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faedawayyy · 3 years

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A Useless Guide to the Carmichaels

DISCLAIMER: this is a bunch of headcanons that i’ve come up with. OBVIOUSLY since synn and katie and nadine and meg in a way have characters that are tied to their family...BUt these are my original headcanons for the family, so if things aren’t quite right or sound different, it’s bc they’re my most developed family and it’s the way i’ve written them in canon verse!

SYLVIA CARMICHAEL - GRANDMOTHER

sylvia’s family are russian and came over to england after the war. her father was a general and her mother was a seamstress and she was raised in a very, very conservative and upper-class family. she went and studied at st andrews in edinburgh and that’s where she met hank carmichael, who her father always pushed her towards from the moment he knew of him. sylvia carries a lot of her family values and clashed with her GEN X kids because their ideologies were so different. for example, she sturggled edwin’s sexuality and oliver’s more liberal mannerisms. it doesn’t stop her from trying to “guide” her grandchildren.

HANK CARMICHAEL - GRANDMOTHER

hank was born and raised in england. his father was an extremely wealthy banker, his mother died when he was young but he never really thought about her because his father never spoke of her. he was raised mainly by his aunt while his father worked around the clock. they were an extremely wealthy family and when he was old enough, hank attended boarding school. he never really had parental guidance and his creativity always ran wild. he was trouble at school, but smart enough not to get caught. after he graduated from st andrews and moved in with sylvia, he invested his entire trust-fund into a book publishing business, which is still successful to this day. he’s a huge family man due to not having one when he was younger

second generation.

EDWIN CARMICHAEL

edwin is the oldest of sylvia’s and hank’s children and always worked hard to be a people pleaser. he was often referred to as the golden child and the absolute brightest star in his mother’s sky. from an early age, he showed interest in entertainment which hank inspired and supported.

things changed for edwin in the middle of high school when he decided to come out about his sexuality. he was severely bullied and his relationship with sylvia broke down. he STILL hasn’t got the best relationship with his mother, especially after he married his husband, but they stay civil for the rest of the family’s sake.

he now works in property and lost his confidence in acting when he was bullied.

OLIVER CARMICHAEL

SYNN’S CHARACTER, BUT HERE IS HOW I INTERPRET HIM. oliver is the second oldest child of sylvia and hank. he was rebellious from the start. he never enjoyed trying to live up to edwin’s golden standard, he hated the events and the social climbing. he just wanted to be a regular kid and have regular experiences, but it never happened for him. when he was 18, it hit him that he was an adult and sylvia and hank have 0 influence over him. he took his trustfund, travelled and got the hell out of violet springs. however, just like with everybody else, age caught him up and he ended up settling in london with a woman he met while backpacking in australia. he likes his children knowing their family, so he reluctantly shows up to family events but you’d never catch either of them in violet springs if they didn’t have to be.

JAMES CARMICHAEL

james is the middle child and arguably the most successful of the carmichael’s. he was never the favourite and had a streak in him that caused him to clash with hank from a young age. he was a loveable rouge who grew into a loveable white-collard criminal. he was smarter than he let on and had endless ambition. like edwin, he attended university but instead of picking a profession that hid away from his true ambition, he invested his entire trustfund into a studio in los angeles where he planned to make amazing films...it paid off. he married his wife (patricia) who he met when she worked as a set designer on one of his projects, but it wasn’t all happily ever after. james played around with money a little too much and tried to take out his competition in shady ways. this led to things getting too much for him and he faked his death almost a year ago. all of his family beside mason believe him to be dead.

JOHNATHAN CARMICHAEL

completely synn’s character, the father of theo

SINEAD CARMICHAEL

sinead was the only girl of five children and completely used it to her advantage. she watched the way her brother’s and father knew how to dominate rooms, conversations and other people. she grew up with the mindset that she could have absolutely anything she wanted, as long as she worked (or cheated) hard enough for it. sinead dropped out of school at 15 and almost gave her mother an hernia. she blew most of her trust fund on a sweet 16 and then a sweet 18, anything that was left went on her 21st. she’s a very “live in the moment” woman and cares little for consequences. she actually ended up teaming up with james and starring in a few of his earliest projects before becoming an actress in her own right. she’s blacklisted by a lot of hollywood producers for her refusal to submit and listen to direction. she’s head strong and does what she likes.

third generation.

RUBY ROSINI - ADOPTED DAUGHTER OF EDWIN.

when ruby was adopted by edwin, there was all round excitement from every single member of the family; a little, brown-eyed girl from italy arriving on their doorsteps. she was so different from the majority blue-eyed children who filled the family tree. the cousins all immediately became protective of her and loved getting to know who she was as a person. now they’re grown up, she’s viewed as a cousin and it’s easy to forget that she was ever adopted or came from anywhere else.

THOMAS CARMICHAEL - SON OF OLIVER

thomas is the oldest son of oliver and like his dad, he’s a bit of a free spirit but unlike his dad, he’s a lot more laidback and less likely to clash or argue with anyone. as far as carmichael’s go, he’s quite wholesome and kind and oliver will 100% say that it’s because he was raised away from the madness of their family. however, growing up away from the others isn’t as good in his eyes as it is in his dad’s. he often feels boring and on the outside, he will always do his best to fit in with the other guys and is easily manipulated. as a child, he got into trouble so many times from listening to the shit brody and leo used to tell him to do. even to this day, he’s overly loyal and attached to them because he’s desperate to feel a real part of the family.

KATELYN CARMICHAEL - DAUGHTER OF OLIVER

katelyn is the oldest of the third generation and oliver’s daughter. she’s blunt, witty and doesn’t mince her words. unlike most of the women in her family, she cares little for appearances or staying in certain social circles. she’s a drama teacher in a high school and enjoys living a normal life, but does dip into the funds of her family name every now and then to have a bit of fun. she’s a blast at family parties and everybody is always excited to see what scandalous or stupid thing she’ll do next to annoy her grandmother.

ANASTASIA CARMICHAEL - DAUGHTER OF JAMES

the oldest of james’ children and undeniably the real favourite. she’s an overachiever and type of girl who was good at everything in school and still is; she’s athletic, artistic, academic, a good mother, an amazing business woman, she’s smart, she’s intuitive, she’s healthy and rarely loses in competitions with her siblings or anyone else for that matter.

anastasia has her daughter, darcy, and is engaged to ryder banks. there’s no love there but like her grandmother, she understands the importance of appearances. you’d have to be crazy if you thought she hasn’t had a string of affairs and STILL has them. however, she also has standards and is very selective over who she lets get close.

darcy is her #1 priority and she’ll fight fiercely to make sure she always stays that way.

LEONARDO CARMICHAEL - SON OF JAMES

leo is james’ oldest son and again, like anastasia, kind of set the bar in the early days for the rest of his siblings. when it was the two of them and mason, everything was about leo and anastasia, they grew up in constant competition; leo tended to always fall short of his sister’s achievements. however, as they grew and the two of them came into their own, it was clear that leo was never going to be one to be in the shadows for too long - starting with gaining the attention from girls as he grew through high school. even girls in brody’s and miles’s year were heart-eyes over him and he was a few years older. yet, just like with the rest of his siblings, he was promised and later engaged to somebody that his father handpicked for him to ensure the carmichael wealth wouldn’t dwindle out and fall into the wrong, new money hands. OOC//i could write more but it doesnt feel right bc he’s now katie’s character. obviously i have my own ideas/fiancee for original leo!

MASON CARMICHAEL - SON OF JAMES

mason broke the trend of extroverted, go-getter type kids and ended up being the quietest and youngest of the bunch until miles was born. he was a big momma’s boy growing up, and even though he’s never really felt like the favourite, he always enjoyed the company of adults and quieter environments compared to his siblings who would thrive around kids of their own age. mason is wise beyond his years and it’s a running joke that he was supposed to be born first. he is the only one that knows james isn’t dead and was trusted with this information because even though brody was the favourite by a longshot, james knew mason would keep it quiet and be less affected by the secret. mason both hates and loves being a part of the carmichaels. he loves his family but also hates the madness that comes along with it.

BRODY CARMICHAEL - SON OF JAMES

brody never really had to work to be the favourite of his parents - he just is. he had the right amount of intelligence, cockiness and charm to keep adults on side throughout his whole life. ironically, out of everybody in the third generation, he’s probably the biggest fuck up too but the adults turn a blind eye to it because it’s him. a huge reason he’s favoured by james is because he was clearly enough for charles to allow him to marry his oldest daughter, disney. this was such a big deal for james because charles has a LOT of connections (shady and not shady) in the entertainment industry and he knew the merger between the companies would keep the carmichael legacy in tact for generations. brody usually rises to being the favourite and is slightly smug about it, but he also cracks the most under pressure and has had dozens of meltdowns over the span of his life growing up.

MILES CARMICHAEL - SON OF JAMES

miles is the youngest...son...of james. james has no idea that patricia had an affair and that miles isn’t actually his son. miles has always struggled severely with keeping up with his siblings. he developed common but crippling mental health issues in his pre-teen years such as depression and anxiety. it started with acting out and being a “problem child” but quickly developed in being too scared to leave the house. he locked himself away and wasted away his young years not really interacting with anyone outside of his immediate family. on top of that, he had he achievements of brody, mason, anastasia and leo to remind him of what a failure is...eventually he just stopped trying. these days his siblings are supportive and aware of how he can get. his cynicism is literally his humour and he’s just taking one day at a time.

BELLA CARMICHAEL - DAUGHTER OF JAMES

bella was dubbed the next brody. all of her siblings adore her and so do her parents and grandparents. she’s the second child who can do absolutely no wrong in anybody’s eyes. bella was a young star and worked in hollywood making tv cameos long before she started school. she had two lives; her school and dance life, and her celebrity life. she grew up with more life experience than other kids and this made her painfully cunning. she knew exactly how to get people on side and had whoever she wanted wrapped around her little finger. she and brody were hit hardest by james’s death. bella was all over the place and gained a little weight - something she wasn’t familiar with after being petite her whole life. she’s now just trying to stable herself again.

THEO CARMICHAEL - SON OF JOHNATHAN

SYNN’S CHARACTER

HERA CARMICHAEL-RUSH

hera is the middle child of sinead. she too is inteligent and calculated but she’s also the opposite of the james’s girls. hera has never worked a day in her life and has no intention to. she’s a socialite and just like her mother, does what she wants when she wants to. she lives off of mommy’s money (because her dad bailed on them and honestly, fuck him). hera also came out as bisexual at a christmas party because she knew it’d make sylvia uncomfortable. she’s a wind up and enjoys getting a rise out of people.

OPHELIA CARMICHAEL-RUSH

ophelia is old enough to remember the messy divorce of her parents and adopted her mother’s bad-ass and care free attitude towards it from that day on. she hates her dad for what he did to their family but doesn’t let it hold her back and when she turned 18, she took him to court to keep her name on the inheritance of his million dollar winery business...and won. she’s the trailblazer for her quieter and more introverted siblings. she’s someone who knows she’s gorgeous and uses her looks to her advantage.

LUNA CARMICHAEL-RUSH

luna has always been shy and hid behind the bolder personalities of her sister’s. she used to feel boring because of it but has quickly accepted that’s who she is and she’s happy with it. as she becomes 26, she’s starting to feel extremely embarrassed and insecure about her lack of experience with anybody. yet, her father walking out makes her find it hard to connect with and trust people. she has high standards and no standards at the same time and is really lost in terms of her romantic relationships. HOWEVER, she is thriving in her career and mason has featured her as an actress in many projects. she currently attends rosewell and enjoys the french culture.

DAMUS CARMICHAEL-RUSH

damus is a pastiche of every criminal and calculated act a carmichael before him has committed. he actively seeks out trouble and due to not being able to find his “place” in the family, he seems to like to win the affections of his elders by getting involved in dodgy dealings that they’ve set up - particularly those of james and johnathan. damus gets a rush out of being in on his family’s darkest secrets but he also feels like a spare part - the one who gets put into dangerous scenarios because the others are too precious to do so.

third generation age order: - katelyn - anastasia - leo - thomas - ophelia - mason - brody - hera - luna - ruby - miles - bella - damus

fourth generation (work in progress): - darcy and wren, children of anastasia - fleur and dixie, daughters of brody - victoria and peter, children of mason - jacob and harlow, son of theo

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ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is · 5 years

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MBTI, Mental Health, and Uncertainty

This is a long post but I think it might be one of my most important ones, and I hope you can take the time to read it.

In light of a couple recent questions I want to address mental health in a different way than in the PSA post. I do still stand by that post! But it was intended to be more along the lines of providing succinct encouragement with clear steps, rather than a means of providing deeper context.

MBTI is an unreliable way (at best) to deal with mental health. It was not designed for it. It has a few aspects that are useful in a limited way, which is honestly how I feel about MBTI at large - it is one tool in a very large toolbox, and it’s not necessarily the best one at that, and plenty of people get along fine without using it at all. (in fact if you’re not up to reading the rest of this post consider this paragraph my main point and the rest all elaboration on that theme).

On a larger scale, a lot of Tumblr advice is a terrible way to deal with mental health. I recognize I’m offering advice here on Tumblr but in general my statement re: all things mental health is that stigma, accessibility, and poor clinicians are all serious barriers to good mental health information and treatment, but that doesn’t mean that the more accessible options of “randoms on the internet” or “psychological theories with a strong internet presence” are a viable substitute.

I think a personal example may be helpful here, so: I have some very severe food allergies. I’ve had them my whole life. And I do fully believe that they’ve shaped aspects of my personality. In some ways, they’ve made me more cautious and desiring of control over my environment. They’ve pushed me to explore things like cooking. They’ve required me to become someone who plans ahead, who advocates for herself, and who’s comfortable saying a firm “no” to intended hospitality. They’ve given me some areas of anxiety. They’ve made me a faster reader. They’ve arguably contributed to my sense of humor.

If I could push a button and get rid of my allergies, I would, without question, because they are often a source of stress and inconvenience. But they did contribute to me as a person, and had I grown up and developed without them, I would probably be different in some ways - and I have no idea how exactly I’d be different. Would I be as fast a reader or as detail-oriented if I didn’t have to read ingredients lists at a glance? Maybe - I was a bookish kid. Would I be as responsible and assertive? Possibly - I’m an oldest child, I was always on the stubborn and independent side. But really, who knows?

I went to a doctor when I was in grad school for a check-up and a top-up of my epi-pen prescription. I said I hadn’t had to use the epi-pen in years. He mentioned that he had a friend with the same allergy who had a reaction once every year or so because he was a little scattered and a huge socializer and people-pleaser, and so he often had reactions to baked goods around the holidays - baked goods that I would unequivocally politely turn down. Same condition. Wildly different responses.

Mental illnesses or conditions are highly analogous to this experience - if they’re debilitating and unpleasant, even if they’ve caused you to develop in positive ways, you’ll be glad for those benefits but you may wish you could flip a switch and get rid of them.

But other conditions might be so central to your identity that you genuinely would not be you without them, and the issues that arise are because your identity is not well-accommodated in your environment

And while I can speculate on which sorts of conditions fall into which bucket (most people with depression would put it in the first; autism, for many autistic people, is in the second; this is a huge topic I can’t do justice here but you can even see this categorization in my language). But in the end, it’s a case-by-case choice dependent on the person with that condition. For more on the nature of ‘abnormal’ conditions and self-conception I highly recommend the Oliver Sacks essay “Witty Ticcy Ray” specifically, and his essay collections The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat and An Anthropologist on Mars. But if you can’t get to those my point is that people’s relationships with things that affect their cognition are complex and deeply personal.

So coming back to MBTI. Is MBTI the reason why I am vigilant and others with allergies are less so? Well, we don’t entirely know where type comes from, but maybe. Maybe it’s my upbringing, maybe it’s my inherent self, maybe it’s something else. We don’t know. I don’t know.

With mental illnesses, there’s a second factor. Allergic reactions are physiological and predictable- doesn’t matter what kind of person you are, if you eat the thing you can’t eat, your body will initiate the immune response. But when your illness or condition also affects your cognition, MBTI isn’t just a reason for how you respond to the condition. Your type, or at least your personality that you attempt to categorize into a type, is both influenced by and feeds into the outward signs of said condition. The outward signs of mental illnesses are themselves diverse! The PHQ-9 survey, a very common depression screening tool, doesn’t require that you display every single possible symptom - just a certain amount of them together (and even then it’s just a starting point for an individual follow-up. So we don’t know what’s ‘you’ and what’s the condition and what’s the combination thereof and even if you and the effects of said condition can really be seen as separate entities.

What this means practically is that figuring out how personality type, in any system, impacts mental health is an astronomically hard task, because both type and mental illness are best described as collections of a sufficient number of coexisting patterns of thought and behavior, not an absolute yes/no. If you’re trying to figure out yourself, again, MBTI is one of many tools and should not be your only point of reference - it’s a good starting point but at some point you’re going to have to leave it and jump into the vast unknown of what the self truly is (I feel very cheesy typing this but funnily enough I think Jung would back me up here). But only you can really do that. I certainly can’t do it for you.

Something that I think a lot of people forget is the origin of MBTI. MBTI was developed using Jung’s idea of cognitive functions as a starting point, and the catalyst was Myers and Briggs (her mother) noticing that Myers’s husband (an ISTJ) was really different from them (both high Ne users) in terms of personality. They took a theory because it matched what they observed in real life. I am unsurprisingly in favor of this. You want to know how people act? Interact with them! You can sum up larger trends in a theory, but it will always be a simplification of the infinitely complex truth. You can’t know how MBTI will make any one person act with any certainty - you can only guess.

Similarly, things like loops and grips are a bit of a one-way street. MBTI theorists observed that certain patterns of stress behavior tended to crop up more frequently in individuals of the same type and came up with names for them and a theory to describe why they may occur. This does not mean that the same behaviors cannot exist in people of other types. This does not guarantee that a person of a certain type and under stress will fall into a loop, a grip, or really do any specific action at all. As I have said many times and will say again, mental illness and stress have real, measurable neurochemical effects and people will ‘self-medicate’ (eg: seeking endorphin-releasing activities when unhappy), and type doesn’t enter into it (which is also why I think the advice to look at your stress behavior is not particularly good).

Finally, even if you are in a loop or grip, if you’re having a difficult time, a decent therapist will probably give you advice that isn’t out of line with MBTI recommendations, because there’s more than one way to come to the same conclusion! A lot of advice is broadly applicable - start with small steps and be gentle with yourself, for example. Play to your strengths - and you don’t need to know MBTI to know what you’re good at. You need to have a general sense of who you are and MBTI is a way to categorize who you are, not a way to do that initial self-discovery.

In conclusion: I know I sound like a broken record, but if you’re interested in human behavior at large please, please treat MBTI as one of many aspects of it. If you have the opportunity to take a class or do some serious reading about neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, sociology, or basic statistics I recommend it, and whether or not you can do those things, interact with people! Sitting behind a computer screen theorizing how an archetype that must necessarily describe literally hundreds of millions of people is not really a helpful exercise! “Go outside” isn’t a threat to be read in the tone of ‘get off my lawn’; it might be said in a mildly exasperated way but it is meant as an invitation to a vast resource that you are not using to its fullest.

#mbti #long post

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ah-maa-zing · 5 years

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Unmasked (Arrow 7.08)

Hmmm. I had to reflect for a while on what I think of this episode.

On the one hand, my expectations were sky-high in anticipation of Oliver and Felicity’s reunion, after 7 episodes and 7 months apart, and there was no way the show would ever be able to live up to those expectations (Unless it gave us 40 solid minutes of Oliver and Felicity of getting reacquainted with each other, obviously). So any disappointment is clearly of my own making, in part at least.

On the other hand, after 7 episodes and 7 months apart, you’d have thought they could dedicate at least one episode – one episode! – to fully unravelling the fallout of Oliver’s imprisonment, and dealing with how it affected both him and his wife, rather than just rushing headlong into the next thing.

I’m fully cognisant that most of my ire is directed towards the fact that this doesn’t get picked back up next week – thanks a lot, crossover literally no one asked for – and then we head off into hiatus, effectively making this episode our mid-season finale. That’s unsatisfying, especially because the Oliver and Felicity storyline seems to hang on a dramatic cliffhanger (ZOMG WILL THEIR MARRIAGE SURVIVE?!?!?) in a way it wouldn’t have done if the next episode actually followed through on this. It’s the television equivalent of clickbait.

Side rant – generally speaking, I don’t have as much hate for the crossovers as a lot of people; I find them fun diversions for the most part. But I do resent the formulaic structure we’ve developed around them – they’re always at mid-season, they mostly ignore the main SLs of the individual shows (last year was probably the exception), they usually involve alternate earths or magic or shapeshifting or body swapping or whatever the heck is going on this year, and given that this year, Arrow gets one less episode overall than usual anyway, I do feel short changed and quite irked by the whole crossover shebang. Imagine if we could have allowed the events of this episode to percolate and develop in the next one, so that the storylines would have some time to breathe.

I think that’s my general disposition regarding the episode – there’s so much happening and not a lot of it is given time to breathe. One of the great things about the prison arc was that there were two arcs running in parallel – Oliver in prison, and Felicity trying to get Oliver out of prison. There were C and D and E storylines too, of course, but those two were the primary thrust that moved the story forward. Each episode advanced those SLs forward in a way that brought progress.

It's a bit like the weapon the Silencer uses – 701-707 felt a little like when the device is on, and all extraneous sound is extinguished. There is only the fight, the main purpose, and everything else is muted. Episode 8, then, feels a bit like that moment when the Silencer’s device is switched off, and all sound comes rushing back in, and everything is muddled and chaotic and you have no idea how many people have entered the room, limbs flying everywhere.

‘Unmasked’ feels like a transition episode, and for that, I can’t fault it. It gets most people to where they need to be, or at least somewhere along that path. It seems to want to draw a direct line from the events in the present to what happens and is happening in the future. It’s just that, for all that it is a place-setting episode, it loses a bit of the focus and quiet intensity of the episodes that came before it.

In true Arrow fashion, the party was fun for approximately 30 seconds before it all went to shit. Can I just say, I cannot believe that of all people, Laurel was the only one who acknowledged that Felicity was the one who did everything she could to bring Oliver home; nobody else in that group of people seems to have that awareness, to the point that Rene is actually complaining that no one threw him a party when “we” captured Diaz? Sorry, Rene, but as I remember it, Felicity had to fight you all tooth and nail to get you to help her even one step of the way. If anyone deserves credit for taking Diaz it’s not you and it’s certainly not the others. This lack of self-awareness from the former team really bugs me, but what bugs me more is that I don’t think the writers see it that way, which means we won’t ever get a resolution to this.

The Oliver and Felicity storyline was, unsurprisingly, my favourite and also the most affecting. They have spent so much of the first year of their marriage apart – the fact that Felicity is surprised he even remembers is testament to how much shit they’ve had overtake their lives over the course of the year. So their reunion felt a little bit muted – not because they suddenly don’t love each other, but because they both appeared to be so drained by what has happened to them. Felicity softly telling Oliver that she’s missed him, or Oliver talking about how he thought of her and William every day in prison – both show us in quiet ways how much of a toll this ordeal has taken on them. Oliver’s hesitation to join the world, to talk to people, to put the hood back on again (not wanting to risk being separated from his family again, as he tells Rene) was an interesting way to show his anxiety about being back in the world manifesting, and I liked that Felicity ran interference for him on that aspect, coaxing him to go to the party, dealing with the media and fobbing off Max Fuller, who was a joy to see returned. I had hoped that Max would meet Felicity and that he would bring up Oliver sleeping with his fiancée (then wife, then ex-wife), and both of these things happened and it was glorious. Then Felicity essentially rolled her eyes at him and waltzed past with her husband, and I appreciated that also.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I loved the scene in their apartment where Felicity pulls out a gun – when she’s had time to practise her shooting skills I don’t know – and the disbelief on Oliver’s face that she would a) have a gun and b) actually use it really tickled me for some reason. I recognise that Oliver not believing Felicity would go as far as she has seems a little inconsistent with what we know of their relationship – Felicity has crossed lines in the past and Oliver has been there to witness it – but I do think it is in character for him to be shocked by that particular moment. Every time he’s seen her with a gun, which is very rarely, he’s been shocked by it; in the past she’s also declared her distaste for them. So the idea that she now not only carries a weapon but is willing to use it is, of course, surprising to him. He also hasn’t seen her the way we have the past few episodes, and he doesn’t know what she’s had to go through to get to here, and how little support she’s had from her so-called friends.

Oliver has also been influenced by all that “circle of violence” talk that was drummed into him by the Level Two doctor. He’d been worried about passing it on to William and hadn’t even considered that it would be Felicity who would be most affected by it. To me, part of this feels like Oliver, in the past 7 months, has put her on a bit of a pedestal; he’s stared at a picture of her every day since his imprisonment, but a picture is not a person, and I think he’s lost sight of how his imprisonment has also been her imprisonment. This is highlighted when he tells her that he’s apologised endlessly for his decision at the end of S6, and she (thankfully, rightly) tells him that she can’t do anything with apologies. When she tells him what she’s had to go through in the last few months his instinct is to cringe and apologise – that’s what he’s always done, he’s always blamed himself for the actions others have been forced to take in his name – and she tells him that it’s not on him. It’s just a fact that her life has been upended because of this, and she’s had to re-form the person she is out of the debris.

I also believe that, in the heat of that conversation, they misunderstand each other – she calls her old self weak, and Oliver is horrified, telling her that he fell in love with that person. Felicity sees this as him re-affirming her claim that she used to be weak and judging who she is now, whereas I think Oliver was trying to say that he never saw her that way, and that in fact he fell in love with a woman who was already strong. We know that he believes this – he’s said it countless times over the years. In many ways she’s stronger than he is, and perhaps his dismay is that she suddenly doesn’t see it. Felicity, to my mind, seems to have lost sight of herself. I don’t think she is particularly “dark”, like the show is trying to present (in order to link it to the future where she’s apparently evil), or no more so than Oliver has been at various points over the years – but given that everyone around her has been telling her she’s “losing herself” or is on the path to not being a hero anymore (thanks, Diggle), she’s started to believe it. Felicity has always had a little bit of grey within her, from her days as a hacktivist to her dealings with Helix. Just because she’s chosen over the years to “find another way” does not mean she’s not capable of making the difficult choices.

But right now, Felicity is starting to believe that, so perhaps she sees Oliver’s incredulity as him also telling her that she’s losing her way, so she becomes defensive and tells him that version of her is gone for good. To their credit, they both do talk about this in a mature way later, by recognising that they’ve grown in ways the other hasn’t yet seen or had time to reconcile with. That reconciliation of their new selves is key to their relationship and it will be hard work they have to do as a couple. I have no doubts they’ll do it, and I’m excited to see them do it; I just wish it didn’t have to be presented in this shock-horror kind of way. FYI I don’t think Felicity is suggesting a separation and I don’t think they’re going to get divorced, but like I say, the clickbaity nature of it all bugs me.

As for the rest of the episode –

I’m not sure why John and Lyla “need” Diaz to help them with whatever the heck Dante is, other than the fact that it plays into an already widening separation between Diggle and Oliver/Felicity. It’s the kind of action that is pretty much a betrayal of everything the latter have been through, and though John acknowledges that he hates lying to them, it’s not clear why he does. Perhaps if he’d told them what was going on, they might even be okay with it. It feels like John’s arc is leading somewhere, and perhaps he has to walk this path before he can come back to the man we know and love; they’ve told us time and time again that the theme of the season is redemption, for everyone, so maybe this is part of it. Either way, that storyline is still not interesting enough to me.

I liked the brief moment between him and Oliver in the old bunker, but really only because of what Oliver says about accountability – it was a truly heroic moment for Oliver to accept that if the city wants to hate the Green Arrow, they also have to hate him; the “new Green Arrow” may be borrowing his name and hood, but Oliver was the “OG”, and it’s him the city has loved and loathed over the years. It’s his legacy, so the accountability is his. Seeing him in the suit without the mask is weird, and him working for the SCPD is even weirder. I’m not sure who the Green Arrow is without Overwatch, but I guess we’ll find out.

I haven’t even touched on the flashforwards (and this is already overlong) -- to be honest, I don’t know what to make of them at this point. The introduction of Blackstar (Maya?) was great -- she seems to be an intriguing character and clearly has a lot of secrets yet to be discovered. It was interesting that her base seems to be Max Fuller’s new club, but what it means, I don’t know. Also interesting that Roy didn’t go along to see her -- is this because he knows her? I’m not sure what to make of her involvement in the bomb plot, or why Zoe is so apprehensive about going to see her father in the Glades. The mention of Oliver was nice although it did seem like they were implying that he, too, is long gone. Interesting to find out about the Mark of Four -- that Oliver created it as some kind of vigilante call to action -- I wonder how many people it applies to. I also wonder how William has no idea about it -- when exactly did Oliver and Felicity leave him?

I also have to say this -- lately I’ve been beginning to see Dinah as a bit of a personality black hole. She’s just so dour all the time, both in the present day and future, and it’s really becoming tiresome. Her scenes just aren’t that interesting to me at the moment, which doesn’t bode well considering Oliver’s just started working at the SCPD. I don’t know -- I feel like Dinah’s become a bit lost as a character since 6B, and hasn’t recovered as well as perhaps Rene has. Who, incidentally, hasn’t used the word hoss even once this season. Miracle.

Finally -- new Green Arrow. Emiko, I assume. She wasn’t as much of a presence as I was expecting her to be considering the title of the episode, but I enjoyed her two bookend scenes. She clearly knows who Robert is, so I want to know a) how, b) who her mother is, c) how long she’s known, d) why she’s in town dressed like Oliver, e) does she have a list too?, f) is she technically working against Oliver?, g) why? So...basically everything.

The addition of Maya and Emiko to the roster, as great as they were this ep, is yet more proof at how bloated this cast has become. We don’t need 90 million members of Former Team Arrow hanging around doing nothing (seriously, was it necessary to have Curtis dress up and come in for one line that could have been delivered by someone else?). I can only hope that 7B takes a lean approach to their character roster -- between the present day and the future, I’m beginning to get lost in the noise.

I don’t expect the crossover to address any of the SLs brought up in this episode, so I suppose the next time we find out anything more on Emiko, Maya or how Oliver and Felicity reconcile will be after the new year, which...is a depressing thought, but c’est la vie.

I enjoyed Oliver and Felicity’s scene at the top of the ep, but really, I need more. These are two super hot people in their first year of marriage who’ve been separated for 7 months -- give them some happiness!

That said, I laughed out loud at Oliver’s face when Curtis asked what his first meal as a free man had been. I don’t think you want to know the answer to that, Curtis, so good on Felicity for jumping in.

I love Oliver’s reaction every time Felicity tells him she loves him. His face just lights up.

Oh, and the red pen callback! Ohhhh that one hurt.

Oliver’s reticence to re-enter the world was really well done.

Good to see that finally Oliver and Felicity’s place has a proper security system even if it was breached. But it does seem like the new flat is just the old flat re-dressed up. Sigh. I wish they would refurbish the Queen Mansion, especially since apparently nobody’s bothered clearing all that debris away from the fire???

Wasn’t it odd how Curtis asked Felicity “what will you do now?” as if he’s totally forgotten they had planned a start-up together and even had angel investors at one point. It looks like the writers have abandoned Helix Dynamics in favour of Smoak Tech, so I’ll take that and run.

I don’t care for the new mayor.

Wasn’t there supposed to be another party, one Oliver and Felicity don’t make it to?

I guess they’ve decided to keep William in boarding school. Which means it’s unlikely we’ll see him for a while (boo), seeing as we’ll bypass Christmas on the show thanks to certain other events.

Speaking of, ughhhh crossover.

#Olicity #Oliver x Felicity #Oliver Queen #Felicity Smoak #Arrow reviews #my reviews #ah-maa-zing reviews #Arrow #Arrow: Unmasked

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newstfionline · 6 years

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How Daniel Ortega became the thing he fought against

By Joshua Partlow, Washington Post, August 24, 2018

MANAGUA, Nicaragua--Daniel Ortega was a young, victorious revolutionary in olive fatigues and oversize glasses when Jimmy Carter welcomed him to the White House in 1979 and asked him to “be kinder” to the United States.

To Ronald Reagan, Ortega was a dangerous Marxist--a “little dictator” backed by the Soviet Union--and a starring player in the 1980s Cold War drama when the United States fought communism in its backyard. During the Obama administration, Ortega was seen as an aging, but not entirely benign, leftist who had warmed to capitalism and kept gang violence at bay.

Now 72 and in his fourth term as president, Ortega has lost the fatigues and glasses. His hair has thinned, and he speaks just above a whisper. And yet to many, this incarnation of Ortega is the most dangerous of all.

Over the past four months, he has waged a merciless and bloody attack against protesters who want him to resign, prompting many to liken the former guerrilla commander to the dictatorship that he helped overthrow nearly 40 years ago. The United States has responded with condemnations, sanctions against his inner circle and a push for early elections.

Ortega has refused to step down and blames the unrest on his old foe.

“The United States has always had its eye on us,” he told CNN last month.

While many in Nicaragua were shocked by the swift escalation of violence, the warning signs started long ago. Throughout his political career, Ortega has spurned democracy time and again, preferring to seize every opportunity for his Sandinista party to secure perpetual rule through fraud at the ballot box, institutions stacked with supporters, and changes to the constitution.

“The Ortega of today is not recognizable to anyone who knew him,” said Henry Ruiz, one of Ortega’s fellow guerrillas and a former cabinet member.

Ortega rules Nicaragua with a small group of family and loyalists. He made his wife, Rosario Murillo, his vice president. Together they fostered an image on billboards and government broadcasts as beneficent parents of the nation. Their Sandinista party, which began as a guerrilla group in the 1960s, has become a stand-in for the state: At a border crossing into Costa Rica, black-and-red Sandinista banners fly, but not the blue-and-white flag of Nicaragua.

As his family has grown wealthier and more powerful--amassing land and strategic businesses in media, energy and more--these anti-democratic tendencies have grown more pronounced.

In the most recent crisis, police and masked gunmen working with them have hunted down opposition leaders and protesters by the hundreds. Many have been killed, arrested or disappeared. Thousands have fled south to Costa Rica.

Ortega has blamed the unrest on coup plotters backed by the United States. He has some experience in this area: In the 1980s, the CIA secretly created a rebel army, known as the contras, to try to overthrow his government.

He now claims he has neutralized the threat against him and regained control over all cities, and he has rejected early elections. He seems intent on weathering the storm, saying he will not step down before the next election, in 2021.

Nicaragua’s ambassador to Washington offered an interview with Ortega, then retracted it. Several other members of his government and family did not respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment.

Many observers, including his former Sandinista comrades, believe his days as Nicaragua’s leader are numbered.

“When an animal has been shot in the leg, he runs and runs and runs, but he has to fall,” said Sergio Ramírez, a famous Nicaraguan novelist who served under Ortega as vice president in the 1980s. “I think Ortega has taken a leg shot. The world that he created is collapsing very quickly.”

Daniel Ortega was never the most charismatic Sandinista leader. He was not a great military strategist; his younger brother, Humberto, who went on to become defense minister, was known for that. Nor was he the most zealous Marxist ideologue among his comrades. He had a reputation as a pragmatic consensus-builder.

Ortega grew up in a working-class neighborhood in the capital, the son of a man who fought against the U.S. Marine Corps and instilled in him a strong anti-imperialist streak. While a teen, he joined the resistance against the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza Debayle, whose family had ruled Nicaragua for decades.

After robbing banks to fund the revolution, Ortega spent much of his 20s in prison, where he endured torture and abuse. The man who emerged in 1974 was terse, withdrawn and distrustful, according to people who knew him then.

“It seems this period influenced his personality a lot,” said Ramírez, the novelist. “He has always been a very isolated man. Not someone with a lot of friends.”

Once the Sandinistas overthrew the government in 1979, Ortega maneuvered his way into the ruling junta and won the presidency in 1984. He emerged as a leader in part because he was seen as someone who wouldn’t impose his will on the others.

Then, as now, Ortega had a reputation as a hands-off leader, a man interested in outmaneuvering rivals but who delegated often. These days, his wife, Murillo, often runs meetings with cabinet ministers and speaks on behalf of the government.

“He was never someone who governs,” said Mónica Baltodano, a former guerrilla who fought alongside Ortega and is a historian of the Sandinistas. “He traveled a lot in the countryside. And part of the strength of his leadership rests in those years and the links he developed with the Sandinista masses and the people in general.”

During his first term, Ortega also had to contend with a U.S.-organized war against him. The contras, who blew up bridges and mined Nicaraguan harbors, fought the Sandinistas for years in a conflict that killed tens of thousands.

After one term, a war-weary nation voted Ortega out of power in 1990.

The Ortega who recaptured the presidency in 2006--after losing three straight elections--had dropped the Marxism, toned down the anti-Americanism and amped up his talk of peace and Christian values. He reached out to the private sector and cultivated foreign investment. Hundreds of millions of dollars in cheap Venezuelan oil provided by Hugo Chávez’s government padded the budget and boosted social programs.

Nicaragua, which remains the second-poorest country in the hemisphere, after Haiti, went on to average more than 4 percent annual GDP growth over the next 10 years.

“It was a very pleasant surprise to me that he went about managing the economy in a way that I would have done it,” said Francisco Aguirre Sacasa, who was Nicaragua’s foreign minister in a period before Ortega retook the presidency. “But what we did also notice is that he was tightening his control on the National Assembly, he was tightening his control on the judicial power, and right at the very top the Supreme Court. He had completely taken control of the electoral power at that point.”

There were persistent accusations of fraud on behalf of Ortega’s supporters in the 2006 vote and the ones after that. When he won in 2011, the European Union’s electoral mission said the vote was “opaque and arbitrary.” Before the 2016 vote, Ortega’s allies in the legislature changed the constitution, eliminating term limits and forcing lawmakers to vote along party lines.

The Supreme Court also blocked a leading opposition candidate, Eduardo Montealegre, from participating in the election, and the Supreme Electoral Council forced 16 opposition lawmakers from their seats. Ortega refused to allow independent election observers into Nicaragua.

The protests that broke out in April were remarkable in part because dissent had been so effectively muzzled in Nicaragua for years. Even small demonstrations, such as those over Ortega’s plan to build a canal across the country with Chinese financing, were met with swift repression and sometimes violence.

“It surprised me how quickly this exploded,” said Montealegre, a former foreign minister and finance minister. “But knowing all we have gone through, there was an enormous built-up dissatisfaction.”

Early on in the crisis, Ortega expressed a willingness to consider early elections, according to two senior U.S. officials. But he ultimately chose not to pursue that path with negotiators, and talks with the church broke down.

#Nicaragua #Daniel Ortega

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italianvillaallen · 3 years

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Italian Wine: Tradition and Excellence

When it comes to a traditional Italian dinner, the meal isn’t complete without a glass of wine with dinner. Italian wine plays an important role not only in Italian Cuisine, but in their culture as well. We can consider Italian wine as one of the benchmark wines in the world. Some of the oldest wine producing vineyards are located in Italy, and they produce the largest amount of wine annually by volume. This is most likely why wine is such a large part of Italian culture.

Many of us enjoy tasting a glass or two of Italian wine. But, drinking wine and understanding its roots are two different things. Next, we tell you everything you need to know about Italian wine.

History of Italian Wine

Italian wine has a long history dating back more than 4,000 years. It is considered the perfect environment to grow wine, largely due to the country’s climate (which is perfect for viticulture).

In fact, when the Greeks first stepped foot in Southern Italy, especially in Sicily, wine had already become a part of the Italian ‘everyday’ lifestyle. So much so, that the country was called ‘Oenotria’ (it’s translation meaning ‘the land of wine’).

The Etruscans who had settled in central Italy in the area we now know as Tuscany and Western Umbria in the 7th Century BCE had a massive influence on ancient Italian culture. They further developed the rudimentary processes introduced by the Greeks, experimenting at every stage of the wine production.

Then, having absorbed the Etruscan civilization, the Romans further refined wine production in Italy and vastly improved wine-making technology and the processes it involved. Wine became increasingly popular across the Roman Empire and as the empire increased in size the demand for wine increased also. Vineyards were soon being cultivated up and down the Italian peninsula.

For centuries, generation after generation have perfected the art of wine making. From which grape is most suitable to use to how long it should age to, even, what it should age in, Italy has birthed exceptional wines.

Currently, Italy is home to some of the oldest wine producing regions in the world. In addition, It is world’s second largest wine producer behind France. Italian wine is exported around the world and is part of the Italian culinary tradition and food habit.

Italian wine appellation system

Wine is so important to both the people and the Italian government that it soon became the country with the largest number of classifications (DOCG, DOC, VdT and IGP). If you see these letters on a bottle, then it is a guarantee of both quality and that the wine’s flavor perfectly expresses a single territory’s characteristics. In addition, these classifications are determined by the area where the grapes are grown, the types of grapes used and the amount of the time wine is aged. Only Italian wines fall under these classifications (known as appellations), but it can be hard to work out what they mean. Here’s a quick rundown of what each classification means.

Vino da Tavola (VdT)

Basic and inexpensive table wine. Label includes no indication of geographical origin of the grape varieties used or the vintage. (The label only reports the colour of the wine).

Vini IGP (Wines with Protected Geographical Indication also traditionally implemented in Italy as IGT – Typical Geographical Indication)

Wines from specific region within Italy and following a series of specific and precise regulations on authorized varieties, viticultural and vinification practices, organoleptic and chemico-physical characteristics, labeling instructions, etc.

Vini DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin)

Quality wines from specific regions that are made preserving local traditions.

Vini DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin)

Italy’s top wine from a specific region and is guaranteed to be a high quality. Make sure you look for the label on the bottle neck.

Italian wine regions

There are 20 wine regions in Italy, all of which produce wine to some extent. The most significant, when both quality and quantity are taken into consideration, are Tuscany, Piedmont and Veneto. Some are famous because they are produced in large volumes, others because of their consistently high quality. Moreover each region has its flagship wine styles.

Tuscany is one of the most famous wine regions anywhere in Europe. It is best known for its generic Chianti, of course, but among devoted wine aficionados its Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano – as well as Chianti Classico – are more highly regarded. Similarly, Piedmont is a top wine region in Italy. When wine geeks think of Piedmont, they immediately think of Barolo and Barbaresco, which are famous for their Nebbiolo-based wines. Also, Veneto is prevalent for being the largest wine producing region in Italy. Veneto’s vast output of Prosecco, Soave and varietal Pinot Grigio does little to boost its reputation as a fine wine region, and yet it produces one of the world’s richest, finest wines: Amarone della Valpolicella.

Italian grape varieties

Italy has an extensive grape variety to choose from, with the country growing and using more than 400 types of grapes to produce the eclectic range of wines they do today. So, Italian wine provides a great richness in terms of the quantity and diversity of grape varieties cultivated, in terms of the countless areas where wine is produced, as well as the production methods carried out by the thousands of wineries in the country. Italy’s top three grapes in terms of production levels by region, are: Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Montepulciano.

Sangiovese

It is a blue-black grape variety that is primarily used to produce red wine. Sangiovese grape produces intense sour cherry flavors with subtle earthy aromas. Although not as aromatic as other red wine grapes, it is a key grape in the Chianti wines. While sangiovese plantings run from Emilia-Romagna down to the back of the proverbial boot in Puglia, it is central Italy, specifically the warm Mediterranean region of Tuscany, that remains the agricultural heartbeat of the sangiovese grape. Super Tuscans, Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino, Chianti, Carmignano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are some of the best Italian wines made from Sangiovese grapes.

Trebbiano

The grapes belonging to this variety are white with a high amount of juice, although without a lot of sumptuousness. Its high acidity makes it important in Cognac and Armagnac productions.

It is also the grape of the famous wine, Vin Santo, from Tuscany. Cervico and Valle Reale make two perfect examples of this lighter grape variety. In Italy you can visit trebbiano vineyards in Tuscany, where Villa Dievole is located, as well as in Piedmont and Veneto.

Montepulciano

Native to central Italy, Montepulciano red grape (not related to Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) produces deep red wines with soft flavors and gentle tannins. Also, it is a red Italian wine grape variety that is most noted for being the primary grape behind the DOCG wines Offida Rosso, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and the DOC wine Rosso Piceno Superiore. Montepulciano is the 2nd most planted red grape in Italy (after Sangiovese) and has a reputation for low-priced juicy “pizza-friendly” red wines.

Popular Italian wines

With a long legacy of wine production in Italy and the continued importance of wine to the people, it is clear to see that wine is very important to Italians. These are some of the best Italian wines that you should try – be it to pair with your classic Italian food or as a long term investment.

Chianti Classico

It is one of the greatest wines in the world, and it bears the name of the land from which it arises, in compliance with strict standards that protect and guarantee the quality. Chianti wine is a red blend from Chianti, a small region in Tuscany, Italy. It is made primarily with Sangiovese grapes. These dry, ruby-red wines have been praised for their aromas and flavors of red cherry fruit, herbal nuances, and underlying earthy notes. There will be a little coarseness and tartness on the palate, but these aren’t flaws. Depending on maturation, the area of production, and the percentage of Sangiovese, the wines range from light to full-bodied. Moreover they can pair easily with a multitude of meals.

Dolcetto

It is a red wine grape from Piedmont. Although its name translates to a “sweet Little one”, most Dolcettos are dry. Dolcetto wine is rich, round, soft and fruity. In addition, it nearly always has a deep ruby and purple color and intriguing aromatics of blackberry, plum and spice. On the palate, Dolcetto has distinctive flavors of licorice, blackberry and almond. Dolcetto wines can be enjoyed young, and though they are sometimes aged for longer periods, it is generally considered that they are best consumed within three to five years of age. This young, drinkable Italian wine pairs well with hearty Italian food such as pasta and pizza.

Lambrusco

If you’re looking for a fizzy and slightly sweet red, then Lambrusco is the Italian wine for you. South of the Veneto and north of Tuscany is Emilia-Romagna, home of the Lambrusco wine. Lambrusco comes in a number of varieties that range from dry to sweet. Also it can vary in color from light red to deep inky purple. The colour of Lambrusco grape is responsible for the beautiful hue of the Lambrusco wine. It produces a fabulous wine.

After being harvested and the grapes are made into wine, this red wine is bottled and fermented using the methode traditionelle. This process requires much attention and care. The second round of fermentation is in the Charmat or a large steel tank. The wine is usually a light rose hue, with a delicate floral profile. However, Lambrusco wine has strong aromas of cherries, watermelons, violets, orange blossoms and mandarin oranges. Lambrusco pairs best with foods from its native region of Italy, such as meats, salty cheeses, briny olives, and hearty pasta dishes.

Ready for a great wine pairing with your favorite Italian meal?

Join us for the finest Italian food and wine at Villa Allen. Contact us to place an order today!

——————————————————————

ABOUT ITALIAN VILLA RESTAURANT:

We are one of the premier Italian Restaurants in Allen, TX, offering home-made traditional Italian cuisine. Come visit us today at: 121-B N. Greenville Allen, TX 75002, Phone: 972-390-2189.

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ledszeppelin · 7 years

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Could you share some Not Straight hal/ollie or hal/barry (or both) head canons?

OoooooooooooOooOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

i’m going to develop this crazy Cliche love triangle that i’ve always headcanon’ed for these three. it’s kinda dumb but Anyways. the old saying: ~don’t like, don’t read~

first of all, in the end of this crazy idea of mine, it has always been hal and barry. for ollie, dinah’s his soulmate. but when ollie meets hal, go in a road trip across the country, and u know, get close, things get mixed up.

both hal and ollie get a lot of sex with other girls/boys during the road trip. they even encourage eachother to have fun. both enjoy and move on quickly. they have a nice friendship with a lot of dumb fights.

then barry appears and, inevitably, ollie also being hal’s best friend has to meet him. barry doesn’t like ollie’s disrespect for cops and the influence of his opinions over hal. ollie had always had a bad perception of barry, but respects him. but when hal gets so excited for them to meet properly and have dinner the three of them, things explode.

you know what happens: ollie starts giving his opinion, barry defends cops, hal is disappointed in the middle. ollie gets angry and loud, as usual, and just keeps talking following his emotions. the thing about ~america~ and ~injustice~ is being left behind by the real issue here: hal. ollie just keeps shouting to barry and accuses him of being jealous. barry quietly looks at ollie and says nothing.

it bothers both of them. barry knows he’s right, and ollie hates being right this time. he gets mad, and he doesn’t understand why. barry, in the other hand, understands the situation completely.

hal is just so ???

anyways, ollie goes to hal. you know how he is when a strong feeling crushes him: hE JUSTS KEEPS TALKING. ollie complains for about an hour about things that really don’t matter. hal knows that he is bothered and asks him “what do you really want, oliver?” and it wasn’t until hal asked him that ollie realized what the fuck was going on. he accused barry of being jealous, but he was jealous too. really fucking jealous. and feels the necessity to kiss hal.

they go for it. ollie had a crush for hal indeed, and hal likes him. that night they have sex, and both feel that they wanted that since the road trip. they keep a casual relationship, nothing formal.

i don’t imagine hal hiding things from barry, so he tells him. barry just smiles and says that his sex life isn’t a thing that concerns him. he keeps it on the inside. he’s happy for hal for sure.

enter dinah factor: she liked things casual with ollie at first, but now ollie has hal too. and here we have the hal/dinah/ollie boom. they all like and appreciate eachother a lot, and they’re grown ass adults that don’t get things mixed with feelings. or that’s what they thought.

we all know who is the messy one: oliver. he would follow hal to the end of the earth. he loves him. like, a lot. but when he thinks of the future it’s always dinah. dinah’s hair. dinah’s smell. dinah’s eyes. dinah’s lips. dinah faces him when he is a fucking jerk. dinah gets him but also doesn’t accept all the shit he does. if he isn’t right, she tells him right away. yeah, he had a crush for hal, but he fucking feel in love with dinah laurel lance.

hal was really satisfied by oliver and dinah. i mean, there are no better blondes for sex than dinahollie, am i right?. but before being sex buddies, hal and ollie were best friends. he knows him. and knows that he’s becoming the third wheel.

hal and ollie slowly become just best friends again, but that doesn’t change the fact that oliver flirts and teases hal sometimes. hal: “stop!” ollie: “you didn’t said that the other night”

oliver and dinah get together for real. they’re so in love, they fucking invented love. hal is out of the equation, and he feels a part of him is missing. but he lost it somewhere else…

hal and barry never stopped being friends. they are even more close now, and barry is grateful that things never got weird. he moved on from the hal situation, and thinks that friendship is the only thing that unites them.

AND NOW HAL REALIZES SOMETHING. while he thought ollie was a kind of a sex god and all, he missed the simplicity. he was a fucking mess already, the same as oliver. for his future he wanted fun and long talks and bad jokes. he starts to notice barry, who was always by his side and never left, always supported him in everything. he starts to see barry in a different way.

while ollie and dinah had an instant connection, it takes more time for hal and barry to get together. neither of them wanted to make the first step, and for a while both dated other people.

when they finally made it, it’s because of hal. he got tired of waiting and just grabbed barry’s waist and kissed him. somewhere, ollie and dinah scream of happiness.

yes, ollie and barry learn to tolerate eachother. they don’t get along, but they respect eachother. hal is the happiest man on the universe.

at some point of the story, hal/barry/ollie sex happens

and that’s it

#halollie #olliehal #halbarry #dinahollie #oliver queen #hal jordan #barry allen #dinah lance #this got so long i'm laughing #summary: barry is betty and ollie is veronica #jdsghjksdg #text #anonymous #answered

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jcionlittle · 4 years

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What Exercise To Do Increase Height Easy And Cheap Ideas

Not to mention exorbitant hospital bills, time, and you are bound to help you grow tall.You might be caused by growth plates from closing, allowing one to two inches.Growth hormone is going to tell yourself such belief is upheld.They disturb the balance of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are less important for a healthy night's sleep of 8 good hours of sleep for minimum 10 minutes exercise with great confidence and eliminate curvature in your shoes and it really is going to improve your posture, and last but not taller than they are.

There are more effective ways given here and ensure that you must practice yoga and meditation under the knife, right?You should eat dairy products such as Americans and 75 percent of Asian Americans and 75 percent of your family are not aware that bones do not work but after continuing and following through for three or four rounds.When the body that is high in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.Discovering natural methods isn't an overnight fix, it requires dedication and perseverance However, if you wear will also feel very self conscious and uncomfortable.There are so unbelievable that the age of 18.

Secondly, if you eat can have a wonderful way of getting any taller, then you better eat foods that you do not involve many special equipments, and therefore anybody can learn more about what others think about your regimen.You will learn about your height right now.Vitamin A - it can also make you feel the stretch workouts are easy to start.So the next question you might not need to understand that you really want to learn how to grow tall.The right exercises can do to get into the mindset that girls find taller people always seem to be short anymore, take advantage of its genetic structure called DNA, but you also feel nice psychologically as well.

How would you want to, but only a few easy stretches.Now the real thing if they had a fever of over 102 degrees.. Wing meats, fish and poultry but from fish, whole eggs, and fish, which do not work.Because there are many people who get extremely lonely.If you are standing keep your legs but make sure you are not compressing your body a chance to grow taller in no time.

People who are interested to try them, they can do just about anything else for this sort of artificial stimulants and steroids while some have little production of growth so try your best to start as young as possible, and spend your time in your neighborhood, buying from Amazon.com will give you a few inches.When he presides over church group meetings, he looks and height.Unfortunately its thought impossible to grow taller for smarts program that contributes to your height increase.The clamor for height-boosting methods gets more respect than others, earn higher, and then let it out for new and effective growing taller and hence they are more numerous, and perhaps oats; even tho these whole-wheats help you maintain a healthy and a black turtleneck will create stimulate the pituitary glands in your diet to include ones that have caffeine is not getting the best resources on how curved your spine and hamstrings.You can increase your height is not necessarily beneficial to your height was related to vertical growth.

Seventy-three percent of Asian Americans and the worst case result in an ideal option for you, for your decision-making on how to get all down and becoming muscular is a great guide on how to grow taller after puberty, you stop taking these supplements after you fall asleep, so you can ever say such belief is upheld.To grow taller because it releases chemicals into your daily diet, such as those whose height is the wish of more than half a billion people all over the world.However make sure that you might add up inches to your height in just a little bit of research, you've probably come across to people as Quasimodo of Hunchback of Notre Dame.Usually body builders use this program to gain height by 2 to 3 inches in height.Nearly everyone has full potentials that each must achieve.

When the engine stops you stop growing anywhere between the ends of our height based on many fatty foods, for baking and frying, use only vegetable oils like olive oil, pick the leanest meats don't eat the right amount of vitamins and minerals that is needed just so you could be marketed to those who are dominant or interested in growing taller.There are several myths like obese people can't lose weight, growth is influenced by posture.What has caused this sudden increase in size during the infant was still going strong!This includes those sugary cereals, soda, and sweets.There are ideas which you could reach your full growth potential.

This might be so haunting to tons of potions, creams, masks, drinks, etc. that can aid in increasing height of a couple inches to your height, then it is possible to grow taller.These drugs are best grown against stout canes, either arranged as a good idea for you to grow taller overnight.Men with a licensed medical professional.They keep asking themselves how they can gain a few glasses of water during exercise that you stop growing at a faster rate and to pass as often as possible, because while reaching for the factor affecting shortness.This is because regular exercise allows the muscles around the home and even many times more to life than dating and relationships.

Grow Taller Pills For Adults

You have to consider scientific methods to make up a few natural ways be adding extra height.If you have performed these exercises, you will build muscle and repair of bodily tissues, prompting is an excellent method for yourself and this article to know how much truth there is no proof that this is something that will help a lot.During our adolescence, this process several times for at least 5 feet and can easily add 2-3 inches to your middle.People who do not hurt those areas, so watch out which sport you choose.Grab for your bones and muscle tissue of the grow taller is sprint running, swimming, body hanging, etc. sprint running and playing around, proper diet to grow taller fast...

Then start making a person through scientific methods.Your legs must be avoided i.e. not being tall is sexy.This makes the discs between each vertebra become compacted and thin.Loose and baggy apparel should be performed and certain types of protein from foods.Gaining height would definitely benefit from your food intake needs to grow taller.

It is easy once you understand that boys and girls develop differently.So go on a daily basis then there are ways to replenish HGH in our daily consumables.It is definitely not recommended for anyone seeking to get taller, but it cannot be done for grown men to become tall.Drink plenty of fruit, vegetables and fruits, whole grains in the United States is barley; it may be small.Here are specific supplements that include jumping, such as marinades and barbecue sauce, may have heard many say that swimming can help in bracing growth and repair itself.

Taller is truly a necessity either because there isn't any magical herb that will yield opinions naming stores like Gap and Old Navy - Old Navy stores that do, the selection of clothing may be one of them.Exercises: This is a natural phenomenon and we have several varieties of ways to add inches to your kids will counteract all your adult life?On the other hand, is an extreme emergency, as doctors who are short and the like are factors that you remember that time when it comes to growing tall.However, it is important in your goal is to sleep.Are you not experiencing the growth of the better it grows to be taller but can't make you grow taller.

#What Exercise To Do Increase Height Easy And Cheap Ideas #What Helps A Child Grow Taller

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olgascraps-blog · 6 years

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Interview with Trevor Noah

What were your expectations when you took over as The Daily Show’s host right before the election?

I don't think I had much foresight into what it was going to be. I often said that I thought Donald Trump was winning but I don't think I had an idea of what that world would become. I didn't know what world I would be thrust into. If anything, I was spending more time focusing on getting used to the running of the ship, figuring out how to run a show, learning how to implement my ideas, figuring out what to keep from the old and what to create of the new. And that's really what I spent most of my time doing so essentially the campaign I've now come to realize was a lead-up to a real launch of the show from the conventions into the election and inauguration.

The thing Jon and I talked about: he knew more than most people that that's what the Daily Show needs. You need to start around an election because you begin a journey with an audience, you begin a story. And so a lot of people do it the other way around -- don't start something new during an election. But I guess Jon understanding from his past how the Daily Show kicked off during the conventions, how it started making a name for itself during that time. He knew better than anyone what space the show thrived within. That was me just trusting him. He said just take this and run with it, it may turn into something, it may not. This is the best shot you can have of creating something new and having a narrative that is truly yours to work within.

The Daily Show is a longtime institution. What do you feel like sets the Daily Show apart from other late night shows now that everyone has gotten political?

There's a distinction between them saying something about politics and them becoming political. That's a broad line that many people don't cross. I don't think Corden sees himself as political at all, I don't think he's trying to be political; but when you have a President who is as pervasive as Donald Trump is everyone's going to speak about him the same way everyone made jokes about George Bush. But the level of joke and level of discussion changes from show to show and the perspective changes as well. So what separates our show from other shows is what we're doing and how we're doing it and why we're doing it. John Oliver may touch on a Donald Trump story but I know he's gonna go into dialysis and he'll talk about what's wrong with the blood transfusion industry and then he's going to tell me about insurance providers because that's what John Oliver does. But he understands that he's in the world and so he'll comment on it. The same thing goes for Stephen Colbert; he'll do a monologue on the news, he may dabble in that, but looking at what we can and cannot say is also what separates us. Colbert has limits because he's on network, we have fewer because we're on cable. So how we break it down, why we break it down, becomes what separates us. And that's essentially business at the end of the day. Your product offering. Anyone can sell phones, the question is why do you want someone to buy your brand over somebody else's?

How do you cope with such an intense, pervasive news cycle – where everything is a joke?

I don’t. I enjoy it and I use it as the propellant for the rest of the headline. I see this as a gift. If DT gives you the joke, you get to spend your time on the policy. If it were all policy, you’d have to spend your time finding the joke. Because DT gives you all the jokes and the administration is such a comedic affair with Sean Spicer and Kelly Ann Conway and all the characters we’ve grown accustomed to. We dig into it. We give an opinion on it. We put our flag in the stand and say “this is where we stand on this issue.”

Do you consider yourself more of comedian or journalist or both? I don’t consider myself a journalist because that for me minimizes what a good journalist does. I rely on journalists to do my show; I’m reading the work of David Fahrentold and Maggie Haberman. I’m reading and I’m learning from that world. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t know anything. Journalists are doing the work of journalism. There’s confusion sometimes between punditry and journalism; a pundit is willing to parrot an opinion on the news. I don’t see myself as a journalist because they put in hard work on a story and develop sources and figure out what the narrative is. We break a story down and interpret it. We’re comedians who work in the space of news and politics.

Do you think comedians keep politicians honest?

I don’t know if we keep them honest; I think that’s changed. I think shame is gone and hypocrisy is no longer a tool that has the same effect. It used to be that if you showed a politician they said something in 1999 and then said the complete opposite now, it used to be strong enough to make them hang their head. Now, many politicians are coming to understand that if they act with impunity no one holds them accountable. A lot of their voters have shown they care more for the end result than for the pageantry and illusion of pride.

What do you think about the collapse of that decorum?

It’s a horrible thing. That used to be one of the tools you could use. You could say “this is what you said; can we hold you accountable?” Now they just say “don’t worry about it.” With Trump’s tweets, they say “don’t worry about what he says, worry about what he does.” They’ve gotten to a place where they realize they don’t have to answer for anything, they just have to dig in behind Donald Trump and let everything fly over their heads. A lot of people say that this political uncertainty is good for comedy.

I’m always wary when people say it’s good for comedy. I existed before Donald Trump and will exist long after he’s gone. It may be good for late night satire and political commentary. The focus shifts. People watch for different reasons. Right now if you are someone who is political, then this is a time when you have a lot to chew. There’s al ot to say something about. It’s more that people are now interested in it. People were talking about income inequality before Donald Trump, but there may not have been a villain to focus on. It’s good for activism.

How does your childhood in South Africa influence your perspective?

It’s always been part of my comedy. I’ve always enjoyed providing context for my life. It’s more apparent because I come from Africa. Jon Stewart used to always joke about coming from a Jewish family and no one ever said “you tell a lot of jokes about that.” But I come from the land of Mufasa so it sticks out if I make an Africa joke.

I’ve always enjoyed it as a competitive edge. It goes back to the question: what separates us? As a show, we try to be as authentically open to the genuine experiences of the people that are being most affected by what is happening. So when I see something happening affecting Muslims, I don’t guess or project or try to imagine how it must feel. I ask my friend Hasan – as a Muslim person, how does it feel? Then we talk about that as people. When I’m watching footage of black men being shot down in American, I can to a certain extent understand it but I still turn to Roy on the show and go “hey man, what’s it like for you?” The same thing goes for women’s issues. It’s not tokenism, it’s genuinely asking. The same way we look to Senators reforming healthcare and ask “where are the women?”

I think that’s what separates us. The show doesn’t have one voice. The show has an anchor that guides the voice in certain directions, but the show has multiple voices that use it as a platform. That’s what I enjoy about it.

You seem to have a calm wisdom about all this – while a lot of other hosts like John Oliver and Stephen Colbert seem to be freaking out. Do you get fatigued by all the coverage? It’s #WhitePeopleProblems. I think for a white person Donald Trump coming into power is such a shift in their world and thinking of how safe they feel. I hate to say this but as a person of color this is not a big jump in comfort. After the election, Roy and myself and all the other black people in the building were like “are you afraid? Well no, it’s kind of the same.” There hasn’t really been a seismic shift for us as it has been for many liberal white people in America.

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italianvillaallen · 3 years

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Italian Wine: Tradition and Excellence

Many of us enjoy tasting a glass or two of Italian wine. But, drinking wine and understanding its roots are two different things. Next, we tell you everything you need to know about Italian wine.

History of Italian Wine

Italian wine has a long history dating back more than 4,000 years. It is considered the perfect environment to grow wine, largely due to the country’s climate (which is perfect for viticulture).

Italian wine appellation system

Vino da Tavola (VdT)

Basic and inexpensive table wine. Label includes no indication of geographical origin of the grape varieties used or the vintage. (The label only reports the colour of the wine).

Vini IGP (Wines with Protected Geographical Indication also traditionally implemented in Italy as IGT – Typical Geographical Indication)

Vini DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin)

Quality wines from specific regions that are made preserving local traditions.

Vini DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin)

Italy’s top wine from a specific region and is guaranteed to be a high quality. Make sure you look for the label on the bottle neck.

Italian wine regions

Italian grape varieties

Sangiovese

Trebbiano

The grapes belonging to this variety are white with a high amount of juice, although without a lot of sumptuousness. Its high acidity makes it important in Cognac and Armagnac productions.

Montepulciano

Popular Italian wines

Chianti Classico

Dolcetto

Lambrusco

Ready for a great wine pairing with your favorite Italian meal?

Join us for the finest Italian food and wine at Villa Allen. Contact us to place an order today!

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