#socs 2: crux

[sonic-oc-showdown]

ROUND 2

Dog belongs to @couch-house

Crux belongs to @snowpearart

Find out more about them below!

Dog the Capybara:

Dog is just a chill kid living in Metropolis Zone (Fleetway) with his nan. He hangs out with his childhood friend Bebe and Groovy Train Super Sonic, where he's the calm go-with-the-flow member of the group. They all meet at the skate park and do fun tricks and goof off and have fun and be themselves :) Also they're all in a little club together where they try to learn magic from Ebony (they aren't succeeding). She's got a huge nosering her nan doesn't care about and secret knuckle tats that say CAPY BARA that made her flip her lid. Underneath the skull hoodie is a skull t-shirt. And he's just niceys and supportive and friendly and I like her :)

Crux the Hawk:

Crux doesn't remember who they were, and that's kinda okay by them.

Originally a hypnosis test subject, Crux was deemed far more valuable to the Badnik Empire by Doctor Starline and Comet after exhibiting a nack for 'outside the box' problem solving and strategic thinking (years of speedrunning and breaking video games finally paid off). They know that they could return to their old life if they wanted - but the fear of facing what they lost keeps them looking forward to the opportunities that lay ahead.

Crux values honesty above all and tends to find the brighter side of life, which they credit as being the reason they can tolerate living with Starline and Comet. They still deepdive into any video game they can get their hands on, listen to pop music almost exclusively, and love fidget puzzles. They're also relearning their lost ability to manipulate wind and air using Chaos energy, able to jump to great heights, slow or stop their falls, and create air bubbles underwater for themself and others.

[shibumi-tanuki]

In honor of @sonic-oc-showdown , have this commission I drew for @snowpearart 's Crux! They're honestly one of my fav ocs right now. Please vote for them!!

[parcai]

We do get a lot about their power structures though? We got the rich people basically running the govt, grisha and non grisha allied to fuck everyone else over for themselves. We saw how the gangs and brothels and prisons were in their pocket and how their reach connected to the monarchies of Ravka and Fjerda. The books gave a pretty good run down of the class differences within Ketterdam and how it operates without overdoing it. And honestly, you're expecting a whole lot from 2 books whose povs aren't that well connected to the those people personally. That disconnect makes sense when you look at the overall theme of the story of the everyman. She does a good job at explaining the basics while not confusing her readers, leaving a lot open to interpretation and to build upon on new stories. Dude, atleast finish the 2nd book before trying to critique it.

the way i literally said there was nothing wrong w liking soc, and it's not a slur on anyone's character and it's just my opinion, but you got very upset near the end of this ask for no reason. mm. i'm not attacking you, my dude. /genuine <3

as i said to another anon or maybe it was you, the whole purpose of the first book is to draw readers in to read the later books. i shouldn't have to have read the second book to have a gist of how leigh formats her books. if the second is better, great, but it is not an indicator of how well set up a series is, and that is the crux of my criticism for soc.

if a duology could not support complex themes, then she simply should've cut down on some ideas or written more books.

as i said earlier, explaining the trauma of groups of people isn't setting up a governmental structure. it's great that we know how the grisha feel about things, and it's a cool tidbit that the criminals have enough power to reach kings and whatnot, but i literally don't even know who runs the government. i don't even know what kind of structure it is. i don't even know how the grisha, powerful as they are, became an oppressed group, or how ketterdam came to be so impoverished, or if it always has been, or if it's like that everywhere. the books are very centric on the dregs, which is cool if that's the purpose, to simply follow their stories, but you're arguing on the idea that commentary of power in social and governmental hierarchy is leigh's purpose, in which case it's necessary to expand past your main group and look at some "lore," if you will. it doesn't have to be a lot, but it should be nicely interspersed throughout.

you said it yourself: "...whose povs aren't connected to those people personally." okay, then why is the purpose of the duology about something the main characters can't even explain lol.

[dsrajawat]

Asus ROG Phone 2 (review) is the new gaming flagship from the Taiwanese tech giant. ROG or Republic of Gamers is a sub-brand solely catering to the gaming hardware. After years of experience in the gaming PCs and components, the brand unveiled its gaming smartphone in 2018. A year later, we have the successor ROG Phone 2. Beyond the heap of specs, the key highlight is recently announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ at the crux.

Asus ROG Phone 2 Highlights

Asus ROG Phone 2 sports a 6.59-inch Full HD+ display that’s protected by Gorilla Glass 6. This display has a lot going for it like its support for world’s first 120Hz AMOLED panel, Optical under-display fingerprint scanner, DCI-P3 color scale, HDR10 and SDR to HDR upscaling. It has a matte black back panel.

ALSO READ: Black Shark 2 Starts Retailing in India: Price, Specifications, and Launch Offers

At the core, the performance is helmed by Snapdragon 855+ aided by Adreno 640 GPU. This processor clocks at 2.96GHz, which is by far the fastest. On top of it, we have the ROG UI based on Android 9.0 Pie. The phone draws from a 6000mAh battery bolstered by 30W fast charging support. The huge numbers continue in the memory and storage as you get upto 12GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.0 disk space.

Asus hasn’t cut corners with cameras either. You get a 48MP plus 13MP () duo at the back and a 24MP selfie snapper up front. Rest, the phone also packs the following features: ARCore, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C and the usual set of sensors.

Asus ROG Phone 2 Gaming features

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Primarily, it is a gaming gear and hence you get the following gaming-centric features:

The phone dons an Aura RGB lighting, resembling most other gaming rigs

Dual front-firing speakers with DTS:X Ultra boost

Four mics with noise-cancellation

Dual vibrating motors at an XYZ axis giving a surround feel

Customized connector on the side

Heat dissipation vents, 3D vapor chamber

Ultrasonic, pressure-sensitive Air Trigger buttons with reduced vibration latency (20ms)

Asus ROG Phone 2 accessories (Source: Asus)

These are the accessories announced:

ROG Kunai Gamepad

ROG Lighting Armor Case

Aero Case

AeroActive Cooler II

TwinView Dock II

Mobile Desktop Dock

Pro Dock

WiGig Display Dock Plus

ALSO READ: Nubia Red Magic 3 Gaming Smartphone launched in India: Price Specs and Availability

Asus ROG Phone 2 Pricing and Availability

The Chinese model will retail on July 23rd followed by a worldwide release in the first week of September. We expect the pricing details to be revealed at the press event tomorrow. Bookmark the page for the update.

Asus ROG Phone 2 Specifications

Model Asus ROG Phone 2 Display 6.59“, 19.5:9, 2340×1080, 120Hz/1ms AMOLED; 240Hz response time, 108% DCI-P3; 100,000:1 contrast ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass 6, 10bit HDR, SDR2HDR upscaling Software Android 9.0 Pie-based ROG UI Processor 2.96GHz octa-core SD855+ with Adreno 640 GPU Battery 6000mAh with 30W fast charging RAM LPDDR4X up to 12GB RAM Storage UFS3.0, 128GB or 512GB Rear Camera 48MP+13MP (125-degree) Front Camera 24MP Other features ARCore, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C, Customized connector, Dual-front firing speakers with DTS:X Ultra Price T.B.A

Asus ROG Phone 2 announced with Snapdragon 855+ SoC and a 120Hz AMOLED display Asus ROG Phone 2 (review) is the new gaming flagship from the Taiwanese tech giant.

[ashleydpalmerusa]

What We Learned at the 2018 APACPA Meeting (2019 CPA Exam Info Inside!)

Every year, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) hosts the American Professional Accounting Certification Providers Association (APACPA) meeting—giving CPA Review providers a chance to learn more about their findings on how candidates are performing on the exam, as well as what their plans are for the upcoming year. 

This year, the meeting was held in Washington, D.C. We’re excited to share with you what we learned with the continued focus on ensuring all candidates are prepared for the 2019 Exam in addition to being setting up for success within the accounting profession.   

  Top 9 Key Takeaways from the APACPA Meeting:

1. There will be no score holds for Q1 2019. Que the confetti!

The CPA Exam underwent several changes in 2018, including a new user interface design that launched on April 1st. And as with any changes made to the Exam, score releases were delayed in 2018. However, even with big changes happening with Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) and Regulation (REG) on January 1, 2019, this time there will be no score release holds in Q1 2019.

  2. CPA Exam pass rates have increased.  

Pass rates on the CPA Exam increased in 2018. Candidates are spending less time on the Exam and are managing exhibits better. The AICPA attributes this uptick in pass rates to the new CPA Exam user experience that launched April 1, 2018. 

  3. The CPA Exam Blueprints are being underutilized by CPA Candidates. 

The AICPA noted that only about 5% of CPA Candidates who review and study the CPA Exam utilize the provided blueprints. CPA Candidates don’t seem to recognize the value that this free resource provides: a tool for better understanding the framework of the overall Exam. Blueprints guide our program from video lectures to practice questions and more. They are the backbone of the CPA Exam that we follow closely to ensure that candidates are properly prepared.

  4. Accounting Technology is changing the CPA Exam. 

The AICPA and NASBA are working together to explore what it means to be a CPA today and in the future. At the crux of this research is taking into consideration how accounting technology will continue to evolve. Emerging trends in accounting technology and skillsets firms need in new hires has forced firm clients to make huge updates in their technology, demanding that auditing firms align with those changes.

Therefore, technology will continue to impact the evolution of the CPA Exam. Topics being considered are machine learning and artificial intelligence, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), continuous auditing, remote auditing, SOC and Cybersecurity, and Blockchain. 

  5. Speaking of Accounting Technology- Audit Data Analytics will impact the Attestation and Auditing (AUD) Blueprint in 2019.

The AICPA is considering what the key drivers will be for auditing in the future. There are many areas in the current AUD Blueprint where data analytics can be incorporated. This includes testing for understanding and interpretation of data visualizations. In January 2019, the AICPA will provide updates and expectations of data analytics in the AUD blueprint for upcoming CPA Exams. 

Stay tuned throughout the beginning of 2019 for more information on this exciting announcement!

  6. There will be a review of the IT areas within the Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) section of the CPA Exam. 

The AICPA is currently evaluating Area IV, Information Technology, of the BEC Blueprint. There will be a review and rewrite of the IT areas within the BEC Exam in 2019. The BEC blueprints will be updated Q1 2019 with an effective date of Q3 2019. However, changes to BEC will be minor. The AICPA is not considering adding new content to the BEC Exam, but instead better describe what’s being tested. 

  7. The opportunity to sit for the CPA Exam continues to expand internationally. 

The AICPA wants to provide a convenient way for international CPA Exam Candidates to sit for the CPA Exam.  So, there are new CPA Exam international testing locations that are slated to be opened starting October 1, 2018 to meet the international CPA Candidate demand. Tune in to our social channels on September 5th to get the official announcement of where International CPA Candidates can sit for the CPA exam.

  8. There is a continued interest in critical thinking skills by accounting firms. 

Professional skepticism, judgement, and critical thinking skills remain a high priority to firms when looking at new hires. While the profession is rapidly changing due to emerging technologies, the need for these types of soft skills remains constant. The CPA Exam will continually adjust to meet this profession demand.

  9. The AICPA is not only focused on the 2019 exam, but beyond.  We learned some things about the 2020 Exam.

What does the 2020 CPA Exam look like? The AICPA wants to improve the CPA Candidate testing experience. That means being agile and flexible to the profession’s requirements and ensuring they meet future CPA Exam content and assessment needs. 

Categories 

CPA Exam Updates

Feature on ACT Professors page 

from Accounting News https://www.rogercpareview.com/blog/what-we-learned-2018-apacpa-meeting-2019-cpa-exam-info-inside

[sonic-oc-showdown]

ROUND 1

Crux belongs to @snowpearart

Wingnut belongs to @gourde

Find out more about them below!

Crux the Hawk:

Crux doesn't remember who they were, and that's kinda okay by them.

Originally a hypnosis test subject, Crux was deemed far more valuable to the Badnik Empire by Doctor Starline and Comet after exhibiting a nack for 'outside the box' problem solving and strategic thinking (years of speedrunning and breaking video games finally paid off). They know that they could return to their old life if they wanted - but the fear of facing what they lost keeps them looking forward to the opportunities that lay ahead.

Crux values honesty above all and tends to find the brighter side of life, which they credit as being the reason they can tolerate living with Starline and Comet. They still deepdive into any video game they can get their hands on, listen to pop music almost exclusively, and love fidget puzzles. They're also relearning their lost ability to manipulate wind and air using Chaos energy, able to jump to great heights, slow or stop their falls, and create air bubbles underwater for themself and others.

Wingnut:

A previous boss badnik by Eggman, after Sonic rocked her shit her programming locks were broken, allowing her to form her own self. She is now a huge fan of space travel and even gave herself a purple laser gun! She can also roll into a ball, she has jet boots, a ton of missiles, and a bunch of random tools at her disposal. The plates on her body open up to reveal extra storage for all these fun items. If you need something she has it.