#ETA: peer review is not a one-step process!

[devoursjohnlock]

So many people on that post about academic publishing saying "burn it down", like... yes, the current system is bad in several ways, but what do you propose to replace it? I guarantee bad actors will be racing to incorporate pseudoscience and AI into whatever that is.

[daily-dose-of-imagines]

HITMEN AU! | HEAD CANONS | 19+ [HAIKYUU!!]

𝕾𝖍𝖎𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖟𝖆𝖜𝖆 [PART i] [PART ii] 

I’ve been inspired to continue through with this AU and to do more of the schools SKSKSKKS I hope you guys enjoy these ones~! ;; Live for big boi Waka~ Anywho, as always thank you all so much for the support and thanks for taking the time to read these~!

» » Admin Ko

»»————-　♔　————-««

One of the most feared, yet highly paid for teams throughout Japan. All of the members within this group are high skilled hitmen and are practically some of the most sought after hitmen to get a clean kill. 

Out of all the hitmen groups in their precinct, they are number one. 

They have quite the long history, and after an incident with some of Karasuno’s members they have a sort of unspoken rivalry with them. 

W̷a̷k̷a̷t̷o̷s̷h̷i̷ ̷U̷s̷h̷i̷j̷i̷m̷a̷

The boss of Shiratorizawa. 

The literal embodiment of fear itself; it’s said that those who come into contact with him are either traumatized so badly they need to be hospitalized, or that their limbs are broken beyond proper repair.

Usually stays at the bast reviewing the work from the rookies and other members of the group.

Ends up taking the more higher ranked jobs to ensure it’s done quickly and efficiently. 

Has a variety of skills, but his main choice is close combat. He may not seem like it initially, but he’s rather psychotic when it comes to close combat.

Loves to mercilessly kill up close and ensure the target is completely eliminated. 

Sharp olive eyes scanned the premises. The large figure stood on standby as he awaited for further instruction before he proceeded down the desolate building. The desire to sink his knife into the awaiting target was high as he felt the leather gloves strain against his impatient fingers. 

“All clear.”

The words rang into his head as he shifted. A blur of motions as he busted the door down quickly before launching himself surprisingly quickly at the target before pinning the person down onto the floor. His boot leaving a strong imprint on the target’s head as a cry of pain came from the pinned person. 

“It’s unfortunate that we have to meet like this, but take pleasure that this will end for you quickly.”

The sharp tang of blood filled the room as he felt his body ease up at the familiar scene before him.

“Target neutralized.”

Built to the nines, he’s most definitely more tone than lean and has muscles for days to prove it. 

Has tattoos, but more in the style of the more painful and traditional form of Irezumi. Though despite the painful process, he has a large expanse of art from his back to his left arm. 

Littered with battle scars and wounds.

Likes to keep his hair short enough so he doesn’t need to worry about it, but long enough in case he has to do reconnaissance missions. 

It’s rare for him to have an s/o, but if he happens to have one he’s quite...demanding (mainly in the bedroom sksks)

Positively protective of them and won’t allow any harm to come to them. 

Is quite awkward with affection and isn’t sure how to properly display or give them affection.

Usually asks Tendo for advice. (Even though he shouldn’t)

J̴i̴n̴ ̴S̴o̴e̴k̴a̴w̴a̴

The right hand man, though not known very well. He’s usually behind the scenes with assigning missions and combating the cyber end of their transactions.

He’s rarely seen out of his office, and really only sees the other members when an important meeting is placed. 

Again, besides being the right hand man and overseeing the operations with Ushijima, he’s the main tech guy within Shiratorizawa. 

Like any of the previously mentioned cybernetic members of the other groups, he sports his own dark circles and chaotic sleep schedule in order to maintain working order within their base and on their cyber end.

Thankfully he relies on Shirabu and Semi to help keep the members all in line.

“Tch. Another one?”

Aggravated, and thoroughly pissed off. The male seated at the large display of monitors couldn’t help but slam his fist down on the table. The screens shaking slightly at the sudden force as a head peered into his room.

“Are...you okay?”

“Irritated, but nothing out of the ordinary. I suppose...”

It was meant to help ease the other’s worry, but seeing how the rookie’s eyes didn’t leave his fist he couldn’t help but let out a sigh before caving as he leaned back into his seat.

“They’re just non-stop attacks is all. No need to worry your head over it. It’s not like I’ll go mad from this kid. I’ve dealt with this plenty of times before-- albeit not at once, thank fucking god, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Now run along. I know for a fact you have missions to finish before Ushijima returns.”

The statement itself had the rookie jolt up in shock before rushing off, a smile formed on the hacker’s face as he let out a sigh before stretching his back out before hardening his gaze onto his main monitor.

“Alright, let’s clean this up...”

Average height throughout the rest of the team. Isn’t necessarily as built as a majority of the team, but has enough strength and muscle mass to hold his own in any case if he’s forced out on the field.

It’s really thanks to Tendo for dragging his ass out of his office to spar and train with the rookies and other members.

Doesn’t have any tattoos, but does have a couple of piercings on his ears. 

Similar to Ushijima, he likes to keep his hair short and out of his face when he works.

With his s/o (if he even gets one considering his job) he’d be as normal as he can with them.

Though with how busy he is, he unfortunately won’t be able to spend lots of time with them and really indulges on their needs and his own when he has a vacation or a forced break.

E̷i̷t̷a̷ ̷S̷e̷m̷i̷

One of the snipers on the team. 

Usually seen training the rookies and working on aim with Shirabu, he’s more so seen as the trainer than a sniper. 

He's assigned to the much more higher level assassination jobs. Due to experience-- and mainly because of how much shit Shirabu has to deal with when it comes to the rookies and Tendo.

Despite being one of the snipers, he’s one of the lesser known snipers in their precinct. 

Though he’s honestly not upset by it, it just brings him more joy when he’s out on the field without any sort of distraction. (And also because he can prove a lot of other ‘well’ known snipers just how good he is)

“What’s the location and ETA of the target?”

Blunt and ever so tactical, the sniper’s gaze through the scope was honed in onto the building before him. His deep brown eyes focusing in on the details and for the slightest movements within the small room. 

“ETA 3 minutes.”

There was no need to double check if the sniper was in the clear. The trust was evident the moment the other stated the ETA. 

“Understood, ready for the shot.”

It was silent. The cool night air lightly brushed against his skin as his finger rested on the trigger. His breath stilling as he waited for the moment the target would pass the area.

A glimpse of movement and a head in his line of vision. The sharp whizz of the bullet flew by as the once standing figure crumpled to the floor. Only when he saw the blood did he relax from his position as he pulled back from the scope.

“Target neutralized. Requesting clean up.”

Similar to Soekawa, he’s average height within the team. 

Though his build is much more similar to that of Ushijima as he’s the third most built and fit within the whole team.

Unlike Ushijima though, when he got his tattoos done, he went with the modern day method. Mainly to not waste time and to prioritize in training the rookies. (Has a neck tattoo, and a large back tattoo)

Medium length light ashy brown hair with dark brown tips, his fringe is usually pinned up or slicked back to keep it out of his face as he snipes, but usually it’s down around the base.

He’s actually very sweet to his s/o, despite his temper and desire to keep his job mostly a secret from them, he tries his best to be there for her.

Whenever he’s free he’ll spend as much time as he can with them.

R̴e̴o̴n̴ ̴O̴h̴i̴r̴a̴

The left hand man. In comparison to Soekawa, he’s much more in tune with the team and helps in strategizing out plans for any large operations or helping the rookies with their first time missions, etc.

Similar to Ushijima, he’s more of a close combat assassin than a long distance, but takes up strategy and interrogation work with Tendo. Though instead of actually interrogating, he makes sure that the red head doesn’t take things too far.

Dabbles a little in the medic field, and helps out Kawahishi in healing or treating their members from missions or scuffles at the base.

Is usually the one sent out to take care of any close assassinations in Ushijima’s place. 

“It wouldn’t be surprising if they attempt to do a round about cut off here with their own men. Please prepare the necessary steps in order to avoid collisions and unnecessary fights. Our main goal is to eliminate the target, bring back any high profile members for interrogation. Are we clear?”

The echos of affirmation sang happily into his ears as he gave the team a smile. Confidence soared through him as he watched the team members discuss their roles with one another, making sure that everything was set with no hitches along the way.

Though of course he knew better than to completely trust them, he was fairly certain that there would be a mishap eventually and being the ever so reliable left hand, he was ready to take on the weight to ensure their assignment would be completed properly. 

The second most fit and built member. Practically the same build as Ushijima.

Though unlike the leader, he has more piercings than he does tattoos. (Though he does have a mix of both) But if he had to pick which one he’d do, it would usually be piercings. 

Usually has his hair shaved close down to the scalp to ensure he doesn’t have any unnecessary obstructions when he’s working.

Literally has two faces when it comes to his s/o. He’s a complete gentlemen with them, but won’t hesitate to intimidate the living shit out of someone messing with his s/o.

S̷a̷t̷o̷r̷i̷ ̷T̷e̷n̷d̷o̷

The main interrogator of the group, and the most unstable.

His psychotic tendencies are what brought him to the position he’s in today, and to the surprise of many he’s very well acquainted with Ushijima. The pair having been best friends and deciding to join the underground network for a quick buck--- and also to satisfy their more darker needs.

No such thing as good cop or bad cop with him, he will obliterate and pick at the target’s mind to no end and when he absolutely has to he’ll use his extensive knowledge of torture to get the information they need.

Is usually never seen out of the base unless he’s required somewhere else for his...services.

Without a doubt, one of the most feared men throughout the entire underground crime world

“Oh c’mon~ You can’t tell me your mental blocks are that weak~.”

The satirical tone set the victim at unease as they struggled against the belts that held them down. The mind games that they had played with the mad man before them had only lasted a day, and he had the nerve to call their mental fortress weak?

“Oh don’t give me that look. I’ve had so many others like you-- well not exactly like you since they lasted much longer, but hey. We can’t be picky with our toys, can we~?”

Unsettling. That was the entire vibe they got as the Cheshire like grin that formed on the lanky man’s face had them shivering in their seat as a cart of tools was suddenly rolled into the room and the amount of glee that shone through those scarlet eyes had them gulping in fear as they tightly clutched the seat’s arms.

“Oh well...let’s go ahead and see if you’re more physically capable of handling my methods~.”

One of the taller members whose appearance is more lanky, though despite this he’s well built and toned.

Has both tattoos and piercings, though not as many tattoos the only prominent feature from these would be the snake bite piercings he has.

Likes to keep his hair up and out of his face, despite it being long; he doesn’t necessarily want to cut it purely to keep his more devil like appearance when interrogating victims.

It’s almost surprising when he has an s/o. Though he’s a bit more teasing and blunt with them, he does showcase how much he cares about them

though not in the most...best ways. Thankfully he was stopped by Ohira before he delivered the heart of their rude boss to them.

[nathanielburgos]

EB-2 for Physical Therapists

Physical therapists and certain other health care workers qualify under a process known as “Schedule A” which permits them to apply for an immigrant visa petition with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) instead of through the Program Electronic Review Management System Labor Certification (PERM).

According to Schedule A requirements, all physical therapists must be “employed as a physical therapist and possess all the qualifications necessary to take the physical therapist licensing examination in the state in which they propose to practice physical therapy” (20 CFR 656.10.).

EB-2 Overview

In order to get a better idea of how the EB-2 works for physical therapists, we first need a brief overview of what it takes to get an EB-2 under normal circumstances.

The EB-2 is an employment-based green card that is reserved for those that have advanced degrees, those that can demonstrate that they have extraordinary ability in their field, and those that qualify for National Interest Waivers.

Advanced Degree

For the advanced degree requirement, you need to have a master’s degree or higher. Alternatively, you can have a bachelor’s degree and 5 years of relevant experience in your field. Speak with your attorney to determine if your work experience qualifies as a substitute for an advanced degree.

Exceptional Ability

The exceptional ability criteria can be a trickier subject. The USCIS requires you to present at least three of the following:

Evidence of a specialized degree or certificate in your field.

Letters that demonstrate that you have at least 10 years of experience in your field.

Any necessary licenses required to perform your occupation.

Proof that you are compensated a large salary for your work.

Membership in a professional organization or association

Documented recognition for your achievements in your field from esteemed peers and contemporaries.

Your attorney can let you know if any supplementary evidence can be substituted for the above.

National Interest Waiver

The last aspect of the EB-2 qualifications is the National Interest Waiver (NIW). Depending on your situation as a physical therapist, you might be able to qualify. The NIW allows you to bypass the requirement that you have a job offer and PERM Labor Certification. To qualify for this, you will need to show that:

Your work benefits the nation and have substantial merit

You must be in a unique position to advance your work (e.g. degrees, certifications, past experience, current progress, etc.)

The U.S. must benefit more from granting you an NIW than it would by enforcing the PERM and job offer rules.

If you are looking to get an EB-2 for physical therapists but would like to open your own practice and therefore do not have an employer to obtain a PERM on your behalf, then the NIW may be your best bet.

EB-2 for a Physical Therapist

Since the U.S. Department of Labor has designated physical therapists in the category of occupations with a national shortage, they’re permitted to file for a green card by demonstrating that they have secured a permanent job offer to work in the U.S as well as speaking adequate English and a number of other qualifications.

Fortunately, physical therapists do not have to work only in locations with shortages–they can be employed at any facility in the country where they’ve been offered a position.

Here are the steps in getting an EB-2 for a physical therapist:

The physical therapist EB-2 application consists of two parts. First, filing the I-140, then I-485 petition.

You are able to file the I-140 petition immediately.

The I-485 petition is only able to be filed once the priority date is current.

Requirements for Physical Therapists Outside the U.S.

If you are filing while outside the U.S. the process differs slightly. Your employer should file the I-140 and ETA 750 (part A and B) with USCIS. After the I-140 is approved by USCIS, the petition will be forwarded to the National Visa Center and if there is no backlog for physical therapist visas in the country or the priority date is current, then the National Visa Center will be sent back to the applicant so they can fill out the remaining biographical information.

Afterward, the applicant sends the completed forms to the U.S. consulate in preparation for their interview. During the interview, the applicant should have the following documents readily available:

Application for visa

Police clearance

Birth certificate and/or marriage certificate

Divorce/death certificate of spouse (if applicable)

Passport (valid)

Medical exams

USCIS photos

Job offer letter/ employment contract

Employer’s financial information

Government filing fee

EB-2 Green Card Application Process for Physical Therapists

There are three major steps to obtaining a green card as a Schedule A physical therapist. The application process involves the United States Department of Labor, the USCIS, and/or the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of residence. They are as follows:

Labor Certification Process

For occupations that fall in the employment-based category, the petitioning employer must have an approved Labor Certification from the Department of Labor. This certification demonstrates that the employer has tested the labor market (in that geographic area) to confirm that there are no qualified and available local workers who will accept that job offer.

Your employer will need to post ads for your position in several different places, including a widely-circulated newspaper, and interview each applicant with the intention of hiring a qualified candidate in your stead. This is in place to prevent employers from overlooking U.S. workers in favor of foreign workers. Your employer will also need to obtain the prevailing wage for your position in your geographic area and pay you no less than that wage.

Moreover, the certification is to establish that the employment will not negatively affect the wages or working conditions of U.S. workers. An EB-2 visa lawyer can help you best determine what additional documentation may be necessary for this certification.

One of the things that can seriously delay your EB-2 is a PERM audit. If your employer has set off one of the audit triggers or if your case was simply randomly selected, the Department of Labor will have your employer submit all relevant documentation and information to a Certifying Officer, who will evaluate your case. This can add nine months to a year of waiting time to your green card processing time. To avoid an audit, follow these steps and work with your immigration attorney.

I-140 Form

Once the application for the PERM Labor Certification is approved by the DOL, the next step is for your U.S. employer or to file an I-140 form, otherwise known as Immigrant Petition for an Alien Worker. In the petition, the employer must prove that you have all the requirements for the Schedule A visa. It must also show that you have the minimum qualifications to fill the position you are being offered at the place of intended employment. The petition must be submitted with strong supporting documents, which include:

The ETA-9089 form

A Prevailing Wage Determination issued by the State Work Agency (SWA) that has jurisdiction over the intended area of employment.

I-140 form filing fee

Evidence of the employer’s financial ability to pay 100% of the prevailing wage determination (such as copies of federal tax returns, annual reports, audited financial statements). For employers with at least 100 employees, a detailed letter from the Chief Financial Officer can be submitted as proof of financial ability.

Copy of the posted Notice of Attestation. The notice must include the applicant’s job description, rate of pay, and work hours. It must be posted in the worksite for no less than 10 consecutive business days.

Evidence of a license to practice in the state of intended employment.

Adjustment of Status or Consular Processing

Once the I-140 petition is approved, you will proceed by filing for adjustment of status or applying to obtain an immigrant visa abroad, depending on your location.

Adjustment of Status If You Are in the United States

If you are currently in the United States on a valid nonimmigrant visa, you will have the option to petition the USCIS to adjust your nonimmigrant status to Schedule A green card. You will need to file the I-485 form, otherwise known as Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. 

You can only submit the I-485 once your priority date is current and there is an immigrant visa number available to you. Your priority date is the date your I-140 was submitted to the USCIS. You will have to be checking the monthly bulletin released by the USCIS to know when the date will become current. Here are the details of how the green card priority date works.

It may take the USCIS several months to process your I-140 petition. The good news is that the time can be shortened with premium processing service. Premium processing is an optional service that allows visa applicants to receive a decision on their petition within 15 calendar days. With an additional fee of $1,440, you can submit a request for premium processing and expedite the process.

Consular Processing If You Are Outside the U.S.

If you are processing your EB-2 green card from outside the United States, you will have to travel to a U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of residence. This process is known as green card consular processing. Once the I-140 is approved, the USCIS will send it to the National Visa Center (NVC). You will receive a notification from the NVC indicating the processing fees you are to pay in advance. After making the payment, you will be instructed on the documents required to process your visa and how to submit those documents.

Once that is done, the NVC will schedule you for a visa interview at the embassy or consulate. You will also receive the list of required items to bring along for the interview. You must appear in person for the interview at the time indicated on the notice. 

The interview will be conducted by a consular officer, and if all goes well and you are granted a visa. The visa’s entry period will be valid for six months and you will have to use the visa to travel to the United States before it expires. You will also get a sealed package which you must present to the immigration officer once you land in the United States. Do not open this package. 

You will then undergo an admission screening, and if you are deemed admissible, you will be admitted to the U.S. and you can start working with your employer as a Schedule A physical therapist with permanent resident status.

Eligibility Criteria for Schedule A Green Card

To prove that you qualify for the physical therapist Schedule A green card, you must meet the following criteria:

Have at least a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in physical therapy. The minimum degree requirement may vary depending on the state or the specific position. In some states, you may need to have a master’s degree or higher.

Have a permanent license required to practice in the state you intend to work.

Another option is to obtain a statement or letter signed by an authorized official in your field indicating that you have the required qualifications to take the state’s written licensing examination for physical therapists.

VisaScreen® for Physical Therapist

The VisaScreen® certificate is another crucial requirement for all foreign physical therapists (as well as certain other healthcare workers) coming to the U.S. to practice either on an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa. The purpose is to certify that you possess experience, training, education, and proficiency in English comparable to what is required of a physical therapist in the United States. As a physical therapist, your VisaScreen® will be issued by the Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), after you have completed the screening program which will include:

An assessment of your educational records obtained from the schools or institutions you have attended. The records will be compared with the current requirements for the first professional degree in physical therapy in the United States.

A verification to determine that all your professional healthcare licenses are valid and without restrictions

An English language proficiency exam (TOEFL)

NOTE: The VisaScreen® Certificate is not required at the early stage of your Schedule A visa application. You will only be required to submit it when it is time for your visa interview at the embassy or consulate if you are going through consular processing. If you are in the United States, you will submit your VisaScreen® Certificate with your Adjustment of Status application.

Other Work Visas for Physical Therapists

Physical therapists are also eligible for H-1B visas, although in 2009 the DHS was known to deny this visa for physical therapists who didn’t have master’s degrees (but were licensed). Today, physical therapists are typically eligible for H-1B visas since a bachelor is usually required for that occupation in the U.S.

Note that if you are a physical therapist abroad, you need to submit your credentials to a U.S. state therapy board in order to acquire a permit or temporary license. If you choose this route, you’ll need to take the state licensing exam upon entering the U.S. then proceed to renew your H1B thereafter.

Who Else Can Apply for Schedule A?

The following individuals can also apply for Schedule A:

Registered nurses who have received a job offer from a hospital or medical center in the U.S.

Physical therapists

Foreign nationals who fall into the category of shortage occupations

How An EB-2 Visa Attorney Can Help

Filing an EB-2 for physical therapists or any other employment-based green card requires the expertise of a qualified EB-2 visa attorney to ensure that all documents and fees are filed correctly. The lawyers at our firm will explain every step of the EB-2 process for physical therapists from start to finish. We will help you gather the necessary documents, file the initial petition, and handle any unexpected obstacles such as Requests for Evidence (RFE). Getting in touch and scheduling an appointment with our team of green card attorneys is as simple as filling out this consultation form.

RELATED EB-2 TOPICS

EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)

EB-2 Green Card

EB-2 Green Card Cost

Healthcare Visa Green Card

Employment-Based Green Card

The post EB-2 for Physical Therapists appeared first on SGM Immigration Law Group.

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[wristwatchjournal]

Watch Review: Zelos Horizons V2 GMT 200m Teal

I never thought I would one day compare a mechanical watch to artificial intelligence, but here goes. In today’s civilized world, we have artificial intelligence analyzing our data to provide content, product, and location recommendations tailored to our taste — and do a lot more, besides. The Zelos Horizons V2 GMT 200m watch promises to hit such a sweet spot in terms of specs and design, it is almost as though it were designed by an algorithm based on some of the most common watch design requests shared on the Internet.

First Impressions

How so? It’s a distinctly well-made dive/sports watch with some exceptionally cool dial and case options, a proper ETA movement, GMT functionality, case diameter of 40mm (the sweet spot for many — please do let us know you if you are the exception), bracelet and strap options. Honestly, the resemblance to some of the most frequent requests shared under our Giveaway queries is just uncanny. Moving on to some proper first impressions now.

It is a relieving and joyful moment to have a watch make an excellent first impression right after taking it out of its box for the first time. I hate disliking watches because I know even the stuffiest, most stuck-up of brands with the most pitiable reliance on an octagonal bezel have spent a fair bit of effort on a new product — only for it to sometimes disappoint the audience and ultimately its creator. Now, imagine a small startup of a watch brand that’s only in its sixh year of operation that relies tremendously on the ongoing support of its customer base — which, in turn, is heavily dependent on its ongoing satisfaction.

The Zelos Horizons V2 GMT is a watch that makes a fantastic first impression. Upon first sight, I was relieved by its compact proportions and reasonable weight, both suitable for a comfortable wearing experience when strapped around a boringly average human wrist. This was elevated by the funky, but not overdone, teal-centered dial and light blue bezel. Meanwhile, the massive hands and large indices effused confidence and functionality. First impressions? A big tick, and the neat presentation has only added to it.

Dimensions, Design & Execution

The Zelos Horizons V2 GMT 200m measures 40mm in diameter with a compact 45mm lug-to-lug distance and a wearable 11mm thickness. Zelos provides that 11mm thickness rating noting that it excludes the box crystal on the front — you have to add another 1.5mm for that. A 40mm-wide case properly made from solid 316L stainless steel… Having worn it for 10 or so days to this point, this might just be the perfect size-weight ratio for a sports wristwatch. It’s robust, without trying too hard. It’s reassuring, without being floppy or cumbersome. I said this years ago and will keep saying it until it eventually happens: Large, borderline oversized watches will be out of fashion soon. In fact, as you probably see all around you, the process has already begun. Watches that extend beyond the edge of the wrist have for long been frown upon, but the time will come when everyday sports watches, styled like the Horizons V2, will all be considered desirable in the 40-41mm size. Crazy concept watches and watches designed for extreme use scenarios will remain an exception, sure. And all we’ll be hearing is Rolex quietly snickering in the corner of the room, having sat this whole large watch craze out without much effort. But that’s a different story.

At $899 as seen here with a steel case matched to a steel bracelet, the Zelos Horizons has to be more than a handsome compilation of parts with a blatantly off-the-shelf nature to them. It’s a good couple of Benjamins too expensive for that. No problems with that, though — the execution of this case noticeably exceeds the quality of its $500-$600 microbrand peers across all fronts. The neat curvature of its case profiles — as they narrow from the center towards the ends of the lugs while also arching downwards — is just superb. In fact, it is such a pleasant sight to the eyes that it takes extra scrutiny for one to appreciate just how ideal its dimensions are.

Whereas cases on cheaper alternatives often have an undesirable chrome-like look to the polished segments of their steel cases, the shiny bevels around the 316L case of the Horizons V2 GMT have a distinctly solid, I want to say “dense” appearance. The edges meet in sharper points at the ends of the lugs with a marvelous extra-polished square at the tip of the lugs. On five- and six-figure priced watches, we tend to highlight how difficult it is to add extra squares at such finicky places, for the slightest mishap will result in botched lines and the futile chase for a perfect shape begins. So, I guess we should damn well praise it on a sub-$1k watch.

The bezel has vertical lines for easier grip and a more refined look. Despite that, the bezel is pretty hard to turn mainly due to its low profile and heavy ratchet. The lower profile to the bezel looks good, but also makes it easier for fingertips to slide for a lack of grip. As far as I’m concerned a hard-turning bezel is annoying some of the time, whereas a tall one is unsightly all of the time. That makes this a preferable compromise for now, but a looser ratchet would nevertheless be nice to have. To assist reading the 24-hour GMT hand, the bezel has a 24-hour scale underneath a transparent layer that’s sapphire crystal; hardcore GMT users will know that this bi-directional rotating 24-hour bezel can also be used to read a third time zone as well. A minor, yet notable plus point is that the markings of the bezel are lumed as well. It’s a faint lume, especially when compared to the A-class luminescence of dial components, that’s there more for the giggles than anything else. Still, I am yet to see a lumed bezel at this price point that glows brighter than this.

The stainless steel caseback has a sapphire crystal window revealing the Elaboré-grade (i.e. high-grade) ETA movement within. Being a high-quality item, the caseback itself goes neatly with the quality of the case — it might sound ridiculous mentioning this, but in this segment, corners are often cut where manufacturers think we won’t notice it. So to find a rock-solid caseback with laser-etched texts and a nice, large window in sapphire is a noteworthy plus.

Most of the stainless steel cased Zelos Horizons V2 GMT 200m watches come on a stainless steel bracelet with a rubber strap also in the box. I say “most” because the previously launched meteorite-dialed versions were equipped only with the rubber strap, and so were the bronze-cased variants. The bracelet, although far from perfect (more on that in the wearability segment) has come a long way in terms of finishing. The outside edges of the bracelet are polished and the individual links are held together by 1mm screws, as opposed to pins. The folding clasp remains the Achilles heel of these cheap(er) bracelets as it still has a few too many sharp edges where their absence would make a difference. That said, visually, the bracelet nicely complements the case and doesn’t look cheap like these often tend to do.

By contrast, the strong point of the rubber strap is precisely its pin buckle. It’s chunky, nicely finished and comfortable to use and wear. The rubber strap has a diagonal basketweave pattern embossed its texture with rectangular cut-outs for the pin to go through and for the skin to breathe. The flipside is cool too, with massive indentations keeping the strap from sticking up against the skin even when wet. The positive impact this amplified pattern on the back has on wearability is so enormous that when we come to power we’ll make these mandatory on every rubber strap.

The dial is another aspect of the Zelos Horizons V2 GMT 200m that sets it apart from its comparably more affordable competition. The applied indices are massive and multi-faceted, putting on a decent light show easy to see and appreciate with the naked eye. The vignette effect on the edge of this teal dial isn’t as in-your-face as it is on some other pieces riding the vignette / ombré / dégradé dial trend, giving enough space for the cool turquoise base color and its sunburst treatment to breathe. The hands are massive to match the indices. To-the-minute legibility isn’t great and takes time getting used to, but you do learn how to eyeball it pretty soon. The polished hands are another nice, quality touch. Lume is excellent all around, with no blotchy textures or short-lasting luminescence to report. Top-tier stuff.

The ETA 2893-2 that powers the Zelos Horizons V2 is a neat-looking example with a custom rotor. The rotor isn’t the most beautifully etched piece of metal in the world, but the pattern is nice enough to balance that out and add a unique character to the caseback view. Specs are regular ETA stuff, power reserve is a low, low 38 hours though the frequency is at least the higher 4 Hertz that offers greater overall stability. Wear it every day and you won’t suffer the short power reserve.

Wearability

Wearability varies between the steel bracelet and the rubber strap. Although, as we said, the steel bracelet has stepped the bracelet game up in this segment by displaying some impressive finishing on its links, its overall wearability is yet to show such improvements. Although I am by no means a hairy dude, especially not on the flipside of my wrist, I was frequently experiencing hair-pulling with the bracelet — I am not even sure when was the last time I felt this uncomfortable pinch. Maybe you’ll be luckier with it — or maybe wearing it more loosely will help those who prefer wearing a steel bracelet watch a bit loose. Lastly, the pin in the folding segment of the clasp is welded on in such a way that it oddly protrudes out of the clasp and towards the wrist — at first I thought that was the culprit pinching and scratching the flipside of my wrist. As it turns out, it’s not the one to fault, but it sure doesn’t help either.

The rubber strap has proven much more comfortable. It is supple — could be a bit more flexible still, but it is by no means bad — and with the pin buckle it is way better on the flip side too. Big plus point of the strap are the massive rectangular spaces and holes that help air to circulate between the strap and the skin: I never experienced excessive sweating or discomfort one often feels on rubber straps with solid backs.

Zelos has done a decent job by going for the nicer-looking steel bracelet and by supplying a suitable and usable rubber strap on a high-quality buckle. The rubber strap’s texture could be nicer on the front, but then again, supplying super expensive bracelets and straps is far, far from being the norm in the sub-$1k segment. I’d suggest giving the bracelet a try, then switch to the rubber strap for the beach… And later on, invest in a nice leather or rubber strap from a renowned supplier.

CONCLUSION

The Zelos Horizons V2 GMT 200m is one heck of a strong offering at $899. The presentation is neat and the case, dial and movement are as strong as one could ever hope for in this segment. Really, it is hard to over-stress just how impressively made the case and dials are, down to the polished edges of the steel case and the applied indices all over the dial. Fine-tuning wearability and comfort are where Zelos and its bracelet supplier needs a bit more experience, but they aren’t far from nailing it.

Available in a host of dial colors and materials, including meteorite dials and bronze cases, prices for the Zelos Horizons V2 GMT 200m range between $849 and $1,099. This particular Zelos Horizons V2 GMT 200m in teal retails $899. You can see other variations and their prices on the brand’s website.

Necessary Data: >Brand: Zelos >Model: Horizons V2 GMT 200m Teal >Price: $849 – $1,099 USD >Size: 40mm-wide, 12.50mm-thick >When reviewer would personally wear it: Any time when in the mood to wear something durable and fun. >Friend we’d recommend it to first: Value-conscious sports-watch lover looking for a classic, but fun all-rounder. >Best characteristic of watch: Beautifully made case and dial, lovely color that really makes it fun to wear. >Worst characteristic of watch: Bracelet needs wearability improvements.

The post Watch Review: Zelos Horizons V2 GMT 200m Teal appeared first on Wristwatch Journal.

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[freereignastarwarsstory]

Chapter 18: Before Dawn

Disclaimer: We (@zazabelle and @draksisreborn) own nothing but our OCs. Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. Please review and enjoy this latest installment. 

Vis peered around the corner of the door frame.

She wondered if making her freckles the same color has the flickering light of the holo-transmission would hide her presence from the image of the woman Soron was talking to.

It had been nearly an hour since the attack and it had all happened so fast… How had everything so suddenly gone so wrong?

“He knew exactly where we were Beebs! He knew exactly where we were and why we were there!” Soron’s confrontational tone held deep anger. 

Vis could sense the tense tone of his voice from the other end of the ship where she had resumed hiding in Nek’s tool cabinet. After a while, she’d decided to stop wondering what he was talking about with the scary lady and just listen in.

“So you’ve mentioned. Several times now.” The woman, “Beebs” said with impatience, “They were likely tipped off.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Soron growled, looking up at the blue hologram of Beebs.

Beebs let out a huff and Vis caught a roll of her eyes, “Soron, if you have something to accuse me of please do it already. Honestly, you’re not making any sense.”

“Sorry, must be the blood loss,” Soron scoffed back as he turned to limp around to the other side of the table.

Vis could see, even from her concealed spot, that the sliced fabric around Soron’s upper thigh was still dark with blood where he’d been slashed through. Cenden had offered to treat the wound but he said he couldn’t help the healing process along with the Force until he had enough energy back to heal his own injured shoulder. BX had suggested pain medication/sedative to the old Jedi, but Cenden had just glared at him and muttered, “I can’t imagine I’ll be doing zhat again with you anywhere near me,” before he’d gone off to his room to sleep.

Additionally, Captain Soron hadn’t let Cenden treat him, instead, he’d gone straight off to call the boss lady while Chol piloted the ship somewhere random and safe. 

“Soron, please! Your crew had a run-in with CAD BANE! He has connections all over the criminal underworld and even obscure bounties like Mrs. whatever-her-name-is. He probably recognized the girl while he had her in his custody.”

‘Then why not keep her in his custody?’ Vis thought to her guide, pulling them closer around her as she tried to get a better read of the situation.

Soron continued, “You’d said that it would take a great deal to earn Bane’s trust back... What did you offer him?”

“That cost me a great deal, actually, as I offered him the most priceless thing I own: a favor,” Beebs answered, crossing her arms defiantly as her long bluish ponytail fell gracefully to one side of her head, “But he hasn’t cashed in yet.”

Soron crossed his arms in retaliation. 

“Oh come on Soron, have a little faith! I didn’t contact the psychopath! I relatively care about our relationship, and I would never put you at death’s door like that,” Beebs said defensively, her chin raised high.

“Could’ve had me fooled with the kind of jobs you’ve sent us on these past few weeks,” Soron said tiredly, leaning his weight on the holo-table.

“So you can’t finish the supply run?” Beebs questioned, completely diverting the subject.

Soron let out a deep long sigh, his voice shaking a little as he did, “I’m not sure we have a choice now, do we? Where was the shipment heading?”

“I can send another group to rendezvous with your location-”

“No,” Soron interjected.

Beebs rolled her eyes, “Fine, I was trying to give you a break from near-death experiences, but if you’re really that paranoid about being followed…” the holo-transmission suddenly shifted to an image of a star chart with coordinates pinging onto the bottom right of the map.

“My boys were heading to Iego. The planet has a history of being…” 

“Oh I’m aware of Iego’s history.” Soron again cut in, “What are we bringing them? I have a right to know now that I’m completing the run.”

“I know what you’re thinking, and no. Iego is a spice export not import. The shipment contains agrinium scrap metal. You’ll be meeting with an old pirate group that uses the planet as a waypoint. And before you ask, they’re not associated with the slave trade. At the moment anyway. They’re a Weequayian group from Florrum that’s been around a while.”

Vis saw Beebs glare down at Soron’s bloody leg with a doubtful raise of her eyebrow, “And you’re sure you can complete this run?”

“If not me then someone else on my crew. I’ll talk to you later Beebs.”

He ended the transmission without another word and jolted a little as he turned around to see Vis standing in the doorway. Her freckles had shifted from the light blue of the transmission to a deep orange of concern. 

“Hey, kiddo.” he breathed a sigh of relief, “How’s Lerti?”

Vis rubbed the back of her neck as she’d seen Soron do, “She’s holed up in our room right now so I’m not totally sure. I know she feels…” Vis’ freckles began to melt through phrases of the darkest purples, reds, oranges, greens, and blues that Soron had never seen.

The colors bordered on pure blackness, as Vis struggled to explain what she was sensing, “She feels… sad. But at least she isn’t throwing and breaking things anymore.”

Soron nodded and took a shambling step forward. Vis ran to his side, attempting to use her small stature to support her captain. He settled to putting a hand on her shoulder as they walked out of the ship’s armory where the transmission broadcaster was installed. 

Vis had noticed that this ship was a lot like the armor she had received from their trip to Tiss’sharl; a hodge-podge of pieces randomly scattered throughout the three levels and eight rooms of the Raving Titan’s interior. From what Vis could tell, the interior of the ship had been heavily modified from carrying cargo to holding living spaces for permanent crew members that obviously hadn’t been apart of the original equation for the ship’s design before. Not that she knew a lot about ships, but from the way a lot of the walls looked welded to the ceiling, she could at least give her best guess that they’d been installed later.

The two of them made it into Soron’s quarters where Vis promptly went and took her place at the small porthole window near Soron’s bed to look outside, 

“Whoa… Asteroids.” Vis whispered to herself as the shadows of an asteroid belt enveloped the ship.

Soron keyed on his commlink, “Chol? Where are you setting us down?”

“If your calling me means you’re looking out your window right now, don’t worry. I’m not trying to fly us through that minefield, just settling on a bigger hunk on the belt’s outskirts until we’re good to head off to…?”

“Iego.”

“Yeesh… What a fun week we’ve been having. Ambush, double-cross, ambush, evil planet.” Chol grumbled over the comm.

“The planet’s not evil Chol. Those were just rumors during the Clone Wars, and besides, what do you care? You’re just flying us there.”

“Soron, the planet was called “The Ship-Graveyard” for most of the War.”

At that, Vis stopped admiring the flocks of asteroids outside the window and was now looking wide-eyed at Soron, her freckles turned pale-yellow. Soron noticed this and more loudly announced into the intercom, “Chol, I’ve been to that planet a dozen times since the war, it’s perfectly safe. Save for all the pirates and smugglers with all their treasure.” He smiled and glanced at Vis whose freckles had turned vibrant green. She then smiled and gave him a thumbs up while mouthing, “Let’s go there!”

“Chol, what’s our ETA?” Soron asked.

Chol sighed audibly into the comm, “About 5 hours if we take a few back-route hyperspace lanes.” 

“Perfect,” The comm in Soron’s hand beeped as he keyed in two more crew members, “Nek? BX? How’re you two feeling about a solo mission?”

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Two hyperspace-hours later Nek and BX were all debriefed for the requirements for their mission to Iego. Soron had bound up his leg in that time as well, and Vis had fallen asleep on the floor with her kyber crystal orb balancing precariously on the indent of her rising and falling stomach. The balance of the orb was probably also assisted by the fact that Vis had her legs propped up against the wall just below the port-hole window which gave the appearance that she was sitting side-ways; her arms sprawled out above her head.

“It’s important that you two are careful with these men,” Soron continued his mission debriefing, “Even if Beebs thinks we won’t get any trouble. Pirates can be unpredictable, especially if this is the group I think it is,” Soron explained.

“Yeah, not getting into trouble doesn’t sound like us.” Nek poked fun as he continued studying the map of the location they’d been given off a small holo-projector he held in his hand.

“Trouble does seem to have a way of finding us.” BX agreed, turning to look at a sleeping Vis. 

Soron noticed a strange look came over BX’s face, if that’s how it could even be described, and the droid’s memenor changed as she focused on the girl. 

“Sir, before we continue further, there needs to be a discussion about the attack we endured from the Mandalorian known as 'Darius’.'' BX addressed the captain.

Soron nodded at this, “Yes, I was actually hoping to talk about that with everyone present, but was there something in particular you thought necessary to point out to me now?”

Soron went silent as BX explained the figure he had observed and fought. The dark gray skin of the captain’s face had become pale when it came to the detail that the assailant Nek and BX had faced had appeared to be a Zabrak woman and wore no Mandalorian armor. 

Even if she’d been less obvious about it, there could still be no doubt. That creature had been Force-sensitive, and if BX was right, it had been trying to get into the ship. Did it somehow know about the artifacts they held within their spacecraft? Or… were they after something else? 

Soron now also found himself also looking at the sleeping girl on the floor with the mystical orb on her stomach. 

“Have you talked with Lerti since the attack?” Soron inquired of them.

“No… Last I saw, Cenden was treating some of her injuries…If the Zabrak was trying to get into the ship then what was Darius really after? They roughed her up pretty good, but they didn’t seem like they were trying to kill her. They tried to take her.” Nek observed cautiously.

“I suppose I might have some theories, but ultimately only Lerti is the only one who could know for sure.” Soron said, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably, “You knew of Lerti’s ex. She’d mentioned that much at least right?”

“Yeah. I’d asked her a few years ago what she was doing so far from her people and tribe. I’d only recently joined the crew at that point so all she really said was that she had crazy psychopath for a mate and she’d left to be rid of him.”

“Well did she tell you that her ex-husband was also a low-level enforcer for a group previously known as “Death Watch”?''

Nek and BX were silent for a moment before Nek breathed in a hiss between his teeth, “Nnnooo. She hadn’t mentioned that.”

“Well, lucky for us, Lerti and her husband weren’t apart of the particular time in the group’s existence when they’d overthrown Mandal’or and slew their Duchess.” He took a breath before continuing, “My sister and I had a knack for getting into information without getting involved in conflicts. We poked around as close as we dared to but we’d heard the whispers enough to know at least some of the truth. “Death Watch” was in league with some organization called “The Shadow Collective”. It was long scattered by the end of the Clone Wars, and Lerti joined a splinter group of “The Shadow Collective” at her husband’s direction. But according to what Lerti’s told me from Darius, and from what Dava and I learned, the splinter group was still run by the same man that overthrew the planet of Mandal’or to begin with. A man named Maul.”

Soron paused for a moment, examining his small audience for some kind of reaction. When he received none, he shrugged and continued.

“Whatever Darius’ beef was with his family and clan was I’m still not sure, but from what I understand, Darius joined the group the splinter organization at the promise of stable employment as a mercenary and bounty hunter, but it soon became so much more than that. The man became a fanatic. Lerti had never met Maul, but Darius practically worshipped the being. Saying he had “mystical powers”. Lerti thought he was just crazy, but from what she described, it sounded as if Maul was, or claimed to be, a Sith.”

Nek frowned, “The horns on their helmets?”

“A symbol of their leader from the time of Death Watch super commandos under Maul’s reign. But after the Clone Wars, and Mandal’or falling to the Empire, Maul’s “Shadow Collective” became the criminal organization known as “Crimson Dawn”.” Soron explained.

“Didn’t Darius call Lerti, “Crimson”?” BX recalled.

“Purely a coincidence, I suppose, that that is Lerti’s birthname. But a coincidence that Darius didn’t take lightly.” Soron had Nek hand him the holo-projector and keyed a file from the device’s database on the ship. 

A symbol came up through the projection. A simple design of two circles, one inside the other, and the colors inverted over each other to symbolize a rising sun.

“If the Rebellion wasn’t soaking up all the Empire’s attention, then this organization would be the Imperial’s first target to destroy. I’ve been keeping tabs on the organization’s activity since Lerti’s joined on as my right-hand man, but as of late, they’ve been rather quiet.”

“Why would Darius care if Lerti was apart of this or not?” Nek interjected, “Why try to take her back!?”

Soron sighed, “You have to understand, there’s much more to it than that. Maul was never a public figurehead. Most people that worked for “Crimson Dawn” didn’t even know of his existence. Hell, I’M not supposed to know of his existence! However it was that Darius made his acquaintance… well the situation became much more to him than simply respect for your secret shadow-leader. It’s like he worshipped the man, believed him to be some kind of deity. I don’t know why they wanted to take Lerti back, or if Maul is even still alive, hell, if he’s even real! But whatever Darius wants Lerti for, it can’t be for any good or sane reason. Especially if the rumors about Dathomir are true... Now THAT is an evil planet.”

“What?” Nek asked puzzled, “I mean, I know the rumors. Dathomir probably isn’t called “the witch’s planet” for nothing, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“That was the last time Lerti saw her husband, up until yesterday anyway. He’d caught her trying to leave so he’d drugged her and they’d been en route to Dathomir when she’d escaped.”

From her place on the floor, Vis suddenly snorted and rolled over, letting the orb fall to the floor as her eyes locked on the door, “Lerti?” She mumbled still half asleep.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard running away from Soron’s room. 

Vis jumped to her feet, still dazed from sleep, and dashed out of the room in pursuit.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

My bare feet slapped up against the cool metal of the ship’s interior as I chased after the fading footsteps. I’d taken off my boots before I’d fallen asleep and now I sort of missed them.

I barely knew why I was running, only that it felt a lot like when my guide had rushed me to consciousness back at the temple to set a trap or observe passing ships. I didn’t know what would happen, only that my guide needed a person to fill out a request.

And apparently, Lerti needed something as well.

I hadn’t been completely asleep on the floor then, sort of in an in-between space of dreams and awareness. My stomach tightened as I suddenly remembered the dreams I’d bee having… but at the same time, I’d heard what Soron said, and I knew Lerti had been listening. 

I could feel her, like I was looking at her standing outside the door. It felt, at the time, like she’d been in a cloud of swirling pain and anger. She’d wanted to barge into Soron’s room to stop him from saying what he’d said, or to join the conversation but… She was so tired. Paralyzed, somehow. Like she knew she should care deeply, but couldn’t muster up the energy anymore.

While I had been lying on the floor, I’d simply been the watcher of the one watching. But then it dawned on me, that hey! Lerti is listening! For real outside the door! And now she’s running! 

‘And now I’m chasing her.’ I said more as a statement to my guide than to myself.

I didn’t have to listen for her footsteps.

The thoughts and feelings pouring off of her felt tethered to me, leading me along like a fish on a hook.

After several more twists and turns through the ships interior I burst into the cockpit on the upper levels. 

Through the windows, the stars enveloped my every line of vision and made it feel as if I’d been swallowed up by space itself.

That’s when I heard her breath.

Turning around, trench coat flaring out behind me with the movement, I found Lerti pressed up against the frame of the door. She’d obviously been planning on slipping out, but that feeling of paralysis had stopped her.

I could feel it, swarming through my own heart from hers,

‘What’s the point? ...What do I do now? ...What am I supposed to do? Any fixing this? Is there any escape?’ The sound of the emotion hissed. It felt so… Cold.

“Hey Lerti.” I said quietly.

A groan escaped her swollen lip as she slid to the ground. The sound came deep from within her chest, clawing to free itself. Clawing its way up to tear her apart. She didn’t wear her armor, it was the first time I’d seen her go without. Her face and arms were covered in cuts and bruises from where the fight had penetrated the armor. 

Pushing down my own fear of the emotions coming from off of Lerti, I wrapped myself in the Force and went to join her on the ground; closing the door so I could slide down next to her.

We were quiet for a while, we looked at the stars as she wrestled with the clawing feel in her chest, and screaming silently. I tried to wrap the Force around her too, like a blanket to keep out the cold. But the cold was coming from within.

Another small sound escaped her lips and she buried her face in her hands. I could see her wince at all the bruises on her face.

“Lerti…? Why… Why did he do that to you? Why does he make you feel like this?” I asked quietly, looking down at the now dark reddish-black freckles that covered my legs and arms which had changed color to mirror Lerti’s feelings.

Lerti let out a laugh that actually made me jump, “Why? Why does he do it? How can I even begin to explain everything he’s done? There’s so many layers of wrongness and it’s not fair! I don’t even know if he knows why he does the things he does...” She didn’t look at me when she talked, as if she was talking to her own guide like I do.

She took a deep breath, and let out a deep sigh.

“You know that thing Cenden was saying to you during your training lesson earlier?” Lerti began, “How… Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering?”

I nodded, she continued.

“Well, Darius was more afraid than anybody I’d ever known. Even before “Crimson Dawn”. He’d never admit it, and he’d almost never show it, but all my life I knew him, he was afraid. And I couldn’t understand what it was he was so scared of. Fear of the expectations put on him. Fear of what he couldn’t control. Fear of loss. Fear of himself. Of being alone… I was never sure. I wanted so badly to help him. I wanted him to know his worth. But I think all he ever saw was the worth of others… my worth. So when the fears within himself turned to anger at himself, I calmed him. And when his anger toward himself turned to hate of himself, I reassured him. But when his hate of himself turned towards hate of me… I lost myself.”

She drew inward.

“I truly believed what he said about he. I truly believed that if I were a worse person, if I was less than him than he would be truly happy. And I know that thinking is wrong. I KNEW IT. But I could never put it into words. I couldn’t make myself aware of how wrong it was because… I was all he had. And I knew he was afraid of being alone, but being with him… I’d never been so alone in my life. Vis, I- ...I can’t even begin to describe all of what he’s done! I lived with it for so long! I justified it for so many years that I can’t even begin to understand anymore what was right and what was wrong and what was his fault and what was mine… I couldn’t think clearly anymore!”

As she spoke, her eyes grew more frantic, her chest rising and falling more rapidly as she dove rapidly back through her mind, and through her memories. But as the last words reached her lips, she seemed to deflate. All the pain rushing out of her only again to settle in the lower aching of her chest.

She seemed to be focused now on my leg, maybe she was watching the colors shifting by as she spoke. They faded to a deep turquoise as she closed her eyes.

“I was a Mandalorian warrior. I was trained to fight and survive anything. My tribe thrived on the idea that if you’re strong enough and smart enough, you’ll never be broken… But I was never trained to fight this.”

Tears began to swell out of her equally swollen eyes, 

“He broke me. I’m… broken.” She wept silently, “And I hate it.”

For a moment, I just watched her weep.

Instead of trying to wrap the Force around her this time, I just wrapped my arm around her, and surprisingly, she leaned into my shoulder and continued to cry. I just hummed softly, a song that didn’t exist, but in a way that I felt like it would make her heart feel better… whatever that meant.

“It’s okay Lerti. He doesn’t matter anymore. You aren’t connected to him anymore. It’s just you and me and Soron and everyone on this ship. And if you’re broken, we can help fix you up. I may not be great at healing like Cenden is, but any friend of mine is a friend of my guide. We can help you heal.”

Lerti breathed out, the clawing feeling temporarily leaving her chest. I could still feel it hanging around, waiting to settle in her again… I frowned into space and wondered if I could shoo it away somehow.

“Thank you Vis.” Lerti breathed, finally looking at me and gave me another squeeze.

“You’re welcome.” I smiled back. 

She was quiet for a moment as she contemplated something, “I want justice.” Lerti finally whispered.

“I want that for you too,” I whispered back, “But I’m not sure if you’ll find it with him.”

We sat on the floor, looking off into space for a while, watching the galaxy go by and trying to feel better.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Cenden lay on his bed, his shoulder aching as he attempted to sleep. If he could just sleep then he could help the healing process along. But sleep doesn’t come easy to people with a thousand voices in their heads.

‘You know what it was. You know why they attacked. They’re coming for you. They’re coming for her. And it’s all your fault. You just keep breaking one promise after the other. Have you no loyalty? Look how far you’ve fallen. Look up, just try, and see how far you’ve fallen. They’re coming for you.’ A cold voice whispered over and over again.

How in the galaxy could the Force entrust him with a child… When he was to blame for her fate?

[responsivesites]

New Post has been published on Website Design Naples Florida Webmaster

New Post has been published on https://vinbo.com/quarterly-updates-q3-2018/

Quarterly Updates | Q3 2018

To keep everyone aware of big projects and efforts across WordPress contributor teams, I’ve reached out to each team’s listed representatives. I asked each of them to share their Top Priority (and when they hope for it to be completed), as well as their biggest Wins and Worries. Have questions? I’ve included a link to each team’s site in the headings.

Accessibility

Contacted: @joedolson, @audrasjb, @arush

Priority: Work on authoring a manual for assistive technology users on Gutenberg, led by Claire Brotherton (@abrightclearweb). Continue to work on improving the overall user experience in Gutenberg. Update and organize the WP A11y handbook.

Struggle: Lack of developers and accessibility experts to help test and code the milestone issues. Still over 100 outstanding issues, and developing the Gutenberg AT manual helps expose additional issues. The announcement of an accessibility focus on 4.9.9 derailed our planning for Gutenberg in September with minimal productivity, as that goal was quickly withdrawn from the schedule.

Big Win: Getting focus constraint implemented in popovers and similar components in Gutenberg.

CLI

Contacted: @danielbachhuber, @schlessera

Priority: Current priority is v2.1.0 of WP-CLI, to polish the major refactoring v2.0.0 introduced. You can join in or follow progress on their site.

Struggle: Getting enough contributors to make peer-review possible/manageable.

Big Win: The major refactoring of v2 was mostly without any negative impacts on existing installs. It provided substantial improvements to maintainability including: faster and more reliable testing, more straight-forward changes to individual packages, and simpler contributor on-boarding.

Community

Contacted: @francina, @hlashbrooke

Priority: Supporting contributors of all levels via: monthly WordCamp Organizers chat, better onboarding with a translated welcome pack, and Contribution Drive documentation.

Struggle: Fewer contributors than usual.

Big Win: Meetup Vetting Sprint! 

Core

Contacted: @jeffpaul

Priority: Continued preparation for the 5.0 release cycle and Gutenberg.

Struggle: Identifying tasks for first time contributors, as well as for new-to-JS contributors.

Design

Contacted: @melchoyce, @karmatosed, @boemedia, @joshuawold, @mizejewski

Priority: Preparing for WordPress 5.0 and continuing to work on better onboarding practices.

Struggle: Identifying tasks for contributor days, especially for small- to medium-sized tasks that can be fit into a single day.

Big Win: Regular contributions are starting to build up.

Documentation

Contacted: @kenshino

Priority: Getting HelpHub out before WordPress 5.0’s launch to make sure Gutenberg User Docs have a permanent position to reside

Struggle: Getting the documentation from HelpHub into WordPress.org/support is more manual than initially anticipated.

Big Win: Had a good discussion with the Gutenberg team about their docs and how WordPress.org expects documentation to be distributed (via DevHub, Make and HelpHub). Getting past the code blocks to release HelpHub (soon)

Hosting

Contacted: @mikeschroder, @jadonn

Priority: Helping Gutenberg land well at hosts for users in 5.0.

Struggle: Short time frame with few resources to accomplish priority items.

Big Win: Preparing Try Gutenberg support guide for hosts during the rollout and good reception from users following it.

Marketing

Contacted: @bridgetwillard

Priority: Continuing to write and publish case studies from the community.

Big Win: Onboarding guide is going well and is currently being translated.

Meta (WordPress.org Site)

Contacted: @tellyworth, @coffee2code

Priority: Support for other teams in the lead up to, and the follow-up of, the release of WP 5.0. ETA is the WP 5.0 release date (Nov 19) and thereafter, unless it gets bumped to next quarter.

Struggle: Maintaining momentum on tickets (still).

Big Win: Launch of front-end demo of Gutenberg on https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/

Mobile

Contacted: @elibud

Priority: Have an alpha version of Gutenberg in the WordPress apps, ETA end of year 2018.

Struggle: Unfamiliar tech stack and the goal of reusing as much of Gutenberg-web’s code as possible.

Big Win: Running mobile tests on web’s PRs.

Plugins

Contacted: @ipstenu

Priority: Cleaning up ‘inactive’ users, which was supposed to be complete but some work preparing for 5.0 was necessary.

Struggles: Devnotes are lacking for the upcoming release which slows progress.

Big Win: No backlog even though a lot were out!

Polyglots

Contacted: @petya, @ocean90, @nao, @chantalc, @deconf, @casiepa

Priority: Help re-activating inactive locale teams.

Struggle: Many GTEs are having a hard time keeping up with incoming translation validation and PTE requests.

Big Win: Made some progress in locale research and reassigning new GTEs.

Support

Contacted: @clorith

Priority: Preparing for the upcoming 5.0 release

Struggle: Finding a good balance between how much we want to help people and how much we are able to help people. Also, contributor recruitment (always a crowd favorite!)

Big Win: How well the team, on a global level, has managed to maintain a good flow of user engagement through support.

Theme Review

Contacted: @acosmin, @rabmalin, @thinkupthemes, @williampatton

Priority: Implementing the Theme Sniffer plugin on WordPress.org which is one step forward towards automation. ETA early 2019

Struggle: Not having so many contributors/reviewers.

Big Win: Implementing multiple requirements into our review flow, like screenshots and readme.txt requirements.

Training

Contacted: @bethsoderberg, @juliek

Priority: Getting the learn.wordpress.org site designed, developed, and being able to publish lesson plans to it.

Struggle: Getting contributors onboard and continually contributing. Part of that is related to the learn.wordpress.org site. People like to see their contributions.

Big Win: We have our new workflow and tools in place. We are also streamlining that process to help things go from idea to publication more quickly.

Interested in updates from the last quarter? You can find those here: https://wordpress.org/news/2018/07/quarterly-updates-q2-2018/

Original source: https://wordpress.org/news/2018/11/quarterly-updates-q3-2018/

[itsreviews-blog]

Alphabet Individual Reviews Part 1: The letter “Z”

When starting a review series on something that’s generally already accepted as in a numerical sequence, why start on the last letter instead of the first?

I began writing this prepared to extol the virtues of the letter “A” but then realized that I need to be honest with myself about what letter is most important to me in the moment. That’s the only way I can accurately sing the praises or faults of anything; I require a perfect state of mind to achieve focus.

Now that being said, let’s get into the real reason for this column: articulating the particular qualities and merits of each letter of this, our alphabet. And starting things off is that oft-respected far goalpost, the striking conclusion of our sequence, the robust caboose of our abecedarian train: Z (or Zed)!

Note: Because this column will delve into the very threads in this fabric of linguistic exploration, we must consider the aesthetic properties of our letters in order that their value be fully realized. For the purposes of this column, we will be imagining the print versions of the standard English (Latin) alphabet. There may come a time for cursive to become involved, but it is not this time.

Z: Beginning at the End

1. The Zenith of the Alphabet

There is something special about standing out from your peers. Generally, being first is indicative of being the best, being last is indicative of being the worst. However what is important is not what those distinctions represent, but rather the fact that they are at all distinct! 

Imagine the most simple form of competition, one between two contrary parties. There is an easy cutoff between best and worst, as there can only be one winner and one loser in this scenario. Yet, when you expand this out infinitely, you’ll quickly notice something - that there is far less of an impulse to think about the middle than there is about the first and last, the beginning and end. Everything else quickly becomes lost between those two extremes.

Owing to this potential shortsightedness of we as human beings, the letter Z stands out! It is the termination of this system of letters, the far extreme to which one can travel before being left with no other options. Indeed, it is the end of the journey to the far side of the alphabet. What could be more mysterious and yearned for than to see something through to its completion? We must know how the story ends, and for this same reason I find Z to be an utterly compelling letter. Its story is that of the entire alphabet that precedes it! 

2. Chasing Zebras

Furthermore, we must address the rareness with which the letter Z is used. Not only is it the terminus of the alphabet, but it is in fact the least used letter in the entire English language. So not only does it imply finality, but it also implies rarity. What could be more sought after than a letter such as this? 

I don’t wish to make my bias towards this particular letter so immediately obvious, but I should just come out and say that I think Z is and always has been a contender for a top tier letter in our alphabet. Its rarity ensures it is never dull, its placement ensures that we never forget it, lonely as it is there at the end. 

Let us not focus overwhelmingly on the mere positioning and quantity of Zs in our daily lives, however. Let’s take a quick glance at some history involving Z so we can understand its evolution to the current place it holds in our alphabet. I won’t make this too long, you all have wikipedia access. 

3. Zipping through Time and Space

In terms of practical lineage, Z most obviously comes to us from the Greek character zeta, the sixth character of the Greek alphabet. Though its placement may be rather mired in the hoi polloi of middle characters, the power of zeta is not to be undermined. So forcefully does it make its presence known in two powerful syllables, overshadowing in my opinion the relative softness of the following eta and theta. The flow from the initial Z sound, building up from its fricative origins as if preparing the mouth to unleash a command, to the sudden smack of the following glottal stop of the T is almost like winding up a baseball swing and subsequently connecting squarely with the ball, sending it flying off into the air. The very act of saying it seems energizing! 

That wonderful zeta origin makes it clear why most of the English speaking world prefers referring to Z phonetically as Zed. It adopts the Greek pronunciation, yet lowers its overhead to but a single syllable. Though it loses a bit of energy in the process, if you put a little energy into your D sound you can hear the echoes of historical sounds where the ta sound would be, albeit in milder form. I myself have been given to saying Zed more often than Z now, though firmly rooted in the English of the United States I might be. 

Even discounting this though, we must not forget about the value of the simple American Z pronunciation. It does come off slightly juvenile for a character of such esteemed maturity, trailing off in a carefree manner on a high pitched whine. It’s not my favorite interpretation of the letter, and were it the only way to consider Z I would suspect the value of Z would be lowered accordingly, but instead, it shows that Z is versatile and has many interpretations, increasing its mystery and its power over our imaginations. Truly Z is a letter that is able to turn its weakness into strength!

4. Zzzzz~

Z has a special quality not shared by many consonants in that it is able to repeat itself indefinitely while still being pronounced properly, and even has acquired meaning in the English language to boot! Zzz is a near universal English term meaning sleep, boredom, drowsiness and what have you. In fact, the usage of multiple Zs also carries with it differing meaning in different contexts. You must be careful to use the proper amount of Zs when describing how boring something is. Whether it is a simply Zzz meaning you’re bored of this lecture or think your Dota teammate’s skills are mind numbingly bad, it is a quick way to express dissatisfaction. Adding onto this can really display just to what degree you are feeling these emotions. Your effort in adding Zs will communicate just how tired you are! And also, writing them in descending size can show a slow drift, as if to say I am falling asleep and am becoming ever more peaceful. Conversely, ascending Zs can also be used, for instance when displaying the impending arrival of a swarm of bees or hornets! Z is also quite handy in the creation of onomatopoeia for these energetic insects. In this way we can see the duality of Z: it not only represents sleep and tiredness, but it also represents energy and ferocity. The duality of its nature increases its value to us.

5. Zany Zombies

Z also seems mystical due to its rarity, and I would posit that along with its sometimes-vowel neighbor Y constitutes an unusually large portion of the fantasy naming landscape. After all, since Z is so rare, why wouldn’t we use it for aliens and mythical creatures? Their power and design is otherworldly and unknown to us, and thus we naturally grasp for the most mysterious letters to describe them, those clever and tricky things dwelling at the end of our alphabet. XYZ is a wonderful series of letters, and follows each other in a pattern that immediately brings to mind equations, steps to finish projects, and strange noises nearly beyond comprehension. And though we are not covering those others letters this week, it’s very clear that Z is, if not chief among them, an incredibly strong member of the team. 

6. Zapped

To touch on some weakness of the letter, it can be said that though rarity increases our interest, it does lower the practical value of a letter on a day-to-day basis. Z is not going to find itself as the most useful Scrabble piece of all time, nor the preferred way to express most common ideas. The aesthetic quality of the Z is an interesting discussion that I believe could be seen in more than one way. I enjoy the interesting symmetry of it, the sharp turns that don’t let you for a moment become complacent. The way it bisects an intriguing but incomplete rectangle, forming two equally sized triangles. You can imagine it spinning as if it is a blade, ready to slice through things. What it lacks in outright beauty I believe it makes up for in energy. When used in words, I think the aesthetics of it are better, making it a wonderful supporting actor or lead for a cadre of other characters that so often contrast against it with their roundness or relative straightforward design. In a way, Z is almost alien in design as well. 

Conclusion

There is so much more that can be said about our favorite zig-zagged letter, but I fear that I can’t possibly do better justice to it at this time. In conclusion, I think the mystery and power of Z make it a complete delight in a way that possibly no other letter can match. Its uniqueness, though in some ways hindering it, is most definitely what gives it most of its strength. For that reason, I have to rank it among the highest echelons of the alphabet. Sometime I will attempt to do a proper ranking of each letter, and I assure you Z is going to invariably be quite high on the list.

I do encourage all of you to join the conversation in this and many other reviews to come! 

Final Rating: 9/10

Notable words that come to mind:

Zaftig, Zipper, Zounds, Zero, Zaire, Zygote

Mezzanine, Razor, Unfazed, Buzzer, Maize/Maze/Blaze, Adze, Colorize