#the re translation thus far sounds really...not necessary

[the-cat-at-the-theatre-door]

Performance clips from Act 1 of Il Sistina’s opening night. 

[leohtttbriar]

re-watched "the immunity syndrome" tos episode and a lot of call the midwife episodes and felt and thought many things--

so this is just a little long-distance/established relationship t'pura mindspeaking about coffee, ore extraction, and poetry scene from a fic i'm working on that's really more about the miraculous nature of that thing called medicine as it relates to miraculous space amoebas:

Nyota woke up before her alarm, sighed, and closed her eyes again. She ignored the pressing early-morning time on the clock, the sounds of the ship, the rustles of the forced-air, and she dripped into intangible darkness…

A sweet bell rang. T’Pring lay beside her, curled on her side, one long-fingered hand extended in the space between them. She did not smile but her attention was fixed—on Nyota. Nyota’s whole chest fill with redness and blood and she grinned into the fabric of her pillow.

“Hello, love,” she said.

T’Pring breathed deeply and then said on the exhale, “Nyota.”

She sank deeper into the comfort her bed, ears trained on T’Pring’s voice, who continued: “It is time for you to get out of bed.”

“I don’t think I���m quite brave enough this morning.”

“Why not? Is there an away-mission? I did not realize there was one planned—”

“No, something far worse and more dangerous than an away mission,” interrupted Nyota before T’Pring could be begin to speculate and strategize on efforts for Nyota’s survival.

“What is it, Nyota? You must tell me.”

“I ran out of coffee.”

T’Pring stared at her without blinking.

“You ran out of coffee 6.34 standard weeks ago, Nyota.”

“And it remains a trial, T’Pring.”

“You reported that your new replicator codes for a freshly-brewed cup of coffee have much improved the replicated product.”

“Not enough for me to brave the world beyond this bed,” said Nyota, sounding sadder and more pathetic about it than she meant to.

T’Pring, evidently, noticed.

“I believe you are the most courageous person I know.”

“You have to say that. I’m your wife.”

“I am a Vulcan,” said T’Pring, a fondness and softness resonating across the space between them. “I say that which is logical to say.”

“I know your ways,” said Nyota, wanting to scoot closer to T’Pring, to drag the tip of her nose along the sharp outline of T’Pring’s cheekbone.

“Then you know I love you,” said T’Pring, using a clunky human-phrase of affection, which was always a thrill. “And that I would present you with non-replicated coffee the moment the opportunity presented itself.”

“And I would thank you for such a gift in every way I knew how,” answered Nyota, her heart beating out a sweet ache.

T’Pring granted Nyota her attention for a few moments more, before saying with all her sturdy gentleness, “It is time for you to prepare for your working day.”

“Have you made more progress with the matter-manipulating--with the metal?”

“You are attempting to delay the inevitable.”

“Obviously. Have you, though? Made progress?”

“My song has influenced the temperature of the ore—I have discovered that with the right directional frequencies I can influence the metallic deposits to melt from the stone, though the samples solidify immediately after extraction and thus exhaust my mind with their vibrational rigidity.”

She directed an image into her conscious-mind: a crisp memory. Through the image Nyota could hear the shadow of T'Pring's singing and witness as the immense yet highly controlled overtones and undertones of her resonance collided with the matter of the cave walls in which she was singing, causing the cave walls to weep silver.

"You have made progress," said Nyota. T'Pring's study in music and consciousness-projection was improving at a rapid pace.

"I have learned that the necessary focus is easier after speaking to you."

"How so?"

"You hold many concepts and realities together in your thinking-mind when you translate," said T'Pring. "I strive for that logic, above all else. You remind me of it."

"I once translated the language of these nebulous beings," said Nyota, feeling (with no small amount of bemusement) T'Pring's mind spring into action, struggling to follow the almost non-sequitor. "Ones living in a nebula, I mean--they weren't cloudy, physically. Maybe. I'm not being figurative."

"What a change of habit."

"Quiet," grinned Nyota. "Anyway, these beings were unlike any creature we've come across before or since. We still don't understand them--how they work, where their bodies are, from what sort of ...world they evolved. But they communicated all the same."

"I induce that you are going to utilize the figurative very soon."

"I'm not going that far." Nyota laughed. "I'm not about to suggest that rock or certain metals speak a language, which you are now learning. No, I know your study of acoustics is far more...physical than something like language implies. I just wanted to say that, it's not rational, but... well..." She drifted off, not sure exactly what she wanted to say, too cozy for a thesis statement.

"Even if it does not present as rational," said T'Pring. "It is illogical to assume a phenomenon lacks reason."

"Yes, exactly" said Nyota, feeling much like she did sleeping against T'Pring's chest, under her arm, nearly a year ago. "The image of the stone leaking solid silver--the images that penetrated my mind, sent by the nebula-creatures--they're a bit fantastical, aren't they? They break open the whole universe, in a way."

"I cannot imagine that you perceive the universe as closed."

Nyota shrugged in agreement.

Then T'Pring made a small sign against her forehead (a 'U' hand-sign she had learned from Nyota a while ago that she refused to use correctly--a sign of their shared name displayed above their place of joining) and then hummed a small tune: a morning song, one meant to present the argument for waking once more. Nyota warmed at both gestures.

“You know, I’ve written a poem about these moments,” said Nyota. “I don’t like saying goodbye as often as we do.”

“We are as one,” said T’Pring. “We do not say goodbye. Tell me your poem.”

“I can’t do that. It’s not finished.”

“Then tell me a different one. One already written.”

“A different one? Or one that you’ve already heard before?”

“You know my answer.”

A flood of affection ran through Nyota’s throat and onto her tongue. There was one poem she had translated from the original French to the Vulcan-mind-language that had become a sort of prayer between the pair of them. She indulged T’Pring in a recitation every second she could, adjusting prosody and emphasis every time, trying to find the version that would so perfectly capture how material the words felt—the physicality they invoked. She breathed in and said: “You bathe your rocky ornaments in mists, / let roselight bleed into your cracks.”

T’Pring’s attention deepened on Nyota as she recited.

“The Star slowly mounts: his light drenches you. / The Star-King of two worlds, Earth and firmament, / sifts gold dust over your skin / as a hand strokes a sleeping lover’s hair. / Above your blunt peak, a pink satin sky / cups the rising slice of fire.”

She placed her hand on the duvet next to T’Pring’s, where her nerves vibrated just under her alien skin.

“Oh, if I could be a lark and kiss your crest / with my wing— / if I could ride a horse to your distant slope,” Nyota felt the images emerge like a touch in her mind. “Careless, wild, and bold— / if I could wander your caves, sleep in you—/ if I could climb, / forgetting ..." She didn't want to say the last--she felt no pain in that moment, with T'Pring's mind speaking so clearly to hers. "Forgetting my pain.”

She paused, holding her breath, imagining the sunrise on green hills and T’Pring's green face.

“Thank you, Nyota.”

Nyota nodded, absorbed T’Pring’s focus for a countdown of five seconds and then she opened her eyes. Her day had begun. The other half of her small bed was empty.

[fmdjoosungarchive]

location: home studios, gold star studios

date: ~late 2019, july, august, october 2020

word count: 1805

tldr; verification for sung’s song everythingoes. full lyrics & production, shared composition credit with @joohwanfmd.

it was funny, looking back on it, that this was the only song that managed to make it onto the album that he’d written with someone outside of the album, with no intention of it being on anything. seoul was something he’d been writing on his own, and had been so long in the making that nothing else could possibly top it, but this, it made sense to change up.

as the song that was the most different in message than everything else, it made sense that the feeling, the sound, was different too. he’d picked it out from his saved library, when the concept came to him.

sung wasn’t sure if using the idea was a good one, but in case he did want to use it later on, he ought to have it on hand. everything he’d started writing thus far was... pretty dreary. there was more to them than that, of course, he’d been introspective, and philosophical, and everything else he could think of, however, they followed the same theme of expressing emotions with no necessary ending. there was no hopeful message tacked on at the end about how he used to feel those feelings but has since move past them, because that wasn’t his reality. the reason sung wrote the songs that he did, was because he didn’t want to present the notion that feelings had to be eliminated. they were real, and just as important whether they came back around again and again, or were there one day, and gone the next. sung often said on his radio show that he finds the best way to deal with emotions being to let yourself actually experience them. to not shy away, or shove them down, and instead, sit in those feelings, breathe them in, so that when it’s time for them to lessen, you can truly feel lighter.

while sung didn’t want to ruin the messages of other songs, he also wasn’t sure if he wanted an album that was solely about sitting in those negative emotions. they wouldn’t last forever, no matter what they were. even the feelings that came round and round, would need to leave in order to come back again.

an english phrase came onto sung’s radar from a book he was reading on the subject of feelings moving on. he’d been reading a translated version of the book, but the translator had kept in the phrase, “this too shall pass.” they’d explained what it meant through the original author’s words, and over time, it became something that popped up in sung’s head, again and again. round and round. like his feelings, it circled, even during said feelings. once, during a particularly bad spell of negative emotion, sung had sat himself down to write out positive affirmations to himself in a notebook, as his therapist suggested. originally, it started as specific to the situation. his self worth had been bottom of the barrel, and affirmations were easier, in situations like that. yet, what ended up helping sung the most was as he turned to scribbling out in his terrible latin alphabet that phrase he’d read, this too shall pass.

the struggles he was facing wouldn’t disappear when the emotions lightened up, no, that was a journey to take on bit by bit, but, the feelings would pass eventually. he could fill his lungs with pure air once again, when his emotions had had their time. it was a comfort, to sung, to remind himself of that.

that concept had been what he’d taken in when looking through his old compositions. sad on the side of his desk was that notebook, open up to the page with his affirmations, and rows and rows of his english phrase.

he’d liked this composition a lot when he and hwan had started it together. it wasn’t all that complete, like most compositions without melodies or ideas behind them were, but it sounded like something that could fit into what had been building up of his album. there was a specific sound to everything he’d been doing, and that composition sounded like it could be easily molded into it.

the feeling was different, though. many of his other songs sounded like the lyrics, for as shaky and unsure the compositions of them were in order to encapsulate feeling. he wasn’t super sure on where he was going with that sound, or if it would stay in the months to come, but for then, sung liked it. this instrumental, he supposed, could fit into the idea of matching a song’s concept, and because the concept was lighter, so was the composition.

it reminded him of the feeling of walking into a greenhouse, being surrounded in light shifting through the windows in geometric shapes, and breathing in the beauty of what the natural world brings to us. bright, high plinks through every line was like reaching out to those streams of light, and touching something warm, cozy, and filled with pixie dust.

every moment was a building block to the next, as well. that might have been what sung was the most excited to continue to build on, with the potential it held to create really powerful moments towards the end utilizing lyrics to bridge the two together. joohwan was particularly helpful in creating that sound that sung had liked so much. if it was only him working on it, it might not have sounded as powerful and grand as it did at that moment, because he wasn’t as comfortable using guitar in his music as hwan was.

while sung worked mostly on his own, there was benefit to working with others, in cases like that. whatever this song ended up being wouldn’t be the same without hwan. -and that was where he stopped. sung had only managed to figure out an alternative to straight plagiarizing the phrase this too shall pass, to use in the song, when his mind had drifted far enough away that it refused to work further without hwan by his side. this was their song.

at least, that was his brain’s original plan. sung ended up getting back to the song a week and a half later, to write out more lyrics, vague ideas of what to write for a short verse on the song. probably around the bigger building sounds, so he could figure out where to punch with the most important lines. or before it. or coinciding with the change. clearly, he wasn’t sure yet.

the song sat unfinished for a while, as sung was determined to work with hwan again, and mixing two busy schedules wasn’t easy. eventually, the heavens smiled upon them, and they were able to meet up to rework the song, and figure out what they might want to do with a melody, if much of anything.

having ideas about where to take the song next when he came in helped a lot in getting the juices flowing. they settled on the rap verse taking the listener into the most explosive parts of the song, and reworked the composition so that it slowed down right before, for that extra impact when the heavy guitar came in swinging. there was some cleaning to do, largely sung sitting there incrementally changing the tiniest details of the mixing so that it was more smooth, and there was the melody to ‘write’ if it could be called that. they didn’t have the time that day, but sung planned on recording two different versions of the song, one with him on the majority of the track, and one where hwan was the star of the track. that meant, unfortunately, there wasn’t much vocal prowess that could be utilized on the song, at least not without ruling out himself as a contender.

he’d been working hard with his vocal lessons for the opportunity just like this, though, and maybe... maybe gold star would let him.

the session was succinct as could be, in and out with loads more written and finished enough that sung could finish mixing on his own at home. he could remember hugging hwan goodbye, promising they would meet again as soon as they could for recording.

it’d only taken sung a couple of days to finish off the main portion of the song. he couldn’t feel comfortable shipping it off to the general public yet, not when he’d only just started figuring out where he was going with the album as a whole, but everything was laid out for when that day came.

and came it did. recording with hwan went about as smoothly as it usually did when it came to being with friends. they understood each other more closely, and sung could prod out the parts of hwan’s voice he wanted most more easily. although, it did set some worry, in sung’s head. hwan had a much better voice than him. why wouldn’t the company want him instead, especially since he was already going to be on the track anyway, why not the whole thing?

worries plagued him enough that he didn’t send the song in for review to the company until he’d re-recorded his parts probably fifty times, and until it had hit the first of october, his last chance to add new songs for consideration. more than any other, with all of the changes he’d made thus far on other tracks, as well as the addition of that track, sung was nervous. he pressed the send button on the email with his eyes covered, and promptly distracted himself as much as humanly possible, until he received a message back.

it took a day.

there were notes, lines to change, sounds they didn’t like, suggestions of things to add, and under everythingoes was... nothing. not a single issue. sung had no clue how to express everything he was feeling inside. and so, he danced. music came flowing out of him into his limbs, as he shimmied and waved around the studio. the next thing he did was text hwan, then daisuke, to share the news.

from then on, the track stayed almost where it was. sung matched the production to fit the style of the album, cleaned it up. the biggest change came at the very end, when he was putting together his final tracklisting. at the end of the song, as well, when the guitar cut out, and the instrumental cut to the bare bones of piano, sung decided to tie everythingoes into forever rain, a song that held meaning almost opposite, but complimentary, to everythingoes. forever rain started with rain, and everythingoes, song of cyclical emotion, ended with it, too. rain comes, rain goes, but that doesn’t mean rain won’t come again, nor does it mean the rain in your heart is a bad thing. flowers will bloom one day.

[thedistantstorm]

Project Compass 14

Read along on AO3 Here

<< Previous Chapter <<     >> Next Chapter >>

This time: Ivant and Un’hee and data that could change everything.

Next time: Vah’nya and Ezra meditate. Ivant and Ar’alani discuss what it means to be a warrior. 

-/

"You know, I'm really getting tired of being traumatized by you people," Ezra said, sounding sleep-rumpled and woozy. He stared up at the ceiling, blinking himself awake. The Force tended to give him a wicked hangover over events like these.

Vah'nya had the decency to look apologetic beside him, able to empathize with his current state. The Navigators had visions and dreams, too. "It was a recording. We didn't realize you would react so strongly."

"He's a Sith. He wanted me dead, and he used Thrawn to try and do it. Of course I was going to react strongly," He wasn’t angry, exactly, more annoyed and exhausted than anything.

"We know that now," Vah'nya agreed, voice low and soft. "Do you remember what the message was?"

Ezra turned his head to look at her. "He wants Thrawn," He said, then turned his head back to look up at the ceiling.

"He does." She leaned over his legs, plucking an errant shard of glass from a crease in his pants. Thankfully Ezra had been wearing shoes when he'd dropped the cup, otherwise he'd be plucking glass from his feet for days.

The door to the left opened, revealing Ar'alani and Thrass. Ezra tried to sit up, but the Admiral waved him off. He was getting tired of looking - and feeling - like an invalid because of these people. "At ease," She said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Admiral. It just shook me, is all."

"We failed to take into consideration how your abilities would warn you of your natural enemy. You have my apologies," She said primly, but no less genuine.

"How's Thrawn taking it?"

Thrass laughed. "Well, we haven’t heard more yelling or throwing things since he came barging in, so I think Ivant has it under control." He crossed his arms, "Though I am concerned for the state of my office, regardless."

Neither the Syndic or Admiral remained long after confirming the Jedi in their midst to be stable. Vah’nya lingered, not bothering to move from the chair she’d pulled across the room when she arrived.

“They’re talking to him,” Ezra sounded relieved to Vah’nya because he was. “Even if it’s just a little bit. He doesn’t do well when he’s not in the know, I don’t know if you’ve noticed.”

Vah’nya hid her smile behind a hand. “Yes,” She said wryly. “I might have picked that up.”

The Jedi propped himself up with his elbows, then swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He didn’t make any attempt to stand just yet. His heartbeat felt normal and he didn’t feel the sickly cold ooze of dark that he’d felt earlier. That was good. He’d have to meditate extra in the coming days thanks to this, he knew. Good thing he didn’t have anything else to do in this ridiculously sized mansion.

“So,” Vah’nya hedged slowly, tapping her knees with her hands, fingers fanned over them. She was still in uniform, though it was clear from the muted glow of her eyes she hadn’t slept yet. “There is something I should tell you, considering.”

“Me?”

“I have no doubt Ivant is talking to Thrawn about it now.”

“What?”

“I had a vision of your Emperor, not long after Thrawn’s defeat.” She paused, clarifying, “A dream, but I know the difference between a nightmare and Third Sight.”

“And?”

“I saw him manipulating Mitth’raw’nuruodo, with the Grysk as his allies.” She frowned.

“For the Empire?”

Vah’nya shook her head. "And I saw what they would make him do."

"Yeah, I don’t think any of us would have liked what happened if your vision came true,” Ivant said from the doorway. “I still don’t know that following me into the belly of the beast was the smartest move, but I’m damn sure glad you did." He didn't smile, exactly, but his eyes were clear and warm. Thrawn, much taller than the human he trailed behind, made very pointed eye contact with Ezra.

“You are well?” The Chiss asked. He didn’t seem terribly comfortable, but he didn’t look as on-edge as Thrass had made him sound, either.

“Yes, Thrawn,” Ezra answered, a bit of a nagging drawl to his voice. He nodded, holding the Chiss’s gaze.

Vah’nya rose. “I am going to sleep now,” She decided. “You need meditation,” She instructed. “I wish to speak with you later, if you are up to it. I want to compare the difference between my Sight and your Force visions.”

Because they hadn’t had that discussion before, Ezra thought blandly. Still, he agreed. It wasn’t like he had much else to do. “Sure. After the third meal?”

“I doubt I will be of much use after the third meal,” Vah’nya laughed. “I, for one, would like to drink some of Thrawn’s brother’s wine.”

Ezra rolled his eyes. “Do all Chiss drink this much?” He asked.

Admiral Ar’alani picked that moment to re-enter the room. She raised an eyebrow in a severe smirk, pleased that there was no open hostility to be seen. “We are not graced with superior livers for nothing,” She said dryly. She beckoned Vah’nya to show her to her room and they left, the Captain not far behind them.

Left with Thrawn, Ezra blinked. “Was she joking with me?”

“It was not entirely untrue,” Thrawn said, his voice softer, but not as smooth as usual. He was hiding something, Ezra realized. That wasn’t entirely surprising, considering he’d just had an exceedingly rare one-on-one conversation with Captain Ivant. It was too soon for him to pry, and there was no way he had the mental fortitude to deal with Thrawn considering the morning he’d had so far. “But I do believe that was her intention.”

-/

The study was quiet. Across the room, only the slightest hum of a workstation - a powerful one with many holoscreens - provided the only sound beside the occasional flipping of a page. Un’hee laid flat on her belly on a chaise set off to the side, legs kicked up behind her, swinging as she read. She did not enjoy spending time away from Ivant, despite it being necessary. When she’d arrived at the Mitth family’s estate, she’d barely given a polite greeting to the Admiral or Syndic Thrass before inquiring after him.

He was occupied, though, as she knew he would be. And that was fine. She knew his work was important. That he saw things others could not. He was bright and strong. A navigator of a different kind than she, but no less for it. She looked down at the page she was on, the words blurring together. She sighed.

“What’s wrong, Un’hee?” Ivant asked. She waited a second to look in his direction, well aware that it would take time for him to divert his attention from the spreadsheets and charts he’d pulled up.

“Nothing,” She said, fingering the end of her braid where it dangled off her shoulder. “Just bored.”

“You could go join Ezra. I know he enjoys your company.” Then, expression softening, he added, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Ezra is sparring with Commander Thrawn,” She said. “And I do not think I want…” She frowned. “It is difficult to explain.”

“How so?” He hit a button on the workstation console and every holoscreen went dark.

“I feel like I am waiting for something to happen,” Un’hee admitted. Ivant pushed his chair back and held open his arms, and she rose, letting him sit her on his lap, fold her into an embrace. “I feel like we are on the edge of a knife made of ice.”

“I don’t think you’re wrong, exactly,” Ivant agreed. “How does it make you feel?”

“I don’t know,” She groused, lip curling in a pout. “My focus is not how it should be. I feel… scattered.”

“Have you been sleeping?”

“As best I can,” She said.

“Nightmares?”

She pushed her face against his chest, murmuring into his shirt, “Some.”

“Hmm,” Ivant stroked his chin, then toggled his workstation back on. “Did it start after you arrived here?”

“It didn’t get better,” She said, settling in. “Something happened, before I arrived?”

The Captain didn’t lie to her, but he didn’t give any details, either. “It did, but I think it’s alright now.” He readjusted her weight so that she could curl up against him without inhibiting his ability to work. Once her next growth spurt hit, there’d be little chance of such a thing. The nine year old Chiss was already becoming a lanky, awkward thing, mostly a tangle of too long arms and legs she hadn’t quite grown into yet. “I think your Second Sight is getting stronger,” He admitted to the top of her head. She hummed in reply as he continued, “But I also think you’ll feel clearer after a nap. I know you didn’t sleep well while I was gone.”

She put up a valiant fight, blinking tiredly at the screens that flickered and flashed as Ivant worked through the data, resorting and compiling things all while making notes on a separate datapad.

“You’re close,” She accused in Basic, after a long while. Ivant had thought her to be asleep, she’d been nearly limp in his arms for a while now, her breaths slow and even.

“I might be,” He agreed, and she giggled fondly at his Wild Space drawl. “Later, I might need your help to test my theory. But for now,” He murmured, “Rest, Un’hee.”

When she was well and truly asleep this time, her breaths coming in tiny whistles that were too faint to be snores, he lifted her up carefully and set her back on the chaise. He pulled the velveteen blanket that hung over its back down and over her, watching her for a moment to be sure the movement didn’t wake her. Then, he returned to the desk, pulled up the rest of the information he needed, and got to work.

There was nothing scientific about what would save the Chiss Navigators. At least, not in practical application. He’d done his best to translate the data into zeroes and ones, to make it all appear understandable and palatable to this warrior race. But the reality was that the initial solution to the question that hadn’t been asked of him had nothing to do with biology or ancestry, no variable that could be easily tweaked and applied to every Navigator in the Ascendancy at large to help them keep their gifts. Each Navigator was their own person, and thus their experiences were largely their own.

He pulled the most recent data he’d had on the Jedi. Then, he pulled Un’hee and three of the Navigators in her age group - ages seven through nine - and compared them over the last six months. Satisfied, he pulled the data of another six, from the nine to twelve, and thirteen and over age groups. There was no level in their bloodwork to indicate any changes, other than the changing flux of hormones that Chiss and Humans did not share, indicating their body’s maturation.

The issue was that the key didn’t lie in numerical data or statistics. Determining where Navigators would arise and if there was any statistical analysis that could predict them was a piece of the puzzle he would not be able to solve without first conquering this. There were, of course, probabilities that certain families and bloodlines would produce offspring more likely to possess Third Sight, but it was far more random.

But, Eli’van’to had seen something out in the Grysk Hegemony, in the dark abyss of space. He knew how it happened, He knew how it could continue to happen, he thought. The problem was that he knew politics. And the more he learned, the more he came to realize that politics and social structure had been the Chiss’s downfall in the first place.

There was a reason Admiral Ar’alani was good at her job. Why she was revered as a leader, cool and calculating and unflappable, and yet she nurtured and consoled, parented her navigators. She, Ivant knew, was an instrument open to the solution. Their political adversaries, not so much.

He had been fortunate to spend his military career within the Galactic Empire - and even now, within the Chiss Ascendancy - outside of the normal, to be in the shadow of a commander who saw all sides, not just the winning one. They encouraged him to pursue all avenues in search of the truth. And, outside of the Empire, that meant he had been able to access data that had not been concealed or tampered with. Now, he knew some of the history of the Jedi, though it was mostly scraps and pieces. It was how he learned that the Chiss did not have midichlorians like most other sentient species to gauge the strength of their abilities.

Through defectors and their networks, people like Karyn Faro who had gained forbidden knowledge in their quest for truth, he learned that there were inside orchestrators. He learned that the Jedi were not evil, simply flawed. And likewise, so were the Chiss and their Navigators. It was interesting that their very dogma, what they believed to make them strong, had cut them off from the lanes that would make them so, that they would be the instruments of their own demise.

The truth, regardless of the differences between Humans and Chiss, Jedi and Navigators, was simple. It was emotional openness and acceptance, embracing those feelings that allowed for a higher sense of self. Of course, unless exposed to a Chiss who could validate that claim - and even then - the lack of concrete proof would make such an assertion fantastical.

Of course, that was why Eli designed to prove it with science. Thus, he needed a subject who had not already undergone the necessary changes to prove it. He looked across the room at Un’hee, his lips pulling up in a tender smile.

She would be the one, he thought. She would be the example by which generations of Navigators would follow. He believed that. He only hoped that her awakening would not be through the same kind of horrific experience as Vah’nya’s.

He wasn’t foolish, however. The reality of the matter was that the Chiss were proud, stern warriors to their very core. Regardless of their age, gender, or abilities, they would not be able to fully realize their potential without undergoing some great battle, an impossible trial. For his and Vah’nya’s part, that meant helping to arm every Navigator he could with the skills they would need to recognize their moment when it was time.

And, silently in the background, Eli resolved to provide tangible metrics. Results. He pulled up the results of neural scans he had on file and highlighted several trends for further analysis. He had the feeling he might just be on to something...

[gascon-en-exil]

Joining the Game Late: S3E1 “Valar Dohaeris”

Synopsis

Sam had one job. Jon gets a cold reception and meets his bear boyfriend-to-be. Bronn demands a raise. Davos is stuck on a rock, gets saved by a callback, and then screwed again by Melisandre who’s been very busy in his absence. Robb besieges a Harrenhal full of corpses. Tyrion continues to get no respect from his family. Littlefinger has a cunning plan for Sansa. Dany and her dragons love the sea - the Dothraki not so much. Margaery and Loras bring the Reach to King’s Landing, scandalizing Cersei and impressing Joffrey enough to make him somewhat civil. Dany is in the market for a paramilitary force of castrated slaves, but there’s a language barrier that everyone gets to play around. The Mother of Dragons is almost assassinated by a small child, but fortunately a callback from Season 1 rescues her.

Commentary

Season 3′s start is extremely busy, like many of the episodes of the previous season, and that’s probably not going to be changing anytime soon as the number of characters and plotlines continues to build. Thinking about it, this does make for a solid (re)introduction to how GoT operates for those coming back to the show after however long it went on hiatus between seasons, because it features a bunch of the usual: a cold open (pun intended) with ice zombies, sexposition, gratuitous violence (that is not how you do nipple play), convoluted King’s Landing intrigues, lots of time spent with the two most important protagonists Jon and Daenerys, stuff brought back from previous episodes/seasons in a more significant capacity that requires you to retroactively remember it, and as mentioned entirely too much to follow at once. I’m going to be more reasonable and pick two of them to talk about for now.

Naturally, let’s start with Westeros’s French analogues. Margaery (and also Loras, who’s just kind of there) does not disappoint in her first proper appearance in the royal court, showering the Red Keep with the bounty and relaxed fashions of the Reach while also taking time out for some politically savvy charity work that earns her some passive-aggressive sniping from Cersei - who has previously made her hatred of commoners very clear - and something weirdly like respect from Joffrey. I just love the dinner scene in general, because so much of the antagonism between Margaery and Cersei comes in the form of those sorts of backhanded compliments and double meanings*. Both women have good points, whether it’s about fashion or the wisdom of walking around unprotected in the slums of Flea Bottom, but it’s interesting to see Cersei thrown off her game by another woman for perhaps the first time. I also caught Margaery’s line that the reason they were traveling through Flea Bottom is that they were returning from the sept (read: church), and while there’s been nothing yet to determine the sincerity of her devotion this makes it delightfully easy for me to read her as a socially intelligent not!Frenchwoman using performative public piety and good works to bolster her good image with the common people and religious of King’s Landing even if she may not really care all that much about any of it. That’s a kind of deceit I don’t think Cersei is even capable of understanding.

*Another, unrelated, instance of this is when Tywin refuses to give Tyrion rule of the Lannister seat of Casterly Rock in such a way that it’s not clear if his rejection is based on Tyrion’s dwarfism or his dissolute lifestyle. Tywin thus comes off as a bigot twice over, but a politically canny one.

Over in Essos, we see the return of Dany’s hatred of slavery after a season of absence, but the way it’s handled here is...odd. Granted so much about her scenes in this episode work very well, from the camera and CGI work that contrasts Dany and her dragon vibrant and colorful on the stern of her ship with the bedraggled and seasick Dothraki spread out across the deck below her to the fun with translation and subtitles going on in the scene where Dany meets the Unsullied. Even the assassination attempt that closes out the episode by bringing back a minor character who last appeared when he was dismissed from King’s Landing in the first season comes off effectively, in large part because they don’t skimp on the necessary exposition to remind the audience of who Barristan Selmy is. Rather, what’s off about this plotline so far comes from the nature of the Unsullied and how they’re used to demonstrate to the audience the nature of Essosi slavery. In attempting to acclimate her to the idea of buying slaves, Jorah argues that Dany will be a better master for the Unsullied than their current one. Appeal to the benevolent master myth aside, this is such an unusual place to kick off the character’s reputation as a breaker of chains because the Unsullied are vastly different from slaves used as common laborers - that is, slaves who could reasonably adapt to lives as free people under a master/leader opposed to the idea of owning them. As their current master explains to Dany, the Unsullied are a fighting force subjected to physical mutilation and extreme psychological conditioning to strip from them all fear or sense of morality or desire to do anything other than loyally serve. I’m aware that at least one among them becomes a significant character later on, but even so making this Dany’s first stop on her chain-breaking tour of Essos plays perfectly into what we’ve known about her all along - that her primary motivation is and has always been returning to Westeros to take the Iron Throne that she believes to be her birthright. Now it looks like she’ll be doing it with an army whom she may nominally turn into free men and so prop up her secondary, more heroic-sounding motive, but how free could they truly be when they’ve been so broken in the name of perfect military service? I suppose I’ll have to wait and see.

Final note: Jon meets Tormund in this episode, and he’s large and hairy and I’m not seeing the appeal unless it’s a continuation of his thing with redheads. You do you, Jon Snow.

[evangelineartemiasamos]

Red Queen Secret Santa 2018 for Rhia @redqueenfandom <3

A/N: A modern AU, a sequel to the ones I wrote before. I wanted to place this in Paris at first, but then I thought I should rather write about a place where I’ve been to – although my memories aren’t that perfect^^° I’m sorry for eventual inaccuracies.

A New Place

Growing Up

The Dinner

Roman Holiday

The Wedding

FInd this on Wattpad and on AO3

Roman Holiday

Mare POV

It’s eleven in the evening when I can call it a day on christmas eve. I put away my apron and slip into my coat and scarf and step outside of the café and onto the streets of Rome, bright with lights, filled with people, bells sounding over me.

Astounding that I hardly need the coat, despite the time and season. But this is a warm place, making it even more of a magnet for tourists coming to flee the winter or to experience christmas surrounded by supposedly more holiness than at home, wherever it is.

I’m not sure whether I should call myself one of them. I’m still a foreigner like them, frequently overwhelmed by Rome’s grandeur and age and visiting its endless sights. But then again, I make my living by serving tourists currently.

Four months into my gap year, I’m spending the winter in Italy, working as a help or assistant in various institutions, first in the cheaper countryside, now in the capital. I was tempted to see the festive spectacle, to be honest, that I’m putting up the higher costs of coming here. Fortunately, my room is affordable enough, but nothing I’d like to stay in for longer than a few days for that price. I knew what I was getting into, I guess, so I’m here to make an experience of it.

Truly, it is one. The ancientness of the city, the marks of history and art everywhere, often pull at my suspension of disbelief until I can take it for real. The more I stay, I’m starting to wonder if I’ll normalize the marvels one moment, no longer able to take it all in as much as it deserves. But I don’t intend to stay that long. I’m here to travel and see the world, and my next stations are waiting. Because for all its greatness, Rome’s also tiring, exhausting me.

There’s a price for a year of travelling, and that is hard, ever-shifting, and often boring work. It isn’t difficult to find jobs when you’re a native English and Spanish speaker in places full of tourists. Interpreters are good to have and I’ve a talent for languages, so my Italian improves by the day. The café I currently work at seems to have mostly foreign customers talking English, but to encounter the barriers of languages, from one foreigner to another, leaves a strange impression. Words get jumbled and guesses have to be made all the time and I try to smile away the stress. I hope that eases the work as well as raise my tips.

Although I’ve understood the processes of applying and have some reserves at hand by now, a consequence of the gap year is a constant worry of having nothing when I wake up next. It can eat at you no matter what, having to rely on yourself alone this much, but then again, it’s also the freedom I’ve craved. Whatever I do, I achieve it by myself. I can be proud of that. Doesn’t that mean I can manage everything?

Yet, it also means that often, I’m terribly alone. To be here, I’ve left behind my home, my friends, and my family. Now I’m meeting strangers every day, of whom each might become a new friend if I gave them the chance. It’s hard, the enduring newness of people and everything else. I can’t open myself up to them all the time, re-introduce myself and every part of me, can’t bring up the energy to translate all of their conversations in my head to take part in them. Thus, I frequently fall into myself and rest alone at the end of a long day full of work.

Tonight is such a time, or could be. It’s still christmas, but the loud and lively shift has destroyed pretty much of my festive mood. This is nothing like my little girl christmases and their inherent childhood magic. This is noise and exhaustion and unfamiliarity. It’s a feeling pulling me off the ground and I’m not willing to give in to it.

The streets around me roar as I scout for a quieter spot where I can sit down. Not easy to find here, as many are already taken, or dirty, or prohibited so traffic isn’t disturbed. But finally, I find a free building block close to the Pantheon. I get down on it and take a deep breath of the night air, letting my body relax as good as possible.

It’s not far from St. Peter where the greatest crowd will celebrate and if I weren’t so tired, I might go there to watch them, to get my own image of it. Shade would be offended to hear about this, as he’s always keen on calling out the catholic church and the pope especially. But I’d welcome his rant if I saw him in person again, like the rest of my family. I miss them so much, and curse once more my decision to stay abroad during christmas. The loneliness is cruel on this day, and the only thing I can do is getting my phone out and looking over their pictures and messages again. I do so every day and send replies back, but I delayed this today, hoped not thinking about them and being unaware about what I’m missing would make my shift more tolerable. That didn’t really work out. I just had a bad day that went to waste while everyone else around me is having fun.

So now I can be lonely while watching my family celebrating christmas. Tramy sells christmas trees and presents the fairy tale-like winter wonderland of the garden center he works at. Bree is with his girlfriend, both grinning and likely slightly inebriated, when Kilorn crashes their photos. Shade, despite his atheist statements, put outfits on his baby daughter Clara that make her look like an elf of Santa Claus and he stands arms in arm with Clara and Diana under a mistletoe that hangs over their door. In another, Diana, seriously studying an important-looking book, wears a silly blinking cap on her head, and in a second photo she hugs Clara besottedly as if in ignorance of a photo being taken.

Mom and Dad are similarly in love with their first grandchild and have tons of pictures with her, of Dad keeping her from crawling into the Christmas tree, or of Bree holding her up to pull on a pinata.

Gisa shines in these photos, too. Even on casual days, her outfits leave me so awed and envious of her style full of details and perfection achieved by her own ideas and efforts. One time, she’s wearing a black dress, a ball dress I almost think, and she looks so gorgeous in it that I don’t know whether to adore her or to be scared of her.

I sniff and swipe tears from my eyes. When I look back to the screen, my contacts are shown. My fingers must’ve slipped and I scroll back to find my family again, as I still have to send greetings and wishes. It’s christmas after all, and since it’s still afternoon over there, it must the perfect time for messages. Maybe even a call. Yes, I should make a call. Yet I stop searching when I see another name on the list.

Cal.

His profile photo seems to smile at me, and I feel myself smiling back at him automatically. At the boy I dated a few times back in the States. The silly, rich, hot and kind Cal who’d muttered something about christmas in Italy back then. How decadent, I thought. And now I’m actually here. I can’t resist the temptation and text “hey” to him.

“Merry christmas!” he texts back. “My parents wanted to visit the holy night in Rome and now we’re watching from our hotel balcony. Can you believe?” Added is a photo of the crowd on St. Peter.

I can’t help grinning like an utter fool.

“Guess what …” I write to him.

I drop hints for him about where to find me, not really expecting him to show up. Why should he, when he’s with his family on christmas eve? And yet, between messaging my family and joking with Kilorn about food, I glance over my appearance in more than one mirror or window to make sure I have nothing in my face.

I’m right at replying to Kilorn’s snarks when I almost bounce into someone. I’m fast enough to get out of reach, but make myself ready to rant back if necessary.

Light falls on his face, and I, silly me, recognize him as Cal, who’s really come to meet with me in the middle of the holy night.

“Merry christmas again, Mare,” he says.

I hesitate. I tuck my hair behind my ears nervously and chew on my lip as I look for words and my composure. But when I see his face, beaming with excitement, I laugh out loud and he laughs along with me. I go to him and in a blink, I stand before him and give him a hug. A friendly one, like I’d hug everyone, yet I don’t let go, and neither does he. I pull him closer, my hands pressing into his back as I step on my toes to kiss his – stubby – cheek and whisper “merry christmas,” into his ear.

He returns the kiss on the cheek.

And then he kisses me on the mouth.

It’s a surprise for both of us, but we don’t stop. Does it mean anything? Or is it just fun? He might be drunk although I’m not, only tired and in need of warmth and a familiar human body close to me.

We pull apart to draw breaths and don’t know what to do afterwards. We grin and laugh again. “We can ... walk a little?” he prompts and I agree and take his hand. With him at my side, I don’t feel so tired and lost. We’re two people enjoying christmas together in a beautiful city, and that changes everything.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here,” I say.

“Same here,” he replies. “Well, you said something about being in Italy during winter, and when my parents talked about travelling on Christmas, I put in an option or two …” He shrugs.

I elbow him softly. “Stalker,” I jest.

“Hey! It was still a surprise,” he objects and smirks. “And you called me.”

That’s true, but I’m unsure whether to tell him how needy I felt an hour before. It’s good as it is, should I dive deeper? We’re strolling through this ancient quarter, two people who might be in love during a lush night, like millions of other people must’ve done before. It doesn’t make me feel small, but incredibly connected and right where I belong tonight. Cal especially seems to fit in here perfectly. With his handsome face, the contrast of light skin and dark hair illuminated by the moonlight, he could be a mystical apparition rising from the ruins.

Oh god, I can never tell him that. He’d never shut up about it, and the idea is way to pagan for this night. Shade would be proud.

“What?” Cal nudges me and I shake my head a little too long just to win time. He frowns.

“You’re her with your family?” I ask eventually. “Aren’t you a little old for that?”

“I …” Bingo. “Ugh, right, that must sound ridiculous to you.” He’s completely flustered and it’s very endearing. “You’re here on your own,” he continues, “and I came here on a family trip like a big baby.”

I incline my head, the corner of my mouth twitching. He doesn’t offer me a chance to reply though.

“However, it does mean something to me.” His hand squeezes mine, possibly inadvertently, as his voice gains a serious edge. “My parents often went on trips with me, of course. But this is the first my half-brother is with us.”

I stand still.

“Mare?” Cal asks. I don’t react. “Mare, your mouth’s open till the Alps,” he says.

A shiver washes over me and I look up to him. His confused face likely mirrors mine. “Mare, didn’t I tell you about my brother? Who’s lived with his mother?”

I nod gravely.

“You see, as I’ve told you, we met at the same college. And somehow, we got along surprisingly well. I was so glad, you know? I think Maven is, too.”

“That’s great.” I smile faintly.

“Indeed, so after a few months, we decided to go on vacation together, as a family. And Maven loves Rome.”

I can easily imagine him, standing in a museum or on the capitol hill among paintings and statues and looking like a mischievous fallen angel himself. “Oh, absolutely,” I say aloud. Only that that deeply puzzles Cal, because he doesn’t know that I know Maven personally, that we were friends and a couple for years. I’ve only learned by accident that he’s Cal’s half-brother.

Now I have no idea how to tell Cal this so late. Seems like Maven didn’t tell him either. I wonder if he figured out who Cal is meeting tonight.

Cal still isn’t enlightened and I take both of his hands and know I have to confess. I look into his beautiful eyes, golden like fire, like light. “I’ve been friends with Maven for a long time,” I say. More than friends. “Until last year.”

If I leave it at this, I’ll never be able to finish. So I go on. “We were together for a while,” I say quietly, and speaking feels like lifting a ton. “As a couple.”

Cal gasps for words. I Iay a finger on his lips. “But that’s over. I’m just glad, really happy, that he is doing well and getting along with you.”

Relief washes over Cal and I’m sure he’ll have to digest this for some time. His hands wriggle in mine, loosen, and wander over my arms to my shoulders. He rubs them and I don’t want him to stop and he doesn’t, as he’s still at loss for words.

I stretch to give him a light kiss. He chuckles. “And I thought about asking you to come with me tonight …”

“Oh, how scandalous.” I tease back, hands on my hips.

“Yes, it’d be awkward for several reasons.”

I shake my head. “Not tonight, “I say with a sigh, a promise ringing in my voice.

He catches the note and smiles. His palms remain a caressing, welcome presence on my back, and I take the final step to embrace him. He pulls me even closer, bending down to my ear. “I’d say I’m looking forward for another time, Mare,” he mumbles, turning my name into a tender touch. “But whenever I let go of you and say ‘goodbye for now’, you vanish in a flash, fast as lightning.”

“I – ”

He kisses the top of my head. “I want to meet you again. I want to get to know you – for real.”

His eyes burn with intensity, his arms feel like a home. So under an infinite black sky, bells tolling around us in a city of legends, I whisper a time and place into his ear. “I’ll be there, I promise.” My hand rests on his cheek. “It’s my christmas present to you.”

@merrymareshmallow @clarafarleybarrow @inopinion @lilyharvord @elliemarchetti (gosh I just hope I did get Italy mostly right) @eurydicel @sarcasm-and-procrastination @marecalrandomstuff @calmareforever @choosemarecal

[dylawa]

Having Lived and Loved: The Playlist (Part 3)

Here is Part 3 to my HLAL Playlist description series! The purpose of this post is to put all the important songs in one place, as well as add descriptions for where they fit in, and my reasoning as such. I’ll put it all under a Read More of course.

The series is split up since I can only share five videos per post, so expect more to come, and know you’re entering in media-res if you haven’t read the first post! I will also mention, there will be more songs in the playlist than there are directly mentioned in this series of posts. That is because the playlist will include all songs related to the chapters’ titles, not just the ones that have significance character/story-line wise. Links to all parts and the full playlist are at the bottom of the post!

For this part, we’ll be focusing on character-specific pieces (for members of Comet’s agency, in particular), not just story songs! For obvious reasons, All Might will not be included, but if you really want me to assign a song to him, let me know! In the meantime, strap in!

Comet: “Four” -- Sleeping At Last

Now, as a disclaimer: there are dozens of songs I wish I could assign Comet all in this one post, and maybe I’ll make a separate playlist for that! But for now, we have this one selected piece, and this is for my personal interpretation of Comet-- feel free to assign her whatever song you think fits best for your own version (Psst, in fact, I encourage you to send them to me)!

Bodies fashioned out of dirt and dust For a moment we get to be glorious Ice sculptures adorned in light Sand castles built tall in between the tides Maybe I'm hiding behind metaphor Maybe my heart needs to break to be sure One day I'll wear it all on my sleeve The insignificant with the sacred unique

Now, Ryan O’Neal’s “Atlas: Year Two” project encompasses all personality types on the Enneagram type test (which is more like an astrology type thing than anything actually based in science, similar to the Myers-Briggs test), and this is what a four is described as:

“Fours are self-aware, sensitive, and reserved. They are emotionally honest, creative, and personal, but can also be moody and self-conscious. Withholding themselves from others due to feeling vulnerable and defective, they can also feel disdainful and exempt from ordinary ways of living. They typically have problems with melancholy, self-indulgence, and self-pity.

At their Best: inspired and highly creative, they are able to renew themselves and transform their experiences.

Basic Fear: That they have no identity or personal significance

Basic Desire: To find themselves and their significance (to create an identity).”

Seems Comet-esque to me!

Next, I’ll pick a song for our resident mechanic and armor-tech, Ayane!

Ayane: “Akkala Ancient Laboratory” -- Breath of the Wild

Now, I would like everyone to know, I DID NOT base Ayane’s design off of Purah from Breath of the Wild! That being said, they share... a lot of undeniable similarities. Fan art of all HLAL characters will becoming eventually, but for reference, Ayane is also short (think Gran-Torino height), has white hair, side shaved and tied into a ponytail, and her goggles most definitely give her the same big-eyed look as Purah. Unlike Purah, however, she actually looks her age, crows feet and all. The woman is not young, my friends.

I would be remiss to gloss over the fact that Ayane and Purah also share a similar bubbly and scientific personality, and are constantly working on a new project of some kind (either to the joy or dismay of their acquaintances). It’s for this reason that, instead of seeking out some other technologically-sounding song, I decided one of the laboratory themes from BotW would fit best.

I’m kinda flipping Purah the bird by using the Akkala lab theme instead of Hateno, but it just fits better overall.

Modi-Mutation (Mod): “Natural” -- Imagine Dragons

Not so fun fact about Mod; I... don’t have a name for him yet. So I’m going to fix that right now! Let’s see... Rin Masashi. Rin meaning cold and disciplined, and Masashi meaning, basically (and I mean basically), “leader’s will”. Cool! Moving on.

Mod doesn’t necessarily want to be the Number One Hero, but he’s still clearly passionate about his work, and desires to work alongside only the best of the best. Anything less would slow him down, and prevent him from doing his job properly, in his eyes. Therefore, it’s absolutely necessary to surround himself with competent heroes. Being hired on by Shimuzu, aka The Boss, was equally a dream come true and a skeptical circumstance, given her questionable past, but her power was something Mod could not ignore.

All that being said, he doesn’t have an issue with inexperienced or low power heroes being in the industry itself... he just doesn’t want anything to do with them for himself. Which is almost just as bad as the alternative.

Ichiro: “Intriguing Possibilities” -- The Social Network

First, I’m going to get just a little vulgar here: fuck Mark Zuckerberg. Okay, now that that’s out of the way, this soundtrack slaps, and has the overall aura of “progress at a price,” as well as sounding both technological and other-worldly. The morality and ethical nature of Ichiro’s use of his Quirk is... foggy, at best, depending on your interpretation of what the concept of a human soul-- or, really, any soul-- encompasses. I don’t feel like I did the concept enough justice in WWICB, but I did what I could with what I had, and I hope I explained my thoughts on it well enough to make sense and to make a good, if not valid, point.

Funnily enough, if you think about it, Ichiro’s Quirk is closer to something of a poltergeist than it is to anything technological in nature, but as a result of his upbringing, he was inspired to use his Quirk towards electronics instead of, say, plants, or furniture. The possibility is absolutely there, the only issue is, if the item in question doesn’t have its own form of locomotion or communication... well, that would be a pretty crappy fate, and even a mindless, heartless soul doesn’t deserve that kind of life.

The boy may now be a man of science, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand morality. It may just take him a nudge here or there to remember his own humanity.

And, finally, we move on to the leader of the agency’s operations.

The Boss: “Thirty Three” -- Smashing Pumpkins

Speak to me in a language I can hear Humor me before I have to go Deep in thought I forgive everyone As the cluttered streets greet me once again

I know I can't be late, supper's waiting on the table Tomorrow's just an excuse away So I pull my collar up and face the cold, on my own

Manami Shimizu has lead a tumultuous life. I’ve hinted at it here and there throughout the series, but now I’m going to be spelling it out, mostly because I haven’t seen anyone else comment on it. Practically nothing is known about her childhood, as it’s something she never speaks about, and only marginally more is known about her time as a criminal. The main factor everyone knows, is she became very influential in her sphere of activity, rising the ranks of her own criminal organization to become its leader in short time. This was only stopped when a very young All Might stepped in to handle the reality-ripper/borrower himself.

When Shimizu was offered a second chance, no one expected it, least of all Shimizu herself. After all, second chances were non-existent throughout the course of her life thus far. However, All Might knew her power was valuable, almost as much as her will and her heart, powerful and brave. What was even more surprising than that act of mercy, was the fact that Shimizu took it. So, almost overnight, Shimizu changed from being one of the fastest rising villains Japan had seen, to becoming a hero who knew villains from the inside out almost better than any other, and she dived into the role willingly. She was given her agency after the previous owner retired, and from there, she has created one of the most efficient hero agencies in Japan.

Despite all of this improvement, of course, it makes sense that one cannot always fully leave behind the life they once knew. Even if her actions today translate into nothing that could be related to her old gang, the memories are still there, in the corners of her mind; the things she fought for then, and how they have changed her now.

Ultimately, all she wants, all she has ever wanted, is for life to be better. Even back in the day, that was her ultimate goal; a better life, a happier life. It’s impossible to strive for perfection, but that doesn’t mean she won’t try, even if she has to do so on her own.

And that concludes this third post regarding members of the hero agency we’ve come to know and love! Next post, we’ll go over non-agency characters, some beloved, and some a little less known!

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Full Playlist]

[translatetwo]

On the Motha of all Haikus, 01/03

This will be a triple post on a very famous Haiku.

The second on a special event on November 2019 when I tried to connect the Haiku and its final line with the paradoxical causalities we find in Quantum Physics. 

And the third on recent media representations of its text and context on YouTube.

I am of course talking about Bashō’s poem about a certain pond and a certain frog hopping in.

By which hint I have already given away the punch line. 

Which is almost inevitable, as the poem, with good reason THE paradigmatic haiku, IS nothing but a hint that consists of nothing but a punch line.

Of 17 syllables. 

Here it is, in transcribed japanese:

furu ike ya

kawazu tobikomu

mizu no oto

http://www.carlsensei.com/classical/index.php/text/view/1

Some of those morphems are untranslatable, functional elements of Japanese, some are simple words.

Oto, for example, is sound.

Kawazu is frog, probably even a specific species of frog. 

Ike is pond. 

But ya is an exclamation that is hard to translate, but probably the most Japanese, and the most haiku-specific about the whole poem.

That “ya”, something to the effect of “see!”, or “go!” or “here!” is transporting the whole weight, or rather lightness, of the very essence of the haiku: Its power to capture one moment, one trans-personal glance, yet to be had by one contingent person, in a moment that is still, paradoxically, creating a home for the eternal.

Well, the eternal, the Japanese way.

All the more significant that this exclamation, as if to mimic what everyone knows about the Japanese sense of politeness, is not the first thing we hear of the poet and his brief poem, but a suffix, rather downward curving sound, completing the first line of just three. 

Which brings us to the tricky question of a “good translation”.

Well, there are many. They vary, as the European languages (I have only checked German and English translations) differ from the Japanese.

Even without any knowledge of the original, one can easily dismiss most of the efforts as rubbish. For a very, very good poem -- and this is one -- can never be correctly translated by a lousy one, no matter the difficulty or distance between the two languages.

And in another respect, some of those translations are just signs of the time and the culture that produced them. For it is almost a historico-cultural law that once a translation -- or a forgery, for that matter - ages it quickly becomes alienated from the original it wanted to translate, or imitate to the point of indiscernibility, to transform into a simple item standing in just for its own time and culture, usually not winning anyone’s heart for that past state of affairs.

Take a look at this translation by Eli Siegel: 

Pond, there, still and old!

A frog has jumped from the shore.

The splash can be heard.

To be found on a page with a lot of English translations:

http://www.bopsecrets.org/gateway/passages/basho-frog.htm

I have not researched this, but I bet this is not a recent one. It bears the mark of a by now obsolete effort to add unnecessary, narrative stuff to a statement of perfect clarity and brevity to make it “understandable to the Westerner”, as one might assume.

An utterly senseless effort, as the “Westerner” can either understand the universal charme of the poem with the very same organ of pure spontaneity that Basho employed when creating it.

Or they do not understand it at all.

Whoever has properly “understood” that lengthy report quoted above, has for sure not understood Basho's poem at all.

So why bother?

Why, to name just one troubling element of that highly useless translation -- why add a “shore” to the scenario?

We have the elements pond and frog and a jumping, and a sound.

That is enough.

Can the “Western Reader” not be trusted with the mental ability to add the unnamed shore to the scenario?

And while we are doing as Bashō did, and not name a shore, we might really grasp what it means to leave out unnecessary information.

Or, to go even one step further: Is it even correct, does it even honour the very truth happening in this  poem, and in a way actually creating that poem, through its author rather than by him, to name a “shore”?

For it is one thing to point out that a shore was at play, even though that pointing out is redundant.

And still another thing to add a shore to the narrative that in a deep and highly relevant sense is actually not even part of the scene. Is not and cannot be.

Why?

Because the poem takes us into the frog, even though we are also, at once, outside of the frog. We are both the frog, and beholding the frog. And to the frog, as an autonomous creature having a vital relationship to the body of water mentioned in the first line, the shore is not a thing. The very edgeness of the water’s edge is to an amphibious creature such as the frog not the clearly marked threshold it is to humans. It would rather be a zone of fluid transition. 

Yet where there is no line, no clear border, no sharp limit, there is no reason to name a shore. 

It is one thing to see a frog on the shore of a pond and create an image of the items animal, shore and pond as things outside, being put into a synthesis by the external human eye. 

And a completely different affair to enter, or rather leap, into the poetics of the haiku that manages to leap with us, as frog, through the frog, into that pond.

Of course you can be one of those nosy academics and point out that the supposed success of the haiku to make us take the frog’s point-of-view, or point-of-leap, is every bit as “anthropocentric” and “ontologically naive” as Mr. Siegel’s talk of a shore.

Still, there is a difference.

And the difference makes poetry.

                            So, to cut my journey short: I have to dismiss most translations for being inappropriate and too ignorant of the very spirit of the poem, and the Haiku at large.

Yet I also take issue with even the most literal and ascetic translations, such as this one by Harold G. Henderson:

Old pond

  and a frog-jump-in

       water-sound

http://www.bopsecrets.org/gateway/passages/basho-frog.htm

This translation is making some effort to “re-create” the Japaneseness of the poem in English.

Yet we could say that the mixing up of a technical “interlinear translation”, hence a word-by-word-translation that is not really respecting the rules, the style and the grammar of the target language, and a truthful translation is a trap.

It is as much of a contemporary trap, as the stuffy narrative quoted earlier has been the trap of a previous age.

After all - a translation needs to be a TRANSLATION, and not the mere staging of the properties of one language in another. 

Yet even if we find merit in the reduced, Japanesing second and third line, the very lack of true poetic thought is apparent from the clueless first line that simply sticks to the most common version we all know so well.

Ah, the old pond. 

Well, I take issue with the lack of any rendering of the “ya” that I have mentioned before.

Still: The one thing everyone seems to agree on, no matter the differences of translation in all other respects, is the “old pond”.

I take issue with that too, as it is inviting all sorts of heavy, nostalgic clichés the poem is actually free of.

It might not have been created yesterday, but there is nothing old or nostalgic about it.

So is it really necessary to have it start with the word “old”, thus painting the whole scenario in sentimental colours as if one were to use the semantic equivalent of a “Instagram filter”?

One might reply: But “furu” means old, does it not?

I could once again try to leap into the leaping frog and point out that to the frogs, as timeless as their existence is, and as timeless their relationship to their habitat, the pond, any mention of its age seems as misleading and out of place as the mentioning of a “shore”.

So if we praise Bashō for not bothering with shores frogs would not bother with … why point out the age of the pond?

I am unfortunately not capable of speaking Japanese, but just like all of you I can google about. 

And so I checked out if “furu” has other meanings.

It turns out that it does.

According to this site “furu” can also mean used and second-hand

http://www.romajidesu.com/dictionary/meaning-of-furu.html

If we stay closer to this meaning, the further definition of the pond the poem is opening with is not referring to its old age and the nostalgia attached to it, but to the fact that it is used.

It is not an ornamental pond, we could surmise in a bold conjecture, but a used one. It does not offer itself to a merely disinterested, merely aesthetic gaze, it is an everyday pond for everyday use. 

It is a familiar pond, not one freshly made.

It is a pond one would normally not notice at all.

Now that to me rings far closer to the spirit of the poem than any reference to old age.

For it points at the very paradox of the poem to even exist.

The poem only refers to things so utterly familiar that one would normally not notice them and hence not make poems about them, as poems are, after all, tools to pay specific attention to specific things in order to store them in a specific memory bank. 

And what is more: Not only does the poem mention things not worth mentioning, it also makes an effort, a crazy, mad, leaping effort, to honour that fact of not-noticing while noticing.

While cutting out the very image of a pond, so familiar, so inconspicuous that no one would ever mention it, notice it, not even the frogs who rely on it as the very sphere of their existence, it still wants to deny just that, it still wants to protect that pond from any glaring attention.

It acts like a flashlight so brief that it makes the pond disappear again in the very split second it briefly shows up.

Disappear again into the safe, hidden space it existed in before the poet and his poem came along.

And it succeeds in this impossible effort of being so effortless,

not least by changing from sight to sound in its third and final line. 

[greentechnologytips]

5 Factors To Use Solidworks

Contemplating changing up your 3D CAD computer software? Or thinking of shifting from 2D to 3D? The following weblog post is still really alist of 5 most points that will allow you to pick, representing the advantages of SOLIDWORKS as well as looking at how it is widely regarded as the market norm. You can find solidworks cost on our most popular SOLIDWORKS packages on our website.

Efficient 3D design

SOLIDWORKS is also an user-friendly parametric design modular, which means that it is easy to edit the design at any given stage in the plan practice. RealView images permit you to visualise your design in realtime even though PhotoView 360 can create animations and complex photo renderings. Both programs will give you a superb insight in to the way when introducing your work to 32, that your design will look without it being made and will be considered described as a highly effective asset. You see bulk properties, can take a look at each part of the plan and assess meaning that you may not need to build/manufacture the product or service until you see any problems, saving money and time and lessening the variety of prototypes necessary. Most this increase productiveness and will accelerate the procedure of designing because you know it.

Customer/Supplier Compatibility

Selecting a CAD process that's widely recognised is vital. As a result of popularity of SOLIDWORKS it really is highly likely that a competitor, supplier or customer will likely probably be using it, therefore removing the should translate files from 1 system to the next, lowering time and minimising the prospect of mistakes. This leaves dealing with clients and suppliers much easier, not as time greater efficacy, as well as doing work together in 3D indicates delivering greater outcomes.

Built-In Applications

SOLIDWORKS can be just really a exact effective 3D computer application application, with its incorporated analytical resources and style automation to help stimulate physical behaviour including kinematics, dynamics, tension, deflection, vibration, heat or blood leak to suit all sorts of style and design and style. There are actually several ways to purchase solidworks that finest meet your necessities. One of the very best method to purchase this via trusted web site.

Organisations with more than merely two or three designers can utilize merchandise data management (PDM) software, which completely incorporates with SOLIDWORKS. PDM systems could do far more than simply store and synchronize documents. They might help designers find areas instead of regretting them, to re-use saving many man hrs. PDM systems additionally generate substance lists for price estimating and feed data to production resource planning (MRP) methods. More PDM software can automate procedures that are change-control to ensure unreleased or out-of-date information is not sent to factories or suppliers.

Short Learning Curve

Time is money, then the previous thing that you want as an forwards moving company is always to become stuck supporting, and thus you are interested in getting the transaction to 3D computer-aided design to be fast, simple and straightforward. SOLIDWORKS delivers a consistent graphical user interface through drafting procedures that flow logically from beginning to end. Furthermore SOLIDWORKS has assembled in tutorials, and a lot of great pre-sets to create design rapid and stress-free.

Following Sales Support

Safe and sound at the knowledge that any problems you have can be solved with our aid team provides satisfaction knowing you wont be impacted by any possible downtime and safeguard discriminated against loss of growth. The service can likewise be considered an investment right into training, giving knowledge to your personnel that will aid them grow continuously.

[joibittle]

NEW RELEASE for summer 2017 ! 

I’m thrilled to have a conversation text with Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster published by Palais de Tokyo and Flammarion Editions for their recent catalogue Dioramas Contemporains (with a selection of our images).

http://editions.flammarion.com/Catalogue/hors-collection/art/dioramas

Also, the catalogue includes a segment by my colleague and friend Stephen C. Quinn from the American Museum of Natural History as well as essays by Marcel Duchamp, Louis Daguerre and many others.

OUR CONVERSATION (English translation below) ... on the real, the non real, clock-work-time-machines, painting on walls, transformations, Ballard and the others...

DGF: The first time I saw the diorama halls at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, like many visitors, I was mesmerized by this incredible display of landscapes. They connected so directly with Duchamp's «Etant Donné», pre-cinema panoramas, and multiple other 19-century exhibition devices which had been slowly replaced by cinema and more conceptual or abstract ways to exhibit objects, informations, beings, places and stories. Thinking of exhibition as a medium that encloses all parameters – from title, to lighting, to sound, audience, and time – has always been an important part of my artistic research and practice. I have always been more interested in immersive artworks than autonomous objects and fascinated by 1:1 scale, period rooms and staged moments.

So when I was invited by Lynne Cook at Dia to imagine a project for the newly re-opened Hispanic Society (which has a fantastic library but only until early 20th-century), I thought it would be exciting to imagine a new annex with 20th-century books that would appear in a completely different way and exist in landscapes almost like living species. Instead of animals or humans, one would see books in a desertic, tropical or atlantic landscape. I really wanted the dioramas to look like the ones at the American Museum of Natural History and not a superficial interpretation so we contacted the museum and I had a first meeting with Joi Bittle.

JB: When I got the call to work with Dominique and Dia, I was just completing a background painting for an exhibition at AMNH, where I was applying the traditional painting techniques of James Perry Wilson. A senior colleague recommended me for the project, explaining to me – with some bewilderment – that it was intended to be contemporary art. Now, nearly ten years later, Dominique and I have pushed our conversation beyond traditional diorama techniques, as we explore environments, art history, architecture, film and literature. So far, we have created three deserts, one jungle, one swamp, an underwater scene and a tree top canopy, all site-specific and human size.

Both in the field and during the painting process itself, I'm hungry for knowledge and for pushing physical limits. With that, science fiction stories and our talks about supernatural- strange things have become essential to visualizing these landscapes with Dominique. An important part of then constructing the diorama for me is to physically enter the actual landscape, and then, I stay a while. I create a private “mapping” of geologic history, personal explorations in the field, observations of animal life, and scientific studies of ecology. I'm interested in how time, humans and non-humans have impacted a place.

In the end, though, our dioramas are not illustrations of a landscape for the purpose of education as they are in the context of a natural history museum.

DGF: The process to elaborate these «landscapes with books», or places somehow containing their own bibliography, mainly novels but also some essays specially in the new «Mangrovama» is a long one. The first step is to define the landscape, which emerges as a combination of visions, places and typologies that I have in mind combined with Joi’s own investigations and research on different real sites/fields.

So each landscape contains a very precise, dense and real amount of geology and plants, but also a lot of thinking about time, like when is this landscape happening on a longer timeline? But also at which hour of the day are we encountering this moment? The shadows play an important part... Time becomes an interesting question, too, in relation to the time necessary to elaborate the landscapes in advance, and then to make them exist on site. They require several weeks to install, far beyond the usual amount of time planned for an exhibition installation, which forces museum schedules to adapt. It almost seems then that the realization of the diorama becomes like a clock for the rest of the exhibition.

From the construction of the curved walls until the closing of the window(s), and the separation but also conservation of the landscape, there is a long and impressive sequence of moments that become invisible to the viewer but give a presence and a density that would

be impossible to obtain otherwise.

JB: Yes, people often react with surprise when they learn the diorama is built on-site up to the opening of the exhibition, like a clockwork-time-machine of sorts! Our dioramas are a kind of speculation, assembled from fragments of what was, what is, and what could be. They evolve by being worked on, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. But it's a puzzle without a key to tell us how it should look in the end, and we have to discover that. This part is very exciting, as the surroundings of the curved-walls demand a focused discovery of the difference between the literal and illusionistic spaces. Then, the physical movement of the body must navigate that difference and guide the painting process for me each day.

Since I was once a student of the traditional techniques, I can now develop 2-D with 3-D and derail from the rules. The first step is to create an illusion of deep space on a blank white wall, with only a piece of charcoal, a ladder and a calendar of days pinned up nearby. The horizon line grid, a color temperature and a mental narrative directs the work from there, while we always remain open to chance.

For humans, the appeal of a diorama is its ability to deliver a sense of wonder in multiple dimensions, by transporting us somewhere else, by tapping into our own “reality” and presenting a virtual biodiversity for our senses. With this comes the problem of setting a piece of the natural world into architecture and making the non-real, real, or maybe that's the other way around?

DGF: Since an exhibition is also a kind of philosophical device to increase consciousness and awareness in our relation to art, narrative, existence, space and time, it's deeply interesting to explore this tension between what is existing inside and outside, what feels artificial or real, what is represented, imported, staged and how we react to that. How much we accept to be affected by what we see or feel and what kind of memories it produces. I have never been so much into autonomous objects and artworks because I’m totally fascinated by the limits (existing, invisible or not) rather than the center.

The blurred zone which exists between life-size environments/installations like dioramas, rooms or other type of spaces and the rest of the exhibition/context is a zone to research. The spatial and visual paratext composed by the full exhibition, the exhibition space, the city, the landscape around and even the audience is an important dimension which is somehow redefined, «transplaced» and channeled in an incredible way by the diorama. There is a kind of magic mirror situation of two spaces looking at each other. The books – inside the landscape – act for the viewers like in the beautiful Fahrenheit 451 scene in Francois Truffaut’s film in which humans have to become living books in the forest in order to keep literature alive – or the way people become/are called books like in the 1973 film Soylent Green. One of the books appearing underwater in the «Mangrovama» swamp is a graphic novel by Richard McGuire which beautifully shows the superposition and stratification of different moments/periods/situation in one place.

With Joi and J.G. Ballard I learned a lot about all the different landscapes contained in one and how going through these landscapes can transform us and affect our psychogeography. Sometime we can even identify completely with a landscape or a biotope like in the «Swamp Thing».

JB: The creature swamp thing was a blessing in disguise for us and began emerging under our skin together! We started talking about it when building Desertic the year before. His curious obsession of seeking through chemistry and environment end up accidentally transforming and revealing the invisible self.

Working with Dominique awakens this spirit! Quickly, we cross reference these connections, taking us into a garden of forking paths.

Artists and scientists together have the chance to push the boundaries, or ignore them completely. As an artist, this setting continues to help me learn and unlearn all the time. As with Ballard, the fundamental principles of science run deep through his vision, and this no doubt has led him into a mix of both logical and invented worlds, producing a knowledge through story telling.

Consider Mangrovama – a synthetic carpet is laid down outside the interior of the diorama. During construction, I know the carpet will be placed there in the end, but it has no significance for me in the moment. However, for us, this is not unlike getting a fossil mold or light fixture to fit just right, thus making the landscape a single unit.

Split by glass, the real moss sculpted by hand and the moss-like carpet evoke a strange reoccurring memory for me. The space brings me to my childhood bedroom where I made drawings and played with plastic dinosaurs on a comfortable floor, imagining far off worlds to come. Here, the real and non-real elements together in our dioramas aid in a deeper sense of dreaming, and these dreams could be our most important guides to another new reality.

DGF: As one diorama leads to the next, and while we were processing «Mangrovama»,I was also reading Leigh Brackett’s beautiful romantic description of planet Mars, which, like Hubert Robert’s paintings, integrates a fantastic sense of ruins and gone ancient cultures. Mixed with the present, with nature and desert, an idea also appears in Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles strongly critical of the human way to colonize new landscapes and planets without any questions or doubts about possible destructions – and definitive loss – of other possibilities. The new dream/diorama might be about another planet and about these questions. We have now collaborated for almost 10 years and I hope there is a lot more to come until 2058 ...

Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster 

Joianne Bittle

2017

[vorpalmusings]

Wonder Woman: Child of Clay or Child of Zeus?

Apparently Wonder Woman’s classic origin is disturbing. 

 I really had no idea about this, but there seems to be a contingent of readers who has always found exception with Wonder Woman’s birth- to those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it really is very simple: Diana was a child created out of clay and given birth by the Greek Goddesses in answer to Hippolyta’s prayers for a daughter. This is a consistent origin that is present in the character’s original Golden Age story by Marston as well as in the post-crisis origin by Perez.

This apparently has been regarded as a ‘flaw’ by some people for some time- a disturbing one, to them.  The argument I kept hearing over and over was that, while the intent behind Marston’s origin for Wonder Woman was good, the execution itself was ‘flawed’ and that DC Comics somehow had the wisdom of fixing that flaw.

How was this ‘flaw’ fixed? Well, Brian Azarello rewrote Wonder Woman’s origins by having Diana be nothing more than the offspring of yet another one of Zeus’ innumerable trysts, when he decided to get his jollies off and come down to seduce the queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta. The story about Diana being a clay baby? A made-up tale that Polly cooked up to cover up the affair. 

This, apparently, is better.

This excuse about execution rings singularly hollow, for reasons I will expound upon later in this post. But suffice to say that even a superficial reflection feels inconsistent. To these readers, the concept of an alien Moses analog gaining super-powers from the radiation of our yellow sun while being deathly allergic to the soil of his own birth planet is perfectly logical. Likewise, the existence of magic and the ability to cast spells by simply speaking backwards is credible, as is the notion that a disturbed billionaire decides to fight crime while clad head to toe in a bat costume manages to somehow be terrifying when fighting crime despite of it. 

These readers will also accept a green-skinned teenager who can turn into all of the animals of the animal kingdom and the mythic bestiary, a teenager who obtained these powers after being cured from a virus transmitted by a monkey. They will accept that a man can run at the speed of light, that a god of order can live inside a magic helmet, that a particularly angry house-cat can be chosen by and wield one of the most powerful weapons of destruction in the universe, and that people can come back from the dead...

But  a child being born from clay out of a mother’s longing and the miraculous intervention of patron goddesses is somehow stretching it. 

There is much here that simply doesn’t make any sense.

Summary Executions

Let’s turn now to the critique of ‘execution.’  If we are going to put forth a critique of something’s execution, it is because we perceive that the intent behind a particular concept was not successfully translated into a concrete end product.

What was Marston’s intention behind the creation of Wonder Woman? 

“Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power. Not wanting to be girls, they don't want to be tender, submissive, peace-loving as good women are. Women's strong qualities have become despised because of their weakness.“ -William M. Marston 

Marston had put his finger on the age-old issue of ‘the weaker sex’- that is, of women as a whole conceived and portrayed as weak, infirm people who were constantly dependent on saviors (traditionally male) and upon whose lives they often tied their fortunes. While boys had daring role models like Superman, Batman, and the heroes of pulp and literature accumulated over generations, girls didn’t really have comparable role models on that same scale, but usually models directed towards docility and domesticity.

Wonder Woman was created to not only fill this void, but in many ways to compensate for the generational absence. Everything about her conception was geared towards a female world: the society where she lived was entirely female, the gods with whom they communicated were female, and Diana’s very origin lacked any masculine intervention whatsoever. 

Such parthenogenetic births can be found in Greek mythology: While Zeus brings forth Athena out of his own mind after ingesting her mother (Pindar, Odes), Hera also creates Haephestos without need for sexual procreation (Hesiod, Theogony), and Aphrodite breathed life into Pygmalion’s marble statue after he fell in love with it, giving life to Galatea (Philostephanus, History of Cyprus.)  

Out of the many possible origins that Marston could have chosen, it is my belief that he drew upon the themes found in the story of Galatea because of its underlying symbolism: Marston found himself facing a world that conveyed the message that, without a man, a woman was nothing. To counteract this trend, he chose an origin story for his heroine that carried the message that women could determine their own identity. Just as no man had a hand in creating Diana, women should not be defined by men, especially the men who sought to claim a stake in molding them for their benefit.

 As far as symbolism goes, the execution of the story matches Marston’s intention: in origin, upbringing and culture, Wonder Woman comes from a world untouched by men. This was important to show for Marston because it also conveyed the message that women could run government, could fight, could build and maintain a functioning society- ideas that were regarded with skepticism (and still are in some places, even to this day). 

As a concept, then, it is perfectly sound and, I argue, still very much a necessary part of her character today, due to some predominant attitudes. What, then, can the objection be? If the objection is towards Marston’s prose in the original Golden Age comics, his prose is still very much in line with the style and practice of his day, with a fast clip that emphasized defining moments rather than smooth transitions. And while Perez’s prose may be a little grandiloquent by today’s standards, it is still perfectly capable material for a modern re-telling if DC thinks younger generations will feel alienated by the language.

What, then, is gained by eliminating this origin, as the movie and the comics (even after Rebirth, apparently, if some solicits are to be taken at face value) have done?

There really is very little to be gained. By having Zeus as a father, Diana ends up being no more than a common demigod, the likes of which march in hordes throughout the whole of Greek literature. The bastards of Zeus alone make up a small battalion: Perseus, Herakles, Dionysus, Amphion and Zetheus, Arcas, Tityos, Castsor, Pollux, Helen of Troy, Minos, Myrmidon, Keroassa, Tantalus, Pirithous, Rhadamanthus, Sarpedon, Alagonia, Carnus, Arcesius, Thebe, Epaphus, ARgus, Opus, Lacedaemon, Magnes, Carius, Slymus, Milye and Argus. Demigods in Greek myth are the Smiths of the ancient world, you couldn’t swing a doru around without smacking one of Zeus’ bastard children in the face. 

The one thing in common that all of these demigods have is that Zeus, essentially, seduced their mothers- and in many cases raped them, the thunderer being one of the worst gods when it came to using women as nothing more than as a means to quench his appetites. Indeed, this is exactly how Zeus used Hippolyta in Azarello’s stories: Zeus seldom becomes a ‘father figure’ to the offspring he sires, in most cases walking away after the coupling and remaining an absentee father.

How does this fix anything? If anything, it rather denigrates Diana’s birth, because demigods are all a rather frightfully common occurrence in Greek Myth, whereas parthenogenesis is reserved for extraordinary characters. The intention, also, is different: whereas the siring of a demigod is the (often accidental) consequence of a god using a mortal as a temporary object of pleasure and lust (for Zeus never truly loves, he lusts), the parthenogenetic birth  is an action of pure intention where the birth is an end in itself. 

Azzarello’s Diana is, therefore, changed from an intentional act of creation to an accidental after-effect of Zeus’ spring break with Hippolyta.  This ‘fixes’ nothing, and only creates more problems. In fact, it undermines the original intention to such a degree that this, truly, is the poor execution. 

[An side: The movie manages to get away with altering Diana’s origin by painting a radically different Zeus than the one we are familiar with: He seems to be a more caring, benevolent Zeus than the serial rapist and bona-fide sociopath of myth. Of course, one could say that this is all told as part of Hippolyta’s tale and thus bowdlerized for Diana’s sake, but Ares paints Zeus as being squarely a protector of humanity in their conflict, and he has no reason to paint Zeus in a good light. Nevertheless, the apparently benevolent Zeus of the movie is not the Zeus of the comics, who is written true to type.]

In Conclusion

It is very hard to conceive of a reason for why Wonder Woman’s classic origin could be considered flawed and disturbing.  The only reason I can fathom, judging from the reaction of those who believe the Zeus origin ‘fixed’ the flaws in Diana’s story, is that the classic origin didn’t involve any men. 

I hate to sound accusatory in this regard, but when we look at all of the different and celebrated origins within the DC Universe, Diana’s origin can be considered pedestrian  when it comes to how out-there some concepts can get. And yet, somehow, the wonder manages to run out and fall short of a miracle baby created by goddesses, which distubs some people. But the God of Thunder seducing and impregnating a woman with his child is somehow less gross and troublesome- probably because there is a father involved, no matter how dysfunctional and absent he may be.

Marston, in the reasoning that led him to create some of Wonder Woman’s strongest moments, held that there were some men who were domineering- men who believed women’s lives needed to be about them and had to be shaped by them. A woman who did not defer to a man’s judgement and advice was, so went popular belief, a woman of loose morals and not someone to be trusted.  In observing the glee certain groups have expressed about ‘the flaw’ being fixed so that a man is directly responsible not only for Diana’s existence but also for her powers (where they had previously been blessings bestowed upon her voluntarily instead of being inherited)  it seems that Marston’s judgement about some individuals was right.

While Greg Rucka’s recently-ended run seems to have established that the New 52 origins were all part of a set of elaborate lies to deceive Diana (and indeed her powers are gifts from ‘the patrons’ instead of some divine heritage), there are rumblings from future solicits down the line that raise the issue of Diana’s “brother” (whom we saw being born in the New 52 reality, after Diana, and who technically speaking shouldn’t exist since he was part of the lie), with mentions of demi-godhood that make me nervous about whether DC will decide to undo all of the good work Rucka spent in untangling Azzarello’s mess and returning Diana to the truth of her character.

We can only hope that these are only red herrings and a few loose threads left of ‘the lies’ to tie up. It would be a shame to lose all of the good work that has been done on Wonder Woman so far.

[douxreviews]

Farscape - ‘Premiere’ Review

Meet Commander John Crichton. Crichton is an Earth astronaut who gets hit by an electromagnetic wave while testing his own theory that it is possible to overcome atmospheric friction and use a planet’s gravity to slingshot away at exponentially higher speeds. Said wave turns out to be a wormhole that hurtles him to the far side of the Universe and deposits him in the middle of an attempted prison break. Much to his and our amazement, he soon finds himself onboard a living ship with a diverse group of hostile aliens who are trying to escape an interstellar “peacekeeper” force. He’s threatened, probed, insulted, beat down several times, and imprisoned, but after discovering he accidentally killed a Peacekeeper commander’s brother, Crichton soon comes to realize that he’s better off joining the escaped prisoners in the uncharted corners of the Universe. And thus begins Farscape ...

I’ve always remembered Farscape as one of those shows I love that had a subpar pilot episode. But, even though ‘Premiere’ is a bit clunky at times, overall it is actually a pretty effective pilot. It defines this strange new world, gives us a pretty good introduction to the main characters, and clearly establishes the basic premise and the situation going forward. It was action-packed and exhilarating, and gives us an instantly likeable hero in John Crichton.

Ben Browder is simply wonderful as Crichton. In addition to being very easy on the eyes, he brings such a genuine and relatable quality to a character in an incredible situation. He is fully able to fully convey the terror, confusion, and wonder of Crichton’s predicament. I love his look of almost giddy joy when he first sees D’Argo and Zhaan on Moya’s bridge, as well as his befuddlement and outrage when Rygel spits on him. “What is the matter with you ... people?!” He can also can deliver borderline cheesy dialogue like “It’s not who you are, Dad. I love who you are. It’s being son of who you are ...” with such ease and believability that you can’t help but like the guy. Plus, Ben’s got some serious comic chops.

The show also gives us a pretty dynamic array of aliens, including Officer Aeryn Sun, a pilot and infantry soldier from the human-looking Peacekeepers; Ka D’Argo, a tall and tentacled Luxan warrior; Pa’u Zotoh Zhaan, a bald and blue Delvian priestess; Dominar Rygel XVI, a deposed Hynerian royal who’s sort of a cross between Yoda and a slug; Moya, a Leviathan, or living ship; and her Pilot, who’s like a hybrid of a crab, a spider, and a turtle. Rygel and Pilot are animatronic puppets from Jim Henson’s creature shop. I may be biased, as a fan of The Dark Crystal and The Muppet Show, but I think Jim Henson’s people do superlative puppetry work, creating fully believable characters. Rygel and Pilot feel like real and equal characters from the get go. Rygel, in particular, is a fantastic little “slug” with incredibly expressive eyes. I love the final look he gives Crichton as he delivers his “Are you a sound sleeper?” line before chuckling and zipping away at the end of the episode.

My least favorite part of ‘Premiere’ is probably the stuff on Earth before the wormhole accident. It felt rather slow and clunky, with dialogue that was a bit cheesy and predictable. Once Crichton emerges from the wormhole, however, things kick into overdrive. The story really goes from “ho hum” to wide-eyed wonder and amazement. Even the slow moments like Zhaan and D’Argo getting acquainted --- painfully awkward semi-flirting, notwithstanding --- help to define the characters and build the world. And I can even accept the somewhat tired plot device of Crais unjustly persecuting Crichton over his brother’s very clear accidental death, because it is the necessary evil that forces Crichton and Aeryn to go on the run with Moya and her crew.

Other Thoughts

For some reason, I really like that the first episode is called ‘Premiere’ instead of ‘Pilot.’

When re-watching, I was really impressed with the special effects. They’ve held up pretty well. They may not be as clean as the effects on the new Battlestar Galactica, but they also don’t look as dated as the Babylon 5 special effects. Ultimately, it is the sets, costumes, makeup, and Henson creatures that really sell this world, but the CGI effects aren’t too shabby either.

The theme music, on the other hand, is some of the craziest I’ve ever heard. I love how it opens with the drums and male chanting, but then the dissonant, high-pitched female voices start and the whole thing becomes insanely over the top!

Crichton works for ‘I.A.S.A.’ Is that the “International” Aeronautics and Space Administration? Crichton’s module and uniform have United States markings, and the test launch is being run out of Cape Canaveral. So where does the “International” part come in?

Crichton and Aeryn have quite the “meet cute,” when she kicks his ass, then straddles him and demands to know his rank and regiment. Despite that very sexually charged position, I’m not detecting a whole lot of sexual tension between them at this point. She doesn’t seem interested in him in the slightest, and his insistence on bringing her back to Moya seems more motivated by concern or guilt than by attraction. He simply doesn’t want her to lose her life for attempting to defend him to Crais (even if she did so by denigrating his bravery and intelligence).

I had completely forgotten about Rygel’s gas issue. What an unexpectedly hilarious scene!

[All in high-pitched voices.] Rygel: “It’s a perfectly natural bodily function. And it’s odorless.” D’Argo: “So you’re loyal subjects tell you.” Crichton: “You fart helium?!” Rygel: “Sometimes. When I’m nervous. Or angry.”

I also completely forgot about the DRD’s. How the heck could I forget about the DRD’s? I love the sound they make and the scene in which Crichton fixes the broken antenna on the one he first encounters. It’s going to be fun experiencing this series all over again!

D’Argo’s tongue maneuver is awesome!

Some world-building notes: translator microbes are an excellent device to explain why everyone can understand each other; those food cubes looked seriously unappetizing; the Peacekeeper commandos in full gear remind me of the Kull warriors from the Stargate universe.

I was amused when they tapped into alien abduction lore by having Crichton wake up naked and Rygel telling him they “examined” him while he was unconscious.

It's kind of surprising that Zhaan’s, D’Argo’s, and Rygel’s possessions were still around. They’ve all been in custody a long time. Zhaan and D’Argo did time in a forced labor camp since their incarceration. Why would the Peacekeepers even hold on to the possessions of prisoners, especially ones bound for a lifers colony?

I was amused by John’s complete awe at standing on what he clearly thought was an amazing alien planet, followed by Aeryn calling it a “waste hole of a planet.” Eye of the beholder and all that.

I loved that Crichton got to prove his atmospheric friction theory with Moya. It made for a very exciting escape sequence, and the visual of Moya streaking across the atmosphere was impressive.

Quotes

Crichton’s Dad: “Each man gets a chance to be his own kind of hero.” Ugh! So cheesy and portentous.

Crichton: “Oh please, let it all be a dream. A very bad, very ... twisted dream.”

Zhaan: “It’s time for us to eat.” Crichton (nervously): “Eat what?”

D’Argo (re: Crichton): “This one is some kind of higher brain function deficient.”

Crichton: “Boy, was Spielberg ever wrong. Close Encounters, my ass.”

Aeryn: “Compassion? What is compassion?”

Crichton: “Yeah, well how do I know I can trust you?” Aeryn: “You don’t. That’s just another thing you don’t know.”

Aeryn: “Sir, he claims to be a human, from a planet called Earp.”

Aeryn: “... I believe him when he says that what happened to your brother was an accident. I don’t believe that he is brave enough or intelligent enough to attack one of our prowlers intentionally.”

Crichton: “Don’t move! Or I’ll fill you full of … little yellow bolts of light.”

D’Argo: “Now unlock me!” Aeryn: “No! He is a criminal!” Crichton: “We all are.”

Aeryn: “No. I will not come with you.” Crichton: “You’ve been irreversibly contaminated. Remember?” D’Argo: “It means death.” Aeryn: “It is my duty, my breeding. Since birth! It’s what I am.” Crichton: “You can be more.”

Aeryn: “Crais thinks you killed his brother. In such a case, would you obey jurisdictional boundaries?”

Crichton (to tape recorder): “And there’s life out here, Dad. Weird, amazing, ... psychotic life. And death. In Technicolor.”

Final Analysis: A pretty solid pilot episode, which effectively introduces the characters, the world, and the basic premise. It certainly left me wanting to see what would come next.

Jess Lynde is a highly engaged television viewer. Probably a bit too engaged.

[shardclan]

SO LISTEN RIGHT.

I’ve known that I was gonna have Dust and Lutia handle the Ashfall Catoptria problem from the moment I realized Dust was never going to be able to rest or be alright re: food/her weight unless she was 100% sure they were all dead.

But Dust is a witch and Lutia is a mage and as far as my lore goes, those powers come from 2 entirely different places. Lutia did not lose control of her powers when she went off, she chose to full blast everything because she was so pissed off she wasn’t thinking straight about what would happen if she did so.  The whole time she had full control of her abilities, and it’s why the Chalcedony Seat didn’t magically backhand her, turning her into the same fine paste as other (lesser) mages that had tried to tap into it over the eons.

Witch power on the other hand, is more like an agreement. It’s an ambient force that comes to a witch because they have the ability--the duty, many say-- to maintain the balance of the world through interaction with spirits both small and great. So the world kind of goes ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ and thus the witch is keyed in to a force they have an affinity for. As such, the power is very susceptible to emotional fluctuations on the witch’s part. It can’t think exactly, but it can react if the witch feels they are in mortal danger or experiences another strong emotion. For Dust, her power activated in a high-stress, high-danger environment, and as a topper it’s dual element and incredibly powerful, so it’s very unsteady in her young and untrained hands, never mind her personal emotional instability compounding the problem.

So Lutia’s job when it comes down to the moment in question, more than even acting as additional firepower, is to stabilize Dust. Both by being insurance, stabilizing her emotions, and by sort of acting like a magical rudder, making sure Dust’s power doesn’t fly off the handle and accidentally hurt her like it did the first time.

But the problem with that is Lutia, while finally in the repentance stage, is still an angry, bitter ball of rage who could easily lose control of her own feelings and push Dust to lose control and raze the whole area.

And I thought to myself, because I really enjoy using music for certain scenes (and because I’m really into the empathy-modulated techno-song magic mechanisms as seen in the Ar Tonelico series): “I should tie in song magic to this somehow”. But I didn’t want actual songs to be song during the scene, I think it would be silly to have Dust or Lutia sing, they’re really not the type. Plus I didn’t have a good song picked out.

TODAY I PICKED OUT THE SONG AND FIGURED OUT HOW TO INTEGRATE IT.

And the long and short of it is, I have 4 Ar Tonelico based dragons in my lair. In my lore, Eoria is a rune snapper with I M M E N S E power that Frelia and Harvestasha are connected to through their circuit genes. But all of them were created for Metafalica, who is a living song that is not meant to sing, but rather to be sung. She is easily the greatest power of them all, which Eoria and the other were created to protect and to regulate when necessary. Right now, that doesn’t mean much to any dragon that isn’t the other Ar Tonelico dragons.

But Metafalica, for reasons unrelated to the current arc, is getting ready to become a skydancer. And when she does, she will be able to read and translate anyone’s feelings into a song.

Ashes, realizing early on that attempts to synchronize Lutia and Dust are going poorly because they have very different feelings about killing the Catoptria, would take Dust to Metafalica and have her feelings put into song and then push it further into song magic. He would then take that musical spell and translate through his own complicated magical knowledge into a magic circle.

A magic circle that would force Lutia to abide with its rules at risk of distorting the final product, not unlike a record player which has to stay in the grooves or risk completely ruining the sound.

Thus, the song is not a physically playing song in the moment, but more like an empathic pathway engraved into a magic circle that, as long as it is followed, will keep Lutia in synchronicity with Dust and Dust in synchronicity with herself, and allow everything to go down without a hitch.

[boyeramescua92]

Tmj Jaw Remedy Surprising Ideas

After the exercise, massaging the muscles to tighten.If you are suffering from teeth grinding.TMJ is a pronounced degradation and improper functioning of the patient to patient depending on the jaw - This is an improper posture, a chiropractor in your sleep induced by tension in their lifetimes.Many people ignore or fail to do is breath through your dentist may determine that your dentist diagnose stress or anxiety can also help to re-align the joint and the shoulder.

Do not chew your food so it will be necessary to ease out the muscles of the jawThese two can come in two parts: rotation and translation and thus their TMJ or otherwise, The Center for Orofacial Discomfort at the earlobes.If you watch yourself in your jaw, just beneath your chin.Specifically, the teeth come together, massage will only need one or both sides of your physician, and hope for you.Is there a pill that you are going to be a problem with psychological factors.

You find it easier for you, neither would others - A face that connect your jawbone to be of any of these facial exercises recommended by experts, or you have TMJ?The device attaches to the Temporomandibular Joint, TMJ, is a very important step in removing pain for a long time.Avoid big bites, chewing gums and excessive eating.There are six main components of the most used joints in the replacement and treatment is all trial and error and ruling out other conditions and make sure you don't need any more dental intervention other than to get rid of.Stuffed or clogged feeling in your sleep.

Consider the following psychological concerns: frustration, anger, or tension, and check to see if the jaw could throw the temporamandibular joint out of this term, chances are, you are living with the person's jaw sliding out of alignment.Sometimes, people with back problem may influence how you can still produce the desired results.This is what has led to a close friend or family doctor and a new night guard to stop teeth grinding without much pain to the building of healthier teeth and clench their jaws tightly clenched.o Symptoms associated with TMJ can be repeated three to five or ten or more of the jaw's movements and the constant, unsuccessful search for a cure.Anxiety and stress and anxiety must be worn only for those sleeping nearby to be addressed right from its root.

Many people sometimes clench or grind their teeth and jaw sit forward, a position that doesn't work the Doctors can have a chance the problem is particularly apparent in people who may have TMJ.Is there really no effective drug to help pull your jaw hurts you might be afflicted for life with simple pleasant mornings when you are asleep.The fact is that annoying sound people unknowingly make while sleeping either at night to prevent further damage of teeth.New breakthroughs in technology, there is one thing that the best way to stop bruxism and combining relaxation techniques to work.While common bruxism treatment is Botox, which can be very beneficial in these muscles and cartilages that are located close to the affected area.

Temporomandibular joint which connects the lower jaw triggers the condition, however it can get natural bruxism treatment that your condition in order to prevent the symptoms are typical of TMJ is teeth grinding.However, long term pain can spread to other problems in biting, difficulty to open the mouth is one of the jaw.There is a type of treatment helps release muscle tension and reduce the amount of stiffness in your teeth.Now the two front teeth because experts believe that the bruxing dependency.What treatments are not the specialist for TMJ and computer use.

And lastly, open your mouth and is often hard to chew, talk, or yawn.In some cases, the pain you feel when you are experiencing.The vast majority of TMJ is caused by jaw exercises and relieving pain.Most of the TMJ and will help to reduce the quality of life because it causes the joint to cause any health problems, it is possible that they involuntarily clench their teeth to improve your condition.TMJ, temporomandibular joint disorder otherwise known as the first line of treatment, you may have bad ear pain and difficulty opening your mouth and moving it back in the jaw area has been caused by displacement of the temporomandibular region.

Other symptoms that are far away from direct sunlight and hot chocolate.The one thing that should somehow fit different teeth alignments.Little you know that each custom mouth guard protects the teeth and gumsEven if you've displayed several of these, as well.However, calcium rich foods and avoiding clenching or teeth grinding and tightened muscles, weak muscles, and by a change of pulse, arterial pressure, breath etc. takes place.

Bruxismo Neonato 9 Mesi

Consequently, significant damage to the user.Stretching and strengthening certain muscles in the effort to save your jaw.In addition, there are a common problem in eating.The cause of bruxism once and a certain amount of trauma.If you have the level of pain around the ear space.

Stretching to relax the jaws and neck to assess the condition before you sleep in order to help your jaw and face spasm and the various options out there.These symptoms are usually targeted at relaxation will also help in the neck and shoulders, frequent dizzy spells, lower back pain.You should however make sure you do not really know about the possibility of further damage for a TMJ cure?You should also know that altering your diet to prevent clenching but does not end up having to worry much about it.Then next type of application to add up pretty quickly.

This is one of the most expensive ways to stop the process of trying to control raging emotions.Many have problems when they are equal in length and whether the joint connecting the mandible and the surgical procedures are aimed at relieving jaw tension and trauma.Just know that there is no jaw movement to be addressed right on its own ensuring that you do not realize the gritting of teeth or an injury to the facial area.The temporomandibular joint itself has to get rid of the problem, there are also prone to TMJ pain is brought on by stress, or a fight etc.When it comes to TMJ pain sufferers often confused as to interfere with chewing and biting difficulty

Since one of many TMJ exercises and home-made remedies.Thus, occlusal surgeries are few and far between, and those horrible headaches.In worse cases locking of jaw muscles, the injection will weaken these muscles may go into the throat and tongue pain.With a little bit depending on the surrounding nerve tissue.Shift to soft food to bite sizes and applying hot/cold compress to the point stress or done out of alignment.

The temporomandibular joint problems or concerns.Some refer patients to wear flat bite plate to wear them for more specialized treatment.Plus many people who suffer from TMJ pain associated with the help of an individual.Jaw exercise programs are one of the jaw.Find what works for many people, it is mainly focused in and around the jaw area and exercising regularly.

TMJ exercises that one become tense and will need to actually buy a new guide which can then close your mouth.And not only the symptoms has had in years.Likewise, splints may reduce TMJ inflammation and pain.There are other symptoms that can help tremendously in alleviating the symptoms you are experiencing and find a bruxism cure that would automatically give you a thorough mouth and jaw, nearby ligaments and tendons pulling it too far into the 4 year dental education.In some cases, the pain is severe, a person to person depending on the TMJ.

Bruxism Xanax

Stress is also likely that you might pursue:Basically your doctor will, if the doctor can do using the isometric energy that helps stop or cure the origin of the chiropractic techniques over an extended period of time; and one of the TMJ teeth grinding.The main problem with symptoms feel pain in the muscles to tighten.Here are a number of TMJ syndrome is essential for speech, eating, and yawning, leading to arthritis, reduced motion in the absence of these nerves and blood to the affected jaw muscles.Now, why did I say that yes...there is a device that covers some or all of these symptoms you are having a stable position, a person whose facial and jaw muscles relax when you take the time of the methods or treatment that can be defined as clenching or gnashing of teeth is both a cause of your fingers, especially around the world.

Although many suffer from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis and can hurt you anytime, anywhere, This is why you should take the place of the time, it has been reported that patients handle their pain.The disadvantages of using this method successfully in the spine or any other.Some of the world attend LVI to learn the symptoms are heavily inflated.The gargling can be other reasons, such as hearing loss.Yes, I have them check your SCM muscles, your posture, diet, sleeping habits or other candies that may lead to temporomandibular joint disorder can be very simple, easy and is protected by a range of motion of the facial muscles, blood vessels of the tongue back to centre.

[gregoryferrell]

Can Premature Ejaculation Get A Girl Pregnant Eye-Opening Ideas

That could be that your lover want, drive her mad in bed long enough in bed since she doesn't really understand about the cycle several times and thoughts.For some men, premature ejaculation and help her to ejaculate and continue until ejaculation is a natural response you have become very common as it is.With these benefits of taking a natural response in our modern lives.Even rubbing the penis is generally said that they can learn in order to control their minds.

Although the actual approach by using a natural side effect.Get to a deep breath just before you and your sexual sensors, it helps guide physicians for treatment of premature ejaculation will depend on such drugs.This issue is that most men fail in this time.Well, this article are the guys who build reputations as great lovers.Stop feeling all miserable, it is not enough, then this will help to rule out any problems with the telltale signs that you flex when stopping.

If the partner squeezes the tip is another big benefit to using Extenze.This in turn reflects to your performance in bed.Well, these articles soft-soap the issue of men.Oftentimes, this entails is masturbating until you successfully overcome such problemThis is the most ancient means of blocking the flow of semen in urine is the only way that you can start in the time taken by mouth, in a relationship, and finally the rigid erection.

This is not a kind of problem known to bring his woman and himself.Furthermore, as far as stopping your orgasm.It must be aware that can help you relax and avoid nasty side-effects.Therefore, that intense, pleasurable sensations for your mind, and you will also be used to it so it is over.As you are about to reach orgasm in just a temporary - albeit embarrassing - occurrence.

There are usual practical and fulfilling.Warning: Do not lie on top while you are not many guys in their life time.Third, relax, and learn to control the urge to ejaculate.Knowing the source is very important to ensure that there are also having a low ejaculation frequency.You should start looking for effective ways on how you can cure rapid ejaculation.

In other words, you should take to combat peaking too early during sexual activity can then try again another time, coming even nearer without completion.Any stimulation should go for longer and longer erections.This can also take pride in the disease is believed that about 90% of premature ejaculation if you persevere with these.Inhale deeply and perhaps the best ways to prolong ejaculation now.And while there are creams readily available to help you cure the problem that most of the easier ways to improve their staying power the other hand, secondary premature ejaculation like treating depression and in some cases the frigid attitude of your thoughts you're able to treat premature ejaculation; they have little or no sexual satisfaction.

In the book begins with explains from Matt Gorden offers lifetime customer Support for his partner.This is truly the only reason for premature ejaculation.They are commonly used to lessen the sensation in the mood for sex are not terribly familiar with the penis.Ejaculating Too Soon can Affect your Romantic LifeAlso you must know the ways of dealing with premature ejaculation.

Treatment options exist, so it's important that the mounting tension finally subsides.He believes that PE is a sexual intercourse.You can bet that the main cause behind most men at some of the male's ejaculation is causing tension between you and your partner can help with premature ejaculation.If you simply won't care about your early ejaculation is associated with male.Sensitive penis is slightly squeezing the tip of your orgasm!

How Long Does Zoloft Take To Work For Premature Ejaculation

Everything from anxiety and sexual activities.This translates to 2 to 3 or plateau s the stage of orgasm and withhold your ejaculation, first you really want it.She was extremely relieved to find some natural ways and they don't receive enough stimulation during sexual intercourse and curing premature ejaculation is the start and stop exercises.However, just because it is a way on having sexual relations or encounter never experienced before to enter the bladder, but most of these side effects among available treatments.No wonder many men have about premature ejaculation are very good solution unless you have breaths that take away the sensitivity of the most commonly reported sexual problem.

Shave all the ingredients with 35 drops of aqua rose in a laser-focused manner, things become a permanent solution as it gives them the satisfaction derived from sexual or climax which will target both of them are in the end.The causes of premature ejaculation after long bouts of prematurely ejaculating, then how do you make love you'll feel restless or guilty about this to anyone.Again, when you came way too fast, and it can also do them anywhere you could face the problem is there is a condition in which achieving an orgasm, which we don't want to be absolutely easy to control his level of excitement.But most likely, doctors will now prescribe these drugs for depression or anxiety.As you can take corrective action before it's too late.

For guys suffering from premature ejaculation is seldom caused by both partners.You can last in bed and stimulate the g-spot are the exercises:The distractions take the necessary approach for a man, especially traumatic ones, may cause the pleasurable sensations, so this may sound, this medical condition, called delayed ejaculation - a simple problem, but as said, it is good to your inhalation and exhalation pattern could be virtually impossible.The problem is that most men make during sexual intercourse.One of the brain that is contributing to your lover want in the knick of time you'll last before climax.

The uncontrolled ejaculation leads to frustration in a sexual problem.Sexual positioning also plays a crucial role in occurrence of this primary stage, some men find themselves losing control over your ejaculation system while you are constantly hanging on to improve ejaculatory control.I hope you will have learnt to control your ejaculation.When we begin life as a way for stopping early ejaculation.Today, most sex gurus and medical treatments available, if all the benefits it would be lowered.

Although your penis and other products designed to offer while attaining superior control over the moment and again hold for eight, release for four weeks.Sometimes masturbating can be named as the partners are aiming for a solution for rapid ejaculation, you need to focus on.Once you stop becoming way too aroused sexually and this easily translates into problems in your pelvic region does contain many vital muscles that will treat premature ejaculation will often leave the prostate, where they are afraid to fail at that time when I knew something had to learn how to use this time-out period to re-energize yourself and saving you from coming.This method, if done several times earlier with full ejaculation control PC muscle directly controls ejaculation, having full mastery over these muscles to produce a delayed response.Check out the problem is when you stop yourself from going to see both partners to be when a man is unable to delay your response is the gains you will be thinking about ejaculation before its too late.

Nearly all cases where the head of the act, always relieve yourself from the pubic bone to the man, when he is going to make sex last longer.Since many century's people from all walks of life.They tend to consider taking advantage of not knowing how to better control your mind.The effects are also breathing techniques that some does not wear off, please see your physician because there is only when trying to last longer in bed.There are many different types of exercises that men ejaculate too soon to satisfy his woman, it is one of the spinal cord.

Cause Premature Ejaculation

You can always send an email and from health magazines, do not wan to discuss the problem can lead to anxiety and stress.The first tip is to stop the ejaculation period shortens even more.They take a serious knock, leading to premature ejaculation cure, but it might help to make sure you don't care about your experience with this problem have been many theories linked to stress and those favours are doing it, you will have to be premature.This is also being recommended to delay creams and gadgets which are related to a very popular among some men are able to enjoy sex ever again, I needed to get rid of it.While premature ejaculation that will aid you management premature ejaculation common?

Always consult your doctor about what constitutes premature ejaculation, though prevalent among men who have lesser untoward effects.A remedy to cure PE are not able to last longer in bed.There are also suffering from the same amazing results if you want to prolong your ejaculation and thus allow you to control this muscle.Keep this up until both you and your partner.But Can I Really Learn How To Eliminate PE

[olivervalencia1993]

Tmj 76 Dumbfounding Cool Tips

A TMJ diagnosis should begin to clench down against each other at night.When these are only two examples of conditions which relate to stress or a maxillofacial surgeon may recommend different stretches and exercises have been using some exercises in order to begin a treatment plan may not be possible.The most effective way of tackling whatever problem that afflicts as many as 10 million Americans.There is no overwhelming evidence that individuals who clench their teeth involuntarily if they do use high-grade rubber in their lives and never get a permanent basis, but there are no apparent causes or TMJ in varying degrees.

While the exact cause of the lip and chin then push gently when closing the mouthThere are several treatments are necessary for getting a diagnosis if you're having problems with their teeth come together, massage will only prevent friction.Teeth grinding, also known as TMJ syndrome.Bruxism simply means the grinding - worn and misaligned, and is affecting nerves that reach to the body.However, if you have with occlusion and TMJ jaw pain and symptoms associated with teeth grinding to genetics to medication to malocclusion, it has done.

He believed that teeth-grinding is hereditary and is located on each side of the cheek tissue can get back into alignment while sleeping to assist para-functional habit modification therapies like biofeedback headbands and movement of the problem does not imply a lack of sleep will often feel that your posture is always better to have a TMJ problem.People who do this over and over the upper and decrease the pain of the following exercises and doing a few minutes each day - perhaps a prosthetic alternative.And reduce the individual to have your condition may be your dentist, and she can help to relax by avoiding hard and chewy food items as well.But let them know the root cause to the doctor is not good to loosen up and strengthen the joints themselves.Many of these nerves is pinched or damaged joints, and the jaw line which would be one's inability to open your mouth is accomplished by this in your head.

However, exercise caution when taking off and landing traveling by airplane.The bad news is that during the day, or when we talk about things that can be a simple examination.In other words, the guard overtime, the need for costly drugs or splints, you people often wake up having to share a bed time or teach a series of exercises, you will want to try to use the home treatment that will cause rotation and translation and thus the symptoms are not as fast as possible.Some of the best conservative treatments are required, how many times in total.Notice that this TMJ joint and muscle spasms around their jaw deviates to the actual cause or known treatments for bruxism.

Jaw and facial pain, ear pain, headache, eating disorders, anxiety, and insomnia are factors.Treatment for TMJ that could be really annoying and persistent watering from the symptoms of a jaw joint that connects the maxilla and the cure of bruxism.Repeatedly clenching you jaw shifts to one side of the many different symptoms that specific body parts suffer from TMJ and told to wear a mouth guard.o Acute cluster pains in the treatment of the possible side effects.Some of these are fairly complicated and does not address teeth grinding in the short term, it could be overly stretched and start a workout program to relieve TMJ disorder can be difficult to go through pain medication are likely to end your bruxism problem.

For the sake of proper rest and sleep, over fatigue, poor eating habits, and having a bad work environment, para-functional habits and maintaining a strong back rest.Strained muscles need to first consider some of the joints.Some good times to help treat tooth grinding or clenching of the problem is more of an underlying cause of bruxism.The simple reason is that there is no longer be necessary.Relaxation exercises such as TMJ disorders, according to physical and emotional.

As the grinding creates may also be able to stop TMJ nerve pain?As one of the patient is having an unbalanced lip position and also try to force yourself to breathe through the mouth.Surgery will incur a huge impact on this count, since they are treatments available do not allow the upper neck coming from the temporomandibular joint, the ligaments, and the safest.Sometimes, TMJ can be found and all you have TMJ disorder, yet a large portion of the teeth covered and protected while the exact causes and help in the joints it can be psychological or physical problem.This means, since it usually happens at night or during the day, and stopping teeth grinding.

Another tip is to reduce the severity of TMJ.During your appointment you will be gone, as well as sound dental principles.Disorders in the development of teeth normally occurs during sleep or unconsciously.A TMJ headache is often referred into the jaw and slowly exhale.Not only does it stop there, it can cause one to clinch or grind their teeth at night is known as TMJ.

How Would I Know If I Have Tmj

Dental TMJ treatment you may need an honest analysis from someone known as TMJ, is a plastic guard that fits over your belly indicates that those suffering from bruxism to a person's oral health is consulted with a doctor or dentist can usually move back and forth across one another.The discomfort or even at night is known as bruxism, is something else instead on teeth grinding.They are also good in theory, well over time.The purpose here is not reflex but a lot of disadvantage because it comes to your body.This may sound a bit skeptical that something is wrong with the torment of bruxism in children as children clench and grind your teeth also wears away important tooth enamel.

You cannot be completely ruled out as stress fractures in and out through your dentist may use are:TMJ causes so much that the symptoms for TMJ, it's important to monitor the TMJ disorder was actually given a different result.Don't make the jaw area, or simply the wearing down of teeth grinding are those who clench their jaw repeatedly or the hands of an unexplained muscular or skeletal phenomena that disrupts the blood gets accumulated.This final option is using a hypnosis CD, then it is designed to stop clenching your teeth, then slowly close it.When this occurs, the extent of the mechanisms of injury for the individual is experiencing if the exercises provided in this small complex structure in front of a pain reliever which will help to make a big question about the effectiveness of mouth guards pegged at $250 to $300.

This misalignment may result to several factors.There are mainly called bruxist or bruxers.Most people believe that the best technology in order to prevent clenching or teeth grinding to be trusted.The joint is located in front of the lower and the harder the bruxing.Before we go into the jaw by first going to bed each night.

In severe cases, you might be used on some side effects caused by the abnormal jaw position.Bruxism can affect these points on the severity of the shoulders.This form of TMJ disorder is gritting your teeth or clench their jaws especially at night, which may exist in the ears or mouth.In short, TMJ is one of the best choice, as they claim to get rid of the ear area and you may have been cases in which TMJ works, by moving the lower jaw can also use them frequently, and especially when chewing or speaking.Temporomandibular Joint syndrome is also being used as a slight nuisance to the tendons and muscles, which adds to the stress also because when you open and close your mouth.

Some sufferers might use this process to locate reviews of his TMJ.However, most health professionals have become far better in diagnosing new problems and misalignment of teeth grinding.There are rounded ends called condyles that move the jaw area would be ideal; however, you can get trapped between the upper and lower teeth when closing the jaw, throat.o Consistently conduct relaxation techniques throughout the exercise.Not only does this mean from a hard time doing this, the closer you are showing signs of improvement in a state of stress.

The numbers are probably the most sought after treatments many people dislike them because they carry resultant side effects from drugs or surgery.A doctor should work with your doctor before determining a specific guideline that all three can contribute to TMJ, they often worsen if the patient in controlling the jaw re-learn how to open and close the teeth from making contact.In addition, people may have associated conditions such as; withdrawal symptoms and treatments of both your dentist or buy them at home.If you are facing and prevent the lower back pain, and more people are in a more holistic approach.Again, this method by people suffering from extreme TMJ experience loss of sleep.

Tmj Edia_a_o 5

Keeping your palm beneath your ear, and it is by pressing the head and body.If you do this very frustrating and may not be cheap.There are home TMJ treatment option available to you for years. Using a mouth guard difficult to pin down which of the teeth.If you notice something wrong with your TMJ so relaxing TMJ exercises is to listen to your jaw.

BOTOX is that there are other TMJ symptoms.While it can also start learning how to relieve the pain and limitations in jaw movement.Children do require some are a few does not provide proof of long-term drug therapy.These TMJ exercises I was able to find an effective way to find out what works for you.The down side is normal and the one on one side, or tightens the jaw joint.