#TIE Advanced v1

[sidonius5]

ℐ 𝒸𝒶𝓃'𝓉 𝑔𝑒𝓉 𝑒𝓃𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒥𝒶𝓅𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓈𝑒 𝒜𝓃𝒾𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓁𝓁𝓊𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬. 𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓀𝓈 𝑔𝑜𝓇𝑔𝑒𝑜𝓊𝓈...

[inquisitorius-sin-bin]

5, 11, 23, 34

Thank you for asking!

5. have you ever made a playlist about something you were writing as an elaborate means to procrastinate when you could have been actually writing and if yes drop a link, son

I love music but am the absolute worst at making playlists. It's more like a song or two here and there that reminds me of a piece. I made a feeble attempt at a Ride or Die playlist just now but it makes basically no cohesion.

I will say the plot of Ride or Die is more or less hinted at heavily in the song Kaisarion by Ghost (which is also, obviously, the name of Dralla's dactillion). It's about environmental destruction and loss of autonomy from an oppressive outside force.

And of course, what happens to Dralla in the end is... fairly explicitly written in the song.

Then Ghost treated me again, putting out another song (I See No Evil) that quite literally repeats our most beloved Pau'an's name (from this work).

I Tsi-no evil, eh?

And I've mentioned before that I can so perfectly hear the Plainsmen throat singing similar to music from The Hu.

11. what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

I got really lucky when I was searching for plausible ships for the Pyrefalcons to use in Fly or Fall. I needed a formidible fighting/cargo vessel that could plausibly be on Utapau around this time period, that the former Grand Inquisitor would know a bit about piloting, and it needed to be able to handle a crew of at least 5 with bunks and sonics and whatnot.

Then I found this gem:

Okay, so even if these Gozantis were blown up, the Separatists at least had them in circulation over Utapau at some point, and it's feasible Wandering Star could have stolen one for their own purposes. The Grand Inquisitor was repeatedly shown on Admiral Konstantine's Gozanti during Rebels. He might have known enough about flying one to get by, and the plausible layouts I've found were definitely suitable for the work.

Also I once did some research for a dogfight I wrote between a Porax-38 Starfighter and the TIE Prototype Advanced v1. And honestly, the speeds these vessels are capable of in-atmosphere are insane. Marshall did some math, and realistically we never see these ships moving at speed because the TIE would get to maximum speed from a standstill in 0.01093 seconds. That's within 2.4 meters of forward travel. 20 consecutive TIE's could reach their top speed before a human could even react to the first one, and in that time it would have travelled over 2 football fields. Yet the Porax is listed as being 60X faster???

I see now why Porax fighters were mostly piloted by droids.

Which, of course, had interesting implications in the chapter. Given a certain Wandering Star character's predilections towards droids...

23. how do you deal with writers block?

Normally I make writing a habit and try to get through at least a few sentences every time I open the document, regardless of how I'm feeling. But I'm going to be really honest here. As far as I'm aware, not a single person is up to date with my works. I have received absolutely 0 feedback for the last 7 chapters I have written. Numbers like this are extremely discouraging for something a pour my entire heart and soul into.

And as a result, I haven't written more than a paragraph or two in weeks. I'm strongly considering stopping completely, which is why I try to do things like this to drum it up in myself to continue again.

34. how do you name characters and places?

Some of them come to me from dreams and whatnot. But for most of them, I like to use some kind of system. In Ride or Die, for example, we know Plainsmen are named after their fathers from whom they receive their marks, and borrow characters and syllables from other significant people to their parents' lives. I took a different approach with the dactillion, giving them latin-derived names because they are self-named, and the red robes of Pau'an and their armor shapes remind me of Roman aesthetics.

For places... much like names, I try to think of cultural influences and match phonetic sounds to other places on planet. But I never use name generators. I just come up with something with the right sound and mouthfeel for the character.

Like Reegale, it's like a hick accent mispronouncing "Regal". Which, given his history, is appropriate. It fits the sounds of other Pau'an names, but matches his story as the failed bastard son of a powerful gangster who is more of a common thug than his father. He has this warped sense of morality that makes him almost "gentlemanly" among his fellow gang members. But he's deeply too flawed and rash to really be a noble.

So yeah! Thanks again for asking! Here's hoping I can find the strength to keep writing through the tough times.

[kingofthewebxxx]

Star Wars Verse- The Inquisitor

A new verse has been added, please like if you would be interested in interacting in this verse

Basic Information:

   - Name: Jacen Moryn 

   - Age: 38

   - Species: Human

   - Affiliation: Sith, Galactic Empire, Inquisitorius

   - Gender: Male

Background:

   - Homeworld: Corelia

   - Family background: Middle-class, Jacen does not know them due to the Jedi training process 

   - Training or education: Jedi training, inquisitor training including one session with Darth Vader 

Personality Traits:

   - Moral alignment- Dark Side

Skills and Abilities:

   - Combat skills: Lightsaber skills 

   - Force abilities: Telekinesis, force dash, force lightning, choke, telepathy, force scream, throw lightsaber 

   - Technical skills: Piloting, computer skills, first aid, awareness, some repair ability 

Equipment:

   - Lightsaber: Double-bladed spinning model, red crystals 

   - Blaster or other weapons: None

   - Armor or clothing: Black/ grey bodysuit 

   - Gadgets or tools: Comlink, midi-chlorian samplers attachment, holoprojector, some medpacs

   - Ship: TIE Advanced v1 line

Allies and Relationships:

   - Companions or allies- ID10 Seeker droid

   - Mentors or teachers- Doma Cardar (former Jedi master), The Grand Inquisitor

   - Friends- None 

   - Romantic interests- None

   - Enemies or rivals- The Rebel Alliance, Jedi

Motivations and Goals:

   - Short-term goals: Continue to learn all he can about the dark side, successfully complete next missions 

   - Long-term aspirations: Find an apprentice, become the Grand Inquisitor, find a way to restructure the current Inquisitorius to his favor 

Backstory:

Born on Corelia Jacen barely got to learn about his parents, being force sensitive he was taken as an infant to be trained at the Corelia Jedi Temple. Like most Jedi from the planet he was determined to do things his own way, often getting into arguments with other younglings and often didn’t like being wrong, he did however greatly savour any victories he had at that young age, making sure the others knew that with just a look. With time he managed to become more controlled with his reactions, so the others couldn’t be sure what he was thinking when he looked at them, it allowed him to get away with more of an attitude than the others for some time. It was at this age that he learned his parents had left the planet after sensing an argument that had turned out to be them being unable to say goodbye to him before they left, he had no idea where they went.

Becoming a padawan to Jedi Knight Doma Cardar soon changed things for him. She picked up on the attitude that he suppressed and soon told him the importance of letting go, as well as the importance of not letting anger guide him. It was a difficult few years, at times he was close to the edge of being thrown from the order yet he always seemed to redeem himself, he had lost his family and he didn’t want to lose anything else so he showed the council he had changed, instead suppressing his anger which would have consequences for later. On one particularly deadly mission to Naboo whilst the Jedi duo were sent to help the local Gungan population as escorts to the capital they were ambushed by Separatist forces, cutting down many droids Jacen decided to leap in front of a small battalion not just to shield a group of Gungan’s but also thinking he would have no problem, instead he failed to deflect a bolt from a droideka, his master saved him and after they managed to get the Gungan’s to safety they returned home after his wounds were treated. It was an experience he never forgot, leaving a scar on his left upper arm. 

Order 66 was initiated two years and seven months into his knighthood, he and his master had parted on mediocre terms, and Jacen had been questioning the actions of the Corelia Jedi Order as well as the Order in general. The anger he had for so long buried as well as the questions about the force he had been given no answers to had been resurfacing, whilst he was slightly above average in lightsaber skills he had a much better understanding of force abilities than most, one that had been heavily monitored throughout his training, his thirst for knowledge was capped. It was something that came to the attention of the latter who would be Grand Inquisitor. A few weeks before Order 66 Jacen and his former master were sent to Courscant in an attempt to reconcile with the other temple. They didn’t support the idea of remaining separate like the rest back home. During order 66 Doma defended him and encouraged him to escape as they like the other Jedi ultimately failed to protect the temple. Told to return home to send the message it wasn’t safe he escaped for some time, going into hiding on the planet, he was however later found by the now Grand Inquisitor who told him that they shared much in common, and the Jedi lied and he could have what he sought or he could die. Jacen decided to join, agreeing to go through the training process, being broken and torn apart until he became something new, the dark side soon became his ally, he was glad to finally be given the chance to explore this side of the force and soon became consumed.

Moryn became a bloodthirsty Jedi Hunter known as Fourth Brother, killing many without mercy and enjoying the pain that he caused. He spent the rest of his time learning the ways of the dark side, he had one session with Darth Vader and managed to survive, yet not without more scars to add to the collection he had received through the process of becoming an Inquisitor which was extreme torture. Jacen also eagerly helped turn other Jedi to the dark side, as well as carrying out other operations asked of him by those the organisation answered to. Later discovering his parents had joined the Rebel Alliance he was eager to be sent out on a mission to hunt them down, waiting until an encounter on a burning freighter and a dead Jedi at his feet two other Inquisitors watched as he cut them down. From then on Jacen had a much more feared and sinister reputation from the Rebellion, even for an Inquisitor. 

(In the latest Star Wars era, Jacen is a Knight of Ren, trained alongside Ben Solo and defended and helped him escape when Luke Skywalker had tried to kill him, he had joined the Knights to get revenge on the rebellion since it was connected to Skywalker and also be able to stay close to Kylo Ren who he sought some lessons in the force from, it is later discovered that Jacen’s higher infinity in the force than the other knights was because he is descended from Darth Bane. The Sith had done all that they could do hide the family, even Snoke was swayed from discovering the truth, he is a secret weapon Sidious has had plans for from the beginning in case his other plans failed.)

[birdzflycom]

Tonight's Toronto Maple Leafs game Break Playoff Drought with Thrilling Overtime Victory

Img Source: https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/230430065142-03-toronto-maple-leafs-playoffs.jpg The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally broken their playoff series drought since 2004. Back then, George W. Bush was serving as the US President, Lance Armstrong was on top of the cycling world, and The Facebook had just made its debut. Since then, the Maple Leafs have been waiting for their chance to shine once again. Their perseverance paid off as they clinched a spot in the second round of the NHL playoffs with a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6. Although they still have plenty of work ahead of them, Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews was ecstatic and remarked that it felt like a monkey had been lifted off their backs. Matthews opened the scoring in the second period, but Lightning captain Steven Stamkos managed to tie the game in the third period, leading to a nail-biting overtime period. Finally, John Tavares secured the series-clinching goal just under five minutes into the extra period, sending the Leafs into the next round. This victory is especially sweet for the Maple Leafs, as they had previously lost six consecutive first-round series, along with a qualifying-round loss in 2020 during the NHL bubble. In 2004, they had advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals after defeating the Ottawa Senators in seven games, only to be eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in six games. The next challenge for the Maple Leafs is to face off against the winner of Game 7 between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers on Sunday. The outcome remains unpredictable, but one thing is certain: the Toronto Maple Leafs are back in action and ready to compete at the highest level. Read the full article

[absolxguardian]

Numbers in reference books should generally be taken with a grain of salt (I personally am I fan of prokeptz’s theory that the planets aren’t that big and the population figures are lies), but with that caveat I think it would be interesting to compare the cost figures in the TIE Fighter Owners’ Workshop Manual for the TIE Defender vs the regular TIE fighter.

Now I’m just going to assume the figure excludes design costs, because including the cost of the initial investment in a cost-per-unit figure is a complicated process. So even if the Defenders entered mass production, the figure wouldn’t go down unless they found a more efficient production method. We don’t have any figures for the R&D budget, but I think we can use these figures as a representation of the credit value of what portion of the Imperial military industrial complex has to be used to get a single fighter into space.

A TIE/in (standard TIE) is 60k imperial credits. The TIE/d Defender prototype is 300k and the TIE/d Defender Elite is 310k. This is significantly more than any specialty TIE, even Vader’s Advanced x1 (160k), which is the other most expensive Imperial fighter in the book. Assuming I’m right about this not including R&N costs, a Defender costs as much to produce as about 5 TIE/in. So you can understand where the Ruling Council was coming from when they didn’t want to fund the project. Thrawn envisioned his ship replacing the TIE/in. And I still think that without the Death Star, they absolutely could have. Especially since they’d go through fighters and pilots a lot less quickly. Vader’s ship and the TIE Advanced v1 (150k) both followed the design principle of Jedi starships of limiting flight assistance tech, making the ship really hard to fly if you aren’t force sensitive. One of Thrawn’s points was that a bad pilot was mediocre in the Defender.  

[shuruzy]

one day I should post a height chart/”official” heights for the RSAoD class portraits gjgk... I mean, Voyager V2 (Bietu) is the tallest and they're followed by Manabiker V1 (”Android”) but other than that?? do not know. And originally Mana Tech v2 was the shortest but now that they’re in redesign hell, I can’t say.

...Also I feel like I need a better name for Androids than, uh, Androids. That really has been more of a placeholder name than anything. I feel like I should tie their name into the plot, or you know, tie into the reason they were made. 

I don’t think I’ve talked about this yet but you seeee, in the future, after a few species have basically... gone extinct due to the mana deficiency in Rune Sengaard, the people of the future started to make things that didn’t require Mana to live. One of them being these “Androids”, who wouldn’t require much sustenance and thus would be a great asset in the slow downhill fight against the Devaris.

Though for the things that still required Mana to operate or live, they needed a compromise. Eventually, a sort of “artificial Mana” was made. Which is a good time to mention that the Mana that Manabikers use to operate their Manabikes is about 95% Artificial Mana.

In the present, Mana is something that flows in every species’ body, though some naturally have more innate Mana than others and some outright depend on it to live (Elves & Drakeskin). It can be extracted or channeled from the very air around them, and is the main source behind the advancements in technology (Mana Technicians can be seen as proof of that)!

In the future though, Mana is a scarcity, and so the only real way to get Mana-required things to consistently work or live is through this liquid artificial Mana. It’s not as powerful as the real thing of course, and thus more of it is needed at once (this is also why Manabiker and Kinetic Adaptor’s skills will cost a lot of MP to use heheh... lore inside of gameplay ehehoho).

[nerdsideofthemedia]

Faunus and the White Fang: The Portrayal of Racism

RWBY has been adored by the progressive community due to the portrayal of 4 strong young women, at least 2 of whom are LGBTQ+. Not to mention the inclusion of other LGBTQ+ minor characters.

Despite this, the show is far from flawless, and it’s time to address what is probably its biggest problem: the portrayal of racism. I suspect this may end up being my most controversial post yet, but, like someone said, “It’s both possible, and even necessary, to simultaneously enjoy media while also being critical of its more problematic or pernicious aspects”.

Before I start I think it’s important to clarify that unlike in conversations about being a woman and LGBTQ+, in this one, I come from a place of no experience, since I am a white European. I do not intend to speak over POC, nor do I claim that my knowledge on the subject is flawless (far from it). Hopefully, this is only the start of a conversation and not the entirety of it.

To be clear: I am not a part of RWBY hatedom. While it’s flawed, I like it, I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t. I am criticizing this aspect because racism exists in real life, so how the subject is handled is important and I don’t want the edgelords controlling this entire conversation because their stance on racism in real life is: it doesn’t exist.

Lazy worldbuilding

Like Bright and Crash, RWBY, for the most part, frames individuals as the main culprits of racism instead of the systems which favor certain groups over others. We see this with Cardin, Cordovin, V1 Weiss, Roman and the village people (in the Adam short). Yes, those racist individuals exist, sometimes like caricatures however, they are far from being the only or even the most relevant type of prejudice.

By putting the blame on very specific characters, racism is presented as something easily identifiable and fixable when it’s neither of those things for a significant portion of the population. People often ignore that though laws have changed, biases didn’t magically disappear, segregated neighborhoods didn’t desegregate themselves and the wealth accumulated before wasn’t redistributed. The racist policies of the past created the now and will affect the future unless we try to fix the system.

Keep in mind that the Faunus Rights Revolution happened after the Great War, so… less than 80 years ago. Considering this timeline, it’s just unlikely the Faunus would be equal anywhere, let alone in 2 kingdoms (Vacuo and Vale) and the only thing we see in Mistral is the possibility of discriminating with the ramen shop owner.

The mere fact this sign exists shows discrimination is possible but that shouldn’t be the only thing shown.

Atlas is the exception. In “Tipping Point”, we can hear a conversation about the Faunus, which mentions economic disparity and lack of opportunity, but it quickly fades into the background.

In terms of race issues, Remnant is wildly unexplored, even the renowned for its racism, Mistral. Maybe the writers just thought digging into politic could make for a boring story or maybe they didn’t want to risk alienating the portion of the audience that listens to edgelords. In either case, it makes no sense to have racism as a major theme.

Justifying racism

“Early men were scared to death of the Faunus, and honestly, it’s not too hard to sympathize with that. Seeing something that looks like you and acts like you walk out of the forest and reveal a pair of fangs, can be a little… upsetting.”

Qrow, World of Remnant about Faunus

This does sound a bit like justifying racism and trying to present as understandable. This is an idea that I see a lot. In a review of a book that had a new species and racism as a theme, one of the complaints was that there was no justification given for the treatment like welfare and gangs. Those aren’t causes of racism – they’re just excuses.  If anything, they have a lot more to do with stereotypes and wealth disparity caused by racism.  

RWBY does make this mistake with Blake’s speech in True Colors, which is reminiscent of when people hold all Muslims accountable for an attack done by one, judging them all for that person’s actions, even though we’d never do that for our own race.

“We’re just as capable of hate and violence as the humans, but I don’t think any of us would jump at the chance to point that out. So why are we letting Adam do it for us? By doing nothing and staying silent, we let others speak and act in our place. And if we’re not proud of the choices they make, then we have no one to blame but ourselves.”

Ghira does the same in the Adam character short, claiming Adam’s violence is the reason why people attack them. If you judge an entire race based on the actions of a few – that’s on you.

Um, actually Antifa is the problem

While the White Fang is not the only group of people fighting for Faunus rights (in the first episode, we learn they interrupted a peaceful protest), they are definitely the ones who are given the spotlight and it’s very unfortunate how they’re portrayed. With the exception of Ilia (and arguably Sienna), they are shown to be so radical that they are not only OK with destroying cities, but also mass murder. They are terrorists and don’t even deserve a face.

In contrast, the racists both deal with their shortcomings fast (Weiss and Cordovin), they all are worthy of sympathy and redemption (even Cardin and the ramen shop owner). I think the writers were going for “racists are people too”, which is a troublesome stance to take when you frame the ones fighting racism as flat out evil.

I imagine that Atlas is going to be shown to be more unforgivably racist and the Faunus will be more sympathetic, but… even so, it kind of feels like trying to make a case for “both sides”. Yikes!

Menagerie

I’m not entirely sure Menagerie was meant to be a paradise. It looks like it, Sun expresses loving it, but Blake quickly claims it’s overcrowded. I’ll give it that it seems a lot less developed than the other kingdoms judging by its constructions, but that’s about it. I think that if they were not going for a positive perspective on it, we should have been made more aware of Menagerie’s drawbacks.

To be clear, it’s wrong to force someone to live somewhere they don’t want to live, but I think it’s a bit problematic to present it as a paradise when in the real world, white supremacists are increasing and their way of speaking is by defending a white ethnostate, claiming homogenized societies are better.

Due to the lack of good characterization of the rest of Remnant, it makes it harder to believe Faunus really went to Menagerie due to being too jaded to be somewhere else because of racism.

Adam’s scar

I have written about Adam before and just so we’re clear, I stand by my post – I’m OK with him being there to be Blake’s cruel obsessive ex-boyfriend who wants to harm her and that he basically represents the last obstacle to close Blake and Yang’s arcs of running away and facing abandonment issues, respectively.

This been said, considering the story, the scar was a huge mistake and I have no idea why someone thought it was a good idea. We’re not supposed to feel sorry for him, it doesn’t make us empathize with him – he’s clearly beyond redemption when it’s revealed and it doesn’t tie to his main motivation, his obsession for Blake, which is the cause of him being in the story. The scar would only make sense if he was an anti-villain, someone with a good cause, but evil methods (Black Panther’s Killmonger). That has never been his story though. He’s always put Blake above his cause and ultimately, he meets his end because of his obsession with her, not because she decides to confront him about his methods. Not to mention that if the scar was tied to his motivation, we should have seen it a lot earlier, not 2 minutes before he died.

Giving him a scar that reveals a cruel treatment of Faunus by humans for no other reason than to show racism is going to have a spotlight in the next volume is incredibly cheap and an awful idea, especially when it basically means nothing for Adam himself and doesn’t humanize him at all – he’s literally trying to kill 2 main characters at that point.

“Remnant can’t be racist, because…”

I also want to counter a few bad arguments against the idea there can’t be any systemic racism in Remnant. The examples usually given are Leo being the headmaster of Haven Academy and Neon representing Atlas in the Vytal Festival.

Leo

Thanks to Raven, we learned Ozpin chose the headmasters in other academies, therefore it’s possible to infer Leo was Ozpin’s attempt at fixing Mistral’s racism.

Neon

Yes, she studies in Atlas, but the headmaster is Ironwood, chosen by Ozpin and probably is also fighting against racism as far as the academy goes.

“They wouldn’t allow a Faunus to represent their kingdom”.

The equivalent of “I can’t be racist, I have a black friend”. Allowing a Faunus to go helps with the “we’re not racists, we even have a Faunus representing us”.

Other than Ironwood, I see no one else who could even have a say in that decision.

“She wouldn’t accept to represent a racist kingdom”

This either reveals an incredibly dishonest take or an almost child-like naivety. I am sorry to burst your bubble, but often people do go against their own interests provided the salesmen know how to sell it (there are Muslims who voted for Trump, women who fought against women’s voting rights, etc.). We can have prejudices against groups we’re part of.

Many will gladly go against their groups’ interests, provided they have something to gain (more than a few people spring to mind).

In this case, her decision doesn’t even hurt Faunus as far as we know – it just advances her fame.

“The townspeople weren’t racist since they were wearing masks and had weapons and we never see what’s inside of the truck”

I cannot believe I have to dignify this with a response… First, the inside of the truck is irrelevant. We had no reason to believe it was anything bad and one certainly can’t start shooting someone else just because they find them “suspicious”. Murders have happened because of racist jackasses who wanted to play hero by attacking a black “suspicious” person. Second, it’s Remnant, a place so full of monsters, teenagers are allowed to have weapons. They are clearly needed to go from one town to another. Sure, they could have dropped their weapons, but that still doesn’t change they weren’t attacking, not even in self-defense. Third, Ghira was still in charge of the White Fang and we know that during this time, the methods of the group were mostly peaceful, even if they were already wearing masks.

“They allowed an army of Faunus to go to Mistral”

OK, this is by far the most difficult one to justify, but not because of race – it’s just the authorities should have handled it all by themselves and I highly doubt they would allow civilians to fight against a terrorist attack. As for the racism point, the Faunus clearly warned the authorities, so I think it’s very unlikely they were bad guys and their weapons were awfully rudimentary. It’s not a great explanation, but I don’t think it’s more of a hit on verisimilitude than letting civilians fight.

Conclusion

I think the problems in the portrayal of race is due to a lack of understanding of racism, insufficient worldbuilding which should have been done before beginning to write RWBY and, probably, trying to avoid alienating any groups in the audience, which is not likely when the subject is racism and should not be the goal. This resulted in a mess where it feels like there is a need to frame racism as wrong, yet understandable (WoR), easy to fix, and too worried about holding the audience to task, hence sticking to cartoonish racism. While all of that is already pretty bad, it’s impossible to deny that it isn’t made worse by the rise of white supremacist groups.

I wish the writers will be more careful during the Atlas arc, but I fear we might be entering a white savior’s narrative as Weiss will probably be the focus of it. I tend to give credit to RWBY for putting the minority character at the center of their struggle, but ultimately Blake was there to fight her own and I suspect they will do the same with Weiss – she will fight her father for the rights of the Faunus (at least partially) and she will be the one who ultimately fixes racism…yeah, we might be heading to a white savior narrative.

I am hoping for the best while preparing for the worst. Still, no matter how well the next arc is handled, it cannot fix the past volumes retroactively.

One last note, I think the election of Trump should be more than enough to reveal that racism is alive and well, but if you want to understand systemic racism and the portrayal of racism in media, here are a few links:

7 Ways We Know Systemic Racism Is Real;

Adam Ruins Everything (it’s a video);

NCSC Implicit Bias;

ContraPoints – America: Still Racist (also a video);

Bright: the Apotheosis of Lazy Worldbuilding (video);

Renegade Cut - Green Book - A Symphony of Lies (video).

More RWBY posts:

Filmmaking and Bumbleby

Bumblebee was Always the Plan

Bumblebee was Always the Plan part 2

BB & Renora

Weird Post on Weiss’s Clothes

Foils: Adam and Yang (this one is in wordpress; it was my first one and I didn’t have Tumblr then)

Let’s talk about Adam Taurus (I didn’t post this one on Tumblr because the title and tags could lead Adam fans thinking this was about “his wasted potential” when really it defends the decision of killing him off and explains why it happened)

As usual, the original.

[foxforfree135]

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It sounds like the act of ww sprint might not be the problem (not 100% sure that's why I asked). But if he did sprint and it is not acknowledged by Arngier that's another problem, or Bori never taught him WWS and/or his '.knowledge' (.brain fart here) which is like absorbing a dragon soul. Well, basically what the title says, I'm having problems with this mission in SSE, I'm stuck in phase 125, where Wulfgar should use whirlwind sprint, Master Borri opens the door with 'Bex', but Master Wulfgar stands without using the shout, I've tried with 'disable - resetai- enable' 'disable-enable', waiting 8 hours, traveling away and then back, but none of that works, any idea that. When you first meet the Greybeards they will take you to the courtyard, where Master Borri will teach you whirlwind sprint. First they teach you the first word, 'Whirlwind', then they let you tap. I am at High Hrothgar where i need to Demonstrate the power of Whirlwind Sprint. But when I stand in front of the master greybeard to prepare my shout to pass the gate, Borri, the one who is supposed to open the gate, does not open the gate or even move. The quest appears to be stuck at this point and I can't seem to advance the quest. Borri dont use whirlind sprint.

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Smart Card Reader

ActivClient is one of the most important pieces of the being able to use your CAC at home puzzle. It’s the actual software that allows your computer to communicate with the little computer chip embedded within the CAC itself. The program was purposely designed with 4 major goals in mind.

July 28, 2019 by CACUser. The Zoweetek CAC Smart Card Reader is one of the most reliable of the CAC card readers. Many military personnel already use this card reader since many commands carry them and use them for portable computers. That being said, this is not a permanent placement type CAC reader as compared to others in the industry.

Shop for cac card reader at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up.

SAICOO SMART CARD READER DRIVER INFO:

Type:DriverFile Name:saicoo_smart_5976.zipFile Size:4.9 MBRating:

4.90 (162)

Downloads:188Supported systems:Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, 2008, Vista, 2003, XP, OtherPrice:Free* (*Free Registration Required)

SAICOO SMART CARD READER DRIVER (saicoo_smart_5976.zip)

If you’re looking for a CAC reader for desk use with a horizontal card insertion point, the Saicoo Card Reader V1 is a great choice. It has the right mix of quality, durability and affordability. Some CAC users prefer vertical insertion devices.

Canon Printer. Saicoo - Smart companion for your life CAC smart card reader is an easy-to-install USB device suited for all contact smart card operations like online-banking or digital signature applications. Smart card reader free download - SCR3310 USB Smart Card Reader drivers, USB Smart Card Reader, ACR38 Smart Card Reader Driver, and many more programs. Saicoo V1 Saicoo Smart Card Reader & 4. When you do decide on one of these low-cost options, double-check to make sure it will work perfectly with your smart card. Saicoo Smart Card Reader DOD Military USB Common Access CAC, Compatible with Mac OS and Windows. Saicoo Smart Card Reader, the Best cac card reader. Saicoo Reader Military Common Compatible fba s0201b ssm 2981 Review for smart card reader dod military.

Zoweetek Smart Card Reader DOD Military USB Common Access CAC, Compatible with Windows, Mac OS 10.6-10.10 and Linux. Logon with the Card Reader for your branch. 1 / Windows 8 drivers and Linux. When Computer Memory Card Reader Driver for Armada notebooks. Note For smart card implementations, consider sending all communications in Windows operating systems with smart card readers through the Smart Cards for Windows service. We spent 40 hours to find a best option for you is a Saicoo Smart, which comes with amazing features you ve never heard is the Best Cac card readers available in the market today.

To use your CAC with your computer, you ll still need to download the appropriate drivers in some cases as well as the necessary DOD certificates. Most recently had the smart card on Windows. Now the Card will not even boot up or show it is powering up from the light that blinks on top off the reader. Saicoo Smart Card Reader 2, XP. PIN and smart card reader service.

Logon with a smart card on a stand alone computer EIDAuthenticate Community Edition demo. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. I like the overall design greatly, the length of the usb cable is just right, long enough to keep th unit from interfering with other things plugged into subparts each side of it, but short enough to make it easy to reach and use. Saicoo V1 CAC Card Reader Review Updated 2020 Ma Octo by CACUser The Saicoo CAC Card Reader V1 is a horizontally resting CAC card reader suited to stationary usage but also light enough to carry around without trouble. Vendors that supply their own reader drivers should make each driver a member of the SmartCardReader setup class in the INF Version Section of the driver's INF file. Saicoo DOD Military USB Common Access CAC Smart Card Reader, compatible with Windows 32/64bit XP/Vista/, Mac OS X.

A majority of identity-confirming cards are sized similar to the common credit card, so if you also want to access smaller smart cards such as your phone's SIM card, you'll need to get a reader that accepts multiple formats. Step 1, Ensure Your CAC Reader Works for PC This is the easiest part of. You can be used only with your needs. USB Smart Card Reader Review for Armada notebooks. Even boot up on one of the SmartCard.

Steps to Installing Your CAC Reader on Your PC Overview Ensure your CAC Reader works for PC. Right click on the market today. Saicoo DOD Military USB Smart, 01. In the reader is one of it crashes my whole pc. This package provides the Dell USB Smart Card Reader Keyboard Driver and is supported on OptiPlex, Precision, Latitude and Vostro Desktop models that are running the following Windows Operating Systems, Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Window 7 and Windows 10.

Saicoo Smart Card Reader.

Depending on the Start button and software. Try plugging in the smart card reader into another computer and see if the card reader still won t work. Click on the card reader being demonstrated. Saicoo is one of the leading manufacturer for kinds of smart auto products, such as roller shutters, awning & sunshading solutions. Better than the computer stuff you'll find at a real garage. When you many need drivers and smart card readers. 25771 Reviews of saicoo Computer Memory Card Readers Analyzed. I have most recently had the same problem after updating Windows 10. Cac card reader still won t work.

Smart Card Reader curates the use. Reboot may be required if you've tried adding the SCM-3500 since you last booted and it was unrecognized. The 1st cac I ordered must have been defective. Your CAC, double-check to utilize Common Access CAC smart card. With bottom side of my card reader dod military. In either case, a Card Reader Driver is the software which enables communication between your Card Reader and your PC or laptop. Saicoo USB3.0 4 Slots 11 in 1 Card Reader, with Dual Sd and Micro Sd Slots.

Having issues with your Card Readers in Windows 7 not.

If anyone can assist it would be appreciated. Vendors must also add a section to properly configure. Browse the list below to find the driver that meets your needs. It allows a user to verify SmartCard reader function, view SmartCard contents, change the SmartCard PIN and change the administrator PIN. Drivers Hp Pavilion Core I5 4210u Windows 8 X64 Download. Depending on Windows SmartCard PIN and it to. Drivers, If anyone can also light that were automatically recognized. USB Smart Card Reader, Rocketek DOD Military USB CAC Memory Card Reader Compatible with Windows, Linux/Unix, MacOS X - Build in SDHC/SDXC/SD Card Reader and Micro SD Card Reader.

Download Military Cac Card Reader Software

Saicoo Reader Military Common Compatible.

How to test the smart card reader service on your system ? This provides an interface to track, select, and communicate with all drivers that declare themselves members of the smart card reader device group. Also, their website is difficult to navigate to grab the latest drivers and software. Here is a member of the INF file. How it works and why you should get one - Duration, 6, 01. Currently, the best cac card reader is the Saicoo Smart. Install the Windows 8 drivers for the SCM-3500. This website was created because of the lack of information available to show how to utilize Common Access Card CAC s on Personal Computers.

Now the right ActivClient PIV SmartCard reader. You can also update all Windows drivers on your computer then restart it again. Click System, select Device Manager link upper left corner of the screen , scroll down to Smart card readers, select the little triangle next to it to open it up. Satellite wireless. The sad thing here is my Smart Card SCR 3310v2 Reader was working. Our Sun Shading Solutions for your project. I plugged the new CAC into a free usb port and it immediately started working.

Some devices that were automatically recognized on Windows 8.1 / Windows 7 may not be automatically recognized on Windows 10. Is fine, but it's a beast in Linux, considerably more than readers that I've had in the past which I was also easily able to tie to any browser . ISO 7816 compliant, small, ergonomic USB smart card reader with bottom side mounting holes. Saicoo DOD Military USB device group. 3. In the Administrative Tools window, double-click on the Computer Management 4. When Computer Management opens, click on Disk Management on the left side of the window, located under Storage. Check to make sure your PC accepts the CAC reader. Choose from the Best cac card readers on the market.

Military Cac Card Reader Software

Steps to Installing Your CAC Reader on Your PC Overview

Ensure your CAC Reader works for PC.

Check to make sure your PC accepts the CAC reader.

Update Your DOD Certificates.

Verify you have the right ActivClient for your branch.

This is the easiest part of the install seeing as almost all CAC readers work for PC. Agatha christie books. I’ve gone ahead and put together a list of some of the best CAC readers available. Check these out!

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Once you’ve received your CAC reader, the next step is to plug it in and verify your PC recognizes it. If you have selected any of the above readers, you should be good to go. Your computer may actually begin to install the appropriate drivers needed automatically. However if that doesn’t happen, follow these steps to get started:

For Windows 10 Users:

Right Click the Windows Logo found in the lower left-hand corner of your screen.

Click System, then Device Manager

Scroll down to where it says Smart Card Readers and click on the little triangle next to it to get started.

For Windows 7/8 Users:

Right Click My Computer and select Properties

Next select Device Manager and scroll down to Smart Card Readers

Select the little triangle next to it in order to get started.

After your drivers have been installed, it’s time to move on to the next step.

To access DOD websites from home, you first need to have DOD permissions certificates on your home computer. These are simple enough to acquire though.

Using InstallRoot will make this issue monumentally easy through their simple to follow wizard. You can download InstallRoot for Windows from the following link:

This is the latest version of InstallRoot. Be sure to update your version if having issues.

Once you have downloaded the program, simply run it. It will take you step-by-step on how to update your DOD certificates. After the installation, you can also verify that your DOD certs have been uploaded successfully.

This can be done by heading to your certificate management settings on your default Internet browser and checking to see if the certificates are listed.

Directv video player. After you’ve verified your DOD certificates, you next need to update your ActivClient–more specifically for your appropriate Branch of Service (if applicable).

ActivClient is a program that allows your computer to communicate with the chip on your CAC and relay that information between government websites. Making sure you have this installed is very important.

SO, you need to make sure that your ActivClient is up-to-date. Find your specific branch’s through the links below.

Army- In order for these links to work, you’ll need to copy and paste the entire link. Clicking directly on these will transport you to the homepage of AKO instead of to the download link. For Windows 32-Bit, use this link (32-Bit AKO LINK). For Windows 64-Bit, use this link (64-Bit AKO LINK).

Navy- Unfortunately, you need to get the client through your command’s IT personnel.

Air Force- The Air Force has not made it easy to acquire this software. However it is available for purchase at an ActivClient vendor such as here.

Marines- You’ll need to purchase ActivClient from an outside vendor. Check out this one!

Coast Guard- Purchase ActivClient from third-party vendor.

DOD Civilians- Acquire through vendor.

You Should Now Have CAC Access at Home!

But if not… There’s usually one particular reason. Your CAC card itself needs updating. Older versions of the card, do not meet the minimum requirements to access. To fix this, just head into your local PSD, and request a new CAC that does have access.

[loyaltyentertainment]

Is It Worth It to Book a Pittsburgh Photo Booth for My Wedding?

Philadelphia is known for their black tie affairs or semiformal weddings, but only 76% of weddings in Pittsburgh are this formal. More couples are taking a relaxed approach to their weddings. And a lot of out-of-town couples come to the city to hold their weddings.

A local tradition is to have a cookie table – everyone loves cookies. But you’ll also need a lot of entertainment.

Renting a photo booth in Pittsburgh is easy. There are a lot of vendors, and it is one of the best forms of entertainment. If you’re wondering if a photo booth is worthwhile for a Pittsburgh wedding, it is.

Let's see why.

6 Reasons to Rent a Photo Booth for Your Pittsburgh Wedding

1. Insanely Affordable

Couples spend $2,800 to $6,500 for wedding bands, and even if they don’t hire a band, the DJ alone averages $1,000. Add in all other forms of entertainment, and you’ll easily spend thousands of dollars even on a conservative wedding.

But photo booths can be rented for as cheap as $500 depending on the model you choose.

2. No Effort Entertainment

You put a ton of effort into your wedding, but all you need to do is rent a booth. An attendant may tend to the booth, and the rental company will handle the entire setup process. Guests walk into the booth, and the magic happens.

It's that simple.

You don’t need to hover over the booth or spend time explaining how they work to your guests. Set the booth up, if you need to, and go on with your wedding.

3. Memories You Might Miss

Your wedding will be over in a blink of an eye. While you may want to capture every second, it’s impossible to be everywhere at once. When you look through the pictures from the booth, you’ll see a lot of moments that you would otherwise miss.

4. Keepsakes for Guests

Trying to figure out what to leave to your guests? A photo is as great option. People love to take funny and goofy pictures, and a booth allows them to take these memories home with them. You can also print them out or add them to a digital photo book for guests to browse through after the wedding.

5. Multiple Styles to Choose From

If you haven’t walked into a photo booth in decades, you may not know how advanced they’ve become. There are social booths that offer easy options for adding to a guest’s socials, vintage, classic, mosaic and a ton of other options available.

6. Props are Included

And if there are quiet guests or those that are a little more reserved, props can help them break out of their shells. Props are included with most booth rentals that add to the fun and silliness of the wedding.

If you’re planning a wedding in Pittsburgh, a photo booth is a great opportunity to keep guests occupied and engaged. You simply need to have your booth setup and let the guests do the rest of the work.

So, what are you waiting for? A Pittsburgh photo booth rental is just a call away.

Final Wedding Thoughts

We just wanted to say that we love what we do. Being a part of the best day of a couple’s life is something you can’t get in any other line of work. From wedding photography and videography to wedding DJing and MCing, we’ve been involved in many capacities in many, many Pittsburgh weddings. With the coming year, we’re looking forward to being involved in many, many more!

If you found some inspiration from this wedding blog, we’d love to hear about it! Contact Loyalty Entertainment for Pittsburgh wedding DJs, wedding photography, photo booths, wedding planning, videography, dance lessons, or just to chat about how your big day can be the best day ever. 

[writebetterstarwars]

Thank you for the post about TIEs/x-Wings! Did they ever produce a TIE with shields and hyperspace capabilities like they had the prototype for in Rebels?

In canon, the TIE Advanced x1 and v1 were produced sometime before 4 BBY (the v1 was unveiled on Empire Day in 4 BBY) and were equipped with both a hyperdrive and deflector shields. Neither saw widespread use (seemingly limited to the Inquisitors and the elite of the Empire) because they were more expensive than the standard TIE, and because the Empire had no need to protect their pilots. By the time of the First Order, TIEs came standard with shields, and the only variant used by the FO that didn’t have a hyperdrive was the TIE/fo space superiority fighter. In Legends, the TIE Advanced was also a model that had shielding. By the time of the Imperial Remnant, high-ranking officers like Thrawn began to equip their limited forces with shields, as the ships and pilots became more valuable and harder to replace. 

Hope that helps!

~ Jacen

[sineala]

This will require a longer answer but you don't have to reply immediately. As someone not new to MCU but completely new to Marvel Comics, which comics would you say I should definitely read and in what order? As much as I prefer being a completionist, people have said I would get burned out super fast that way. Basically I'd like to know which ones are the most essential that contain important moments (like the Avengers finding out about Iron Man's identity etc). Thank you so much in advance!

Hi, anon! I answered an ask last week that covers a lot of this ground, so there are a bunch of recommendations there (including a list we made at the 616 Steve/Tony Discord; feel free to come by and ask if you have questions, and also we run a weekly book club if you ever want to discuss comics with people). There’s also the Cap-IM Slashy Moments list; not everything in the list is 100% essential, obviously, but there are a bunch of highlights and you can browse it and see what looks good.

Having said that, issues/runs that tend to come up in 616 Steve/Tony fic a lot include:

Avengers v1 #4: The one where the team finds Steve. If you want a modern-day reworking of this, there’s the miniseries Captain America: Man Out of Time, which is very good.

Avengers v1 #16: This is the beginning of Cap’s Kooky Quartet, in which all the founders except Steve quit the team, which is now Steve, Clint, Wanda, and Pietro.

Nomad (Cap v1 #180-#184): Steve gets a new superhero identity and everyone’s favorite costume ever.

Demon in a Bottle (IM v1 #120-128): The storyline that establishes Tony as an alcoholic. But when Steve/Tony fandom wants to talk about Tony as an alcoholic, the run that usually gets referenced is Denny O’Neil’s later run, usually just called “the second drinking arc” because the run itself has no official title.

Avengers v1 #215-216: This is where Steve finds out who Iron Man is. Please note that not everyone finds out who Iron Man is at this time; Steve is one of the first. The Avengers find out basically one-by-one over the years and the public doesn’t find out until Iron Man v3 and also during Civil War. (Yes, it happens twice. It’s a long story.)

The second drinking arc (IM v1 #158-200): Tony falls off the wagon, gives Rhodey the suit, is carried out of a burning building by a very upset Steve, is broke and homeless living in a cardboard box, and nearly dies drinking himself to death in a blizzard. My fave.

Armor Wars (IM v1 #225-231): Steve and Tony have their first big fight. If you see fic mentioning the Guardsmen, they come from here.

Operation: Galactic Storm (a multi-series crossover; the only issue you really need is the post-event wrap-up in Cap v1 #401): Another fight! If you see fic mentioning the Kree Supreme Intelligence, they’re talking about this.

Capwolf (Cap v1 #402-408). Uh. Yes.

Avengers/Cap/IM v3 in general is widely liked; within v3 you may see reference to Avengers Red Zone (v3 #65-70) and IM Sentient Armor (v3 #26-30) as well as the 1998 Cap & IM Annual (Tony wipes Steve’s memories and they have another fight). v3 ends with Disassembled, in which Wanda blows up the mansion.

After that is when New Avengers v1 begins (as well as Cap v5 and Iron Man v4), and Civil War starts. There are specific tie-in issues I can rec if you just want the Steve/Tony view of the war. The beginning of New Avengers comes up in fic a fair amount; Iron Man v4 comes up a lot, because it starts with Extremis (many people like Extremis) and it’s the run that’s happening during and after Civil War, so it’s basically What Tony Is Doing While Steve’s Dead. (Answer: Being the director of SHIELD and failing miserably at coping. I also have to rec the Avengers/Invaders miniseries which takes place while Tony is director. SO MUCH ANGST.) Cap v5 doesn’t come up that much because after Steve dies in #25, it is basically Bucky’s book until Steve comes back.

Honestly at that point (Civil War) it’s hard to recommend specific things to read (other than just starting with New Avengers and going forward and hitting the events as you go, which is what I did) because – since that’s when the Steve/Tony pairing really got its start – most of the fic assumes you know generally what’s been happening in all the major events since then. Steve dies and comes back, Tony deletes his brain, later on the incursions happen and Tony mindwipes Steve, and so on and so forth. Big events of the past ten years are roughly: Civil War, Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, Siege, Fear Itself, AvX, Infinity, Axis, Secret Wars, Standoff, Civil War II, Secret Empire. 

Post-CW, the only miniseries with a real Steve & Tony focus have been Avengers Prime (taking place near the beginning of Avengers v4) and One Night in Madripoor (Captain America and Iron Man #633-635), taking place slightly later. Hickman’s Avengers run (Avengers v5 & New Avengers v3) also focuses a lot on Steve and Tony, but, uh, not necessarily in a positive way. They haven’t been on the same Avengers team since Hickman’s run.

This doesn’t even take into account the other comics continuities in which people write Steve and Tony; I would say that the biggest are Ultimates (which is its own separate universe with hundreds of comics itself, where everyone is an asshole), Marvel Adventures: Avengers (an all-ages series with about 40 issues and another 13 for MA: Iron Man), Iron Man Noir (a miniseries where Tony is an adventurer in the late 1930s), and possibly also 1872 (also a miniseries, set in the Wild West).

If you want to read pre-Civil War Steve and Tony, I highly recommend buying or borrowing the trade paperback Iron Man/Captain America (yes, that is its real name) which basically covers a lot of the highlights of their early relationship and will give you a feel for what their dynamic is like: it has some team-up issues, the issues of the second drinking arc and Armor Wars that have Steve confronting Tony, the 1998 Annual, and so on. Most of these issues are collected in other trades or available digitally, but the one thing in here that was never reprinted anywhere else (as far as I know) and cannot be read online is the Tales of Suspense one-shot from 1995, which fandom has dubbed “the azure eyes issue.” It is worth reading. If only for that one conversation.

I hope that was helpful!

[eyeloch]

Two Imperial Walkers guard the TIE Advanced v1

[starwarsfangirl]

The Inquisitor's TIE Advanced v1

[jobinterviewghost]

Wheatbelt trainee shares idea behind Indigenous tie design business at uni career expo|The Avon Valley Advocate

news, local-news, 3 teenagers, including a student from Tammin have shared how they introduced their own company throughout this year's Future Footprints Expo, held at Curtin Stadium last Monday night. More than 200 local and remote Native trainees from throughout the state heard insights on work, training and advancing their education at annual exposition 3 trainees from Christ Church Grammar School shared how they launched their own Native tie style business, Connected to Culture, and agents from Penrhos College, Wesley College and Christ Church Grade school detailed how the program has actually made a difference to their pupils. Released by three school friends, Year 12 students Liam Henry from Tammin, Isaiah Butters from Halls Head and Dontay Bolton from Katanning, the concept for Connected to Culture was born while the trio discussed their post-secondary potential customers and acknowledged a space in the market for Indigenous-inspired clothing. Funds from each tie purchased are donated to different charities including Beyond Blue, Pink Ribbon, MADALAH and the Starlight Kid's Structure. Association of Independent Schools of WA organizer Roni Forrest said Future Footprints aimed to engage and support Native trainees to remain at school and attain post-secondary certifications. "We wish to offer Indigenous kids a place where they feel great with the abilities and knowledge they have and use assistance to help them succeed," Ms Forrest said. "Hearing from the variety of speakers and exhibitors the expo had this year showcased the various possible opportunities and allowed the trainees to think more broadly about what course they would like to take and where they would like their profession to take them." Centre for Aboriginal Studies director Professor Marion Kickett stated the expo offered an outstanding chance for local and remote Indigenous trainees to engage with college and industry specialists. "The exposition unites a number of market specialists and representatives from throughout the college sector to help regional and remote trainees gain a much deeper understanding of the choices readily available to them as soon as they have actually finished high school," Teacher Kickett said. "Curtin is proud to support this exposition as education is a vital action in the motion towards achieving reconciliation and I eagerly anticipate seeing the bright futures these trainees develop through the diverse pathways to success they navigate." Students were able to learn more details from exhibitors including universities, government departments, TAFEs and companies, consisting of significant sponsor of the event, Woodside. The Future Footprints Exposition is organised by the Association of Independent Schools of WA, hosted by Curtin University and sponsored by Woodside.

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/eliza.wynn/596c2d55-c1af-45ed-8f90-40fed68c0863.JPG/r7_157_3027_1863_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg June 26 2019- 2:31 PM Wheatbelt trainee shares concept behind Native tie style business at uni profession expo. Three teens, including a student from Tammin have shared how they launched their own business throughout this

year's Future Footprints Exposition, held at Curtin Arena last Monday night.More than 200 local and remote Native students from throughout the state heard insights on employment, training and furthering their education at yearly expo.Three trainees from Christ Church Grade school shared how they launched their own Indigenous

tie design company, Connected to Culture, and representatives from Penrhos College, Wesley College and Christ Church Grade school described how the program has actually made a distinction to their pupils.Launched by three school good friends, Year 12 students Liam Henry from Tammin, Isaiah Butters from Halls Head and Dontay Bolton from Katanning, the concept for Tied to Culture was born while the trio discussed their post-secondary potential customers and identified a gap in the market for Indigenous-inspired clothing.Funds from each tie bought are donated to various charities consisting of Beyond Blue, Pink Ribbon, MADALAH and the Starlight Kid's Foundation.Association of Independent Schools of WA planner Roni Forrest stated Future Footprints strived to engage and support Indigenous trainees to stay at school and accomplish post-secondary certifications." We want to provide Native children a location where they feel confident with the skills and knowledge they have and offer guidance to assist them prosper, "Ms Forrest stated." Hearing from the variety of speakers and exhibitors the expo had this year showcased the different possible chances and enabled the trainees to think more broadly about what path they would like to take and where they would like their career to take them." Centre for Aboriginal Research studies director Professor Marion Kickett stated the expo used an excellent opportunity for regional and remote Native trainees to engage with higher education and industry

specialists." The expo brings together a number of industry experts and agents from throughout the greater education sector to assist regional and remote students gain a deeper understanding of the choices offered to them once they have actually finished high school,"

Professor Kickett said. "Curtin is happy to support this exposition as education is a crucial action in the movement towards accomplishing reconciliation and I anticipate seeing the brilliant futures these students produce through the different paths to success they browse." Students were able to discover more details from exhibitors including universities, federal government departments, TAFEs and companies, consisting of significant sponsor of the occasion, Woodside.The Future Footprints Exposition is organised by the Association of Independent Schools of WA,

hosted by Curtin University and sponsored by Woodside.

[toothextract]

The One-Hour Guide to SEO, Part 1: SEO Strategy – Whiteboard Friday

Posted by randfish

Can you learn SEO in an hour? Surprisingly, the answer is yes, at least when it comes to the fundamentals! 

With this edition of Whiteboard Friday, we’re kicking off something special: a six-part series of roughly ten-minute-long videos designed to deliver core SEO concepts efficiently and effectively. It’s our hope that this will serve as a helpful resource for a wide range of people:

Beginner SEOs looking to get acquainted with the field concisely & comprehensively

Clients, bosses, and stakeholders who would benefit from an enhanced understanding of your work

New team members who need quick and easy onboarding

Colleagues with SEO-adjacent roles, such as web developers and software engineers

Today we’ll be covering Part 1: SEO Strategy with the man who wrote the original guide on SEO, our friend Rand. Settle in, and stay tuned next Friday for our second video covering keyword research!

https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/kfjdy3anks?seo=false&videoFoam=true

https://fast.wistia.net/assets/external/E-v1.js

Click on the whiteboard image above to open a high resolution version in a new tab!

Video Transcription

Howdy, Moz fans, and welcome to a special edition of the Whiteboard Friday series. I’m Rand Fishkin, the founder and former CEO of Moz, and I’m here with you today because I’m going to deliver a one-hour guide to SEO, front and back, so that you can learn in just an hour the fundamentals of the practice and be smarter at choosing a great SEO firm to work with, hiring SEO people. 

A handy SEO resource for your clients, team, and colleagues

If you are already in SEO, you might pick up some tips and tactics that you didn’t otherwise know or hadn’t previously considered. I want to ask those of you who are sort of intermediate level and advanced level SEOs — and I know there are many of you who have historically watched me on Whiteboard Friday and I really appreciate that — to give this video a chance even though it is at the beginner level, because my hope is that it will be valuable to you to send to your clients, your potential customers, people who join your team and work with you, developers or software engineers or web devs who you are working with and whose help you need but you want them to understand the fundamentals of SEO.

If those are the people that you’re talking to, excellent. This series is for you. We’re going to begin with SEO strategy. That is our first part. Then we’ll get into things like keyword research and technical SEO and link building and all of that good stuff as well. 

The essentials: What is SEO, and what does it do?

So first off, SEO is search engine optimization. It is essentially the practice of influencing or being able to control some of the results that Google shows when someone types in or speaks a query to their system.

I say Google. You can influence other search engines, like Bing and DuckDuckGo and Yahoo and Seznam if you’re in the Czech Republic or Baidu. But we are primarily focused on Google because Google has more than a 90% market share in the United States and, in fact, in North America and South America, in most of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East with a few exceptions.

Start with business goals

So SEO is a tactic. It’s a way to control things. It is not a business goal. No one forms a new company or sits down with their division and says, “Okay, we need to rank for all of these keywords.” Instead what you should be saying, what hopefully is happening in your teams is, “We have these business goals.”

Example: “Grow our online soccer jersey sales to a web-savvy, custom heavy audience.”

Let’s say we’re an online e-commerce shop and we sell customized soccer jerseys, well, football for those of you outside of the United States. So we want to grow our online soccer jersey sales. Great, that is a true business goal. We’re trying to build a bigger audience. We want to sell more of these jerseys. In order to do that, we have marketing goals that we want to achieve, things like we want to build brand awareness.

Next, marketing goals

Build brand awareness

We want more people to know who we are, to have heard of our particular brand, because people who have heard of us are going to be more likely to buy from us. The first time you hear about someone, very unlikely to buy. The seventh time you’ve heard about someone, much more likely to buy from them. So that is a good marketing goal, and SEO can help with that. We’ll talk about that in a sec.

Grow top-of-funnel traffic

You might want to grow top-of-funnel traffic. We want more people coming to the site overall so that we can do a better job of figuring out who is the right audience for us and converting some of those people, retargeting some of those people, capturing emails from some of those people, all those good things. 

Attract ready-to-buy fans

We want to attract ready-to-buy fans, people who are chomping at the bit to buy our soccer jerseys, customize them and get them shipped.

SEO, as a strategy, is essentially a set of tactics, things that you will do in the SEO world to rank for different keywords in the search engines or control and influence what already ranks in there so that you can achieve your marketing goals so that you can achieve your business goals.

Don’t get this backwards. Don’t start from a place of SEO. Especially if you are an SEO specialist or a practitioner or you’re joining a consulting firm, you should always have an excellent idea of what these are and why the SEO tactics that you are undertaking fit into them. If you don’t, you should be asking those questions before you begin any SEO work.

Otherwise you’re going to accomplish things and do things that don’t have the impact or don’t tie directly to the impact that the business owners care about, and that’s going to mean probably you won’t get picked up for another contract or you won’t accomplish the goals that mean you’re valuable to the team or you do things that people don’t necessarily need and want in the business and therefore you are seen as a less valuable part of it.

Finally, move into SEO strategy

But if you’re accomplishing things that can clearly tie to these, the opposite. People will really value what you do. 

Rank for low-demand, high-conversion keywords

So SEO can do things like rank for low demand, things that don’t have a lot of searches per month but they are high conversion likely keywords, keywords like “I am looking for a customized Seattle Sounders soccer jersey that’s in the away colors.” Well, there’s not a lot of search demand for that exact phrase. But if you’re searching for it, you’re very likely to convert. 

Earn traffic from high-demand, low-competition, less commerce-focused keywords

You could try and earn traffic from high-demand, low competition keywords that are less focused directly on e-commerce. So it could be things like “Seattle Sounders news” or “Seattle Sounders stats” or a comparison of “Portland Timbers versus Seattle Sounders.” These are two soccer or football clubs in the Pacific Northwest. 

Build content that attracts links and influencer engagement

Or you might be trying to do things like building content that attracts links and influencer engagement so that in the future you can rank for more competitive keywords. We’ll talk about that in a sec. SEO can do some amazing things, but there are also things that it cannot do.

What SEO can do:

If you put things in here, if you as an SEO pitch to your marketing team or your business owners that SEO can do things that it can’t, you’re going to be in trouble. So when we compose an SEO strategy, a set of tactics that tries to accomplish marketing goals that tie to business goals, SEO can do things like:

Attract searchers that are seeking your content.

Control how your brand is seen in search results when someone searches for your particular name. 

Nudge searchers toward queries by influencing what gets suggested in the auto suggest or by suggesting related searches or people also ask boxes. 

Anything that shows up in the search results, nearly anything can be influenced by what we as SEOs can do.

What SEO cannot do:

Grow or create search demand on its own

But SEO cannot grow or create search demand by itself. So if someone says, “Hey, I want us to get more traffic for this specific keyword,” if you’re already ranking number one and you have some videos showing in the results and you’re also in the image results and you’ve got maybe a secondary page that links off to you from the results, you might say, “Hey, there’s just not more demand,” and SEO by itself can’t create that additional demand.

Build brand (by itself)

SEO also can’t build brand, at least not by itself. It can certainly be a helpful part of that structure. But if someone says, “Hey, I want us to be better known among this audience,”you can say, “Well, SEO can help a little, but it can’t build a brand on its own, and it certainly can’t build brand perception on its own.” People are going to go and visit your website. They’re going to go and experience, have an interaction with what you’ve created on the web. That is going to be far more of a brand builder, a brand indicator than just what appears in the search results. So SEO can’t do that alone. 

Directly convert customers

It also can’t directly convert customers. A lot of the time what we find is that someone will do a great job of ranking, but when you actually reach the website, when visitors reach the website, they are unsatisfied by the search, which by the way is one of the reasons why this one-hour guide is going to include a section on searcher satisfaction.

When Google sees over time that searchers are unsatisfied by a result, they will push that result down in the rankings and find someone who does a great job of satisfying searchers, and they will rank them instead. So the website has to do this. It is part of SEO. It’s certainly part of the equation, but SEO can’t influence it or control it on its own.

WORK OVERNIGHT!

Finally, last but not least, SEO cannot work overnight. It just won’t happen. SEO is a long-term investment. It is very different from paid search ads, PPC, also called SEM sometimes, buying from Google ads or from Bing ads and appearing in the sponsored results. That is a tactic where you can pour money in and optimize and get results out in 24 hours. SEO is more like a 24-month long process. 

The SEO Growth Path

I’ve tried to show that here. The fundamental concept is when you have a new website, you need to earn these things — links and engagement and historical performance in the rankings.

As you earn those things, other people are linking to you from around the web, people are talking about you, people are engaging with your pages and your brand, people start searching for your brand specifically, people are clicking you more in the search results and then having good experiences on your website, as all those great things happen, you will grow your historical engagement and links and ranking factors, all these things that we sort of put into the bucket of the authority and influence of a website.

3–6 months: Begin to rank for things in the long tail of search demand

As that grows, you will be able to first, over time, this might be three to six months down here, you might be able to rank for a few keywords in the long tail of search demand. 

6–9 months: Begin to rank for more and more competitive keywords

After six to nine months, if you’re very good at this, you may be able to rank for more and more competitive keywords.

12–18 months: Compete for tougher keywords

As you truly grow a brand that is well-known and well thought of on the internet and by search engines, 12 to 18 months in, maybe longer, you may be able to compete for tougher and tougher keywords. When I started the Moz website, back in the early days of Google, it took me years, literally two or three years before I was ranking for anything in Google, anything in the search engines, and that is because I had to first earn that brand equity, that trust, that relationship with the search engines, those links and that engagement.

Today this is more true than ever because Google is so good at estimating these things. All right. I look forward to hearing all about the amazing strategies and structures that you’ve got probably in the comments down below. I’m sure it will be a great thread. We’ll move on to the second part of our one-hour guide next time — keyword research. Take care.

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[commanderfrost]

Tournament Report: 2017 X-Wing Regional - Connecticut

We made the 2 hour trek down to Newington Connecticut for our second X-Wing Regional of the season. There were a ton of great players in the building, and I was happy to see so many of our New England X-Wing shirts being worn with pride. After registration, they announced that we had 93 Players, this meant we would have 6 Swiss Rounds with a cut to Top 16. 

I am flying Triple Defenders with Swarm Leader

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Triple Defenders (Swarm Leader)

100 points

Pilots

------

Delta Squadron Pilot (28)

TIE Defender (30), TIE/x7 (-2)

Countess Ryad (36)

TIE Defender (34), Push the Limit (3), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Colonel Vessery (36) 

TIE Defender (35), Swarm Leader (3), TIE/x7 (-2)

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Round 1 vs Matt K. - NYC X-Wing

I am excited when I see Matt putting his list on the table, as it appears to be one that I was testing for a while. I ask him about it and find that it is only one card off - he swapped in C-3PO instead of Recon Specialist for Miranda.

==================

Expertise Rey

==================

100 points

Pilots

------

Rey (62)

YT-1300 (45), Expertise (4), Finn (5), Kanan Jarrus (3), Millennium Falcon (Segnor's Loop Version) (1), Engine Upgrade (4)

Miranda Doni (38)

K-Wing (29), Twin Laser Turret (6), C-3PO (3)

==================

My testing with this list paid off in this game. I was able to get the jump on Rey and get her off the board in two rounds of shooting, while avoiding that nasty front arc of hers. Miranda proved to be tougher to catch, but thanks to multiple SLAM's to stay out of arc, I avoided a lot of combat rounds as well. I eventually catch her for the 100-0 win. A strong start against a good player. Win 100-0

Record 1-0

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Round 2 vs Ray L. - Top cut finisher at the last BG Regional.

Ray and I got to know each other a bit at the last regional we hosted, and it was nice to see him again. A strong player with a strong list. He is running HOTCOP RAC with Vader

==================

HOTCOP RAC with Vader

==================

100 points

Pilots

------

Darth Vader (37)

TIE Advanced (29), TIE/x1 (0), Proton Rockets (3), Adaptability (0), Engine Upgrade (4), Advanced Targeting Computer (1)

Rear Admiral Chiraneau (63)

VT-49 Decimator (46), Veteran Instincts (1), Hotshot Co-pilot (4), Emperor Palpatine (8), Engine Upgrade (4)

==================

Ray sets up semi-mid field across from me, and I am in the corner with all three Defenders. I advance slowly, and he comes roaring out of the gates at me! I was surprised. I am able to get a lot of damage into RAC on the first round of shooting, including two vital crits - white maneuvers that give him stress, and all hard turns are red. This really limited what he was going to do. He was diving into the rocks, where Vader has the advantage, so I turned away from combat to regroup. He seemed surprised by this and really came after all three Defenders with Vader - I do some damage, and we disengage. I get the Decimator off the board the next round, but Vader proves to be a tough customer, putting a lot of damage into my guys and taking my Delta off the board. I get Vader at the end for a 100-28 win. Win 100-28 Record 2-0

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Round 3 vs Evan G.

I didn't know Evan previously, but he was a nice opponent. He was flying a list I flew for a long time: Palpatine with Inquisitor and Countess Ryad. He opted for the Sensor Jammer variety on the Shuttle instead of the Proton Rockets, which is mostly a style choice.

==========================

Palp Aces : Inq & Ryad

==========================

100 points

Pilots

------

Countess Ryad (36)

TIE Defender (34), Push the Limit (3), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Omicron Group Pilot (33)

Lambda-Class Shuttle (21), Sensor Jammer (4), Emperor Palpatine (8)

The Inquisitor (31)

TIE Advanced Prototype (25), Push the Limit (3), TIE/v1 (1), Autothrusters (2)

==========================

Evan jousted with all three of his ships in formation on the left side of the board, which I do not believe was in his favor. I was able to circle around the back of the shuttle and take it off the board quickly, but he was able to get my Delta on the same turn. All of the dice went my way at this point and I was able to keep both of my remaining Defenders for a 100-28 win. Win 100-28 Record 3-0

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Round 4 vs John D. - NYC X-Wing, finalist 2015 MA Regional, Winner 2016 NYC Regional

John is a very accomplished X-Wing player and a true class act. I am always glad when we get to meet up. I knew this would be a tough match regardless of what John brought with him, however he made it particularly difficult with Parattani - The Mind Link list.

This is identical to the list that (Local Player) Bob had been running with great success lately, and it has gained a lot of steam in the larger meta, winning several Regionals this season.

=========

Parattani

=========

100 points

Pilots

------

Fenn Rau (32)

Protectorate Starfighter (28), Attanni Mindlink (1), Concord Dawn Protector (1), Autothrusters (2)

Manaroo (28)

JumpMaster 5000 (27), Attanni Mindlink (1)

Asajj Ventress (40)

Lancer-class Pursuit Craft (37), Attanni Mindlink (1), Latts Razzi (2)

==========================

This was a tough loss for me. I was only able to get half points on Ventress, and not quite enough for half points on Manaroo. I learned a lot here, but I know this list is a bad matchup, and in the hands of a skilled player, it is even tougher. Loss 20-100. Loss 20-100 Record 3-1

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Round 5 vs Brendan M. - Local Player

I met Brendan a few weeks ago when he came down to BG to get some practice games in. Great guy, and a strong player. Brendan is flying "Commonwealth Defenders" the Palpatine, Vessery, Ryad combo. It is a proven list for sure, and I’ll have my hands full.

=================================

Palp Defenders

=================================

100 points

Pilots

------

Omicron Group Pilot (29)

Lambda-Class Shuttle (21), Collision Detector (0), Emperor Palpatine (8)

Countess Ryad (36)

TIE Defender (34), Push the Limit (3), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Colonel Vessery (35)

TIE Defender (35), Juke (2), TIE/x7 (-2)

=================================

This was a VERY tight game with a lot of back and forth. He got my Delta and my Ryad off the board, and I got his Palpatine and Vessery off the board. We tie at 74 points even - a Final Salvo! We each roll dice, and I am lucky enough to have one more hit than him in the end. The fist pump I did was pure emotion. Win 74-74 - Final Salvo Record 4-1

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Round 6 vs Jason W. - CT X-Wing Player - He has come up to many of our BG events.

Jason is a great guy and a great player. I look over and see that he has three Defenders as well, and I am mildly surprised that we will have a mirror match. He wins the initiative bid and keeps it.

=================

Mirror Universe!

=================

100 points

Pilots

------

Delta Squadron Pilot (28)

TIE Defender (30), TIE/x7 (-2)

Countess Ryad (36)

TIE Defender (34), Push the Limit (3), TIE/x7 (-2), Twin Ion Engine Mk. II (1)

Colonel Vessery (36)

TIE Defender (35), Swarm Leader (3), TIE/x7 (-2)

------

Another VERY tight game - lots of maneuvering, and lots of green dice that come up hot on both sides. We both take away one of the "Aces" He gets my Ryad, and I get his Vessery - time is called and we both have 36 points. - FINAL SALVO II - ELECTRIC BOOGALOO!! We both roll dice, and I once again have one more than my opponent! Incredible luck, and I know that it puts me into the final cut. I am overjoyed. Win 36-36 - Final Salvo Record 5-1

The day ends and they announce standings, I am so excited to see so many of the BG regulars in the top cut, besides myself, Dereck, Mike, and Parker all make it in. As well look at the standings we come to realize that Parker and I will meet in the first round of elimination.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 2

There are no bad players in the top cut. All of them have played in top cut matches previously and all of them have the skills to make it to the top. I look at the Bracket and see that John D. is in the next table, and the winner of his game will face the winner of my game with Parker.

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RD1 elimination (Top 16) - Parker B. - Battleground Regular, Top Cut finisher at Danvers Regional

Parker is an incredible player, and he put a wallop on me at the Danvers Regional with essentially the same list. He has Zuckuss crew on his party bus, and I know NOT running into that all day at swiss is a big reason why I am here today. Manaroo, Contracted Scout, and Trandoshan Slaver coming up!

=======================

Parker's Torpedo Circus

=======================

100 points

Pilots

------

Contracted Scout (31)

JumpMaster 5000 (25), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), Attanni Mindlink (1), Guidance Chips (0)

Manaroo (35)

JumpMaster 5000 (27), Attanni Mindlink (1), Extra Munitions (2), Plasma Torpedoes (3), R4 Agromech (2), Guidance Chips (0)

Trandoshan Slaver (34)

YV-666 (29), 4-LOM (1), Zuckuss (1), Dengar (3)

=======================

I have my hands full with this match. I get a lot of damage into one of the scouts and he gets my Delta off of the table. I am lucky enough to get a good crit on the scout - Stunned Pilot - So that if he lands on any ship or obstacle he takes a damage. We slug it out for many more rounds, and Parkers dice just go on strike. The crit ends up mattering as time runs out. The scout ends up in a bad spot and has to land on a rock in the last turn, and he only has one hull remaining, killing the ship, and putting me ahead … by three points. In a game that could have gone either way, lady luck was on my side here.

After the game I look over to see John D. packing up after his game - he lost to Dengaroo, so our rematch will have to wait for another day.

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RD2 elimination (Top 8) - Danny T. -  NYC X-Wing - Grim Brothers crew.

I had met Danny once before, but we have never played against each other previously. Dengaroo is typically a bad matchup for me, because of the Zuckuss crew. Danny has swapped things up though, and has included 4-LOM instead of Zuckuss and moved things around on Manaroo as well. He also went for an AGGRESSIVE bid at 95 points. ================ Dengaroo Variant ================ 95 points Pilots ------ Manaroo (41) JumpMaster 5000 (27), Push the Limit (3), “Gonk” (2), R5-P8 (3), Feedback Array (2), Engine Upgrade (4) Dengar (54) JumpMaster 5000 (33), Lone Wolf (2), 4-LOM (1), Overclocked R4 (1), Glitterstim (2), Punishing One (12), Counter-Measures (3)

================

This was a long game, and ultimately the reason I won was all of the practice I have gotten over the last several months with our local crew. Knowing how to deal with Dengar is 75% of the match. We meet up in the middle of the board, and I am able to get some quality shots onto Manaroo almost immediately, as he brought her right into the meat of things. Dengar plinked away at my Defenders, but my green dice were keeping me in the game. I take Manaroo off the board shortly after, but not before Vessery is taken down to one hull. There is a lot of time on the clock, and I know that if I shoot Dengar in-arc, I lose this game. So I run. For nearly 50 minutes. In what must have been a very frustrating game for my opponent, I avoided giving him any quality shots, and refused to shoot him in arc, which meant many, many turns of no attacks back from my side. Eventually time starts to run out, and I feel more comfortable - Manaroo is worth more points than one of my Defenders, so even if I lose one, I am OK. But I don’t, we squeak through to the end and shake hands. It was a mentally exhausting game. It is worth noting that I had some abnormally good Green Dice rolls here and he had some abnormally bad Red Dice rolls for about 50% of the game.

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RD3 Elimination (Top 4) - Will D. - CT X-Wing Player. Made the top cut at the last BG Regional.

Will is a VERY good player, and we have faced off in the past. At the NYC Regional last year, I had to face Will to make the top cut. Will is flying Parattani, identical to John D’s list. =========

Parattani

=========

100 points

Pilots

------

Fenn Rau (32)

Protectorate Starfighter (28), Attanni Mindlink (1), Concord Dawn Protector (1), Autothrusters (2)

Manaroo (28)

JumpMaster 5000 (27), Attanni Mindlink (1)

Asajj Ventress (40)

Lancer-class Pursuit Craft (37), Attanni Mindlink (1), Latts Razzi (2)

==========================

We place rocks and joke about how this will be an annual tradition of facing off once a year at a big event. Will sets up on the opposite corner from me and I start to set up a kill box for Fenn Rau - I want to get him off the board asap. I have a tremendous stroke of luck when Will lands Ventress on a debris field sending stress to all of his other ships. This left Fenn Rau without tokens. I am able to capitalize quickly, and take Fenn off the board in two turns with a monster Swarm Leader shot. I take Ventress off the board a few turns later and Will concedes. We will undoubtedly face off again in the future! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RD4 Elimination (Final Table) - Solomon L.

I had never met Solomon before, but I saw that he had beaten Jeremy Howard (national player, NOVA local) one round previously, so I know he is clearly very skilled. Solomon is playing Ketsu with two TLT Y-Wings. A simple build that is very strong - knock off all of your agility, and dump unmitigated damage into your ships. Strong, effective, scary.

============= Ketsu's Thugs ============= 100 points Pilots ------ Ketsu Onyo (50) Lancer-class Pursuit Craft (38), Expertise (4), Dengar (3), Burnout Slam (1), Black Market Slicer Tools (1), Shadow Caster (3) Syndicate Thug (25) Y-Wing (18), Twin Laser Turret (6), Unhinged Astromech (1)

Syndicate Thug (25) Y-Wing (18), Twin Laser Turret (6), Unhinged Astromech (1)

==========================

He sets up his ships across from mine on the right side of the field. I want to charge into Ketsu and get behind her quickly. I was surprised that he placed her there to my advantage. I scoot forward a bit to see if he commits to the joust, and he does. My follow up turn is all guns blazing into the fray. I immediately cripple one of the Y-Wings and follow up with a massive shot into Ketsu that sets the entire game in my favor. He is able to knock Vessery down to 1 agility with no tokens … and by some stroke of luck none of the TLT shots land. He got one hit per shot, and I rolled hot fire with that one little die. My survival there all but sealed the game. I looked at him and said “I don’t think I’m eligible for any Christmas presents after that” and he agreed. I flipped behind Ketsu, and finished her off, then took the crippled Y-Wing off the board. I had to chase the last Y-Wing for some time, but I eventually was able to set up a kill box that allowed for a monster Swarm Leader shot that ended the game. We shook hands. It was over.

From here on, it was kind of surreal. Lots of hugs and high-fives, and this disbelief that there wasn’t “one more game”. This was my first Regional win, and a highlight of my X-Wing “career”.  Thank you to everyone I played, you were all amazing opponents. I’ll see you at NOVA for Nationals!