with several established companies and regional players operating in the industry. Some of the prominent market players include:

Tyson Foods Inc. Hormel Foods Corporation Smithfield Foods, Inc. Danish Crown AmbA JBS S.A. WH Group Limited Oscar Mayer Farmland Foods, Inc. Applegate Farms Plumrose USA

These companies focus on product innovation, expanding distribution networks, and strategic collaborations to maintain their market share and cater to the evolving demands of consumers.

Conclusion:

The global bacon market continues to grow steadily, driven by its taste, versatility, and the increasing demand for indulgent and flavorful food options. With its wide-ranging applications and popularity across various cuisines, bacon remains a key ingredient in households and the foodservice industry. As consumer preferences evolve and bacon-based products continue to innovate, the market is expected to witness further growth and diversification in the coming years.

[guerrerense]

Heading Home From Harrison por David Blazejewski Por Flickr: Montana Rail Link's 844 Logan Local is seen at about MP 6.3 on MRL's 6th Sub (Harrison Branch) rolling north (timetable east) through a lonelu western high plains landscape. They are cresting a little hump after crossing MT Route 359 and will start to drop down toward Antelope Creek which they'll follow back through a canyon that cuts through the London Hills on their return toward the 5th Sub (former NP passenger main) at Sappington. Leading the eight loaded covered hoppers are two classic EMD GP35s, MRL 403 and 401 blt. Dec 1964 as DRGW 3039 and Jan. 1964 as DTI 353 respectively. Serving only one customer, this branch sees service once a week at most to reach the tiny country elevator at the end of the line. I can't verify the veracity of this claim, but I've been told by railroaders that the only reason this anachronism survives is that the owner of the Harrison Elevator Co. is an old friend of MRL's owner, billionaire industrialist Dennis Washington. If true it would certainly help to explain the otherwise unexplainable! This branch itself was originally built to Harrison by a Northern Pacific subsidiary in 1889 and extended a year later another 10 miles or so to Norris. Additionally at Harrison another branch forked 7 miles west to a small mining area at Pony. This branch was cut back by the NP during WWII and the outer 10 miles of the main stem to Norris succumbed under BN in 1975 leaving what was left to pass to MRL in 1987. As for the railroad itself, countless articles have been written about the MRL over the past 35 years of its existence and if you care to learn more download this great series courtesy of Trains Magazine: www.trains.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/TRN-MRL.pdf Madison County, Montana Tueaday September 6, 2022

[thewebcomicsreview]

So I want to be a writer, which I imagine is half the job of any webcomic creator. I’m big into fantasy, sci-fi, and horror: some of my favorite authors are Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Ray Bradbury, to name a few. The problem is, every time I read a story by them, I always get depressed, because their ideas always seem so original, and they make my ideas seem derivative. Do you have any advice for how I can come up with more original ideas, or become a better writer overall? Thank you so much

If there’s one big epiphany I’ve made in my time as a critic and a writer, it’s that ideas are over-rated. Here are a few free ones off the top of my head.

1. A Saturday morning cartoon villain goes back in time to win the Trojan War for the Trojans in the hope of winning the favor of the gods.

2. A rabbit with a degenerative eye condition sets out on a quest for the legendary carrot of eyesight in a coming of age reflection on dealing with loss.

3. Space explorers land on a distant planet and are startled to discover that Thomas Jefferson is alive there. 

4. A “Space Western”, but backwards, with a bunch of scientists exploring the old west and encountering Star Trek anomalies.

5. A race of giant robots breeds humans to fight monsters for them

6. An undercover gynecologist solves a murder mystery

7. A bunch of teens are trapped on a boat and the only way out is to kill one of their friends

8. “Cheers” but it’s the Mos Eisley Cantina

9. An amnesiac searching for his true identity wants to go where everybody knows his name

10. Moses accidentally comes down with the bill of rights instead of the ten commandments, establishing a new religion who oppress people who want to let soldiers quarter in their house 

I came up with these ideas through a time-honored method of just starting to write stuff down and continuing to write even if the words I was writing didn’t make much sense, then cleaned it up a little. You can even see the thread of logic connecting “Space western, but backwards” to “Giant Robot, but backwards” and from “Robots breed humans” to “gynecologist”. If you just force yourself to put pencil to paper and keep moving it without thinking about if the ideas are any good or not, you’ll have tons of ideas and thenn you can look at it the next day with a fresh mind and pick your favorites”. 

“But Daniel”, I hear you say “Those ideas suck”. To which I respond “So do ‘A space spider pretends to be a sewer clown’ and ‘A hotel makes you evil and coincidentally your son is a wizard’, and ‘what if the guy who makes dreams is an asshole’“. What makes these ideas good isn’t that they’re good ideas, it’s that they’re executed very well. They’re explored, they’re edited, they’re rewritten, they’re polished, and bam, everyone goes wow Neil Gaiman how do you have such great ideas. 

If you go back and look at those stupid ideas, all of which I made up just now, you start to see how there’s potential in a lot of them, you just got to give it a little thought. Let’s go through a few.

A rabbit with a degenerative eye condition sets out on a quest for the legendary carrot of eyesight in a coming of age reflection on dealing with loss

This one seems closest to a “complete” idea. We’ve got a character, a plot, an implied “there is no carrot” ending, and even a theme. It’s a bummer of a theme, but there are lots of bummery cartoons about adventures. 

For more evidence on why ideas don’t matter as much as execution: I’m not the only one who noticed that Brave Little Story has the same premise and even the same “find master” plot as Toy Story, but Toy Story isn’t really a BLT rip-off because it executes on those ideas differ-did the vacuum just pee?

And since we know the basic structure of the plot and the thing we’re trying to say, the rest of the story starts to write itself. This seems like a great fit for some kind of episodic story, with the rabbit encountering people who are all about to lose something or have already lost it, and are dealing with it in an unhealthy way. Maybe less Brave Little Toaster and more Phantom Tollbooth. Is make “degenerative eye condition” the stakes of a cartoony metaphor a bit too real? Uh....maybe! But that’s one of those questions you answer in down the line, when you’ve got some development of this idea and know where you’re going.

An undercover gynecologist solves a murder mystery

I like the concept of a gynecologist having to go undercover, but part of why it strikes me as funny is because it doesn’t make any god damn sense at all. Why does a gynecologist need to go undercover? Wouldn’t you need to reveal your identity to whoever you’re treating? This idea also feels a little juvenile. If I make a comic entirely based around vagina jokes all my female friends will look at me weird even more than they did when I put a hot pants on a deer. Hm. This idea seems like it really does suck. But instead of throwing it out, let’s go back to the drawing board and write about this idea for a few minutes, see if we can’t salvage it. 

A gynecologist is a doctor who deals in birth (and other things, but birth for now). Birth= Creation. A gynecologist is a doctor who creates life....Secretly being a doctor who creates life.... 

FRANKENSTEIN! 

Frankenstein moonlights as a private detective, but steals the body parts of the victims in order to make his monster. That’s an idea that has lots of potential. “It’s elementary, my dear Igor”. Maybe there’s a victim who survives a murder attempt but he’s got just the right arm for Frankenstein kills the dude himself and frames the attempted murderer, or frames an innocent man so that guy will get hanged and Frankenstein can take his legs. And then the cops start getting suspicious so he’s got to keep a low profile but he also needs to steal the crown jewels of England to pay for his experiments. A murder mystery where the detective is secretly committing an entirely unrelated but much worse set of super-crimes. There’s all sorts of plot potential there! Now I want to write this comic because it sounds awesome. Holy hell! Maybe there’s a case where the solution is that the victim faked their death and the police commissioner can go “But how can Mr. Victim be behind it? He’s dead??” and Detective Frankenstein can be all “On the contrary, he’s alive! He’s aliiiiiiive!” Aw man. Man, that undercover gynecologist idea seemed so terrible but with just a little change in perspective it’s suddenly totally rad.

“Cheers” but it’s the Mos Eisley Cantina

Obviously you have to file off the trademarked stuff but if you can’t see the story potential about a slice of life comedy in a bar full of weird broke space mobsters I don’t really know what to tell you. Maybe it can even be the framing device for all the other stories, and one of the patrons is a blind rabbit and one is Detective Frankenstein and then Detective Frankenstein has to fight a monster for the giant robot people! Because it’s Detective Frankenstein in space! Robot Space! Aw man, you could write like fifty stories easy off this premise and all you have to do is cut out all but the best six or so and polish them up a little and you’re an Image comic winning Hugo Awards! 

[batboysandgirls]

Tim Drake x Reader - Explosions And Other Saturday Morning Activities - PART 2

PART ONE HERE, PART THREE HERE, and PART FOUR HERE! Title: Explosions And Other Saturday Morning Activities - PART 2 Pairing: Tim Drake x Reader Summary: After discovering Tim Drake’s identity in an attack on Wayne Tower, you return to life as a Wayne Enterprises intern... but there’s a few problems.  Problems include (but are not limited to): going on a lunch date with Tim that is definitely not a lunch date, being the reason #timistaken is trending on Twitter, and getting kidnapped.  Typical Batfamily-adjacent issues, right? ... Right? Notes: Canon-typical descriptions of violence and injuries. Words: 4.4k

“I can’t believe you came in today!” Liza from social media management said.  “You’re so brave.”

You were trying not to roll your eyes.  If one more person called you “brave,” “strong,” or “tough” because you survived an Black Mask attack on your workspace Saturday and came into said workplace the following Wednesday… you were going to scream.

All the Wayne Enterprises interns on your floor had gathered around your desk, asking to hear about what happened.  You briefly retold the story for the mini-crowd of mostly college students who were definitely slacking off and using your injuries as an excuse to kill twenty minutes.  Maybe three were genuinely concerned.

You sat next to Nadiah from web design, and she had nervously been glancing at you all morning.  You usually ate lunch together and were certainly friends, so that made sense.  Ivan and Maria from public relations also were worried, though you wondered if it stemmed more from the fact you could still miss your deadline at end of the week, which would screw them up.  The work of a videography intern stops for no crime lord attacks, apparently.

(This morning, your boss, after hugging you and expressing how happy she was that you were alive, swore that you could take off whatever time you needed and to not worry about work.  You liked your boss a lot.)

The rest were just giving you pitying looks and nodding their heads to whatever you said.  You weren’t even sure of a few people’s names.  You weren’t paying that much attention and didn’t notice when a few girls at the back of the swarm around you started gasping (mostly likely because some guy from marketing was mansplaining how difficult this must be for you, which was distracting).

You did notice Nadiah go, “Oh my god,” as she looked behind you.

“I hope I’m not interrupting, Peter,” a familiar voice spoke.  “But ______, can I chat with you for a minute?”

You turned around to see Tim Drake-Wayne standing before you.  Last time you’d seen him, he was bloodied and in a burnt Red Robin costume.  Now, he was looking unfairly handsome in a suit with no tie.  Some girls were giggling at him, but he didn’t seem to mind.  You were way too happy to see him.  This was so wrong, wasn’t it?  To like your boss’s boss’s boss’s boss?  Who happens to be a superhero?  But you can’t help the smile that spreads across your face.

(So, so wrong.  But it feels right.)

“He was not saying anything particularly interesting,” you said, standing up.  “Sure.”

Tim smiled at that remark, eyes sliding to the slightly offended mansplainer, apparently named Peter, and titled his head towards the western door of the floor.

“I was thinking we should get lunch today.  Bruce and I really want to make it up to you for everything that happened Saturday,” he said as you walked.  You heard a few girls jealously gasp and whisper something about how lucky you were to have a “lunch date” with Tim Wayne.

Everything, huh?  Including discovering his secret identity and helping his fellow vigilantes escape from behind tied up?

You walked across the floor together, ignoring the jaw drops of not just interns but full staff members.

“Well, I know it was a long day for the both of us,” you said. “I’m glad we both seem to be healing and in good spirits.”

He smiled as he opened the door to the stairwell for you. “Exactly.”

This stairwell hadn’t been badly damaged to begin with, but, overall, repairs to Wayne Tower happened very quickly after Black Mask’s attack.  It was mostly windows that had been destroyed, along with the other central stairwell, not structural integrity stuff (thankfully).  And apparently, Wayne money could buy you not just quality reconstruction, but speedy reconstruction.

You could see some of the put-on charm vanish from Tim’s manner as you descended down the stairs, the two of you now alone.  He stopped at a landing between your floor and the next, looking you up and down.

“I just wanted to check on you.  Away from a slew of interns.  Is your side healing okay?”

Your fingers automatically reached for the gash bandaged below your blouse.  “It… it still hurts, and it’s going to leave a large scar.  But the nurse said it should be fully healed in about a month.”

Tim frowned.  “I’m sorry.  That’s awful.”

You tried to smile a bit, but it probably looked a little forced by the way Tim’s face turned even more apologetic.

“How are you doing?” you asked, before glancing around the stairwell.  This probably wasn’t secure enough to talk about Tim being Red Robin… you’d make do.  “I know that you had some injuries too, right?”

Tim nodded slowly, and you could see in his eyes that he wasn’t just affirming his injuries.  He was approving your careful questioning about the events of the attack.

“Yeah, but nothing too serious.  I’ve had a few bad accidents that were worse, so, with some rest, I was alright.”

Thing was, he didn’t look alright.  The way he was standing, his body looked tense and heavy.  His gaze even felt tired; there were dark bags below his stunning blue eyes.  You wished that Batman would force his kids to take time off.  More than three days.

You didn’t say anything in response though, because it probably wasn’t your place.  Tim smiled at you.  You found you couldn’t smile back; instead, you just tried to push down the knot of worry in your stomach, worry for this boy you hardly knew anyway.

“Meet me in the café across the street at noon, okay?  It’ll be my treat.  I should get back, see you soon.”

You gave a little wave as you each headed your respective ways, then you stopped and headed back towards him.

“Tim.”

“Hm?  Wh—”

Just as Tim turned back towards you, you enveloped him in a hug.  He was frozen for a second, but then he hugged you back.

“Sorry.  It just seemed like you needed that,” you said into his shoulder.  Tim didn’t say anything, but he hugged back a little tighter.  You didn’t know how long you stood there holding Tim, but a warm feeling didn’t leave your chest long after you had returned to your desk.

✹ ✹

Tim told you to order whatever you wanted, and you had to remind yourself as you looked at the menu that he was not one of your college friends.  He quite literally could afford everything and anything.  Usually, you’d try to choose something on the cheap end if someone offered to buy you food, but Tim Drake was not a broke student.

The café was simple, but nice.  It looked like this was a popular spot for lunch in Old Gotham.  You got a chocolate croissant and avocado toast with salmon—

(You could practically hear what your parents would say if they saw you eating avocado toast, but you ignored your mind’s versions of them.  They couldn’t mock you here.)

—with lemonade.  Tim had a chocolate muffin, BLT, and several cups of coffee.  Well, that probably explained how he was awake and alert, even though he looked exhausted.

You two mostly chatted about nothing important.  You talked about what interning was like, weird stories from around the office.  Tim talked about what it was like being a teenager basically running a multi-billion dollar corporation, funny anecdotes about adults being confused by him.  It was… weirdly nice.  He wasn’t a distant boss a dozen floors below you, he wasn’t a mysterious vigilante you’d only ever seen in darkness until a few days ago.  No, he was a teenage boy who was laughing at your joke about your boss not understanding the sad cat meme on your phone lockscreen despite her being the reason you changed your lockscreen to a sad cat meme.

His laugh made your stomach do embarrassing flips, and his smile filled you with a warm feeling.  This was very, very wrong.  He was still your boss, vaguely.  But you were eating pastries together and laughing, and you found you didn’t care.

As the laughter died down, your eyes met, and something passed between you in the way they did that set your heart racing.  The way Tim’s eyes widened a little at you made you wonder if he felt whatever that was too.  Tim cleared his throat, looking away.

“Bruce wants you to come to dinner Friday,” he said slowly.  His eyes returned to you, and you realized from the weight of his gaze that this was probably the main reason he got lunch with you.  To ask you this.  You should have known you weren’t just going to sit with the knowledge of the whole… (What were the bat heroes called altogether? Batclan?  Batfamily?  That sounded right.) ...the whole batfamily’s secret identities.

“Okay.  Because of—” you started.

(You weren’t even going to finish this sentence, because you couldn’t finish it aloud in a random café—)

“—yeah…yeah,” Tim cut you off.  While you had been talking about funny little life things, the tension and heaviness that had bogged Tim down in the stairway seemed to lift a bit.  But it had returned as soon as he spoke about this dinner with Bruce.

“...are you sure you’re okay after everything?” you asked, “Because it was a lot.  Even for you.”

“I—I’m really fine,” Tim replied, with all the certainty of someone who was definitely not fine.  “...I’m fine.”

You weren’t going to get up and hug him again, but you reached across the table and took Tim’s hand.  You gave it a squeeze and smiled a little at him.

“It’s okay to not be fine.  It was… too much.”

(You were looking at Tim’s face, and you could see a boy being electrocuted on the ground in front of you, just screaming, and you could see a boy under your arm as you descended the stairwell, his blood dripping onto you, and you could see a boy leaning against a wall, eyes closed.  You could see he was a boy.  Before he was a hero, he was a boy.)

“But we made it out.  We’re going to be alright, eventually.  But it’s okay to be not okay, in the right now.”

Tim stared at you, then nodded, squeezing your hand.

“You’re right.  I’m—” Tim paused, inhaling a shaky breath, “I’m not totally fine.  It’s what I’m used to, to just push past things, but it’s never—.  It was bad, really bad.  And I’m not fine because of it.  But I think I will be eventually.  We both will be.”

You exchanged a smile with Tim, then drew your hand back.

“Dinner sounds good.  Is it at…. your house?”

“Wayne Manor,” Tim said with a grin.  “My house, mansion, estate, whichever word you prefer.”

“...there’s not a metro stop near there, is there?” you said cheekily.

“No, but you can ride back with me after work.”

“Fancy.”

“We like to impress,” Tim said.

“I can’t wait.”

✹ ✹

You woke up next morning, shutting off your phone alarm absently as you hopped out of bed.  You brushed your teeth, thinking back to the end of your lunch date.  You’d walked back to Wayne Tower together, and you swapped phone numbers before you each returned to work.  Honestly, it wasn’t even really a date.  It was a “sorry you got injured in an attack on our building and thanks for saving my life also Batman wants to talk to you” lunch.  But you could indulge yourself in the comfort of your own bathroom.  Lunch date was easier to say, anyway.

When you finally grabbed your phone after getting dressed, you almost dropped it when you saw the sheer number of notifications you had.  What the fuck had happened?

TWITTER                6:32 AM Amy Lin, Sarah Twine, elle loves draco malfoy, and 2,643 others have followed you

TWITTER                6:29 AM You have 10K new likes, and 4K new retweets.

MESSAGES                2:32 AM EMILYYYY: YOU ARE PROBABLY ASLEEP BUT YOU NEED TO TELL ME ASAP IF THIS IS LEGIT

MESSAGES                2:32 AM EMILYYYY: OH MY GOD HAVE YOU SEEN THIS???  IS THIS REAL???

MESSAGES                2:31 AM EMILYYYY: bzfd.it/TimWayneGF-summer

You’ve got about twenty more texts from other friends all talking about a Buzzfeed article, a video, and Tim Wayne.

It’s too early for this.

You take your phone with you and open the link from Emily, your college roommate, as you make cereal.

10 Reasons We ALREADY Love Tim Wayne’s New Girlfriend

Oh no.

Tim Wayne, adopted son of Bruce Wayne and Gotham royalty, has a new girlfriend: _____ ______.  While most young women in Gotham are disappointed that one of the city’s most eligible young men is taken (just take a look at #timistaken on Twitter), we can’t help but love the incredibly interesting and talented _____.

1. She’s an intern at Wayne Enterprises.

amelia needs a nap @amelim67 ok I know everyone is upset that #timistaken but hold onto your butts for 1 second bc he’s going out with a wayne enterprises intern… which means… this is the wattpad story we all dreamed of living 12:34 AM  •  7/4/__ 10.2K Retweets    25.7K Likes

Amelia is right—this is basically straight out of a Wattpad story and we’re loving it.  _____ is a (paid!!) videography intern at WE, which impressive because 1) WE internships are incredibly competitive and 2) _____ JUST FINISHED HER FRESHMAN YEAR.  SHE ALREADY HAS ONE OF THE MOST COMPETITIVE INTERNSHIPS IN THE COUNTRY.  BAD.  ASS.

2. She’s incredibly smart.

That’s right, one of the reasons _____ got a WE internship is because she’s a genius.  No, really.  Now heading into her Sophomore year at Gotham U, _____ is a Wayne Merit Scholar, one of 15 students per class who has a full ride to Gotham U based on merit alone.

The Wayne Foundation already has an extensive financial aid program for college-bound Gotham students, but they only have one (yes, 1) purely merit-based program, the Wayne Merit Scholarship.  With only 15 scholars per year, the program is incredibly competitive, but _____ clearly is a standout student.  She was valedictorian at East Gotham High School, and she made the dean’s list this year at Gotham U.

Tim Wayne is known for being a genius himself, and we don’t blame him for being drawn to someone as bright as he is.  Smart is sexy.

3. Her Twitter is HILARIOUS.

_______ @_______ friend from Nevada: omg I heard a metro stop exploded are you ok?? me: yeah lol it was only two face friend from Nevada: ONLY TWO FACE?? me: girl I live in a city with the joker yes ONLY two face 2:34 PM  •  7/3/__ 2 Retweets    14 Likes

You couldn’t take reading any more of your own tweets.  You exited the article and immediately private your Twitter.  Some damage control. The tweets were not hilarious if 432,756 people have really read them, like the top of the article said.

You ate your cereal, trying to calm down process why Buzzfeed and the internet decided you were dating Tim.  After you finished, you opened the article again.  The rest of the reasons Buzzfeed loves you were varying levels of uncomfortable.  6 was the worst.

6. She’s super independent.

From her Twitter, we learned that _____ doesn’t have a great relationship with her parents.

_______ @_______ People talking about their relationships with their parents…  HA wonder what that’s like 11:29 PM  •  10/5/__ 3 Likes       __________ @_______        Replying to @_______ Not that I’m unhappy living completely on my own without support from my folks but uhhhh sometimes I forget how not normal that is 11:31 PM  •  10/5/__ 2 Likes

But with _____’s brains (see #2) and paid internship (see #1), she’s clearly made a way for herself without the help of her parents.

But 10 was probably what started this madness in the first place.

10. Finally, the now viral video of her comforting words to Tim Wayne on a lunch date.

Transcript below:

T: Bruce wants you to come to dinner Friday. _: Okay.  Because of— T: —yeah.  Yeah.

[slight pause]

_: Are you sure you’re okay after everything?  Because it was a lot.  Even for you. T: I—I’m really fine.  I’m fine.

[____ reaches her hand across the table and takes Tim’s hand.]

_: It’s okay to not be fine.  It was too much, but we made it out.  We’re going to be alright eventually.  But it’s okay to be not okay in the right now. T: You’re right.  I’m— [Tim takes a breath] I’m not totally fine.  It’s what I’m used to, to just push past things, but it’s never—.  It was bad, really bad.  And I’m not fine because of it.  But I think I will be eventually.  We both will be.

[The pair share a smile.]

The two teens were both injured in the recent attack on Wayne Tower in Gotham by local crime lord Black Mask.  The moment seems to stem from their shared experience.   Not to mention a dinner invite!  Could Tim Wayne be introducing  _____ to his father Bruce Wayne and family for the first time?

Okay.  Okay.  So, the video was clearly just someone in the café recording you two talking, in what appears to be a quite intimate moment.  And everyone jumped on it—#timistaken apparently.

(You felt a strange hurt watching yourself console Tim.  That was meant to be just for Tim, not for the entire internet to see.)

And now everyone and their mother thought you were dating one of Gotham’s most eligible teens.

Great.

You called Tim.

“Tim, have yo—”

“Yeah, ____, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.  Some random person took the video of us at the café.  I just… You’re probably used to this level of attention.  I’m really not.”

“I know.  As soon as I saw, I called the WE publicity team.  They’re trying to get that Buzzfeed article down.”

“The stuff with my parents, just—.  I mean, I shouldn’t have vented about it so openly on my Twitter, but I feel like there’s journalism ethics stuff to not randomly report that stuff about someone who’s not a public figure.”

“I know.  I’m hoping in a couple hours that they’ll remove that part at least, if not the whole article.  We’ve got a pretty good P.R. team, as you might imagine.”

(The number of playboy bizarre yacht and jet ski accidents Bruce Wayne had got into over the years started to make some more sense as soon as you learned he was also a vigilante.)

“Okay.  That’s good.”

“Let me know if you have any trouble with anything.  Literally anything.  We’ve got security people, P.R. people, people people—whoever is best suited to help if you have an issue.”

You frowned.  “Do you really think I’ll need a security person?”

You heard Tim pause on the other end of the line.  “...probably not.”

“Probably?”

“You never know.  I’m kind of... popular.”  Tim’s voice said “popular” like it was a disease.

“I hadn’t noticed,” you said, feeling a small smile form on your face despite how overall awful this situation had been.

“Oh?  Better pay closer attention.”

(Were you flirting?  Was Tim flirting back?  Was this allowed?  You literally just had a conversation to establish how you were going to take down press about you two dating.  Ugh.)

“I’m sure I will,” you said, before pausing.  “Thank you, Tim.  I’ll call you if anything else comes up.”

“Of course.  Let me know.  Talk to you later.”

✹ ✹

By the time you got to lunch at work, you were about ready to hurl yourself through your computer screen.  Your email was filled with requests from reporters to comment on your “relationship” with Tim Wayne, which you quickly deleted.  Other interns from around the floor kept wandering by asking if you were really dating Tim.

(“No.” “But I th—” “No, we’re not a thing.  I have work to do.”)

Even your boss stopped by to ask how you were doing, and you had to resist the urge to scream.  You needed everybody to leave you alone and stop asking.

Thankfully, when you ate lunch with the usual group of interns you considered your friends, no one brought it up after you said, “I am not dating Tim Drake,” as you sat down.  Nadiah from web design complained about her superiors' inability to reply to emails in a timely manner, George from engagement told a funny story from his weekend involving a puppy loose in the intern housing, and you were able to completely set aside all the uneasiness that came with Buzzfeed and being the reason for a Twitter hashtag.  It was nice to laugh and joke about your bosses and worry about the things you were supposed to be worried about.

George stopped you as you were walking back to the office from the cafeteria.

“Hey, I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I just wanted to make sure you’re not too stressed about everything.”

You smiled.  George was one of your favorite interns.  He was just genuinely sweet and also really good at his job.

“I’m pretty stressed, but I think it’s going to be okay.  Tim told me that he’s got Wayne P.R. people trying to get the weird personal information Buzzfeed found about me off the Internet.”  You shrugged.  “Whatever happens, happens.  I’ll be okay.”

George nodded.  “Just let me know if I can help.  My job is basically social media management, so… I know stuff.”

“That you do,” you said with a smile.  “Thanks.  I’ll tell you if I could use your expertise.”

“On the subject of expertise, can I ask you a favor?”

You raised an eyebrow.  “Uh, sure?  I don’t think I’ve got expertise in much.”

“Do you know how to install a graphics card in a computer?”

That you did actually have mild expertise in.  You had become known as “computer girl” around the office earlier in the summer for installing a new power supply in your boss’s computer when her old one broke.  I.T. was too slow for her liking.  Graphics cards were pretty easy comparatively.

(It occurred to you how many epithets you’d acquired around the office.  First, “computer girl.”  Then, “explosion girl.”  Now, “Tim Wayne’s girlfriend girl.”  Oh, wait.  Girlfriend already contains girl.  Ugh, whatever.  Can’t you just be a nameless intern?  Is that too much to ask?)

George explained that he needed help installing a graphics card he just ordered, having never opened up his computer before he was afraid he’d damage it.  You agreed to come over that evening and give him a hand.  He lived a couple floors below you in the intern housing.  You’d been over to his place a few nights with a bunch of interns to watch movies and hang out.  It might be a nice distraction from everything to just… do some work on a friend’s computer.  Not worry about anything else.

Work was uneventful the rest of the day except for a series of amusing texts from Tim just before you headed out.

Tim Drake-Wayne It only took FOREVER but the buzzfeed top 10 reasons article is now a top 5

Tim Drake-Wayne They took out half the stuff, mostly the more sensitive information

Tim Drake-Wayne And they also added at the bottom that my press team reached out and denied any relationship

Tim Drake-Wayne So of course they put that “the evidence suggests otherwise but

Tim Drake-Wayne Not to sound like a whiny celebrity but I hate the paparazzi???

Tim Drake-Wayne ANYWAY please let me know if anyone else bothers you or if I can do anything to help

Tim Drake-Wayne I’m looking forward to dinner tomorrow

Tim Drake-Wayne I mean, everybody is

Tim Drake-Wayne Looking forward to it

Tim Drake-Wayne Everyone wants to meet you, esp Dick and Damian

Tim Drake-Wayne And Bruce

Tim Drake-Wayne This is an obnoxious number of texts I’m sorry I’ll stop

You Your texts are very enjoyable, don’t be sorry

You I started laughing to myself and the intern Nadiah who sits next to me was giving me weird looks

You Thanks for all your help with the article I am so grateful

You I’m looking forward to dinner too, but I am slightly terrified

You I think for rather obvious reasons

You But I’ll text you tomorrow once I’m done and I’ll come downstairs to meet you??  Then we can drive to your house

You Your house which happens to be Wayne Manor which is so crazy oh my god??

You But seriously, I’m glad you invited me

You Thank you again, for everything

You tried not to smile too hard at your phone as you walked back to the intern housing.  You made some ramen for dinner quickly, then headed down to George’s apartment, telling yourself “Don’t think about Tim” over and over.

(It didn’t work.  You thought about Tim.)

Working on George’s computer did provide a distraction.  It was a rather tight fit adding the graphics card in his computer tower, so you took your time.

George was chatting pretty mindlessly to you as you worked, mostly about the latest Twitter beef the Wayne Enterprises account got into with Arby’s.

“It was kind of accidental.  I was just trying to be funny and then it got a little out of control.”

“This is why I’m not an engagement intern,” you said as you clicked in the graphics card.  “I think I’d accidentally start Twitter beef with everybody.  Video is less interpersonal, mostly.”

George began to talk about how you’d probably be fine at engagement, or something, but you tuned him out because there was a weird device attached to his power supply.  It looked like a like container.  You’d never seen anything like that in a computer before.  It was also taking up a lot of space right near where you had to plug in the card to the motherboard.

“Hey, George,” you started, looking closer at the little canister inside his computer.  “What’s this bit us—”

You didn’t finish.  Suddenly, one of George’s hands pressed against your mouth and the other pinned your arms to your chest, and the canister started letting something out into the air.

You struggled against George’s grasp, but he was basically sitting on top of you, and he was much larger than you were.  You tried to hold your breath as long as you could, but eventually you inhaled whatever was now in the air.  You immediately felt sleepy.

As everything started to fade away, you heard George whisper.

“I am sorry about this, _____, but the boss can’t be mocked.”

You closed your eyes and thought of what a shame it would be to miss dinner tomorrow as everything went black.

(UPDATE: PART THREE HERE!!  AND PART FOUR HERE!!!) / (Hey!  I wrote a part 2!  I am also going to write a part three, obviously.  I won’t leave you hanging with this ending. Hope you enjoyed and let me know what you think!  Also, let me know if you’d liked to be tagged in the next installment. c:)

[popolitiko]

Proud Boys Leader Arrested, Accused of Burning Church Banner 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Police in the nation’s capital on Monday arrested the leader of the Proud Boys, who is accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington last month.

How did a Proud Boys leader with a felony record get into the White House?

Enrique Tarrio claims he visited the White House on Saturday, hours before a major pro-Trump rally

By Roger Sollenberger   December 15, 2020

The chairman of the white nationalist Proud Boys group, a convicted felon, posted photos from inside the White House gates ahead of a violent pro-Trump rally in Washington DC on Saturday, raising new questions about the president's apparent embrace of the right-wing agitators.

Enrique Tarrio revealed that he visited the executive mansion on Saturday after receiving a "last-minute invite to an undisclosed location."

The White House later said that Tarrio had not been invited, but had instead taken part in a holiday tour. "He was on a public White House Christmas tour," White House spokesperson Judd Deere said over the weekend. "He did not have a meeting with the president, nor did the White House invite him."

White House public tours are self-guided, and anyone who wants one, including Christmas tours, must apply no fewer than 21 days ahead of their booking date because the application includes a security form and background check. Hopefuls with a felony are generally denied, a former Trump White House official told Salon, unless a senior member of the administration intervenes.

In 2013, Tarrio, also known as Henry Tarrio Jr, was convicted of two class C, one class D and one class E felonies for stealing and reselling $1.2 million worth of diabetes test strips from Abbott Labs, and served 16 months in federal prison. Court records show that he was released in December 2014 with two years probation, and ordered to pay restitution for the full $1.2 million.

On Saturday, Tarrio was accompanied to the executive mansion by other members of Latinos for Trump, including Bianca Garcia, the president of the group, and her son, Armani Garcia, a former intern for Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga. It is unclear if or when Latinos for Trump applied for its White House tour, and unclear why Tarrio received a security pass.

People with prior convictions who are able to gain entry are generally given special badges and personal escorts.  It would be highly unusual for someone with Tarrio's criminal history to get inside the White House without someone high up in the administration personally pulling strings, according to the former White House official.

A White House spokesperson declined to reply when asked who had checked Tarrio in on Saturday: The East Wing, where visitors usually enter, or the Executive Office of the President.

During the first presidential debate in September, Trump had the opportunity to denounce white supremacists and violent far-right groups — specifically, Democratic opponent Joe Biden invited him to condemn The Proud Boys. Trump did not denounce the group but told them "stand back and stand by," a directive that the group took as an endorsement. The Proud Boys Telegram account wrote, "standing down and standing by sir." Another known account incorporated a version of the phrase — "Stand back. Stand by" — into a new group logo.

"I think this 'stand back, stand by' thing will be another Proud Boy saying," Tarrio told The Daily Beast. (The Beast pointed out that previous slogans were: "The West Is the Best," and the warning "F*ck Around and Find Out.")

Trump eventually condemned the group in a Fox News interview two days later but he also claimed he knew "almost nothing" about them. "I condemn the Proud Boys," Trump said. "I don't know much about the Proud Boys, almost nothing, but I condemn that."

The Proud Boys self-identify as "Western chauvinists," but deny being part of the racist alt-right. Members claim they are instead simply a men's group that promotes an "anti-political correctness" and "anti-white guilt" ideology, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

On his 2020 Ballotpedia candidate questionnaire, Tarrio cited as his favorite book Pat Buchanan's 2001 "The Death of the West: How Dying Populations and Immigrant Invasions Imperil Our Country and Civilization."

"This book shows the growing problems and divide in our country," Tarrio wrote. "It allows me to learn how to find solutions to conserve our nation and restore the love we have for it. We are not a perfect nation, but we must strive everyday to get as close to perfection as possible."

The group's initiation process demands aspirants to, among other things, denounce masturbation and recite five brands of breakfast cereal while fighting off an attack from other members. The final requirement for membership involves "a major fight for the cause," founder Gavin McInnes told Metro.us in a 2017 interview.

"You get beat up, kick the crap out of an antifa" and possibly get arrested, McInnes explained.

"Their disavowals of bigotry are belied by their actions," the SPLC says on its profile of the group. "Rank-and-file Proud Boys and leaders regularly spout white nationalist memes and maintain affiliations with known extremists. They are known for anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric."

The Proud Boys also have ties to longtime Trump associate and convicted felon Roger Stone, and they are open about its support for the outgoing president. Another leader, Joe Biggs, boasted last year that he was having dinner with Trump at the president's D.C. hotel, and shared a picture of himself seated beside Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Trump's official schedule that evening included "remarks at a fundraising committee reception" at Trump International Hotel at 8:00 PM. Tarrio's Saturday visit coincided with a rally in the nation's capital where thousands of right-wing protesters, including several hundred Proud Boys, a number of them dressed in tactical vests and fatigues, took to the streets to protest Trump's election defeat.

This January, Tarrio launched his ill-fated congressional campaign with a launch party at Trump National Doral in Miami on Jan. 25. (Tarrio had to accept Roger Stone's endorsement in absentia that evening, as the Trump confidant had been arrested that morning.) About 300 people attended the event, which caught the tail end of the Republican National Committee's winter meeting and ended with fireworks.

However, his campaign's finance records do not indicate any payments on the night other than a $900 expense on Jan. 27 to Trump's BLT Prime restaurant in Washington, D.C. (There is a BLT Prime at Trump's Doral club as well.) Tarrio later bragged that "We exceeded our expectation by three-fold with 250+ in the building."

A White House spokesperson referred Salon's questions about security checks to the U.S. Secret Service. The Secret Service did not reply to multiple requests for comment.

https://www.salon.com/2020/12/15/how-did-a-proud-boys-leader-with-a-felony-record-get-into-the-white-house/

[dragoni]

🔥  Lev Parnas flipping on Nunes — spilling the beans just as Gordon Sondland did by directly incriminating Trump and his co-conspirators  😂  #NunesResign  #LockHimUp

The attorney, Joseph A. Bondy, represents Lev Parnas, the recently indicted Soviet-born American who worked with Giuliani to push claims of Democratic corruption in Ukraine. Bondy said that Parnas was told directly by the former Ukrainian official that he met last year in Vienna with Rep. Devin Nunes.

"Mr. Parnas learned from former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Victor Shokin that Nunes had met with Shokin in Vienna last December," said Bondy.

"Nunes had told Shokin of the urgent need to launch investigations into Burisma, Joe and Hunter Biden, and any purported Ukrainian interference in the 2016 election," Bondy told CNN.

Shokin was ousted from his position in 2016 after pressure from Western leaders, including then-vice president Biden, over concerns that Shokin was not pursuing corruption cases.

Parnas' claims that Nunes met with Shokin, which has not been previously reported, add further context to a Daily Beast report that Parnas helped arrange meetings and calls in Europe for Nunes last year, citing another Parnas' lawyer, Ed MacMahon.

Conspiracy theorist #MoscowNunes only talks to fellow Extremist Conspiracists

After the story published, Nunes disputed CNN's report, telling far-right website Breitbart that it was "demonstrably false."

h/t @the-a-r-t-i-s-t 

read the rest of the article to learn about:

Nunes’ trip to Europe

Nunes meeting with Parnas

The BLT team

In leaked audio from 2018, Nunes said it’s the job of Congress to protect Trump — instead of fulfilling its Constitutional Duty to be the Checks and Balances.

In leaked audio, Devin Nunes makes strong case for Democratic Congress, Washington Post

[harringrovelove]

for the asks -- 20, 25, 38! XO

Hi lovely!!! @tracy7307 <3 <3

20. Last thing you ate?

I just ate a BLT with sprouts and avocado. 

25. Do you still talk to your first crush?

No, and I’m assuming your talking about in person crush, but answer to both is no. (First crush ever - that I remember- was David Bowie in Labyrinth playing the Goblin King)

38. Experience you’ll never forget?

The best time I had in my entire life was when I lived in Bellingham when I went to Western Washington Uni. It was hands down the most amazing experience. 

Thank you for the ask darling! I sent you one too. :)

[elipinski]

INTEGRATING CARE

Introduction

Image from SouthEast LHIN

I chose this blog topic because it closely aligns with my current work on the Health Links model of care project. The Health Links model of care is a key commitment of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in integrating care for patients with complex health conditions such as those living with mental health and/or addictions and people who are frail (Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Ontario, 2015). Health Links is also the foundation of the People’s Health Care Act; Bill 74 passed earlier this year. The purpose of this legislation is to guide the creation of Ontario Health Teams with the mandate of delivering integrated and coordinated services across health and social service sectors (The People’s Health Care Act, 2019). In delivering Health Links model of care, social and health service providers are required to use a Coordinated Care Plan (CCP) (Click on link to see the CCP). The CCP is a communication tool for patients, their families/caregivers, and providers with the focus on what is most important to the client/patient. The information obtained to complete the CCP is inclusive of physical health, mental health and addictions, assessing physical, psychological, social and spiritual supports (“Coordinated Care Plan User Guide Version 2.1,” 2018)

Bill 74, The People's Health Care Act, 2019

https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-74 

As an occupational therapist working in Ontario, I am very interested in seeing what changes will take place in our healthcare system and how this will impact service delivery particularly for seniors with normal and abnormal mental health. Here is hoping that the new changes to the healthcare system will address some of the barriers experienced by seniors with mental health issues such as difficulty finding appropriate mental health providers, long wait lists, difficulty with transportation and mental health stigma (Segal et al., 2018).

In this blog I will be exploring various issues that impact adults with normal and abnormal mental health as they navigate the health care system. 

References

Bill 74, The People’s Health Care Act. (2019). 42nd Legislature, 1st session. Retrieved from Legislative Assembly of Ontario website: https://www.ola.org/sites/default/files/node-files/bill/document/pdf/2019/2019-04/b074ra_e.pdf

Cordinated Care Plan User Guide Version 2.1. (2018). Retrieved from Health Quatlity Ontario website: https://www.hqontario.ca/Portals/0/documents/qi/health-links/ccm-coordinated-care-plan-user-guide-v2.1-en.pdf

Segal, D. L., Qualls, S. H., & Smyer, M. A. (2018). Aging and Mental Health (3rd ed.).

What is integrated care?

Image from Better Health Together. Western Sydney Integrated Care Program

Integrated care refers to bringing together inputs, delivery, management and organization of services as a way to improve access and quality of services, improve efficiency and patient satisfaction. (Plochg, Ilinca, & Noordegraaf, 2017). When looking at our current health system, health issues are being managed in a disconnected and fragmented way where there is no coordination of services across providers, settings or in the timing of the care that is provided (de Carvalho et al., 2017). This makes it difficult for patients who want to access services to know where to go and if they are accessing different services many times they have to repeat their health history due to a disjointed system. The Ontario provincial government has been exploring ways to improve health care in the province and one of the ways they have been looking to do that is through the integration of the healthcare system. The goal of integrated healthcare models is to connect health and social systems to improve the coordination of services across the different sectors and enhance patient and caregiver experience (Kirst et al., 2017).

The population in Canada is increasingly aging and the care needs of aging adults will increase exponentially. As people age and experience normal mental health decline, they become more vulnerable for getting more serious mental health illnesses and living with more complex and interrelated mental, physical and social health issues (Salinda, n.d.). The complicated interactions of physical and mental health for older adults which need close supervision of a patient’s physical well-being require collaboration among providers. (Segal, Qualls, & Smyer, 2018). There is a need to have a healthcare system that is responsive to these needs and not treat them separately. In an integrated system an individual experiencing physical, mental and social change would have their services coordinated and connected across sectors. Evidence suggest that for patients with chronic and combined physical and mental health conditions, care that is integrated leads to better results and is more cost efficient (Oldham, 2013).

References

de Carvalho, I. A., Epping-Jordan, J. A., Pot, A. M., Kelley, E., Toro, N., Thiyagarajan, J. A., & Beard, J. R. (2017). Organizing integrated health-care services to meet older people’s needs. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.187617

Kirst, M., Im, J., Burns, T., Baker, G. R., Goldhar, J., O’Campo, P., … Wodchis, W. P. (2017). What works in implementation of integrated care programs for older adults with complex needs? A realist review. International Journal for Quality in Health Care. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzx095

Oldham, J. (2013). Integrated care. Journal of Psychiatric Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/146245679900300305

Plochg, T., Ilinca, S., & Noordegraaf, M. (2017). Beyond integrated care. Journal of Health Services Research and Policy. https://doi.org/10.1177/1355819617697998

Salinda, H (n.d.). AGHE 821. Module 1: Mental Health & Aging: Aging well [PowerPoint presentation] Retrieved from Queen’s University website: https://onq.queensu.ca/d2l/le/content/321165/viewContent/1968574/View

Segal, D. L., Qualls, S. H., & Smyer, M. A. (2018). Aging and Mental Health (3rd ed.).

Bringing health and social services together

Medical and mental health and addiction systems exist in separate silos, making it difficult for patients to navigate (Sebastian, 2017). As previously mentioned, our current health system is mostly fragmented; with patients having to visit different providers related to either their mental health, social or medical needs. There is always an attempt to address all these three areas of need separately but we have to recognize that unless one’s basic needs are met, good overall health is hard to achieve (Sebastian, 2017). The lack of co-ordination and the lack of a holistic approach within health and social care for older persons result in unsatisfactory care (Gustafsson, Kristensson, Holst, Willman, & Bohman, 2013). These patients often struggle with knowing whom to call when they need non-emergent help and any information provided to them could be overwhelming.

Tom Sebastian talking about Integrated care: connecting medical and behavioral care

Is a case management model the answer? A case management model is a way of intervening in a fragmented health system with the aim of improving the coordination of different services, such as health and social care (Gustafsson et al., 2013). It has been suggested that medical and behavioral health care providers should work closely with social service providers to develop comprehensive care plans (Sebastian, 2017) and to improve continuity of care (Gustafsson et al., 2013). A case management system could work especially well for those patients who are having difficulty with their memories, by having one-point person to help them navigate the health and social systems.

References

Gustafsson, M., Kristensson, J., Holst, G., Willman, A., & Bohman, D. (2013). Case managers for older persons with multi-morbidity and their everyday work - A focused ethnography. BMC Health Services Research.https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-13-496

Sebastian, T. (2017, December). Integrated care: Connecting medical and behavioral care [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lzmaBpBEag&t=19s

An Integrated care model: Mental health and primary care

Mental health disorders account for about a quarter of all health related disabilities in the world and more patients get treatment for mental illness in primary care than in a mental health specially setting (Kroenke & Unutzer, 2017). In Ontario in order to access psychiatry services, you have to be admitted in an inpatient setting or get a referral from your primary care physician to a psychiatrist and wait times can be long for what are considered non-urgent cases. Primary care providers and mental health and addictions (MH&A) providers have been taking steps to collaborate and integrate care either within a single service or within a team where they share care planning and decision making, have a common medical record (Kates et al., 2011). Collaborative care models involve mental MH&A providers working with primary care while an integrated care model involves MH&A workers working within and as part of primary care and patients perceive it as a routine part of their health (Kroenke & Unutzer, 2017).

An example of this type of integrated care model has been established by the Hamilton Family Health Team Mental Health Program (HFHT-MHP) where mental health providers have been integrated into over 81 offices of 150 family physicians where the focus is on providing ready access mental health care in a place that is convenient and easy to access for patients with mental health issues (Kates, McPherson-Doe, & George, 2011). Some of the benefits of the program have been, reduced wait times for first assessment, access to MH&A for adults over age of 65 who would otherwise experience lengthy wait times, early detection and treatment of MH&A problems, communication and coordination of care among providers (ibid). Integrated and collaborative models of care have the potential of improving access to care and enhancing the experience of older adults, which is one of the goals of The People’s HealthCare Act, 2019. This type of model has the opportunity of engaging models of mental health care that are not just bio-medical and focused on medication for intervention, but also psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, stress and coping and family systems models by including other health professionals such as psychotherapists, social workers and psychologists.

References

Kates, N., Mazowita, G., Lemire, F., Jayabarathan, A., Bland, R., Selby, P., ... & Audet, D. (2011). The evolution of collaborative mental health care in Canada: A shared vision for the future. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(5), I1.

Kates, N., McPherson-Doe, C., & George, L. (2011). Integrating mental health services within primary care settings: The hamilton family health team. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. https://doi.org/10.1097/JAC.0b013e31820f6435

Kroenke, K., & Unutzer, J. (2017). Closing the False Divide: Sustainable Approaches to Integrating Mental Health Services into Primary Care. Journal of General Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-016-3967-9 

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet, revised and updated by Joni Marie Newman

More than 100 plant-based recipes for vegan burgers, fries and more

Vegetarianism and Veganism is not new to me. Living overseas where commercial convenience foods found in the USA are not easily found it does make the lifestyle somewhat more challenging. Only in the last few years have I found vital wheat gluten, TVP is relatively new, tofu options are limited and though the “health food” options are on the rise they are still limited by Western standards. That said, the produce found in Lebanon is phenomenal year round and many fast foods are vegan or easily vegan-ized.

When I saw this book I thought, “Hooray! I will find recipes I can make easily.” and that is not exactly true as some of those items mentioned above that are not easily found are listed in many of the recipes in this book. That said, I did get a LOT of fun ideas for enhancing the veggie burgers I currently make and look forward to using some of those ideas in the near future. I may ask my daughter to pick this book up for me before she comes next time to visit so I can have a hands-on copy near at hand.

What I liked:

* The photographs

* The way the chapters are set up and what is included in them

* The variety of flavor options

* The allergy indicator icons for every recipe

* The introduction to each recipe

* The “so vegan” comment at the bottom of each recipe

* The notes and recipes for homemade or store bought items like mayonnaise

* The addition of bread recipes

* The ideas I came away with

What I wished for:

* A basic recipe to play with that does not require items I can’t find locally (liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, tempeh, etc)

Overall I believe this is a book I would like to have in my cookbook library and I know that if I ever return to the USA to live I would pick up a copy to use in my home.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43251351-the-best-veggie-burgers-on-the-planet-revised-and-updated

BLURB

Hold on to your buns, the burger revolution has begun! The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet takes the popular veggie burger to the next level of flavor and fun with more than 100 daringly delicious, internationally inspired vegan burgers—burgers that stack up to any patty around (meat-full or meat-free) and will wow not only your vegetarian and vegan friends, but all the skeptics, too. In this revised edition of the original, you'll find more than 30 new recipes featuring healthier options, fewer processed ingredients, and more whole-food, plant-strong ingredients like jackfruit and aquafaba (plus icons for no added oil/salt/sugar, and even more gluten-free recipes!). You'll also find budget-friendly tips and tricks, a "fast-food favorites” section that recreates iconic favorites from popular chains, updated techniques, and alternative cooking methods to include the slow cooker and air fryer.   All of the recipes you'll find inside have been expertly designed to suit your every craving and desire, and include such favorites as: Denver Omelet Breakfast Burger BLT with Avocado Burger Pulled "Pork" Sliders Inside-Out Sushi Burger Super Quinoa Burger Sesame Bean Banh Mi Burger Mac and Cheese Burger Split Pea with HAMburger Summer Squash Burger Korean BBQ Burger With The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet, you’ll find more than 100 ways of looking at burgers in a whole new way. Let’s get this “patty” started!

[travelbee360-blog]

Western Blt From Los Angeles

Start in Los Angeles and end in San Francisco! With the discovery tour Western Blt From Los Angeles, you have a 7 day tour package taking you from Los Angeles to San Francisco and through Los Angeles, USA and 4 other destinations in USA. Western Blt From Los Angeles is a small group tour that includes accommodation as well as an expert guide, transport and more.

Read more- http://travelbee360.com/western-blt-from-los-angeles/

[marmarinou]

“Chicago & North Western railway caboose 12559 at Elston and North Avenues in Chicago, Illinois in February 1982. Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. I believe this was a former Rock Island caboose. It was stenciled: BLT-6-58.”

(via C&NW Caboose 12559 | Chicago & North Western railway caboose… | Flickr)

[geekgumption-blog]

Gyro Shack review 

Greetings Gang! Welcome to my channel where I bring you food related content. Coming right up!

We are at the Gyro Shack in Everett, WA (north of Seattle).

This franchise originated in Boise, Idaho but branched out to Western Washington and Oregon in places like Portland, OR, Olympia, WA and in here in Everett, WA.

The menu is very diverse offering gyros fusionized with popular American sandwiches like the Philly style, BLT, and the intriguing "Z."

But personally you can never go wrong with the original and more authentic. Literally the original Gyro...Called the “original.”

The Original Gyro is the most simple out of all Gyros and but it is Gyro Schack's signature sandwich.

It is very much like the Big Mac or Whopper version of Gyro Shack.

*Laurent speaks with the food in front of him.*

I have had "gyro" before and it was in France though they call "Kebab" but it is basically lamb meat.

The Kebab sandwich I had in France had different bread texture. It is probably Turkish influenced and not pita bread like this one in my hand.

Lamb based sandwiches are not unique to just one country or nationality. It can be found in Greece, Turkey, Egypt, North African countries.

Each have their version and twist on their ingredients and variety. Just like many parts of the world, cuisine from a country will influence another. And throughout centuries they tend to piggy back off of each other.

But the important thing is I enjoy it.

*Laurent speaks his truth*

Thank you so much for joining me in this adventure. I hope you enjoyed this video and if you did please click like and subscribe. And don’t forget to click on that notification bell so you can