#their environment has provided a lot more security and support for Harrow

[mayasaura]

Harrow got so unbelievablely horny dreaming about Gideon's rolled up sleeves exposing her lean, taut muscle, a little dewy with sweat and steam but you know what.... thinking about it. Gideon does not disrobe basically ever, except in private to bathe. A tantalizing glimpse of forearm may legitimately be the most Harrow's imagination has to work with

[pandemicstress]

Grieving through the Pandemic

I interviewed my neighbor, Elsa in June 2020 about the story of her son’s death and how the lockdown affected her and her grieving process. Elsa has been exposed to a lot of stress in her life and she can bear a great deal, but his death was an intense trauma that she did not see coming. James passed away on 21 February 2020 at 30 years old. He was living in Dubai and working as a Regional Marketing Manager for a multi-national organization.

Elsa and her son spoke at least once a week on the phone and shared each other’s ups and downs. She was getting ready to visit James in Dubai as part of a trip. When they last spoke, James said he would be there to collect her from the airport. They were both so excited to see each other after about four months apart.

Elsa is a business owner and sells custom-made merchandise at markets in various cities and on her online store. A few days after speaking to James, she was finishing off packing for a market with a friend who was going to sell her products at three markets in her absence. At around 1:30pm on Saturday 22 February 2020, the phone rang and it was a Dubai number but the call dropped. Again, it rang and the call failed to connect. She stepped outside and answered. It was Ryan, James’ friend. She knew immediately that something was wrong. Ryan told her that her son had passed away. He didn’t know the details but he only knew that James was found dead.

Elsa screamed and collapsed. Her partner, Donald spoke to Ryan to elicit more information about what had transpired. The police did not provide any details of the circumstances of James’ tragic death. She phoned his father (her ex-husband) as well as her other son to tell them the news. She also phoned the South African embassy in the United Arab Emirates but they could not provide any information without his passport number.

It was the biggest trauma she has ever experienced in her life. Her other son and her own brother came over to the house to comfort her. Elsa called her friend Cathy who they referred to as James’ ‘Dubai mom’ to let her know. Cathy had seen him recently in Dubai and he was in such good spirits. At least she had her visa organized because of the trip she was planning. Elsa’s partner, Donald, booked tickets and her son’s fiancée helped her to pack. She also brought her a herbal remedy to help with the shock.

Elsa could not sleep at all on the flight. Cathy connected Elsa with Viv who was from an organization called Middle East Assist. While they were flying, he had obtained as much information as possible from the police. Viv offered to act as intermediary to make it more efficient for the authorities to communicate the correct protocols. Viv helped them to find out that the cause of death was a fall. They also needed to arrange for the expatriation of James’ remains.

They went to James’ office building and spent some time with his colleagues who were in shock from the terrible news. His peers respected him greatly and they had strong bonds with him. For two hours, Elsa sat in the boardroom where James’ colleagues showed her great compassion and all offered her messages of support and kindness. James’ manager flew out from India to meet with her. Her son was so valued and his organization and peers referred to him as a ‘creative genius’.

After the trip to the office, they went to James’ apartment. Elsa was very connected with James and she knew instantly what had happened. His death was recorded around dawn at 6:30am. He used to love sitting on railings and watching the sun rise. He had fallen, probably being distracted by something and slipping from the railing several stories to his death. It was completely heart breaking to think of this unnecessary tragedy that took James away from her and all those who loved him.

Elsa was putting together the pieces of what happened. He had a lunch appointment with a friend on the Friday he passed away, for which he did not show up. His friend went to his place and the security guard told her what had happened. She got in touch with Ryan who was able to notify Elsa directly.

On the flight back to South Africa, they had good Wi-Fi and Elsa started making arrangements for James’ memorial. On Tuesday, she went to Modderfontein, Johannesburg to make the plans and they held a memorial on Thursday with friends and family.

The church was full and many people spoke well of him. James’ father attended the service but could not say a eulogy. They didn’t have a good relationship and it must be very difficult for him to process the grief under these circumstances. It would be James’ wish to donate to his favorite charity, Pink Table, instead of sending flowers so the family asked loved ones to make donations.

Viv was arranging the cremation and autopsy back in Dubai. The following Thursday would be the cremation. James’ company wanted to hold a memorial service in Dubai. Elsa and James’ brother applied for urgent visas flew to Dubai for the memorial.

They had to identify James’ body. After forensics has been conducted, the authorities brought his body for viewing in an ambulance. Her other son was with her during the harrowing experience. She was coached not to be emotional and say ‘no’ because the authorities would interpret it as the body not belonging to James. I cannot imagine how a mother could endure such an experience and have to withhold emotion on top of it.

James’ brother did the talking and gave a positive identification to the authorities. Elsa cannot remember seeing James’ face as the incident was so traumatic. She only recalls seeing the back of his head. She collapsed afterwards and they bundled her into the car and back to the hotel. They held the cremation and thereafter, a memorial at the Catholic church. The priest was wonderful and they did not expect Elsa to say any words at the service but she insisted. James’ brother also spoke.

Many of James’ friends and colleagues in Dubai also gave her money for the charity that James supported. Elsa was touched by how many people thought so highly of him. After the service, the 80 mourners gathered at a hotel. Elsa remembered how James would light up a room. So many people said that he had taught them something. She got a personal letter from many of his close friends detailing the impact James had on their lives. Many of his friends had spent his 30th birthday with him and for a lot of them, this was the last time they saw him.

The following day, Elsa went to spread James’ ashes. Ryan and some friends suggested going to the Love Lakes, two heart-shaped lakes with swans and koi fish. The location does not allow public gatherings so they all had to pretend it was a picnic. Ryan and the other friends brought blankets and snacks along to support the illusion. Elsa peeped thorough a hedge and found a spot where they were building a new garden. The friends all put their hands on the urn and said their goodbyes before spreading James’ ashes on the foundation of future beauty.

Elsa also had to sort out James’ belongings in his apartment as part of this trip. She wanted to see where his body landed but about seven security officers surrounded her and she almost got arrested. Her friend Ryan took them to the airport. Donald was away for ten days when she got back from the trip which gave her some time to openly grieve. That time passed in a blur.

Elsa had to take care of James’ estate which was also a challenging experience. It meant engaging with her ex-husband on a few matters and making decisions for James about his belongings and his investments. It allowed Elsa to focus her attention on doing something which was helpful, but the activity was also a constant reminder that he was truly gone.

The effect of COVID-19 was mostly felt from the lockdown perspective. In March 2020, the South African government initiated a hard lockdown for three weeks which was extended to five weeks. It was extreme in that citizens were only allowed out of their property for food and medical supplies. Exercise outside or walking dogs was not permitted and even online shopping was prohibited at first.

For Elsa, it felt like being in prison at home with her intense grief. Donald had to work at home as his chain of stores were all closed during that time. This meant that he was in her environment at a time when she needed the space to show her grief and it was difficult with another person around. As a result, she internalized a lot. Her weight dropped significantly and she did not have weight to lose, being very skinny already. Elsa struggled to eat. Some wonderful friends called her daily to offer support and love. When they were able to, these friends brought her soups which were easier to consume.

Her spiritual beliefs help her to cope with the loss. She spots feathers everywhere which make her think of him. She collected them and put them between her phone and her phone case to feel closer to him. Elsa thinks of him first thing when she wakes up and when she’s cooking. James was an excellent chef and she would often ask him for help and send him a photo of what she made.

Elsa joined the compassionate friends on Facebook, an opportunity for her to be surrounded by a community of people who understand her struggle. It is common that people who experience a severe trauma have difficulty in connecting with those who have not shared the experience. That can be isolating especially in the midst of a pandemic where we are not able to easily connect with large groups of friends or travel to visit loved ones. Some parents on the group have not been able to identify their child’s body or hold a funeral due to COVID-19 so at least she was able to do that.

She recalls how she felt when she first got the news and how completely distraught she felt. For the first three months, she barely slept. She felt the pain physically in her chest - a broken heart that would take years to heal. It has been a long journey to feel almost human again. A journey that required great courage and healing thorough a variety of interventions and influences.

Elsa started journaling as a form of expressing the grief. She carried her journal around with her to capture anything that came up. She also read many books on grief including Permission to Mourn by Tom Zuba and On Grief and Grieving by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler. She also read A Soul’s Journey by Peter Richelieu to understand what happened to James beyond death and to find comfort in the fact that he lives on in another form.

She went to a psychic, an experience that provided comfort that James was okay and the insight that his death happened exactly the way she thought it had. It was a relief and it brought a sense of closure. James was always a free spirit so living in Dubai had been challenging for him in complying with the many rules and restrictions. He would not have enjoyed lockdown or any of the COVID-related rules. He’s free now. The psychic told her that James thanked her for all she did for him in his life. She is grateful for how she brought up her boys and she has no regrets.

Elsa embarked on a series of healing methods to support her as she grappled with not only the trauma on an emotional level but also on a physical level. She went for a multitude of alternative treatments such as reiki, kinesiology, acupuncture and shiatsu massage. These have eased her grief and allowed the trauma felt in her body to be released to a degree. She also went for a numerology reading for James and it was confirmed that he was in the house of death that February. It was his time to go and that brought some understanding and acceptance. Personally, I think some personalities shine so bright that they cannot sustain a full lifetime.

She is an achiever and has found it very difficult to allow herself the time to grieve and focus fully on her own well-being. It has been challenging to slow down and to listen to what her body needs. Being in lockdown meant that all the markets were cancelled, her primary mechanism to sell her merchandise. She wanted to throw her focus into work to offer distraction from the grief but she felt handicapped by the inability to sell her products. She spent some time on new designs for T-shirts and clothing and this was a productive way to use her creativity as a distraction. She has lacked focus at times which doesn’t feel like her usual self. She assisted her partner Donald in his business and even in her state of grief, she was able to help him with the many arrangements that needed to be made as part of the pandemic.

Elsa has struggled to give herself permission to grieve because it feels self-indulgent. She has always been very hard on herself and expects a great deal in terms of being productive, even at this time. Simply for her own sanity, she tries to do just three things per day. She planted a succulent garden and a vegetable garden which offered a rewarding distraction as she could harvest and use the produce at home. She made sure to plant bulbs that will flower around James’s birthday as a way to honor him regularly. Elsa also reached out to friends and spent time visiting others and inviting her friends over for tea to catch up.

Elsa remarked that James’ death offered her the gift of knowing who was really there for her. One friend of 30 years did not even contact her still up to a year after his passing. Others who she didn’t expect to care, were wonderful to her. It’s hurtful to deal with the disappointment on top of the grief, but it is helpful. Elsa is a warm and friendly person who cares deeply about others. She has a large circle of friends and has been very blessed to have many people visiting and dropping off food and checking in on her periodically. This experience has shown her that she was not truly there for some of her friends who suffered losses in the past. Only once we experience these things ourselves, do we know what others need. She feels guilty and grateful at the same time.

It has been hard for Elsa to get back into exercise, which she needs since she has osteopenia and needs to do weight bearing exercise to improve her bone density. She used to do a lot of yoga but the studio went out of business due to the pandemic. She was not inspired to walk at first but sometimes sat on her patio while reading just to get some sunshine and to be outside.  A few weeks ago, she started doing yoga therapy with a qualified teacher who comes to her house. This allows for the beautiful combination of exercise and healing.

James’ brother got married towards the end of 2020 which was a challenging experience for Elsa. Her grief made it difficult to fully celebrate in the joy of a young couple starting their lives together. The wedding was a beautiful intimate celebration and some of James’ ashes were included in a pretty flowerpot as a gesture of him always being with the family on their significant experiences.

Elsa mourns for not only him but for all the things he won’t get to do, for example getting married or having children. She shares posts on social media each day and is constantly reminded by the memories that pop up of all the trips and experiences shared. These are bittersweet in that she relishes the time she had with James but she still misses him every day and will do for the rest of her life.

She knows through her reading that the final stage of grief is to find meaning but she has not reached that point yet. As I release this story, James’ anniversary is approaching which creates a sense of dread and pressure for her. All international flights are still cancelled which is devastating because Elsa planned to visit Dubai and attend a memorial that his friends are hosting. They wanted to visit the Love Lakes to celebrate his life on the anniversary of his death. She will no doubt find a special way to honor him on this day and on his birthday each year.

Life is forever changed for Elsa and she will carry this grief with her always. She is a resilient person and will keep living and sharing her kind and caring nature with the world. Sometimes we are unaware of the enormous burdens people around us carry. Let Elsa’s story be a reminder to be grateful for each moment with our loved ones, even through the arguments and struggles, and to appreciate the people we love every day.

[blogsosoulcollectionblr]

What does Human Resource Management System do?

With more and more business houses and offices developing, the need for proper human resource management is of utmost importance. Managing the employees and their roles and rewards at the office is one of the major tasks of a workplace, irrespective of the size of the workforce.

Human Resource Management System is the go-to option for this job. Whether you are a small business without a supporting HR department at work beside you or you are a multinational company with a sizeable workforce employed in your HR department, HRMS is something whose importance cannot be overstated.

Coming to your question, of what it actually does, the answer would be simple: Everything you need it to do.

Elaborating on that, the functions of an HRMS can be divided into four major categories.

1. Workforce Services: This is the aspect of the human resource management system that handles the employee end and their requirements. It includes features like:

Employee Self-Service Software: A feature that empowers the employee to do multiple tasks like, access company policy, keep a track of assigned and pending tasks, file a request or report, etc., all on the go.

Grievance Management Software: Automation of this crucial work procedure will not only increase loyalty but also help root out any bottleneck in the grievance management. At the same time, it helps the requester to keep track of the status of their report and notifies proper stakeholder of the grievance management workflow.

Employee Document Sharing: With an online repository for all files and documents, the HRM system ensures all the contributors and stakeholders of a given document have easy and timely access to the files.

Claims Reimbursement: This is perhaps one of the most harrowing tasks for an HR Executive. However, with an automated system for the task, the eligibility of the employee and the company policy for the given payment can be processed quickly and with the integration of the system with the payroll system ensures efficient reimbursements.

2. Administrator Services: These bunch of functions is aimed at the admin of the workforce for easy monitoring and processing of the employee related data. As this includes the better known HRMS features, I won’t go into a lot of details here but the functions include:

Management of employee check in and check out times and attendance Managing the frequency and duration, approval and notification of the employee leave.

Proper and efficient expense tracking, management and reimbursement with the option to check eligibility, application, verification, and dispersal. Loan and advances management that reduces the workload of verification, approval, and deduction from payroll from the finance team. Corporate travel management. Core HCM Module: These form the backbone of the HR department functioning and automates work like:

Employee Information Storage: With almost all the current and previous employment history of the people working in the business house, HRMS software not only secures these data but also make it easier for the competent authority to directly access it without hassle for proper evaluation.

Reporting System: This is a system designed to help admins and employees alike in navigating the complex and interwoven hierarchy present in a company and ensuring their reports reaches the competent authority on time.

Payroll Management System: This is perhaps something I once again don’t need to elaborate on. HRMS automates, speeds up and simplifies the lengthy, repetitive and tedious process of employee payroll management.

Rewards and Recognition: Rewards are, no doubt, the best motivator for any given workforce. With proper identification, praises and short and long-term reward distribution, HRMS enables admins to make informed decisions in this regard.

Hire to Retire Management: This is a feature that cuts down on a lot of lengthy processes that goes into scrutinizing, recruiting, hiring and onboarding process. Along with that Performance management and employee development analysis helps keep the employers informed about each employee’s skill and progress. When it comes to employee exit, this system largely automates the process of sending in a due resignation, its acceptance and clearance from various departments and notification of concerned authorities.

Seven Group India is one of the top Executive Firm in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai & Thane who provides services in the field of HR, Education, IT, Digital & Legal.  7 Group Mumbai is concerned about the protection of environment, our firm initiated a corporate social Program Called Seven Teaching & Oxygen Plantation (STOP). Seven Group Mumbai has dedicated team to work on all our services efficiently and satisfies our clients through our service.  

[cathrynstreich]

Shining a Spotlight on Cyber Security

Why real estate professionals need to become aware and informed…fast

Everyone has heard at least one story about cyber fraud—a wire transfer intercepted by a hacker; an agent who clicked on a malicious link; or a brokerage held hostage by ransomware.

While such harrowing tales are alarming and increasing, the majority of real estate professionals still fail to prioritize cyber security. For many, in fact, it’s not even on their radar.

This is something Craig Grant is determined to change. According to Grant, a national speaker who is the president and founder of the Real Estate Technology Institute (RETI) and RETI University, as well as a certified GRI and e-PRO® instructor, “My No. 1 concern is that cyber security is not on 95 percent of real estate professionals’ radars. They don’t pay attention to it, give it a lot of effort or put money toward it.”

Yet, says Grant, a real estate professional’s world is fraught with opportunity for cyber fraudsters. “The second you become a real estate professional, you are set up for failure in the cyber security world,” he explains. “You are legally required to store documents and communications safely, but the typical real estate professional has zero training on the topic.”

That’s why, as an instructor dedicated to teaching cyber security strategies, Grant is committed to making real estate professionals aware and prepared.

“Real estate professionals don’t realize that cyber fraud is a year-round issue,” says Grant. “They may have heard a few horror stories, but they think it can’t happen to them. I try to show them that it doesn’t matter what size your company or market is; you’re all targets because of the amount of data you’re collecting and the size of the transactions.”

As part of his educational effort, Grant is heavily involved in updates to the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) e-PRO® program. “I’ve been an instructor since 2009, and I’m now working with NAR to revamp the content, especially in terms of cyber security issues.” At press time, the updated course was preparing to launch this October. Additionally, Grant has co-authored cyber security courses for CRS and built out GRI modules for 12 different states.

One of the most critical, yet overlooked, components of cyber security, says Grant, is investing in cyber insurance. “The typical real estate agent, broker and even association staff member thinks they’re covered by their E&O insurance, but it doesn’t cover one penny related to reputation damage or ransomware,” he explains. “According to NAR research, 88 percent of real estate businesses would be out of business in six months without cyber insurance.”

CyberPolicy—an NAR REALTOR Benefits® Program partner—offers a comprehensive and customized cyber liability insurance program for REALTOR®-owned brokerages. Created specifically for real estate professionals, the plan provides access to preparedness tools, premium discounts and specialized coverage, which also extends to clients. Additionally, members receive support to help quickly restore business in the event of a cyber attack or fraud.

According to Grant, cyber insurance policies are affordable and offer peace of mind. “I explain to real estate professionals that they’re a target, and I point out their weaknesses, such as needing better antivirus software and stronger passwords. What drives it home is the idea of wire transfer fraud. That’s when they start to understand the need for cyber insurance.”

Grant emphasizes that it’s incumbent upon real estate professionals to educate their clients as well. “The second they start working with a new customer, real estate professionals need to educate them about wire fraud and have them sign agreements regarding wire transfer instructions, and add a legal disclaimer to their email signatures. This will protect them in front of a judge.”

Grant shares his other top tips regarding cyber security for real estate professionals:

Start taking it seriously and attend classes. “Learn about cyber security and start practicing it. Most small business owners are asleep at the wheel.”

Have a top-level antivirus on every device. “The average person doesn’t realize they are at risk on a phone or tablet, so hackers go after those devices like crazy.”

Get cyber liability insurance.

Learn methods for creating and remembering unhackable passwords.

Understand the dangers of WiFi. “WiFi is the easiest thing on the planet to hack. Whatever environment you’re in, make sure it’s secure.”

Build your business in the Cloud. “If you can’t download everything in the Cloud, and you’re attacked with ransomware, then you’re paying that ransom.”

REALTORS® can gain further insight into cyber security and technology through NAR’s Tech Edge events. According to Grant, “Tech Edge is one day of packed learning. There are several short, 20-minute presentations, so you’re not sitting through four-hour classes. They’re presented by people who really understand technology—REALTORS® and vendors with boots on the ground.”

This year’s NAR Tech Edge events have pivoted from several one-day, in-person events across the U.S. to a three-part virtual series. The last video of the series, available on Aug. 27, will focus on data security.

While there is a lot to learn in the arena of cyber security, Grant emphasizes that the most important lesson is to realize it can happen to you. “Realize that everyone is a target,” he says. “You have to be more vigilant and aware of what’s going on.”

For more information, please visit epro.realtor.

Maria Patterson is RISMedia’s executive editor. Email her your real estate news ideas to maria@rismedia.com.

The post Shining a Spotlight on Cyber Security appeared first on RISMedia.

Shining a Spotlight on Cyber Security published first on https://thegardenresidences.tumblr.com/

[gamerszone2019-blog]

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Review - Dancer In The Dark

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/final-fantasy-xiv-shadowbringers-review-dancer-in-the-dark/

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Review - Dancer In The Dark

Whereas previous Final Fantasy XIV expansions grappled with broad-brush concepts in corruption, religion, and imperialism, the path you tread in Shadowbringers is a distinctly personal affair. The central conceit is the battle between good and evil, and between the dual concepts of Light and Dark, but at its core is a story about a protagonist who’s been left adrift and has to come to terms with their identity alongside long-time companions against the backdrop of a dying world. This harkens back to the sort of character treatment that the non-MMO Final Fantasy games have prided themselves on for decades, but even with the familiar subject matter, the journey here feels distinctly forward-looking. The question for a lot of fans was whether the longevity of the game post-Stormblood would last. When you roll the credits on Shadowbringers, it’ll be hard to envision a world where the answer to that is anything other than a resounding “yes”.

Shadowbringers hinges on a revelation. The quests between Stormblood and the new content do a great job of laying down a narrative foundation rife with inter-faction politics, intrigue, and shadowy figures pulling strings with hidden consequences. As the new expansion opens, however, that particular nest of vipers is upended by way of a forced jaunt through time and space. What starts as a quest to save your friends takes a life-altering turn; you’re thrown into the heart of a conflict between Light and Dark that strikes at the core of the hero mythos that the game has built around your character since A Realm Reborn.

As the Warrior of Light, you’re tossed rather unceremoniously into the realm of Norvrandt: a world ravaged by the very element that you’ve chivalrously championed all your life. Like any erstwhile hero facing the unknown, your job initially is to search for some clarity and a way to save your friends back home from eternal slumber. It soon becomes very clear that your impressive deeds in Eorzea mean next to nothing here. No one knows of your previous accomplishments, there’s a distinct distrust from the locals, and your usual non-verbal charm gets you nowhere.

The kicker is that any mention of the Light will make you public enemy number one; it’s rampaging through the land and leaving death and destruction in its wake. You’re unmoored and as good as stranded in an unfamiliar world where your values and beliefs could get you killed. Starting a new MMORPG expansion can often feel like slipping into a pair of worn shoes that have stood the test of time; there’s a certain sense of security afforded to you because of your established Chosen One status. With the story’s rocky start, Shadowbringers takes a decidedly discomforting approach by doing the narrative equivalent of taking those shoes off your feet and getting someone to beat you with them. The solution it offers in its opening minutes is simple: Set aside everything you know and become the Warrior of Darkness.

In practice, this is more difficult than it sounds. Norvrandt is home to all manner of dangers, and the most insidious aren’t the ones that come at you with sharp teeth and sharper claws. There’s a seething undercurrent of wrongness that permeates everything, as beautiful as the lush forests and the wide, open fields of this realm may be. These sentiments are felt throughout the design of Shadowbringers’ new locations and dungeons: the debaucherous Eulmore where the rich are willfully ignorant to the suffering of others, the deceivingly dangerous riot of fae and fancy of Il Mheg, and the apocalyptic wastelands of times long destroyed by the Light, to name a few. Each new environment is twisted violently in some way, whether it’s the presence of monstrous enemies or the cruel ways that its inhabitants have chosen to eke out a living.

The main story quests ferry you from location to location at a decent clip, though ample time is devoted to you experiencing the horrors that the Light has wrought about the realm. Having to go back to what feels like the equivalent of Hero School affords you some breathing room; it’s clear that the expansion wasn’t going to live and die on the Warrior of Darkness’ shoulders alone, and a large part of the narrative is actually devoted to fleshing out popular supporting characters from Final Fantasy XIV canon. You’re not the only one who’s had to make some difficult adjustments, and Shadowbringers doesn’t shy away from tough questions about sacrifice, honor, and duty (or their tougher answers).

The dungeons and trials are an excellent way for Shadowbringers to hammer those points home, and to deal with important narrative beats. It’s a credit to the game’s development team that the dungeons are much more than just a means to keep you occupied or to give you enough experience to move on to the next big thing in the world. They function like little pockets of insight into the decayed state of Norvrandt, complete with harrowing bosses and crumbling ruins. These dungeons see you racing through castles fighting seraphim and diving into fae realms making desperate pacts to secure your future. And it all plays out to a distinctly operatic soundtrack that leans heavily into dramatic strings and modern vocal frills, creating a perfect atmosphere to underscore the urgency of your character’s mission. Every new encounter of this fashion drives the Warrior of Darkness closer to their goal of restoring balance to the world, whether it’s driving a sword through the heart of a friend now-twisted by Light or unearthing the origins and primal motivations for this conflict. Dungeons have always been a part of the main story’s requirements in Final Fantasy XIV, but here they feel just as crucial to your enjoyment and understanding of the tale as the new quests do.

Quests place you directly in the shoes of these supporting characters, and playing as them is both a welcome change of pace and a chance for newer players to deepen their understanding of the game’s lore. That being said, not all quests are made equal, and there are some confusing mechanical decisions that may frustrate. For example, the end of the expansion requires a player to have completed a max-level quest before picking up a lower-level one to progress to the grand finale. In other cases, optional quests that share a common thread can sometimes be spread out across different locations on a map and aren’t signposted any differently from unrelated ones. This can make you feel like you need to slog through every mundane errand in the hopes of finding a diamond. Luckily, these instances are few and far between; just like its predecessor, Shadowbringers brings to life a number of humanizing stories through its side quests and manages to make you care about the day-to-day lives of new characters who initially have nothing but scorn for what you stand for.

It’s not solely about capitalizing on known factors, though. The expansion introduces plenty of unfamiliar delights to sink your teeth into–the Trust system is perhaps the most important addition for accessibility that Final Fantasy XIV has seen since its rebirth. It allows players to take a fully-formed party of NPCs from the main story quests into dungeons with them, eliminating the need to wait 20 minutes in the queue if you were trying to go through matchmaking. This is the perfect solution for players who don’t want to play with strangers and ensures that no one is gated from progressing in the story just because they may have to wait an inordinate amount of time to find the necessary party. These NPCs are drawn from a pool of the familiar faces of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and from some noteworthy new acquaintances, so using them in the Trust system is a pleasant nod to the value that the Shadowbringers narrative places on friendship and sticking together in the face of adversity.

On the matter of the new classes and races aside, servers are currently teeming with Viera and Hrothgar avatars ready to take on the world. While the new race models look as spectacular in motion as one would expect, the Gunbreaker and Dancer classes are still a relative unknown that players are puzzling out at this early stage in Shadowbringers’ life cycle. Gunbreaker packs a hell of a punch as a high-damage job, suited for an off-tank role that trades in axes and greatswords for something a little less traditional. Dancer’s primary focus other than looking absolutely enchanting in combat is to provide buffs for party members, and it appears to be trying to fill the utility ranged DPS role previously occupied by Bards who have now had their party-wide buffs removed.

Gunbreaker currently feels a little too much like it was originally meant to be a DPS class. It does a ridiculous amount of damage, managing to hold its own against the likes of Black Mage and Samurai. This seems a little antithetical to the tanking philosophy imbued within the other role options, where the thematic focus on survivability and protection is much clearer. Healers in particular will have to get used to managing cooldowns around Superbolide, one of the key Gunbreaker abilities that reduces their HP to 1 whilst preventing further fatal damage. Playing as a gun-wielding tank is novel but hard to master as it takes a higher-risk approach to putting your life on the line for your party members and also requires those partied with you to be familiar with your new tricks.

Dancer, for all of its beauty, currently lacks some fire in the damage department. You have to manage two class-specific stances–Technical Step and Standard Step–each with its own set of moves to master. You also have access to Closed Position, which lets you choose a dance partner to benefit from your buffs and your skills. Pulling off a perfect performance will buff the Dancer’s DPS overall, and the key to doing damage is through graceful move combinations that ultimately let you unleash AOE attacks upon unsuspecting foes. The strength of Dancer shines through in prolonged encounters where their deadly chakram slice and dice at enemies, giving them the chance to use skills from both stances for a significant payoff. That being said, setting up these balletic massacres takes time; without enough breathing room to perform a routine, the Dancer can feel a little more frumpy than flamenco, especially in the majority of the game’s legacy content where breathing on something is as good as a killing blow.

Both classes have a distinct identity, though the streamlining of the other jobs has muddied the waters a little in respect of the existing classes enjoying the same individualism. You used to have to pick up quests specifically for your chosen job to learn new skills. Now, Shadowbringers has replaced these with role quests for DPS, tanks, and healers, and these exist mostly to provide experience and to further the overall narrative than to improve any existing affinity with your character’s chosen profession. While some job questlines were more involved than others (Stormblood introduced a particularly heartfelt Samurai one), to do away with them entirely seems like a waste. Role actions also have been further simplified, with changes to tanking and healing in particular removing some bloat but also making them more homogenous. While this makes it easier for newcomers to plug and play, it feels like it’s come at the cost of the unique class identities which past expansions have been so careful to cultivate.

Some of its changes to the player experience are still causing a little discomfort during this teething phase, but Shadowbringers makes a strong case for itself as the game’s most engaging expansion. It’s not just the sheer scale and strength of the narrative weaving in years of old lore without cheapening the experience for new players, or the immaculately designed boss fights replete with spectacular music and thematic touches. It’s also the implementation of the Trust system and the chance to truly feel the impact of the Warrior of Light’s decisions over the past expansions through exploring the stories of your companions. For a story that starts with a laser focus on your character’s motivations and misgivings, it tells a tale that ends up being the biggest and the best that Final Fantasy XIV has ever told. Equal parts redemption, vengeance, cruelty, and sassy Elezen, Shadowbringers promises a hell of a lot when you take your first steps into Norvrandt and delivers a truly spectacular finish even if it stumbles a little along the way.

Source : Gamesport

[cathrynstreich]

Shining a Spotlight on Cyber Security

Why real estate professionals need to become aware and informed…fast Everyone has heard at least one story about cyber fraud—a wire transfer intercepted by a hacker; an agent who clicked on a malicious link; or a brokerage held hostage by ransomware.

While such harrowing tales are alarming and increasing, the majority of real estate professionals still fail to prioritize cyber security. For many, in fact, it’s not even on their radar.

This is something Craig Grant is determined to change. According to Grant, a national speaker who is the president and founder of the Real Estate Technology Institute (RETI) and RETI University, as well as a certified GRI and e-PRO® instructor, “My No. 1 concern is that cyber security is not on 95 percent of real estate professionals’ radars. They don’t pay attention to it, give it a lot of effort or put money toward it.”

Yet, says Grant, a real estate professional’s world is fraught with opportunity for cyber fraudsters. “The second you become a real estate professional, you are set up for failure in the cyber security world,” he explains. “You are legally required to store documents and communications safely, but the typical real estate professional has zero training on the topic.”

That’s why, as an instructor dedicated to teaching cyber security strategies, Grant is committed to making real estate professionals aware and prepared.

“Real estate professionals don’t realize that cyber fraud is a year-round issue,” says Grant. “They may have heard a few horror stories, but they think it can’t happen to them. I try to show them that it doesn’t matter what size your company or market is; you’re all targets because of the amount of data you’re collecting and the size of the transactions.”

As part of his educational effort, Grant is heavily involved in updates to the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) e-PRO® program. “I’ve been an instructor since 2009, and I’m now working with NAR to revamp the content, especially in terms of cyber security issues.” At press time, the updated course was preparing to launch this October. Additionally, Grant has co-authored cyber security courses for CRS and built out GRI modules for 12 different states.

One of the most critical, yet overlooked, components of cyber security, says Grant, is investing in cyber insurance. “The typical real estate agent, broker and even association staff member thinks they’re covered by their E&O insurance, but it doesn’t cover one penny related to reputation damage or ransomware,” he explains. “According to NAR research, 88 percent of real estate businesses would be out of business in six months without cyber insurance.”

CyberPolicy—an NAR REALTOR Benefits® Program partner—offers a comprehensive and customized cyber liability insurance program for REALTOR®-owned brokerages. Created specifically for real estate professionals, the plan provides access to preparedness tools, premium discounts and specialized coverage, which also extends to clients. Additionally, members receive support to help quickly restore business in the event of a cyber attack or fraud.

According to Grant, cyber insurance policies are affordable and offer peace of mind. “I explain to real estate professionals that they’re a target, and I point out their weaknesses, such as needing better antivirus software and stronger passwords. What drives it home is the idea of wire transfer fraud. That’s when they start to understand the need for cyber insurance.”

Grant emphasizes that it’s incumbent upon real estate professionals to educate their clients as well. “The second they start working with a new customer, real estate professionals need to educate them about wire fraud and have them sign agreements regarding wire transfer instructions, and add a legal disclaimer to their email signatures. This will protect them in front of a judge.”

Grant shares his other top tips regarding cyber security for real estate professionals:

• Start taking it seriously and attend classes. “Learn about cyber security and start practicing it. Most small business owners are asleep at the wheel.”

• Have a top-level antivirus on every device. “The average person doesn’t realize they are at risk on a phone or tablet, so hackers go after those devices like crazy.”

• Get cyber liability insurance. • Learn methods for creating and remembering unhackable passwords.

• Understand the dangers of WiFi. “WiFi is the easiest thing on the planet to hack. Whatever environment you’re in, make sure it’s secure.”

• Build your business in the Cloud. “If you can’t download everything in the Cloud, and you’re attacked with ransomware, then you’re paying that ransom.”

REALTORS® can gain further insight into cyber security and technology through NAR’s Tech Edge events. According to Grant, “Tech Edge is one day of packed learning. There are several short, 20-minute presentations, so you’re not sitting through four-hour classes. They’re presented by people who really understand technology—REALTORS® and vendors with boots on the ground.”

This year’s NAR Tech Edge events have pivoted from several one-day, in-person events across the U.S. to a three-part virtual series. The last video of the series, available on Aug. 27, will focus on data security.

While there is a lot to learn in the arena of cyber security, Grant emphasizes that the most important lesson is to realize it can happen to you. “Realize that everyone is a target,” he says. “You have to be more vigilant and aware of what’s going on.”

For more information, please visit epro.realtor. Maria Patterson is RISMedia’s executive editor. Email her your real estate news ideas to maria@rismedia.com.

The post Shining a Spotlight on Cyber Security appeared first on RISMedia.

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[gamerszone2019-blog]

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Review

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/final-fantasy-xiv-shadowbringers-review/

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Review

Whereas previous Final Fantasy XIV expansions grappled with broad-brush concepts in corruption, religion, and imperialism, the path you tread in Shadowbringers is a distinctly personal affair. The central conceit is the battle between good and evil, and between the dual concepts of Light and Dark, but at its core is a story about a protagonist who’s been left adrift and has to come to terms with their identity alongside long-time companions against the backdrop of a dying world. This harkens back to the sort of character treatment that the non-MMO Final Fantasy games have prided themselves on for decades, but even with the familiar subject matter, the journey here feels distinctly forward-looking. The question for a lot of fans was whether the longevity of the game post-Stormblood would last. When you roll the credits on Shadowbringers, it’ll be hard to envision a world where the answer to that is anything other than a resounding “yes”.

Shadowbringers hinges on a revelation. The quests between Stormblood and the new content do a great job of laying down a narrative foundation rife with inter-faction politics, intrigue, and shadowy figures pulling strings with hidden consequences. As the new expansion opens, however, that particular nest of vipers is upended by way of a forced jaunt through time and space. What starts as a quest to save your friends takes a life-altering turn; you’re thrown into the heart of a conflict between Light and Dark that strikes at the core of the hero mythos that the game has built around your character since A Realm Reborn.

As the Warrior of Light, you’re tossed rather unceremoniously into the realm of Norvrandt: a world ravaged by the very element that you’ve chivalrously championed all your life. Like any erstwhile hero facing the unknown, your job initially is to search for some clarity and a way to save your friends back home from eternal slumber. It soon becomes very clear that your impressive deeds in Eorzea mean next to nothing here. No one knows of your previous accomplishments, there’s a distinct distrust from the locals, and your usual non-verbal charm gets you nowhere.

The kicker is that any mention of the Light will make you public enemy number one; it’s rampaging through the land and leaving death and destruction in its wake. You’re unmoored and as good as stranded in an unfamiliar world where your values and beliefs could get you killed. Starting a new MMORPG expansion can often feel like slipping into a pair of worn shoes that have stood the test of time; there’s a certain sense of security afforded to you because of your established Chosen One status. With the story’s rocky start, Shadowbringers takes a decidedly discomforting approach by doing the narrative equivalent of taking those shoes off your feet and getting someone to beat you with them. The solution it offers in its opening minutes is simple: Set aside everything you know and become the Warrior of Darkness.

In practice, this is more difficult than it sounds. Norvrandt is home to all manner of dangers, and the most insidious aren’t the ones that come at you with sharp teeth and sharper claws. There’s a seething undercurrent of wrongness that permeates everything, as beautiful as the lush forests and the wide, open fields of this realm may be. These sentiments are felt throughout the design of Shadowbringers’ new locations and dungeons: the debaucherous Eulmore where the rich are willfully ignorant to the suffering of others, the deceivingly dangerous riot of fae and fancy of Il Mheg, and the apocalyptic wastelands of times long destroyed by the Light, to name a few. Each new environment is twisted violently in some way, whether it’s the presence of monstrous enemies or the cruel ways that its inhabitants have chosen to eke out a living.

The main story quests ferry you from location to location at a decent clip, though ample time is devoted to you experiencing the horrors that the Light has wrought about the realm. Having to go back to what feels like the equivalent of Hero School affords you some breathing room; it’s clear that the expansion wasn’t going to live and die on the Warrior of Darkness’ shoulders alone, and a large part of the narrative is actually devoted to fleshing out popular supporting characters from Final Fantasy XIV canon. You’re not the only one who’s had to make some difficult adjustments, and Shadowbringers doesn’t shy away from tough questions about sacrifice, honor, and duty (or their tougher answers).

The dungeons and trials are an excellent way for Shadowbringers to hammer those points home, and to deal with important narrative beats. It’s a credit to the game’s development team that the dungeons are much more than just a means to keep you occupied or to give you enough experience to move on to the next big thing in the world. They function like little pockets of insight into the decayed state of Norvrandt, complete with harrowing bosses and crumbling ruins. These dungeons see you racing through castles fighting seraphim and diving into fae realms making desperate pacts to secure your future. And it all plays out to a distinctly operatic soundtrack that leans heavily into dramatic strings and modern vocal frills, creating a perfect atmosphere to underscore the urgency of your character’s mission. Every new encounter of this fashion drives the Warrior of Darkness closer to their goal of restoring balance to the world, whether it’s driving a sword through the heart of a friend now-twisted by Light or unearthing the origins and primal motivations for this conflict. Dungeons have always been a part of the main story’s requirements in Final Fantasy XIV, but here they feel just as crucial to your enjoyment and understanding of the tale as the new quests do.

Quests place you directly in the shoes of these supporting characters, and playing as them is both a welcome change of pace and a chance for newer players to deepen their understanding of the game’s lore. That being said, not all quests are made equal, and there are some confusing mechanical decisions that may frustrate. For example, the end of the expansion requires a player to have completed a max-level quest before picking up a lower-level one to progress to the grand finale. In other cases, optional quests that share a common thread can sometimes be spread out across different locations on a map and aren’t signposted any differently from unrelated ones. This can make you feel like you need to slog through every mundane errand in the hopes of finding a diamond. Luckily, these instances are few and far between; just like its predecessor, Shadowbringers brings to life a number of humanizing stories through its side quests and manages to make you care about the day-to-day lives of new characters who initially have nothing but scorn for what you stand for.

It’s not solely about capitalizing on known factors, though. The expansion introduces plenty of unfamiliar delights to sink your teeth into–the Trust system is perhaps the most important addition for accessibility that Final Fantasy XIV has seen since its rebirth. It allows players to take a fully-formed party of NPCs from the main story quests into dungeons with them, eliminating the need to wait 20 minutes in the queue if you were trying to go through matchmaking. This is the perfect solution for players who don’t want to play with strangers and ensures that no one is gated from progressing in the story just because they may have to wait an inordinate amount of time to find the necessary party. These NPCs are drawn from a pool of the familiar faces of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and from some noteworthy new acquaintances, so using them in the Trust system is a pleasant nod to the value that the Shadowbringers narrative places on friendship and sticking together in the face of adversity.

On the matter of the new classes and races aside, servers are currently teeming with Viera and Hrothgar avatars ready to take on the world. While the new race models look as spectacular in motion as one would expect, the Gunbreaker and Dancer classes are still a relative unknown that players are puzzling out at this early stage in Shadowbringers’ life cycle. Gunbreaker packs a hell of a punch as a high-damage job, suited for an off-tank role that trades in axes and greatswords for something a little less traditional. Dancer’s primary focus other than looking absolutely enchanting in combat is to provide buffs for party members, and it appears to be trying to fill the utility ranged DPS role previously occupied by Bards who have now had their party-wide buffs removed.

Gunbreaker currently feels a little too much like it was originally meant to be a DPS class. It does a ridiculous amount of damage, managing to hold its own against the likes of Black Mage and Samurai. This seems a little antithetical to the tanking philosophy imbued within the other role options, where the thematic focus on survivability and protection is much clearer. Healers in particular will have to get used to managing cooldowns around Superbolide, one of the key Gunbreaker abilities that reduces their HP to 1 whilst preventing further fatal damage. Playing as a gun-wielding tank is novel but hard to master as it takes a higher-risk approach to putting your life on the line for your party members and also requires those partied with you to be familiar with your new tricks.

Dancer, for all of its beauty, currently lacks some fire in the damage department. You have to manage two class-specific stances–Technical Step and Standard Step–each with its own set of moves to master. You also have access to Closed Position, which lets you choose a dance partner to benefit from your buffs and your skills. Pulling off a perfect performance will buff the Dancer’s DPS overall, and the key to doing damage is through graceful move combinations that ultimately let you unleash AOE attacks upon unsuspecting foes. The strength of Dancer shines through in prolonged encounters where their deadly chakram slice and dice at enemies, giving them the chance to use skills from both stances for a significant payoff. That being said, setting up these balletic massacres takes time; without enough breathing room to perform a routine, the Dancer can feel a little more frumpy than flamenco, especially in the majority of the game’s legacy content where breathing on something is as good as a killing blow.

Both classes have a distinct identity, though the streamlining of the other jobs has muddied the waters a little in respect of the existing classes enjoying the same individualism. You used to have to pick up quests specifically for your chosen job to learn new skills. Now, Shadowbringers has replaced these with role quests for DPS, tanks, and healers, and these exist mostly to provide experience and to further the overall narrative than to improve any existing affinity with your character’s chosen profession. While some job questlines were more involved than others (Stormblood introduced a particularly heartfelt Samurai one), to do away with them entirely seems like a waste. Role actions also have been further simplified, with changes to tanking and healing in particular removing some bloat but also making them more homogenous. While this makes it easier for newcomers to plug and play, it feels like it’s come at the cost of the unique class identities which past expansions have been so careful to cultivate.

Some of its changes to the player experience are still causing a little discomfort during this teething phase, but Shadowbringers makes a strong case for itself as the game’s most engaging expansion. It’s not just the sheer scale and strength of the narrative weaving in years of old lore without cheapening the experience for new players, or the immaculately designed boss fights replete with spectacular music and thematic touches. It’s also the implementation of the Trust system and the chance to truly feel the impact of the Warrior of Light’s decisions over the past expansions through exploring the stories of your companions. For a story that starts with a laser focus on your character’s motivations and misgivings, it tells a tale that ends up being the biggest and the best that Final Fantasy XIV has ever told. Equal parts redemption, vengeance, cruelty, and sassy Elezen, Shadowbringers promises a hell of a lot when you take your first steps into Norvrandt and delivers a truly spectacular finish even if it stumbles a little along the way.

Source : Gamesport