#Gann Explained

[intensethought]

A deep dive into WD Gann and Tunnel Through The Air | Response to a viewer's questions relating to WD Gann Example Gann Trade | Perspective on Gann Methods | Nominal Model | Hurst and Gann | Planetary Cycles | Gann Fan | Channel Lines | Astro Progression

[iviarellereads]

The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 33 - Within the Weave

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Wheel icon) In which, hey, we were warned about this weren't we?

PERSPECTIVE: Perrin stares down at what's become known as the Lugard Road, near the Manetherendrelle river and the border of Murandy. Moiraine said this road had been paved, long ago, and sometimes paving stones work themselves up out of the ground. This one's different.

Perrin would have said it was a footprint of a large hound, if dogs could leave footprints in stone. There are no footprints in any of the rest of the dirt, though, just a faint trace of sulphur in the air. Maybe some kids stole a firework from the village nearby and set it off here. Dogs don't just make footprints in stone.(1)

Moiraine's been pushing them hard since leaving Jarra village. Loial wonders that Perrin can't sleep, but Perrin can't explain that he doesn't dare sleep soundly, because of the dreams. He remembers the one with Egwene and Hopper in it, and hopes Egg is doing well at the Tower. He figures Verin will look after her, and after Mat. He doesn’t think Nynaeve needs looking after, she’s more the kind you need looking after because of.

They've found more traces of Rand's passage, like a village burned entirely to cinders. The townspeople say a lantern dropped in a barn started it, and then everything went wrong: half the buckets in the town had holes in them, every burning wall fell out instead of in spreading the fire to the next houses over, and when the inn started to fall, the flaming timbers tumbled in such a way as to surround the main well, so they couldn't draw water to fight the fires anyway after that.

But a couple of untouched villages later, they find one where a spring in the village common is flowing after a year of failed wells and no water source closer than a mile away. Three villages after that, one where every well in town went dry the night before. Another where the crops were as poor as any can remember, but the mayor found sacks of gold that Moiraine says were minted in Manetheren.

Perrin wonders how so many evil things can happen in the Pattern as Rand moves through it, and Moiraine says the Creator is good, the Dark One is evil, but the Pattern is neither and both. A pattern that's all one colour is no pattern.(2)

As they approach the village of Remen, sitting on the Manetherendrelle, Perrin scents something Wrong, but not a Trolloc or a Myrddraal. Unrelated to that, there's a man crouched in a small iron cage, and children are throwing rocks at him. Loial and Perrin agree that someone should stop them. Something about the man tweaks Perrin's recognition.

Everyone in the inn is dressed as if it's a festival day. The innkeeper says some Hunters for the Horn found adventure right nearby, just up the river, fighting wild Aielmen. Imagine, Aielmen, in Altara! Perrin realizes that's what he recognized about the man in the cage. He also remembers Min's vision of an Aielman in a cage, a turning point in his life.(3)

Perrin asks how the Aielman came to be in the cage, and the innkeeper gestures to one he names Lord Orban, a youngish man in a red coat, bandaged in multiple places. He says Lord Orban and Lord Gann faced twenty Aielmen with only ten retainers, six retainers died, and every man took injuries, Orban and Gann worst of all, but they killed many Aiel, and the rest fled except this one they managed to take prisoner.

Lan engages in a skeptical conversation with Orban and Gann, and Moiraine sharply asks to be shown to their rooms. The crowd murmurs about "Lady" and "Ogier" as they pass through, but Perrin feels one pair of eyes in particular, the only woman in the room not in the local fashion of lace, standing apart from the rest of the patrons, in a plain dark grey riding dress. She's no older than Perrin, and tall for a woman. He's sure she's staring at him and him alone as they leave the common room.(4)

=====

(1) Are you familiar with the mythology this is from? Isn't it funny that Perrin would run into a dog-themed problem? (2) It's interesting that we need to keep reiterating that the Pattern, itself, is neither good nor evil. Like the Force, it has to balance itself out somehow. (3) What will become of this Aielman? Who is he, and why is he important to Perrin's story? (4) And whomst-a are youmst-a?

[grandhotelabyss]

Excellent Weekly Readings this week, John. It's inspired me to the below thoughts, a systematically intuitive rhapsody (apologies for some of my sloppiest prose):

I think the aim of artistic education (i.e., education of the artist rather than the aesthete) is to systematically expand one’s intuitions. Note *both* words — not merely to expand haphazardly, nor to systematise your imagination, but to take a dedicated approach to expanding the areas that you can feel your way through. Building a structure of similarities and differences, viewed from a hundred different angles, which becomes so natural that your taste can intuitively (usually unconsciously) run through it when you begin to work.

Because art education is extension of this awareness, criticism is central to it, in that it provides an example of/foundation for your own map, which is of course unique, but will coincide in a thousand ways with other people's, and perhaps — if you are a great imaginative poet — differ in a few truly new ways. The construction of your own poetic ancestry, as you keep talking about on the Invisible College, could be seen as one end goal of all this.

I have so far gone fairly deep into this process for music (where I think Kyle Gann might be the only consistent systematic-imaginist, though David Schiff's 'The Ellington Century' and Joseph Kerman's 'Opera As Drama' also qualify) and literature (where you have been a wonderful guide, and we can turn to many others from Aristotle to Shelley to Wilde to Frye to Paglia). I'm trying to start it for visual arts, where there are again a multitude of useful guides — art critics and 'art schools' generally being better, which is why half my friends are visual artists; while attempts in film have been hampered by its youth as an artform (Eisenstein and Deren probably come closest, but their insights were about a quarter of the way through cinema history, and so necessarily limited). I would love to hear other people chime in about other artforms!

But as you say, all of these can only point us towards maps, so above all we must read, listen, watch, gaze, wear, taste, smell and feel our way around the real world of art, guided but unhampered by even the most imaginative of maps. Theatre, for example, has its Virgils too — Aristotle again, Artaud, LeCoq, Mamet — but I have learned more from performing Shakespeare than from any of them. Is my idea of art, then, a mystical-scientific religion? I would say no, for religion is an offspring of art, a boundary-setting around a certain part of this kind of systematic imagination.

One final key point: a systematic intuition is, of course, a contradiction. If it wasn't, we'd be doing science, not art. Without contraries there is no progression!

Thank you, very well said! Sometimes I think the questions I receive about what or how to read are about how to begin this process of expanding intuition. My advice is usually just to jump in anywhere that looks inviting, but you are of course correct that criticism helps us navigate once we're "in." And then there's the Wildean argument that criticism and art are co-extensive, the eras of great art also the eras of great criticism.

(I'm not actually sure about that. The great ages of criticism in English literature are the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries, nestled in the two gaps between the three explosions of the Renaissance, Romanticism, and modernism. The greatest American criticism was arguably written in the middle of the 20th century, between the high periods of modernism and postmodernism. Major criticism seems to happen in the aftermath of great creative periods as an attempt to explain what happened and to point the way forward. Even considering Wilde's own example of "the Greeks," Aristotle was born a century after Sophocles, just as Wilde's contemporary Nietzsche would stress the belatedness of Socrates's critical spirit in relation to the tragedians.)

Re: other art forms, yes, especially the younger ones. Comics has perhaps had its Aristotle in Scott McCloud, but there's much more to do, and the academic absorption of the form has been a been a bit misleading in its essentially literary and sociological preoccupations.

[aerovanti]

7 Essential Books Every Aviation Professional Should Read 

Aviation is a field of perpetual evolution and innovation. Whether you're an aspiring pilot, an aviation engineer, an air traffic controller, or an aviation enthusiast, staying well-informed is crucial to success. One of the most effective ways to gain a comprehensive understanding of aviation is through reading. The following list compiles seven essential books that every aviation professional should consider reading to deepen their knowledge and expertise.

"Stick and Rudder: An Explanation of the Art of Flying" by Wolfgang Langewiesche Wolfgang Langewiesche's classic masterpiece, "Stick and Rudder," is an indispensable guide for anyone aspiring to become a pilot or seeking to enhance their flying skills. This book delves into the fundamental principles of flying, explaining the relationship between an aircraft's controls and aerodynamic behavior. With clear explanations and insightful anecdotes, Langewiesche demystifies the art of flying, making it a must-read for aviation professionals of all levels.

"Fate Is the Hunter" by Ernest K. Gann Ernest K. Gann's captivating memoir, "Fate Is the Hunter," offers a unique perspective on aviation through his personal experiences as a pilot. Gann narrates thrilling anecdotes from his time as a commercial pilot, providing readers with a glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of early aviation. This book offers valuable insights into the human aspect of flying and the critical decision-making that aviation professionals face, making it an essential addition to any aviation enthusiast's library.

"The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough David McCullough's meticulously researched biography, "The Wright Brothers," pays homage to the aviation pioneers. Wilbur and Orville Wright's determination and innovation led to the world's first powered flight, forever changing the course of history. This book sheds light on the brothers' journey, from humble beginnings to groundbreaking achievements, inspiring aviation professionals to push the boundaries of what is possible.

"Introduction to Flight" by John D. Anderson Jr. For those seeking a comprehensive textbook on the principles of flight, "Introduction to Flight" by John D. Anderson Jr. is an excellent choice. This book covers various topics, including aerodynamics, propulsion, and aircraft performance. It's an essential resource for aviation students and professionals, offering a solid foundation in the science behind aviation.

"The Human Factor in Aircraft Accidents" by David Beaty Safety is paramount in aviation, and "The Human Factor in Aircraft Accidents" by David Beaty explores the role of human error in aviation mishaps. By analyzing various accidents and incidents, Beaty highlights the critical impact of human factors such as communication breakdowns, fatigue, and cognitive biases. This book is a valuable lesson in aviation safety and encourages professionals to prioritize human factors in their daily operations.

"Airframe" by Michael Crichton While not a technical manual, Michael Crichton's thriller "Airframe" offers a gripping exploration of the aviation industry's inner workings. The novel follows an investigation into a mysterious airplane accident, uncovering corporate intrigue, media sensationalism, and technical complexities. This fictional tale provides aviation professionals with a suspenseful yet thought-provoking narrative that raises questions about the real-world challenges faced by the industry.

"Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot" by Mark Vanhoenacker "Skyfaring" by Mark Vanhoenacker provides a poetic and captivating perspective on flying. As a pilot for a major airline, Vanhoenacker shares his unique experiences and insights into the beauty of flight, the global interconnectedness it brings, and the awe-inspiring views from the cockpit. This book offers a refreshing take on aviation that reminds professionals of the wonder and privilege of their chosen field.

these seven essential books offer a diverse range of insights for aviation professionals looking to expand their knowledge and deepen their understanding of the industry. Each book contributes a unique perspective that can help professionals excel in their respective roles, from technical manuals to personal narratives. Whether you're a pilot, engineer, or enthusiast, these readings have the power to inspire and inform, fostering a deeper appreciation for the art and science of aviation.

[nrspeculator]

King Dollar?

In my twenty plus years of trading I have looked into every corner of technical analysis.  The MACD, RSI, Money Flows, Fibonacci sequence, GANN Method, Fractals, candle sticks, etc.…  Although each is useful in its own way, they never really explained the “Narrative.”  What do I mean by narrative?  The financial media likes to make references to supply and demand as an explanation of price…

[intensethought]

A deep dive into WD Gann and Tunnel Through The Air | Response to a viewer's questions relating to WD Gann NYSE Ruler, North Node, Tunnel Construction, Jonah, Jonas, US Cycles, Christianity vs. Atheism vs. The Absolute, G.I., Yin Yang, Venus, Kondratiev, Lunar Return, Tesla 369.

[mikewxrren]

Mike shook Gann’s hand and bumped shoulders with him in a casual greeting. ‘Yeah? Well then, let’s do it!’

The club was far livelier before opening than when Gann interviewed him. Other performers and bartenders lurked around, ignoring him as he followed Gann. 

When they reached the changing room, Mike pretended to take a steadying breath outside the door. ‘Y’know, when I came here the other week… That had to be the first time I’ve been to a club with dancers.’ It was a lie to explain why he was so eager with his texts before.

Gann sent his text and put his phone to the side. He rubbed over his face to get the tiredness away. It would be nice to have someone extra to fill for a few shifts so that he wouldn't have to. He was doing too many hours to be healthy, but it brought in a lot of money. Enough for him to have steady drinks an beautiful women hanging around... it kept him happy.

At another beep he looked at his phone and sent off a quick thumbs up with a smile back to Mike. Then he went for his last dance of the night so he could have a drink after.

Gann was waiting for Mike with a drink of water in hand, trying to get over his hangover. "Hey, there you are... good to see you, man." He smiled at Mike. "Come on, let me show you the dressing room and you can meet some of the guys."

[clonewarsarchives]

THE JOURNEY OF BARRISS OFFEE (#115, MAR 2010)

You might be forgiven for believing that Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Barriss Offee is voiced by an English actress. In fact, the Padawan is played by U.S. Actress Meredith Salenger! Words: Jonathan Wilkins

Were you a fan of Star Wars when you went for the role?

I was a huge fan when the first movies came out. I remember Star Wars was the very first movie I went to that had a line to get in. My dad and I were a standing there and I was looking around the block, amazed at how incredibly long the line was. So I’m a fan, but I suppose not as big of a fan as most Star Wars Insider readers!

How long have you been a voice-over actor?

I’ve been doing it for about three years, so in the general scheme of things I’m pretty new. But I started acting when I was really young [At the age of 15, Salenger played the lead role in the Disney movie, The Journey of Natty Gann]. I had friends who did voice acting, but I didn’t realize you could do both.

When you got the role were you given any back-story for your character?

[The Clone Wars Supervising Director] Dave Filoni gave me an idea of who Barriss was. He explained to me that her background was developed in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Dave gave me a few books that were written around her character, and we talked about who she is, what her skills are, and what kind of person she is.

Barriss has an impeccable English accent, in fact, here at Star Wars Insider we were expecting to interview Kate Winslet!

When I was younger I thought I had a nice English accent, and when I was a teenager I did a movie in Australia for four months. I thought the Australian accent was fantastic and couldn’t stop doing it! When I tried to go back to a English accent I found it had been ruined, so I had to be really careful to keep them separate. I actually play another character later in the season who has an Australian accent. (cwa note: Ione Marcy in 2.11 Lightsaber Lost)

I’ve always been obsessed with accents, ever since I was little. Anytime I hear an accent that I like, I quietly imitate the person under my breath. So if I’m watching TV and I hear someone say something like, [in an English accent] “I thought that was beautiful,” I’ll just repeat what they said.

You work a lot on the show with Olivia d’Abo (Luminara Unduli).

She’s my Master!

You both started your acting careers in the early 1980s.

Yes, and the funny thing is I never really knew she was English because she has such a good American accent! I was telling her that it’s unusual when someone has a good American accent, because I know it’s difficult to get right. We joked with each other in our accents, “Well, you have a good English accent!” “Well, you have a good American accent!” She’s just a very cool, down-to-earth girl. We’ve run in to each other a bit over the years, and she’s lovely.

Do you have a favorite memory from working on the show so far?

Sometimes you’re missing a few of the actors when you’re doing a scene, and they’ll go back and record their characters later. But there was one day when we had every single character in the studio. So many of the voice-over actors have been doing this forever and have done some really famous characters like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh! (cwa note: Jim Cummings, voice of Hondo Ohnaka)

It was just fascinating to watch them go between [characters]. One person would be doing three characters in one scene and just banter back and forth “amongst” himself. It was just amazing! That was, I think, the most special thing, just to see everyone doing their work.

I thought my voice could only sound one way, and then I realized the braver and more courageous you become, the more voices you find within yourself. You just have to be free enough and not as self-protective or worried what people might think.

What sort of direction did you receive from Dave Filoni?

First of all, he knows everything about Star Wars. So if you have a question, he knows the answer! He explains things really well, so when he tells you about the scene that you’re doing, you really do feel like you’re there. We don’t record our voices to a screen showing the action, so we do need to know the physical nature of what we are doing. Dave’s so detailed in what he tells us, that he really makes the acting very easy.

Did the images in your head live up to what made it to the screen?

It’s incredible how much better it looks! I pictured it, and felt it, and I think the emotions come through, but I never expected it to be as intricate and as beautiful as the scenes turned out in the completed shows.

Barriss and Ahsoka are very different Padawans. Was that fun to play?

As I finished watching [“Weapons Factory”], I was thinking to myself how similar the relationship between Barriss and Ahsoka is to that of me and my sister! My sister is very much Barriss, and I’m very much Ahsoka.

Barriss follows the rules and does what her Master tells her. She studies hard and learns everything. When obstacles arise that aren’t in the playbook, she doesn’t really know what to do because she hasn’t learned to rely on her instincts the way Ahsoka has. I think they really do complement each other, because she’s learning so much from Ahsoka.

Star Wars can be such a guys’ world. Is it important to you that Barriss is a role model to young girls watching the show?

Oh, I think it’s cool. Ahsoka is so fun and so cute, and so many girls are into her. It’s interesting because a lot of my friends have little boys and they love that character, too.

I think when you see a girl who’s strong and independent and standing up for herself and not afraid to run with the boys, that’s a very appealing quality. I do think it’s important for girls to see that being brave and strong and smart are admirable qualities. I love that the two girls go off on the mission together, complete that mission, and do a good job. OK, they still have to be rescued by their Masters...but they would have gotten out somehow!

What facets of Barriss’ character you would like to explore if she returns in the future?

I like that she is becoming less rigid in her thinking. She’s so brave and willing to sacrifice herself for the good of everybody else, and I think that’s a really good quality. I think that as she grows and spends more time with Ahsoka, she’ll learn that there are other ways to get out of situations, that not everything has to be done the way she’s been taught. I think she can learn to be a bit more creative and be a better Jedi just by being more spontaneous, and creative and flexible in her choices.

Are you looking forward to seeing Barriss as an action figure?

I think it’s the coolest thing ever! I can’t wait to have one. I’ve been to San Diego Comic-Con and I’ve seen actors sign little action figure packages for the fans. I love that fans get excited about the characters, so I’m looking forward to that when it happens to me!

[stevetonygames]

Spotlight Post: Canon Soulmate Bonds

Yooo, this is a blog takeover, Mizzy here, ready to champion one of my favourite fictional causes: canonical soulbonds in the Marvel universe.

We all love a good soulbond fic. Words on your body, names on your wrist, red string of fate...so many glorious versions, and all of them *completely awesome*. The problem sometimes with starting a soulbond fic, though, can be all the worldbuilding required to make it work. But what if I was to tell you that no worldbuilding was necessary? That you could technically write a soulbond fic without having to set it in an Alternate Universe? What if you could set your soulbond fic *directly in main canon?*

Marvel 616 delivers you a canonical soulbond mechanic… not once… but at least *twice*. There could be more. There’s a lot of comics to go through and I’m only smol. But here’s the two I know about and I’m here to introduce you to today. :)

The was a ripple of mild confusion around fandom when Kevin Feige announced that the Eternals were getting a title movie in the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Created by Jack Kirby in the 1970s, in a wild combination of mythological fascination and spite at DC comics for not letting him finish his New Gods saga, the Eternals were an offshoot of humanity, created by the Celestials for humanity’s protection; this reason for their existence would lead them into their ongoing conflict against the deadly Deviants. There have been a few Eternals runs (notably one run by Neil Gaiman, which did not serve to bring the Eternals the commercial success Marvel was searching for with the title, that nevertheless remains the most fun and accessible Eternals volume), but they’ve not yet really reached wide-reaching traction among even the most die-hard comic fans. The MCU might change that, and here’s hoping, because I love these nearly-immortal idiots, and I’m hoping not to be alone in that for much longer. :D

But even my Eternals-happy soul has to admit, Eternals canon for the most part is dense and can be convoluted, and the spellings—both of their character names and one of the main fun parts of their existence, the Mahd W’yry—are enough to give one a headache. The idea of the Eternals is that they’re long-lived and have interacted with human history over the years in various impactful ways. You might think at first glance that you’ve never heard of the Eternals Sersi, Ikaris, Makkari, but I think you wouldn’t find Circe, Icarus, or Mercury unfamiliar names.

The Mahd W’yry is a symptom of the Eternals being so long-living. In order to stop them going insane, the Eternals have to bond into something known as the Uni-Mind, which basically squishes all their consciousnesses together into one, where they can share memories and blend temporarily into one mind. Regularly bonding into the Uni-Mind allows them to stave off the Mahd W’yry. (Yep, that’s just a headache-inducing spelling of ‘mad worry’, we know.)

Anyway, did you need to know all this? Eh, maybe, a little bit of canned backstory is always handy for you to briefly glance over and promptly forget. Because along with some dense mythological adventures, some glorious angsting across beautiful landscapes, and that ability to turn into a big massive floating brain, the Eternals also gave us a beautiful gift:

The Gann Josin.

In Avengers #361, Ikaris comes down to Earth and decides that Sersi needs to be bonded to Dane Whitman, an Avenger who canonically didn’t have any powers, he was just a *really good guy*, destined for tragedy. Honestly. That’s his bio. Really good guy. Destined for tragedy. The character creation in the 90s was peak talent. Dane, sadly, was in love with another woman, but did this matter to Ikaris? No. Apparently the Eternals don’t know about the dangers of letting himbos like Ikaris have life-changing powers, like the ability to create the Uni-Mind. 

Because the power to control the Uni-Mind also gives an Eternal the power to form a Gann Josin bond. And that’s what Ikaris does in Avengers #361—he forces a Gann Josin bond on Eternal Sersi and tragic human Avenger Dane Whitman.

Gann Josin (sometimes Gan-Josin because what is spelling continuity in Marvel comics) is both the name of the bond, and the title given to an Eternal and their chosen life-mate. It has a bunch of cool side effects. Both Gann Josins get glowing full-red eyes. It’s a really intimate tiny form of the Uni-Mind (without the part where you become a big floating brain), and creates a small scale mental union. The Gann Josin bond makes the Eternal and their partner lifelong soulmates. As the bond progresses, it creates a telepathic/empathic bond that strengthens in time. According to the Eternal Sprite, humans are rarely chosen by Eternals for the Gann Josin.

Now, Dane Whitman does manage to break the Gann Josin several issues later. But… it’s not easy. It’s rare. When Dane manages it, it is called an “astounding act.” It’s pretty dang hard, in other words. There’s every chance your chosen Gann Josins won’t have the mental fortitude of Dane Whitman to break it. (Although, we’re talking about Steve and Tony, and are there any bigger stubborn idiots in the universe? Probably not.)

But Mizzy, I hear you saying. I don’t want to write about Ikaris, even if he is a party king and that sounds pretty nifty. I don’t know anything about the Eternals and I don’t want to go down that gnarly rabbit hole.

That’s totes fine, my friend. I am here to save you. Because in very recent canon, during Jason Aaron’s turn at the helm, the Eternals are all dead. Very dead. That whole Mahd W’yry thing got ‘em, it got ‘em good. But before Ikaris died, he granted his Uni-Mind power to someone we all know and love.

Yep. Tony Stark. Tony Stark currently has the power of the Uni-Mind.

Which means that Tony Stark can now Gann Josin people.

In Avengers #361, Ikaris performs the Gann Josin by basically just pointing his hands at Sersi and Dane and some light goes WHEEEEEEE!! in their direction, and bam, this rare and special bond is done. And Tony Stark can do that now. To anyone! Unfortunately Ikaris is dead and didn’t leave Tony with an instruction manual. But the point is, he *can*. You can make up all sorts of fun things with this canonical fact (or write your own version because lbr Canon Is Dead; Long Live Canon.)

There are so many possibilities. Does Tony deliberately learn how to use it so he can bond himself to Steve? Does Tony *need* to be able to hear Steve’s thoughts (to thwart some bad guys) and thus end up soulbonded forever to Steve in result? Is Tony’s power activating at random because he can’t control it, and he ends up soulbonding everyone around him? Does he just subconsciously bond himself to Steve without consciously meaning to? Do Tony or Steve want to try it for science?

Gosh, I love comics.

But WAIT. There’s MORE.

It’s not just 1990s comics going ham on the soulbond idea. No, we got some *this year*. Canonical soulbonding? TWICE? In one universe? Two different kinds??

And this time, it’s not in a D-list Marvel title. We’re up the ranks to the big leagues this time, folx, with a brief trek to the world of the Fantastic Four.

In Fantastic Four (Vol. 6) #15, we’re introduced to a Spyre citizen called Sky, a winged team member of the Unparalleled (more cosmic-powered superheroes), who work under The Overseer. (The Overseer, in a burst of beautiful retcon in the way Marvel comics keeps doing to us, is apparently the entity who is responsible for giving the F4 their powers. Huh. The more you know.)

On the planet Spyre, all children are brought before something called The Great Eye. This measures them against the radiation signature of everyone on the planet, divining who their perfect match is. 

Sky looked into The Great Eye, only to find out her match was Johnny Storm, who was 44 light-years away at the time. Long-distance relationships can be tough. Anyway, plot happens, the F4 get stuck on Spyre, get told they can’t leave, and Sky tells Johnny Storm that she is his soulmate. Oh, and she attached a soul binding onto him while he slept. Neat, huh, all the bodily autonomy people get in this universe before being force soulbond to people? So neat, much consent, wow.

Johnny feels a connection to Sky, which is supposed to let us know this lack of choice is a good thing I guess. The Overseer wants Sky to renounce Johnny and crush the F4 which obv doesn’t happen, so of course she leaves The Unparalleled and skips off to Earth to be with Johnny. 

Who knows how this relationship is gonna last. I mean, you can look at the rest of Johnny’s relationship history and have a good guess. Who knows. Anyway, Reed and Sue are each other's soulmate, and also share a “Soul Binding”, so there’s some canonical proof right there that maybe this system has some validity going for it.

The soulbond for this form takes the form of a golden bracelet worn on the upper arm, that Sky explains her people call a “Soul Binding”; it represents them as being soul-mates. This bracelet can only be removed by your soulmate. This soulbond doesn’t seem to come with any extra powers, it’s just to show that The Great Eye has measured their radiation signature and declared them a match that is supposed to mean they’re perfectly compatible in every way: spiritually, mentally, and physically.

I don’t know about you, but I have a pretty good feeling that Steve and Tony might just have matching radiation signatures… Or what if Steve and Tony have perfect matching signatures….with other people? (Someone else on Spyre believes Sky is *their* perfect match, after all!) What if Steve has feelings for Iron Man, but he’s a perfect match with Tony Stark? I feel faint already just thinking about it.

So here you go. Two canonical types of soulbonds for your fannish consideration. Feel free to ask me questions! You can find me on tumblr (@mizzy2k) or on discord (addy#0908).

[adsagsona]

Gann wasn't sure what Riley wanted from him, they had of course only just met. Although, by the looks on their face, it seemed like he would not need to wait outside. "Would you like me to stay?" He asked then as he looked at the doctor. "I'm not family, but I found them... they were being attacked. I would like to make sure they're alright." Gann explained and the doctor nodded his agreement. "Please come in then, the both of you. Sit yourself down... are you able to stay upright?"

Sleep sounded great, but Riley fought their eyes open as they realized Gann had a point. When Gannicus said he'd wait outside, Riley looked torn. They really didn't want to be alone, but the other man had already done more than anyone could ask. "You...don't gotta stay," they mumbled after a moment, trying to act more sure than they felt.

[ravel-puzzlewell]

I went through your motb stuff (cause yay more people actually heard of this game and I was re-playing it recently) and I don't think I ever saw you explaining how Ari and Gann actually fell for each other? Like you talked how they could behave afterward and compred them to few text posts and such but nothing about the process of falling in love and seeing through each others' bullshit and all that? That is if you wouldn't mind talking about it : 3

“few text posts“ is an understatement i think, there are like ten pages of tagged posts, but fair enough

i don’t make posts about my ships like... explaining how they fell for each other, because i think that telling and not showing romantic chemistry is the absolutely the worst. it just feels very awkward to tell, but very natural to show thru dialogs. i should probably just one-shot Ari’s first convo with Gann to show the dynamic in action. 

but anyway. they saw thru each other’s bullshit in 2 seconds and fell for each other in the next 5. i really cannot overstate enough of how custom-tailored this romance was for Ari - they are both half-bloods of the “evil” races, both grew up on the outskirts of society, but both are also extroverted and drawn to people, and so incentivized to present harmless personas, aggressively far removed from the stereotypes of their respective evil races, so ppl wouldn’t feel threatened by them. Granted, these are very different personas, and they are achieved by different means and work differently, but the motive was the same, and so is the inherent longing for people to see thru these bullshit personas too. so it was less of love on first sight, and more of recognition on first sight. like, they didn’t need to work hard to see thru each other bullshit, like two wolves in sheep’s clothes who met for the first time they knew immediately what they were looking at even if they didn’t know all the details of each other’s masks. they got along like house on fire.

on the other hand, they are both also heartbreakers who are only remotely comfortable when they are in complete control. Ari puppeteered the entire nwn2 party into following herself to war, and like, Gann seems very laid-back and easygoing, but make no mistake, his preferred method of personal interaction is literally matrix simulation where he controls everything, including his own image, and he constructs said image based on target’s ideal airlifted directly out of their head. not to mention lifelong grown defense mechanisms. the power play was intense. It was not a problem for them to fall for each other or see thru other’s bullshit, but it was a problem to trust each other and reign in their own shit.

[mizzy2k]

Creator Tag Game

tagged by the lovely @carol-danvesr

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2019. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

1. Where Our Restless Monsters Sleep

I didn’t like how this smushed up five solid months of my life, but I couldn’t have done any better with the output. It’s my Endgame canon for now. If you haven’t tried it yet, please do! It’s got action and romance and a little bit of gore and a LOT of gross worms from the comics and it fixes a ton of the dumb shit Endgame did & smushes Steve/Tony pining into the mix too & fake dating. <33 and so many fight scenes. why do we love superheroes?? they’re so punchy. SO PUNCHY. it’s also really long. i was pretty sure fandom liked long fics but apparently they didn’t mean this long, i think. whoops. anyway, it’s got cool art, like, holy shit super cool art, and I can say that, because I didn’t art it.

2. inside my shell-shaped mind

Researching the appearance of the uni-mind appearing in Avengers (2018) led me down a rabbit hole warren of old comics, and to the discovery of a legit soulbond in the canonical wider Marvel universe! i also wrote this fic for 616 day in honour of the Steve/Tony 616 Discord server, my new favourite online location for 2019, so it’s a double reason for this fic to get second place here :D I need more fic about the Gann-Josin now we know it exists; I’m still super desperate for the fic where Tony--unused to the uni-mind power--accidentally starts Gann-Josin’ing everyone around him. I need it. 

3. let none be content with me

this is the first fic I’d written after a very long break and it was a healing process for me. I wanted to go in gentle so picked a moment in canon that couldn’t be altered by new canon easily, and I got very obsessed with early volume 1 iron man and especially tony’s relationship with the o’brien brothers, a highly emotional early arc for him. learning how to write this fic healed me in ways i can’t explain. 

4. Wash That Man (right out of my hair)

when the hot tub Avengers issue came out I was SO SURE there would be SO MUCH porn now we had a CANONICAL HOT TUB in the avengers base where the avengers CANONICALLY GOT NAKED TOGETHER IN... so i felt confident enough that no one would mind that my attempt at the smut was just outright crack. had i known we would have a drought of hot tub fic i’d have gone for it without the jokes, i promise. now i have regrets for fandom that canon gave me us a sexy hot tub premise and i gave you......this. whoops. 

5. Mister Fixit and the Mechanic

the last thing I ever expected to do was remix Iron Man 3. I love that movie so much, it’s my favourite, it starts with a song my whole family identifies with me, it’s just the best movie, and the last movie I ever ever thought I would rewrite. and yet i had a Pretty Good Time and met some fun people doing it, yo for reverse bangs <333

Tagging: @withinmeloveresides1 @laexploradoraaa @la-toratempesta @loraneldin @serinah80 @rose-on-the-mountain @the-faultofdaedalus @the-casual-cheesecake @cathalinaheart and anyone else who wants to, you can say I tagged you <333

[adsagsona]

Gann lowered his head a little so that he was looking at Kit and the man behind her couldn't see the expression on his face. To him, they were probably arguing in a low tone. "Only a teeny bit. Didn't do it right then." He murmured softly with a small smile before he became more serious again.

He nodded when Kit explained what she wanted from him. He wasn't sure anymore if he was doing this for the money or just for the hell of it because this was actually quite fun. The man was a douche, he didn't care if Kit was gone with all of his money.

He grabbed by the upper arms, firmly but not so much it hurt and pulled her closer to him. "Bring me my money and we'll see how the night goes." He whispered before he leaned in to make a show out of it.

Kit made sure her back was completely turned to her date before replying to Gann. "FYI, wasn't acting there babe - I know I like, lie for a living and am bloddy good at it too. But I never bullshit a bullshitter, because what's the point? You were hot, I actually got a teeny bit turned on so while I'm very tempted to tell you to give me a great bit kiss, Sherman over there needs to think that I only have eyes for him, more's the pity, so........". She weighed up the options, nose twitching as she did.

"Let's go with - take hold of me as if you're trying to kiss me and I'll fight you off. Then you can get the picture, slope out of here all dejected and what have you. That should let him know that for tonight, I'm all his, okay?". It was a good plan, a solid plan. But then, she had additional thought.

"I'll take a rain check on that nice big kiss though - we can have that once the job's done. Maybe a bit more besides, if you're up for it?". She looked up at him, eyes gleaming with mischief.

[intensethought]

This video addresses commentary and question on the use of the Gann Fan for 45˚ angle cycle completion and projection of the cycle. This video builds on the information contained in the Ultimate WD Gann Fan Guide video previously posted.

[hasansonsuzceliktas]

Venus in Signs - Financial Astrology

Is there a relationship between your Venus sign and your financial health? We explore this potential connection. When your Venus sign is Aries The sign of Aries signifies leadership and individuality. Material values are not so important to you, but if there is a war ahead to win, you will do all manner of crazy things with an unbelievable ambition to acquire the necessary resources. Under normal circumstances, you care little about your money and frequently lend it out, and you generally suffer financial losses because of this. It is highly possible that you may put your money at great risk. Even when you’re earning good money, you should be careful when spending it. By this I mean you should be a little more careful yet still full of energy. You should avoid lending money to anyone but your closest friends. Fields where you could earn money most easily are those involving a leadership or management position. Instead of working for someone else, you could start your own company or work freelance, because this is a situation where your Venus can move freely. Your Venus sign is Taurus Taurus symbolizes owning things and increasing what you have. Material values are important to you, and you only feel safe when you have no financial problems. Even a single lost penny hurts you. You really know your money well, and you don’t exhibit any unnecessary charity. You have a weakness for luxury, because quality and comfort are paramount to you. You may take risks but only very rarely. For the Taurus Venus, the opportunities to increase material wealth come from investments. Instead of just protecting what you have, you try to grow it. You can earn money by working with anything solid in this world. You may be lucky with natural professions like landscaping, artistic activities, and especially jewel crafting. For example, Lakshmi Mittal, one of the richest people in the world, got to where he is by buying up small loss-making companies. Making small investments, such as on the stock markets (through medium-to-long-term investments), could agree with the symbolism of your Venus. Your Venus sign is Gemini Gemini represents communication. Your financial graphics are full of ups and downs, changing all the time. Your phone bills are usually larger than the average person’s. You easily spend money on communication, travel, books, and magazines, but you earn money by using your communication skills. Jobs involving the internet, advertising, and communication may be profitable for you. Unfortunately, you have the urge to spend money as quickly as you earn it, so Gemini Venus people don’t tend to join the world’s richest. You should learn to protect what you have, rather than spending to just enjoy the moment. Avoid spending your time on small sums, because the real problem is the larger amounts. The Gemini sign is known to be the most cunning in the Zodiac. Use your communication skills in whatever job you have. Another aspect of Gemini Venus is advertising. Whatever job you have, advertising is especially important for you, so you shouldn’t disregard it and always support it. You will generally become bored of jobs that don’t occupy your mind, so avoid wasting your time on anything with a monotone work life. For example, the great bard William Shakespeare was tremendously successful in communication and writing, just as his Gemini Venus indicated. Your Venus sign is Cancer Cancer symbolizes safety and tradition. Material resources are essential, because you believe everything should have a solid foundation with something put aside for the future. Even though you don’t hesitate to spend on your home and family, your desire to accumulate can make you appear miserly. You are the “hoarder” of the Zodiac. As common values can mean so much to you, though, you may buy things you don’t really want. To guarantee your financial situation, you should work for the public good. This is a real Cancer trait. When it comes to realizing the deficiencies and needs of the public, you are a pioneering leader, so use it. You don’t have to act traditionally, so you can take a different approach if you want. Becoming occupied with land and property is also a common characteristic of Cancer Venus. Whenever you own property, you should rest assured that your investments will benefit you. Napoleon was a Cancer Venus who answered the needs of the people. Donald Trump, meanwhile, became rich from real estate. At the same time, Cancer Venus is in conjunction with Saturn (a property symbol) in his chart. His career once resulted in bankruptcy (Cancer symbolism of ups and downs), but he later recovered. He is known as the man who restored the USA (or the architect of New York). His Venus Saturn conjunction is actually also in conjunction with Mercury at the eighth (change and transformation) house of the USA. Your Venus sign is fertile, as the old saying goes, so your financial situation will be full of ups and downs just like the Moon, your ruler. Mostly, however, you will enjoy an above-average position. Your Venus sign is Leo Leo symbolically means to shine. Leo Venus people seem to be born to be famous, even if they address just small crowds. They stand out with their mobility, social activity, charm, and charity. You value luxury and excess a lot, and even if you’re not wealthy, you take care on the clothes and fragrances you use, with many of your belongings coming from quality brands. You also leave generous tips. You feel like all eyes are upon you, with you being at the center of events, so you mostly spend time on making yourself look good. This is especially true when you’re in love, because for the Leo Venus, love means life and is something to cherish. The amount you spend may surprise others around you. Instead of spending so lavishly, you should try to save some of it. Don’t worry too much about what other people think about you, because expense doesn’t always reflect quality. When you’re in love, you should avoid making great gestures or giving lavish gifts, because it may lead to serious financial problems. There is also more that you should do. The Leo Venus is a showman, as we explained before. Whatever job you have, you should turn it into a form of visual entertainment for others. For example, some Leo Venus people like David Copperfield and Madonna became successful by not just being great at what they do but also by putting on a great show. Your Venus sign is Virgo The Virgo sign represents struggle and making something operational. Among rich people, the Virgo Venuses enjoy first place statistically. The Virgo Venus is known for making things operational and being able to work for others (e.g., for a salary or a commission) on a routine basis. The Virgo sign is therefore considered by many astrologers to be the sign of employees, accountants, and commission-based workers. Those who manage inventories for other people or invest other people’s money in a financial environment are often in this group. For you, having a stable income is more important than becoming rich. You believe that happiness comes from stability. You’re not extraordinary, different or creative (unless elements in your chart dictate otherwise of course). Your reward comes from your routine work, the projects you implement for others, and the compensation you receive for them. However, another symbolism of Virgo is the pain caused by other people or inflicted upon them, so you should understand that you’ll have many competitors in your field. For example, the first thing done by Rockefeller (a Virgo Venus and the richest man in history) was to destroy his competition. The greatest financial handicap of the Virgo Venus is believing that everything monetary will fit into the classic norms. (Note: According to my observations, they are typically the sign least interested in astrology, and because of this, many astrology critics carry this sign.) Struggling in a stable manner is of course a good endeavor. While this will provide a stable income to live on, it won’t take you very far unfortunately. However, you can extend your vision like some of the richest people in history have, because your sign has an important advantage: Getting things operational. This practical advantage can benefit your work life. The Venuses of Larry Ellison and John Davison Rockefeller, two of the richest men ever, are on the Virgo sign, just like you. Other than his extraordinary ability to earn money, Larry Ellison’s defining moment was developing databases and making them more efficient. For Rockefeller, meanwhile, his edge came from brokering for himself. Your Venus sign is Libra Libra symbolizes personal relationships like partnerships, trade, and even enmity. The comfort, luxury, and beauty that come with money are symbolic of wealth and important for you. Such a lifestyle requires money, however. You want all these things to feature strongly in your social life and be loved by everyone. Social relationships, artistic events, and aesthetic concepts comprise an elitist lifestyle for you. Appearance is paramount for you, so you may pay too much for something just because it’s popular, even though it may not even be needed. The most apparent feature of the Libra Venus is the need for partnerships and social contacts, the symbols of their sign. To benefit from financial opportunities, you should form a partnership with someone with a business mind, someone you absolutely trust. Libra is a sign where Saturn is ascending. As the popular broker Delbert Gann pointed out, the global stock market is ruled by Saturn. Therefore, if your Venus is not under harsh effects, making medium-to-long-term investments in the stock market can benefit you. Fashion, design and public relations are also fields you may excel in. Politics also comes under Libra. A Libra Venus and one of the richest people in the world, Warren Edward Buffet is known as the man who raided Wall Street. Libra, in those same markets, is the sign of calculation, so it may predict what will be valuable in future. Your Venus sign is Scorpio The symbolic meaning of Scorpio is power and transformation, but don’t let this misrepresent it. Scorpio wants a voice and power over knowledge and the less tangible fields. This is why the astrological positions of many inspectors, magicians, and researchers are at Scorpio. If we talk about financial gain, then sure, Scorpio wants this too. Power is an important concept, and financial wealth helps to gain power. Sometimes you may need to sacrifice financial assets, but this will either be for a cause you believe will benefit you or part of some form of gambit. You keep your knowledge to gain financial resources, waiting until the right time comes. Waiting silently for a long time is a specialty of yours, but don’t forget that when you decide to act, your knowledge may have become outdated and useless. As your sign includes the symbolism of transformation, it is essential for Scorpio Venus to keep their information and abilities fresh and up to date to avoid disappointment. A successful Scorpio Venus hoards knowledge and shares it with no one. Of course, this only means something if you’re individualistically oriented. Another advantage is your ability to transform. Whatever job you have, you can improve it by removing the flaws and increasing your success rate. Bill Gates is a Scorpio Venus and one of the world’s richest people. His advantage was to develop something better by eliminating the faults in the program. (Of course we shouldn’t forget the other features of Scorpio he used in trying to dominate the market.) Sometimes, even when you’re in dire circumstances, you will probably enjoy above average wealth, as your sign is so fertile as the old astrologers would say. Your Venus sign is Sagittarius Sagittarius symbolizes spreading knowledge or coming together with the public order. As a Sagittarius Venus, you’re gifted with finance. You don’t care that much about money, so you may spend too much. The most important thing for you is financial independence without depending on anybody. Your life is based on gaining this freedom. Knowledge and culture are always good subjects for you, and they support you in whatever profession you take up. You can also benefit from other advantages of the Sagittarius Venus. You will be lucky in jobs that involve disseminating knowledge or being in the public order, as mentioned earlier, such as teaching, television, or book publishing. You just need to avoid spending too lavishly. John Kluge is the founder of the Metropolitan Broadcasting Company and one of the richest men on Earth, as well as a Sagittarius Venus. If you look at the name of his company, you see how fitting it is for a Sagittarius Venus. Your Venus sign is Capricorn Capricorn represents ruling and creating systems. You need financial resources to prove your individuality and keep hold of power. You are good with financial disciplines but not particularly lucky. Capricorn Venus people tend to work very hard but often don’t receive their worth. They are the ones who often make the hard decisions, so they may not be always appreciated. In contrast to others who work little yet earn more, Capricorn Venus people may need to work harder, especially when young. You should use your organizational talent and the ability to manage people, as well as your ability to create and design systems. For example, Steve Jobs managed to create an empire from almost nothing with Apple’s revolutionary designs. He was a Capricorn Venus, just like you. Your Venus sign is Aquarius Aquarius is all about thinking out of the box. The constantly repeated, accepted methods are not really for you. You will gain financial resources through your ability to act according to your marginal thinking. You have the capacity to see differences and notice original ideas. Your social relationships will also be important in accumulating financial resources. It will be advantageous for you to choose originality and value marginal ideas in whatever job you do. You may also employ technology very efficiently. For example, Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, has the same Venus as you. He once said this: “1) Don’t be predictable. 2)­ Fight the system.” Right now in the USA, Wal-Mart is almost as powerful as the government, even though it’s just a supermarket chain. Your Venus sign is Pisces The symbolic meaning of Pisces is to fertilize and penetrate everything. Being the final sign in the Zodiac, it is the only one with the capacity to contain “everything.” The ability to reveal this is very important. Your various interests will help you accumulate wealth, because you have rich thinking and an ability to grasp almost every field. Rather than focusing on a single field, it is better for you to favor variety. You will see that after a while, even in fields you might not have chosen, you soon create a web of relationships and contacts.. Bernard Arnault, one of the richest people in history, is a Pisces Venus like you. Last time I checked, Arnault owned some 58 very prestigious brands and was trying to acquire another two. Read the full article

[padawanlost]

Hi! Is it ever explained how different Jedi have so many different accents when they all grew up in the temple from since they were toddlers?

Coruscantis a planet where 1 trillion beings live, and most Jedi spend years travelingthe galaxy before they can teach younglings/padawans so it’s not thatsurprising that not everyone talks the same. And that’s without evenconsidering biological side of things.

“We are atwhat we call the Middle Distance, our first home on Zonama Sekot, where wesettled twenty Ferroan years ago. Sixty standard years. Not that time means thesame here as on any of the Ferroan worlds, or on Coruscant.“

"Ouraccents give us away?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Even a few months on the capital worldimparts a distinctive speech,” Gann said. “Zonama Sekot has its own approach to lettingtime pass. I feel as if I have spent my entire life here, and yet, it mighthave been only a year, a month, a week…” [Rogue Planet by Greg Bear]

If a fewmonths on Coruscant can influence your accent, we can also the opposite is truetoo. so in a place where everyone is constantly traveling, not everyone willever sound the same.