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Major League Baseball 2020 Mock Draft
7 months ago by Marc Hulet
The 2020 MLB amateur draft takes place later tonight and it will be unlike any draft we've seen.
With owners crying poor and minor league systems set to be permanently compressed, the draft has been slashed from the normal 40 rounds to just five — although teams will be able to sign undrafted players as free agents for no more than $20,000. This means we will likely see a lot of high school players opt for the college or junior college routes and some college juniors opt for a senior year — although the pandemic has also put college programs at risk.
This draft, with only five rounds, will put a huge amount of pressure on scouting directors and their departments to get it right. In past drafts, you could find gems in later rounds to help offset the sting of swinging-and-missing on a first or second-round pick. This may be less likely to happen now. The one bit of good news for MLB teams is that this is a fairly deep draft — especially on the college side.
The 2020 MLB Mock Draft
Today, we're looking at the players I would select based on true baseball talent — not just from a fantasy perspective although in truth there isn't a huge divide from the two perspectives. I've spent weeks pouring over video, scouting reports, and data to make my selections for each team as if I were their scouting directors. Next week, we'll take a look at how the first round actually played out and how those choices could impact the players' future fantasy values.
I've been mock drafting ahead of the amateur draft for well over 10 years now. The 2011 draft was one of my strongest when I advocated for Gerrit Cole first overall, followed by Anthony Rendon and then Trevor Bauer. I broke with the industry consensus in 2012 — along with the Astros, as it turned out — and selected Carlos Correa first overall. Kris Bryant was another great added with the first pick in 2013 as the Astros real pick — Mark Appel — was a huge miss. Below, I'll list the players I selected in both the 2018 and the 2019 mock drafts.
Below, you'll also see the players that were selected by myself for the listed teams during the 2018 and 2019 mock drafts. It's a fun little way to see how well I've helped (or hurt) your favorite teams over the past three years.
1. Detroit Tigers: Zac Veen, OF, Florida HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Casey Mize and J.J. Bleday
Let's shake up things right off the bat. Veen has an advanced bat for his age and projects to hit for both power and average. I love his low-maintenance but potent swing and his 6-foot-4, 190-pound frame, which has room to add additional muscle. I was a huge fan of both Jarred Kelenic and Corbin Carroll in the last two drafts but Veen could be even better. Because he's not the consensus best player, I can likely save some money for the Tigers with this pick to help with the other four rounds and still deliver the top option much as I did for Houston in 2012 with Carlos Correa.
2. Baltimore Orioles: Austin Martin, OF/3B, Vanderbilt U
2018 and 2019 Picks: Mason Denaburg and Andrew Vaughn
Martin reminds me of Bo Bichette at the plate and with his confidence in the field. He should hit for average, add more home-run muscle as he matures thanks to impressive bat speed, and will also provide some steals. I love the way he attacks the ball and he has been a very good amateur player for a long time. He'd be an exciting player for Baltimore to build around.
3. Miami Marlins: Asa Lacy, LHP, Texas A&M U
2018 and 2019 Picks: Jordyn Adams and CJ Abrams
Lacy is a big, strong left-handed starter with power stuff and a chance for four better-than-average offerings. He has an easy delivery and should have better than average command and control in time. His delivery is impressive for someone that throws as hard as he does. There is frontline starter potential here.
4. Kansas City Royals: Spencer Torkelson, 1B, Arizona State U
2018 and 2019 Picks: Matthew Liberatore and Adley Rutschman
As the draft approaches, Torkelson is expected to go first overall but I have my reservations — although I didn't hesitate to take right-handed college first baseman in Andrew Vaughn — first overall in my mock draft last year. Torkelson is more physical than Vaughn and has more raw power but he's also not nearly as natural a hitter. I also fear that the Arizona State slugger will have a significant amount of swing and miss. With everyone, including the bat boys, hitting for power in the MLB these days, Torkelson slides a bit for me because his greatest tool is not as special as it once would have been and I'll favor more well-rounded players ahead of him. But he's excellent value at No. 4.
5. Toronto Blue Jays: Max Meyer, RHP, U Minnesota
2018 and 2019 Picks: Logan Gilbert and George Kirby
Things start to get a little harder here because there are a few players that I like at No. 5. I'm torn between Nick Gonzales and Meyer here but I'll opt for the arm. He's a smallish right-hander but athletic with a solid delivery. He has power stuff into the upper 90s on his heater with a plus slider. Meyer was previously a college reliever so he needs to build up stamina and improve his changeup. He has room on his frame to get even stronger. It was a different front office but the Jays have had success with a smallish right-hander (Marcus Stroman).
6. Seattle Mariners: Nick Gonzales, 2B, New Mexico State U
2018 and 2019 Picks: Jarred Kelenic and Kody Hoese
Things line up nicely for me to deliver and an excellent bat to the Mariners for a third straight year. Gonzales plays in New Mexico so the stats are inflated by a great hitting environment but even if you let the air out of them, they're impressive. In 16 college games before the pandemic hit, Gonzales had 12 home runs, a 1.765 OPS, 21-10 BB-K and a .448 batting average. He has a great eye and the ability to hit for a high average. He's perhaps Nick Madrigal without the speed but a little more gap power.
7. Pittsburgh Pirates: Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF, California HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Grayson Rodriguez and Nick Lodolo
This is where my run on the second tier of prep outfielders (aka post-Zac Veen) starts. Crow-Armstrong reminds me of Alex Verdugo. He takes a lot of pitches, isn't afraid to work the count and uses the whole field. He's not a huge player right now and has lots of room to add good weight/muscle to help answer some of the questions about how much power he'll hit for. There is lots of time for him to mature and he's sure to stick in center field.
8. San Diego Padres: Robert Hassell, OF, Tennessee HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Nick Madrigal and Matthew Allan
For me, Hassell and Pete Crow-Armstrong are very close in terms of potential as they both have a chance to be above-average hitters but both come with questions about future power output. There is room to add a lot of muscle to Hassell's thin frame so I think the power will eventually play. He has a little less speed than his fellow prospect whom I took above. He's another player with a very low-maintenance but potent swing.
9. Colorado Rockies: Austin Hendrick, OF, Pennsylvania HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Lenny Torres and Alek Manoah
Hendrick has one of the most powerful bats in the draft with excellent bat speed and he already has a mature frame -- he looks more like a college hitter than a prep bat. My concerns come from the swing-and-miss in his game, as well as the modest quality of pitching he's faced while growing up in Pennsylvania. I'll take hit tool over a power tool most days so Hendrick falls a bit in the prep outfielder ranks for me but is still good value here and could really thrive in Colorado.
10. Los Angeles Angels: Emerson Hancock, RHP, U Georgia
2018 and 2019 Picks: Noah Naylor and Anthony Volpe
This is quite a slide for Hancock, who is widely considered the second-best college arm. But it's also a great pick for the Angels, an organization that desperately needs impact arms. However, I don't love his arm action or arm slot. He has some power to his fastball and slider but the former offering gets hit more than you'd like to see. A low arm slot like this can lead to issues against left-handers but Emerson has a very good changeup which helps to combat that concern. He also has a chance for above-average command/control.
11. Chicago White Sox: Reid Detmers, LHP, U Louisville
2018 and 2019 Picks: Alec Bohm and Bobby Witt Jr.
He's not flashy but Detmers is a perfectly good college pitcher. His lack of premium fastball velocity and fly-ball tendencies make him a bigger risk for me than perhaps some other scouting directors. With that said, he's expected to be a very reliable No. 3/4 starter in the Majors and has the makeup and drive to move quickly. He could end up with plus command/control. Prior to the pandemic halt, Detmers had a K-BB of 48-6 in 22 innings over four starts.
12. Cincinnati Reds: Mick Abel, RHP, Oregon HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Carter Stewart and Josh Jung
The first prep arm off the board for me is not from one of the warm-weather hotbeds but from Oregon. Abel has an enviable pitcher's frame at 6-foot-5, 195 pounds and he has excellent athleticism. He's flashed the ability to hit 96-97 mph but works more in the 92-94 mph range which is fine — he has room to add muscle/weight to his frame.
13. San Francisco Giants: Jared Kelley, RHP, Texas HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Brady Singer and Corbin Carroll
Kelley is more physically mature than Abel above and has less projection. He slips one slot down for me because he lacks a quality break ball and it's hard to just pick up a feel for spinning the ball. Still, he has a power fastball that can hit the upper 90s and potentially-plus changeup. He should also have above-average to plus command and control in time. I think he'll make it work as a starter even if his third offering in fringe-average but he could be a downright dominant high-leverage reliever as a backup plan.
14. Texas Rangers: Nick Bitsko, RHP, Pennsylvania HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Nolan Gorman and Riley Greene
Bitsko committed a year early so he's one of the youngest arms in the draft. He has a great pitcher's frame and already stands 6-foot-4. He can dial his heater up to 96-97 mph and also features a power, high-spin-rate curveball. There is some effort to his delivery, which could hurt his command/control and add some durability concerns but the talent is too much to ignore.
15. Philadelphia Phillies: Jordan Walker, 3B, George HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Joey Bart and Brennan Malone
I really like Walker and think he deserves to be a first-rounder even if he's being ranked as more of a supplemental first or second-round selection by others. The teenager is already 6-foot-5 but is very athletic for his size and should hit for a ton of power as he matures. He's also a surprisingly good hitter for his age. I'm all in here.
16. Chicago Cubs: Tyler Soderstrom, 3B/C, California HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Blaine Knight and Braden Shewmake
I might have Soderstrom ranked higher if I thought he could catch. His bat will likely develop quicker than his defense so I'd pick him here and move him to third base while giving him some additional reps at catcher to see if he can be a solid third-string option -- or how the electronic strike zone might play out and make catcher defense less important. He has plus power potential. He has a bit of a longer swing so there will likely be some swing-and-miss here.
17. Boston Red Sox: Bobby Miller, RHP, U Louisville
2018 and 2019 Picks: Adam Kloffenstein
A teammate of Reid Detmers, Miller is another sure-fire first-rounder for me. He has a great pitcher's frame at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. He can dial his heater up into the mid-to-upper 90s and it could produce good ground-ball numbers. He also has a power slider but will need a reliable changeup/splitter to combat left-handed hitters given his low arm slot. There is reliever risk here or I'd have him ranked higher.
18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Garrett Crochet, LHP, U Tennessee
2018 and 2019 Picks: J.T. Ginn, Daniel Espino, and Michael Busch
Crochet is a lefty that can really throw heat. The 6-foot-6 hurler can touch 100 mph and also showcases an intriguing slider. Crochet also has good control but less impressive command. He's down a bit for me due to a modest college results and some injury concerns (He missed time with a shoulder problem).
19. New York Mets: Cole Wilcox, RHP, U Georgia
2018 and 2019 Picks: Jonathan India and Brett Baty
I really liked Wilcox in his senior year of high school but he slid was down the real draft because he wasn't signable away from his college commitment. He hasn't advanced as much as I had hoped since then and I had concerns with his inability to throw consistent strikes in his sophomore season (although he had a K-BB of 32-2 in four starts in 2020). He still has a power repertoire but there is a risk that he ends up as a high-leverage reliever.
20. Milwaukee Brewers: Garrett Mitchell, OF, UCLA
2018 and 2019 Picks: Jeremiah Jackson and Seth Johnson
This feels like a solid landing spot for the athletic Mitchell. He more of a pull approach than I like to see from a player with modest present power so I worry about how well he'll hit in pro ball. The type-1 diabetes has some teams concerned but it doesn't worry me given how strong medical teams have become for pro sports teams. Mitchell has plus-plus speed, excellent center-field defence and could hit for more power with tweaks to his swing. But he's also a little more raw and with more risk than your typical college outfielder.
21. St. Louis Cardinals: Austin Wells, C/OF, U Arizona
2018 and 2019 Picks: Cole Wilcox and Spencer Jones
Wells has a chance to be a solid hitter with above-average power. He's also shown a willingness to take a walk and could produce good on-base numbers. He's had some elbow issues which have lessened the value in his arm and his changes of sticking behind the plate are low. He may be OK in a corner outfield spot and the Cardinals definitely don't need more catching depth. I'm still bummed that last year's pick, Spencer Jones, opted for college rather than beginning his pro career.
22. Washington Nationals: Ed Howard, SS, Illinois HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Alek Thomas and Kyren Paris
An excellent defensive shortstop, Howard also has a quick bat but his swing gets long, which limits his offensive potential. He also has just modest in-game pop at this time but he has a build that hints at more pop to come once he adds additional muscle. He doesn't come from a big hotbed so he could really blossom once he hits pro ball as he's reportedly a smart player with good instincts.
23. Cleveland Indians: Bryce Jarvis, RHP, Duke U
2018 and 2019 Picks: Seth Beer and Bryson Stott
Jarvis works with a very quick tempo and is fun to watch. He's added velocity in the last year and now works in the mid-90s. He could eventually have three above-average offerings although the movement in his delivery could keep him from ever having more than average command/control.
24. Tampa Bay Rays: Daniel Cabrera, OF, Louisiana State U
2018 and 2019 Picks: Shane McClanahan and Quinn Priester
Cabrera has excellent balance and quick hands, which should help him hit for a high average in pro ball. There are some questions about how much power he'll hit for but I think he'll get to at least enough to generate 15-20 home runs. He has limited defensive value and is probably a long-term left-fielder.
25. Atlanta Braves: Jared Jones, RHP, California HS
2018 and 2019 Picks: Jackson Kowar, Jackson Rutledge and Shea Langeliers
An ultra-athletic, two-way prep player, Jones' future is on the mound even if he stands just 6-foot-1. The right-hander can work into the upper 90s with a potentially above-average slider. There is definite effort is his delivery which could prevent him from ever having more than average command/control. Focusing on just pitching could help him really take off and the Braves organization could really help him tap into his full potential on the mound.
26. Oakland Athletics: Jared Shuster, LHP, Wake Forest U
2018 and 2019 Picks: Travis Swaggerty and Keoni Cavaco
Shuster is a strong-bodied lefty who should be able to provide lots of innings in the middle of a starting rotation. His track record of statistical success is limited but he's seen a jump in velocity (now sits mid-90s) and improved control with an easy delivery. He also has an excellent changeup with swing-and-miss potential and a developing breaking ball. In the back-end of the first round I feel safe in taking him with the belief the improvements are permanent.
27. Minnesota Twins: Cade Cavalli, RHP, U Oklahoma
2018 and 2019 Picks: Steele Walker and Hunter Bishop
Cavalli has an impressive pitcher's frame and premium velocity. He could also eventually end up with four better-than-average offerings. His control has really improved but his command is a work-in-progress and he allows more hits and misses fewer bats than you'd like to see.
28. New York Yankees: Heston Kjerstad, OF, U Arkansas
2018 and 2019 Picks: Greyson Jenista and Matthew Lugo
Teams are reportedly drawn to Kjerstad's plus power but I don't like his swing or set up at all. He also strikes out a lot — 63 times in 63 games as a sophomore — and just doesn't look like a natural hitter. There is power here but not enough to entice me with a high pick but the Yankees have a track record of success when it comes to helping hitters make adjustments and unleashing their full potentials.
29. Los Angeles Dodgers: Carmen Mlodzinski, RHP, U South Carolin
2018 and 2019 Picks: Nander De Sedas and J.J. Goss
Mlodzinski is such a wildcard. He looks great on the mound but has had uneven results throughout his college career — and he missed much of his sophomore season due to a foot injury. This right-hander has a solid 93-94 mph fastball with lots of sink and a solid cutter/slider. He was excellent in last summer's Cape Cod League. He has a solid delivery and his stuff really moves when he's on his game.
Comp Round A
30. Baltimore Orioles: Patrick Bailey, C, North Carolina State U
31. Pittsburgh Pirates: Gage Workman, 3B/SS, Arizona State U
32. Kansas City Royals: Nick Loftin, SS, Baylor U
33. Arizona Diamondbacks: Tanner Burns, RHP, Auburn U
34. San Diego Padres: Isaiah Greene, OF, California HS
35. Colorado Rockies: Clayton Beeter, RHP, Texas Tech U
36. Cleveland Indians: Slade Cecconi, RHP, U Miami
37. Tampa Bay Rays: David Calabrese, OF, Ontario (Canada) HS
72. Houston Astros (First pick due to sign-stealing penalties): JT Ginn, RHP, Mississippi State U (Ryan Rolison and Jimmy Lewis)
Ginn was a surefire first-rounder coming out of high school for me, even if that wasn't the consensus. The Dodgers took him at the back end of the first but failed to sign him. He looked good in college before getting hurt and requiring Tommy John surgery. With advancements in the surgery and success rates, he's still a potential option for me at the end of the first given his power stuff. As a freshman, this draft-eligible sophomore posted a K-BB of 103-18 in 80.1 innings. He's a potential steal here if he'll agree to the money available. Another injured hurler, prep pitcher Daxton Fulton, would be considered here if signable.


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An Infinite Number of Monkeys vs. A Finite Number Of Brain Cells
The limits of materialism are evident, at least to me. For example, in the materialist view, there must be a maximum amount of memories one can have, else where are they stored? (This has been calculated at various times, with current models now approaching near infinity for practical purposes.) Then there's the issue of causality. (You can't logically have causality and responsibility if everything is the result of physical laws that dictate behavior.)
And then there's this crap. According to this, the human being can't really care about more than 150 people at a time. (This is an interesting parallel to Aristotle's famous essay on how many friends one can have, I'll grant.) The brain, it is argued, can't handle it. (O! thou organ of limitless and limited power!) He calls this limit the monkeysphere.
It's fun the play spot the assumptions:
People toss half-full bottles of drain cleaner right into the barrel, without a second thought of what would happen if the trash man got it splattered into his eyes. Why? Because the trash guy exists outside the Monkeysphere.
Sure, some people don't think about service guys. But the fact that trash men aren't running around blinded tells you something as well. For example, it might tell you that people sort of figure that the trash guy knows what he's doing and takes reasonable precautions, and that they're right.
The simple fact is it's impossible to act if you weight every person equally in your life. Not only would that not be a commendable thing, it would be downright stupid. Your attention should be on the people who most directly affect your life, like the jerk who pulls out into traffic in front of you without signally, or whose lives you can affect, like the Ethernopian kid you send money to every month.
This next bit is spectacularly off:
Remember the first time, as a kid, you met one of your school teachers outside the classroom? Maybe you saw old Miss Puckerson at Taco Bell eating refried beans through a straw, or saw your principal walking out of a dildo shop. Do you remember that surreal feeling you had when you saw these people actually had lives outside the classroom?
I mean, they're not people. They're teachers.
Of course I've had that experience. But not because I didn't think of my teachers as people--and certainly not because they were outside my alleged monkeysphere. It was because teachers used to have a distance--a kind of altitude--that allowed them to maintain order and teach. It's not that they weren't people. It's that they weren't children.
I adored my grade school and earlier teachers. I had to get to Junior High school before I started getting teachers I didn't like (with a big caveat for my nursery school teachers who scared the bejeezus out of me).
But Mr. Wong has a theory, and he's going to fit all kinds of experiences into that theory whether they belong or not. I can't relate, for example, to this:
That's why you get that weird feeling of anonymous invincibility when you're sitting in a large crowd, screaming curses at a football player you'd never dare say to his face.
I'm not big on attending sporting events but I don't scream curses at the athletes. I root for the winning team and sometimes boo the opposing team because that's what you do. I don't have any real animosity for the opposing side at all. (Sure, some people get into it to that degree, but how many take it personally? Probably about the same percentage of crazies, or maybe slightly fewer, than make the political personal.)
Sure, you probably don't go out of your way to be mean to strangers. You don't go out of your way to be mean to stray dogs, either.
But you're the one making the equivalency, not me.
The problem is that eventually, the needs of you or those within your Monkeysphere will require screwing someone outside it (even if that need is just venting some tension and anger via exaggerated insults).
This just plain isn't true: Except for a statistically insignificant portion, civilization was built by those I've never met and am only vaguely aware of at best. I will be one of those anonymous many for the future. Survival is the exact opposite of a zero-sum game.
This paragraph essentially refutes the entire premise of the essay. Yes, life is in competition with other life. That, much like the sports event, is the game. But the vast majority of the people outside your circle are what make your existence possible, and a great deal of what you do, provided you are not a leech, is what makes others' existences possible.
And, what the hell? Since when is "venting anger via exaggerated insults" screwing someone? How big a pussy do you have to be to believe that?
This is why most of us wouldn't dream of stealing money from the pocket of the old lady next door, but don't mind stealing cable, adding a shady exemption on our tax return, or quietly celebrating when they forget to charge us for something at the restaurant.
Am I a Martian? I've only ever sent checks back for being in my favor. (I also used to tell my teachers when they missed marking me down in school.) And what's with the broad equivalencies?
It just gets worse from there. Check out this gem:
Talk radio's Rush Limbaugh is known to tip 50% at restaurants, but flies into a broadcast tirade if even half that dollar amount is deducted from his paycheck by "The Government." That's despite the fact that the money helps that very same single mom he had no problem tipping in her capacity as a waitress.
See what happens when you reduce everything to the material? A man wanting to decide the fate of his own money is being irrational if he objects to the government taking it from him to perform approximately the same task (at a greatly reduced efficiency, and of course less actual personal freedom).
There's no sense of right or wrong anywhere in this essay. Everyone just gets away with what they can, and they do so because of their brain. But this guy has the answer: Everything is more complicated than it seems, and we're all just primates flinging feces at each other.
There's also no good or evil. You and I are just Osama Bin Laden without the crazy-ass followers. His belief that we're oppressing him is just as valid as our belief that he killed 3,000+ of our citizens.
I tend to think that civilization depends on billions of us acting within a fairly narrow set of parameters suggests that the whole 150 limit is absurd on the face of it. If we were really and truly limited, civilization as we know it never would have emerged. Having SUVs and TVs didn't create the need for civilization, civilization created the possibility of having SUVs and TVs. But that's the typical reversal of a materialist.
I read this years ago and it disgusted me enough that I ignored it, but Ace just linked to another piece by this guy on how the Internet is going to be regulated so that there's no more anonymity, because anonymity empowers trolls and trolls hurt business.
Meh. Possibly. But so far the 'net has resisted a lot of obvious regulation, and things don't have to always get worse.
Posted by blake at 12:50 AM
Labels: internet, philosophy, society
knox November 12, 2008 at 5:28 AM
You're right, that essay is idiotic. His ability to take things that don't prove his point and insist that they do is Chomsky-esque.
blake November 12, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Heh. You know Chomsky was an interesting linguist before he went into full-bore "illuminati" mode.
Trooper York November 13, 2008 at 5:29 PM
But was he a cunning linguist, that's the question.
blake November 13, 2008 at 5:50 PM
He was, in fact, a cunning linguist!
But, rumor has it, bad in bed. He kept talking about how certain positions favored particular narratives about how sex should be conducted.
Zack And Miri Make A Porno
An Atheist In Church
Rachel Getting Married
It's Hard Being Right All The Time, vol 2: A Rebuttal
Post Mortem: Death of a Barbarian, pt II
It's Hard Being Right All The Time, vol 2.
Post Mortem: Death of a Barbarian
Fur is Murder. Fabulous, sexy murder.
The Boy In The Striped Pajamas
Speaking of Ebb and Flow
Cinematic Titanic: Santa Claus Conquers The Martia...
The Preface
It's Hard To Be Right All The Time
Pajamas and Poison
Sidney White and the Seven Dorks
Treadmill Desk, Week 13
The New Bond Girls: Pointy and Rounded
Taylon Doon and the Impending Deadline
Bond: A Small Amount of Comfort
Madagascar 2: Back To The Box Office
New Word: Phrenetic
Manic Monday Apocalypso: Time Machines
Are You There God? It's Me, That Guy Who Doesn't B...
And You End Up Despising Walt Disney
Lizabeth Scott: Vampire Killer
Bit Maelstrom: Tops in Tops and Bottoming Out
Once I Built A Railroad
An Infinite Number of Monkeys vs. A Finite Number ...
RocknRollan on the River
Reasons to pirate software.
Manic Monday Apocalypso: The Monsters Are Due
Reminder...
Irony? Or Karma?
You Know How To Make A Joke, Don't You?
RocknRolla The Vote
Well, Crap.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changeling
Taylon Doon Update
Aw, what the hell?
Ground broken on barbariancowboysexyunicornyogurty...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Forums > Playstation
Legend of Dragoon
Shadowbolt
I think it's a crying shame that they never went through with making the sequal for this game. It was freaking amazing, and they just drop it. Discuss.
That game was pretty fun to play. I never did beat but i wish i still had it. If they do ever make another one though i think i would buy it.
Hugh_Jass
Dear God. I have not played this game in 4 years. It is one of my most treasured classics ever. I grew up in my late single digits playing this game, and ever since I played it, I wished for a sequel, and I still do. If this was a system exclusive game, I would by that systerm just to see the first minute of the next generation version. I even have the last victory time: It took me 40:21:11 to beat the game the last time I ever played it... and not once did I ever get to Dragoon Level 5. With anybody.
icedragon981
Man, my cousin got this game andI played this game and loved every minute of it, a great RPG and game all around. Sad thing is, I got to the final boss, lost, didn't play it for a while, but in that time, the 4th disk got a scratch and then it wouldn't play the battles anymore so I never finished it. :(
DracObi
My, what beautiful game! I first played it in a K-mart demo game, then bought it for a friend...and borrowed it for a while. Nyahaha!!!
lapisdragon
I still have that game, took me forever to beat it and collect all the stardust thingys too. Great game, maybe they'll surprise us and make a new one??
The wierd thing is that I can list several things I hate about the game, yet I still love it like it was my only child....er... forget that "child" part.
Lavitz was so much cooler than that King dude you get after him. I don't even remember his name, it's been so long.
Albert, Learning his combos was a pain....
xenokaos
This game is the Shit. Hands down. I loved it so much. My favorite team was Dart, Albert, and Rose. I was pissed when I lost the Red Dragon Dragoon Spirit. It was cool. I beat the game several times, and I finally got everyone's ultimate moves, and their Dragons. I love it!
Legend of Dragoon was great fun when I was playing it, the story was really good, and the graphics wasn't half bad back then. I remember when Shana was replaced >.>;; but the game was really entertaining, especially the battle system, the battle didn't make bored as well, by just pressing the X button to attack, but it rather they had this combo system where you had to press it at the right time :3 also Meru was just kawaii~! hee~ ^ ^;;;;
VHMorbo
The battle system was pretty fun, and the cutscenes looked absolutely gorgeous. But for some reason, I just couldn't get in too deeply with it.
Maybe it was just that the regular enemies provided barely any experience, while the bosses always gave enough for everyone to level up. I know they made it so you didn't have to level up, but it just seems like there should have been more to something.
I must say that this game is most probably the best rpg i have ever played. it was one of my first as well. i liked this game so much that when im bored and have played all the games i have i will start out a new file and beat the game all over again. I have waited forever for a sequel and i know they probably wont make one but i can dream cant i?
Critty105
It was an extremley good RPG. Back when I was still a youngin' I didn't much pay attention to the smaller things but now that I think about it, it was a great game! I just wish I could get a cheap copy of it now. :'(
Grey_Rowlang
#1587126 - 13 years ago
Anyone know how many stages there are to whatshisface... The boss on the moon?
Melbu Frahma? (I believe that's how it's spelt) I think he had only 3 stages.
No, wait. I remember now. He had like, 7, for all of the dragoon's didn't he? And he skipped a few?
I see... thx
Yes, but you only fought Four og his stages. 1st one with tentacles, 2nd with the laser sword, 3rd when he was some scary object like a pickle, and 4th when he was huge.
MetalNitro23
Yeah except I thought the third form looked more like a vaccum cleaner than a pickle
Cometgreen
The wierd thing is that I can list several things I hate about the game, yet I still love it like it was my only child
Same here. I mean, the loading times were awful, the boss battles went on forever, you could barely travel anywhere, and the game itself was just slow. But for some reason, I still enjoyed it and wish I had the time to play it again.
KASuttle
It was a great game but took me a few years to beat mainly because I couldn't figur out how to get past the law city, then I figured out that but my memory card was missing so I bought a new memory card and played it all again, then my third disk was scratched so I barrowed my friends and his fourth disk was scratched so that stopped me until I realized my fourth disk wasn't scratched.
Trivayne FIRST Member Star(s) Indication of membership status - One star is a FIRST member, two stars is Double Gold
this is a great game, I love it. took me about one to two months to beat the game from begining to end. i raised everyone to dragoon level 5 and got their best addition fully leveled and beat the final boss the first try.
Darkhawkdown
I think its the best im playing it right know!! Its a tight game!
I don't even remember how far I got into the game. I think I'm in the area with the weird machines right after the desert.. place.. -cough- Yeah it's been over a year since I've played the game. The combo system was cool, but I always got stuck using the earlier ones because I couldn't hit the buttons in time for the later ones. I loved Rose, she was my favorite character. I stopped playing it after I took a pause from playing games in general and when I went back - had no idea where I was nor what happened in the storyline. D:
Anyhow, I would love a sequel. Shame.
RevenantSin
This is my favourite game for the PS, this game is so f'ing great. The combo system made it more challenging than any other RPG I'd seen at the time. And voice overs were pretty funny (FA-LAME-SHOT! WHO HA! DOUBLE PUNCH! lol) and how when Rose would use Astral Drain it looks like she's shooting the health out of her ass. I still haven't gotten past the first disc since I didn't get my PS2 until last year or so and I'd only really watched my brother and his friends play it, but now I'm older and I found a greatest hits copy at an EB for like 20$ (Canadian) , I also found an FFVII and FFVIII there for roughly the same. The graphics are dated now, but I still find it a lot of fun. And that walkthrough should really save me time, I should beat it on my own but I don't have the time to figure it all out. I would cry bloody tears of happiness should they make a sequel, especially for the PS3. But this game took 3 years and over 100 team members to make, so by translating that to PS3 graphics while also keeping it as long as this game, or longer since the blue ray can hold like 15 gigs, it would take like 10 years and by then who will remember this game but us few, proud (lol), Dragoon fans. It's a damn shame.


text:
Autostrada A50 – planowana autostrada w Polsce. Została dopisana do sieci autostrad i dróg ekspresowych na mocy rozporządzenia z dnia 24 września 2019 roku. Docelowo ma przejąć ruch tranzytowy z drogi ekspresowej S2. Planowane zakończenie budowy ma nastąpić w latach 2027-2035. Arteria ma stanowić południowy odcinek nowej obwodnicy Warszawy, której północny fragment będzie znajdował się w ciągu planowanej drogi ekspresowej S50. Nowa autostrada ma mieć długość około 100 km oraz po trzy pasy ruchu w każdą stronę.

Kontrowersje
Wytyczenia możliwych korytarzy A50 spotkały się z krytyką wśród mieszkańców miast i gmin, które miały być przecięte tą drogą. Z inicjatywy mieszkańców gminy Wiązowna powstało prężnie działające stowarzyszenie "Nie Tędy Droga" zrzeszające przeciwników budowy A50 na wytyczonym przed GDDKiA szlaku. Stowarzyszenie kontaktuje się z politykami, ministerstwem infrastruktury, władzami samorządowymi i walczy o zmianę toru budowy A50, ze względu na m.in. kumulację dróg w tym rejonie (w gminie Wiązowna – S17 i A2), Mazowiecki Park Krajobrazowy (który zostanie przecięty przez A50), pobliskie Narodowe Centrum Badań Jądrowych (w tym reaktor jądrowy Maria). Stowarzyszenie i mieszkańcy proponują przebieg A50 w miejscu, gdzie aktualnie mieści się południowa część drogi krajowej nr 50.

Zobacz też
 Tranzytowa obwodnica Warszawy
 Droga krajowa nr 50
Droga ekspresowa S50 (Polska)

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne

50

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I've been silent for a while because I've been working on the new interface (and also been busy with my day job) but it's time to break this streak of silence and give you some info on how things are going.
Initially, I wanted a new hotness to replace the old and busted WebUI. Something with Rails for a backend and Bootstrap for the front-end, clean, simple, nothing too complicated or fancy yet.
A few weeks ago I reached that stage, I had Scans working (including a Direct scan option, Dispatchers are now optional, yay :) ), users were allowed to manage configuration Profiles and as well as Dispatchers and Users. The deal was simple, start a Scan using one of the Profiles, monitor its progress (and watch some nice live stats, charts and an issue table) and then grab the report once the scan finishes — easy peasy.
Scan form showing more options.
Scan progress – Issues table.
Scan monitoring with charts enabled.
List of available scan configuration profiles.
Then I figured I better wait for Rails 4 and port the WebUI to use it and then release it, no sense in releasing it now and then having to port it in a month or so.
Since I had some time to kill I though that it'd be cool if users could share scans, thus scan sharing was born — scan owners (and admins) could allow other people read access to their scans. Then I though that users may want to discuss a certain scan, so I implemented comment functionality for scans. That lead to implementing Notifications (naturally) so that users would know when a scan has started, had a new comment or been paused or resumed or aborted.
I took a step back, everything looked good, then came back to it and wouldn't you know it, I had another idea to implement. There's no reason why folks shouldn't be allowed to repeat existing scans (with a non-mandatory crawl this time, since the second scan would already have the first scan's sitemap) and show a diff, timeline or progression of their logged issues.
Then I came back to an earlier feature, users commenting on Scans…that's a nice feature to have but people would be more interested in discussing about a specific discovered issue than a scan — and discussing issues on the scan comments would be very cumbersome.
So I figured I better allow people to comment on Issues, which lead to the idea of managing issues and be able to flag them as ignored, false positives, alter their "requires manual verification" status (already set by Arachni) and flagging them as having been verified and include a nice textbox with step-by-step instructions of the verification process the user followed. And of course, group issues according to the above criteria when listing them.
So, taking another step back, I seemed to have digressed a little from my original goal (albeit in an awesome way) and things are now more and more resembling a web application security management and collaboration platform rather than a simple interface for running Arachni scans.
I haven't yet implemented everything I've mentioned, I'm in the middle of the issue management I mentioned last and I'll then move to the final piece of the puzzle, repeating scans.
Once I finish the Issue management stuff (at the end of the weekend probably) I'll post some more screenshots to show you how that'd look — right now I've only got a draft design for showing individual issues.
Of course, what you see here may be different from the end result but the above should give you the general idea.
2 Responses to "Sitrep on the new Web Interface (with lots of screenshots)"
How are you supposed to login/setup a user on the UI?
If you downloaded one of the packages then you should see the included README file.


text:
The Turning Gem
Angels In The Angles
I AM FROM ELSEWHERE
December 15, 2021 December 15, 2021 J.Wukotich
The chaos of the mind cannot constitute a reply to the providence of the universe. All it can be is an awakening in the night, where all that can be heard is anguished poetry let loose.
― Georges Bataille, Literature and Evil
I am reading a book called "Wintering," by Katherine May. It's subtitled "The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times," and that's the part that got me to pick it up in the first place. Wintering, I would come to find out — on page ten, to be precise — is "a fallow period in life when you're cut off from the world, feeling rejected, sidelined, blocked from progress, or cast into the role of an outsider."That description, though painful, spoke to me in a deeply personal way. That is, after all, where I find myself today; weeks into the aftermath of a mental collapse that has left me temporarily unable to work, or properly socialize. I exist a bit like a phantasm. Cold and glassy. Veiled to near invisibility by a thin but persistent fog, from which I am only able to catch glimpses of the outside world. A flash here and there, and I can't imagine anyone from out there can catch much more than a glimpse of me.
Moments like these don't happen often, and they aren't exclusive to depressive episodes, though sadness from loss or loneliness as a result certainly fit the bill. I have not had many of these moments, but enough to dread their return. That being said, I'm able to learn from each episode how to better handle the next. This time around, I'm finding comfort in this "wintering" idea. I take "wintering" to mean an acceptance of reality, taking away any guilt one may feel for being so disconnected from the rest of the world. With this also comes the acceptance that the season will eventually end, but during this time… you've got to allow yourself to hibernate your own way.
I've been sitting on this title for a while. "I Am From Elsewhere," that is, which is English translated from the French "Je suis d'ailleurs." This is a song from an amazing band called Alcest. The lyrics are in French, but translate beautifully…
"I take off with a leap
To glide above the ground
But I fall, mystified
And with an inward scream
Body unresponsive
I've forgotten the ease
Of an era long gone
I am not from this land"
Unless you speak French, the lyrical meaning of the song takes some digging. Not much, thanks to Google and Metal Archives, but digging nevertheless. Anything beyond the shockingly obvious takes digging, and even the most perceptible truths tend to bathe in tubs of bullshit before showing the world their sometimes quite beautiful faces. That's one reason it took me so long to understand how to use the song title for a piece. I hadn't come up from the mud yet. Oh, I've often felt like I was from elsewhere, there was no denying that bit. How to explain where that place was, or what it looked like from my perspective proved much more difficult.
Then this Katherine May book catches my eye, I glimpse the concept of "wintering," and suddenly "elsewhere" isn't nearly as mysterious. What an incredible turn of events! Think about it. The translated song title from a French Post-Metal band invaded my headspace for nearly a year. It had no purpose. It just sat there, making faces at me, until I had a mental breakdown and went to the bookstore with my wife!
So, I am in a winter. It is also December, and I live in Ohio. Fitting, I suppose, though I have had winters in July. Feeling disconnected and misunderstood doesn't flow with the rotation of the planet, and some people never get to see snow, or have a snowball fight with their friends (I mean, what do they throw, rocks?). A person who has never known the pure joy of watching their child make a snow angel can absolutely understand the concept of a winter. More so the associated misery of low temperatures and poor driving conditions, but certainly as a period of time one goes through and comes out of eventually.
Winters are the only reasons we have stories to tell, or lessons to teach. Winters are the reasons we appreciate warmth, and accept death, and believe in resurrection. You don't need to have faith in Jesus having done anything to treasure the return of your garden flowers each Spring. That's important for all of us to remember. Coming, this time, from the perspective of a depressed person, it is absolutely essential to remember that seasons end. It is also important to remember they end on their own. When they're ready. Not because you're ready for them to be over.
Be kind to yourselves.
Categories: Depression, Disability Advocacy, SpiritualityTags: Alcest, Depression, Featured, France, French, Katherine May, Post-Metal, Understanding, Wintering
Previous PostYesterday We Lived Forever


E.J. Dionne, Jr advocates a 2006 salt-the-earth campaign for the Democrats at workingforchange.com. Dionne thinks it is a winner. But it is just the same ol same ol that has cost the Democrats election after election.
The only thing I agree with is that 2006 is "immensely important".
Elections at midterm can be low-interest affairs or immensely important. This fall's congressional elections will be a big show with large consequences because 2006 is looking a lot like the political years 1958, 1966 and 1978, all of which heralded major political transformations.
conservatives can't win elections on their own. They need moderate votes, and significant support outside the old Confederacy.
Bush and Rove's careful management of the politics of moral issues — show the religious conservatives you're with them without alienating moderates — collapsed during the Terri Schiavo controversy.
The president's Social Security privatization proposal reminded many blue-collar and middle-class voters why they had once voted Democratic. Such voters did not trust the free market enough to agree to cuts in their benefits.
The increasing unpopularity of the war in Iraq has struck at the heart of Bush's appeal to the center.
Three strikes and you're out: The social-issue right can't help Bush if its support drives away too many moderates. Pro-business economics can't help if it drives away many in the middle class. And the war on terror doesn't help if Bush is seen as managing it badly.
It is customary in columns of this sort to say somewhere around now that the Democrats will need to come up with a plan, a message, a program, etc., etc. I'm all for such things. But in 1958, 1966 and 1978, the out party gained ground largely by exploiting the failures of the party in power and exacerbating the contradictions in its coalition. If the Democrats prosper in 2006, it will be because whatever program they come up with achieves those goals.


Looking for a new way to stay fit? Take up bushwalking this summer.
Sick of your same ol' walking track? In the mood for a change of scenery? Here's a suggestion for you: take up bushwalking.
Don't scoff, we're being perfectly serious here. The word might conjure up images of blowflies, Explorer socks, insect bites and maybe a rolled ankle, but bushwalking is actually a really great way to stay fit and explore this fine country of ours.
According to Alex Grocott, Health and Fitness Expert at the Solar Springs Retreat in NSW's Southern Highlands, there are plenty of good reasons to embrace this al fresco form of exercise.
"Bushwalking is fantastic for cardiovascular fitness, as well as muscle toning and strengthening. It can also be more beneficial than regular walking, particularly for core stability and balance, due to uneven ground such as rocks and slopes," he explains.
Grocott says the experience is also calming for the mind, and research is on his side.
Earlier this year, researchers from Standford University found walking in natural environments was effective in reducing levels of rumination — that is, dwelling on negative emotions and experiences — in 38 mentally healthy city-dwellers.
At this point you're probably wondering: don't I have to be an "outdoorsy type" to take up something like this? Or at least really fit? The answer is… nope.
Beautiful walking tracks around Australia.
You might not require a bushranger beard or a flannelette shirt to be a bushwalker, but there are a few vital items you should wear and carry with you.
"We recommend guests wear closed-in, well-fitted and comfortable shoes and long pants, to avoid sunburn and scratches. First aid and water are also essential things to pack and we recommend grabbing a friend or partner for the walk, which not only makes it safe but also fun," Grocott says.
If you're going for a long walk, pack a little picnic (think: fruit, nuts, sandwiches) and stop for a scenic lunch on the way. Just be sure to take your rubbish with you when you go.
Injury is another important consideration — with uneven terrain and obstacles like exposed tree roots comes great opportunity for sprains and falls.
If you have a history of injury, Grocott recommends strapping your knees or ankles; but generally speaking it helps to take your time and avoid walking on uneven surfaces or rocks if they're slippery.
Warming up can also help, he adds: "Gentle arm circles, leg swings or high knees [will] get the blood flowing to the muscles before walks."
If you're not quite convinced yet, we have one more selling point for you: scenery.
Australia boasts some truly beautiful walking spots, and whether you live on the coastline, in a city or kilometres inland, there's very likely a national park or bushland in your area that's ripe for exploring. If nothing else, think of the gorgeous Instagram shots you'll get out of it. Thanks #nature.
Are you a bushwalker? Tell us your favourite tracks.


The idea is to define a hackerspace as a Distributed Autonomous Organization, what it actually is, using smart contracts. Its main activities – budgeting, membership and voting will be guaranteed by the blockchain. Cryptocurrency will be used for internal expenses, project funding and sponsorship.
The model will be suggested to all hackerspaces around the world and in a case of successful adoption hackerspace community could be united and a global hacker's cryptocurrency will be used for common tasks.
The idea is to define a hackerspace as a Distributed Autonomous Organization using smart contracts. Its main activities – budgeting, membership and voting will be guaranteed by the blockchain. Cryptocurrency will be used for internal expenses, project funding and sponsorship.
Public access to special hardware – 3d printers, IoT, etc.
Membership – rules for membership, defined in a smart contract. Eliminates the need of paperwork and responsible persons.
Budgeting – funding, even in cash/fiat, will be represented with tokens, which later will be used to internally define expenses. Every member donates non-fixed amount to the budget, and this mints corresponding amount of tokens into organizations contract.
Voting – since the organization is ruled in a democratic manner, the ballots are important part of it. Smart contracts will be used to guarantee its validity and honesty. Voting will be used to define rules, for expenses, for projects supported by the community and other decisions.


text:
Priestess Temple
Mexico's government readying roughly $5 billion Pemex lifeline, source says
March 6, 2021 March 1, 2021 behallenscom
Mexico's government will inject between $1.3 billion and $1.6 billion into state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) this year and offer a tax break of 75 billion Mexican pesos ($3.68 billion), a senior official said.
The world's most indebted oil company, Pemex had more than $110 billion in financial debt at the end of the third quarter last year, while its liabilities far exceeded its assets.
In the past two years, the government of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has injected billions of dollars in capital in the loss-making company and reduced its tax burden.
The source, who has direct knowledge of the matter but declined to be identified, said the tax reduction will be applied on a monthly basis and be separate from the already reduced profit sharing rate (DUC) from 58% to 54% for this year.
Neither Pemex nor the finance ministry immediately responded to a request for comment. Earlier on Thursday, Lopez Obrador said a new agreement will come into force to further reduce the tax burden on Pemex, but he gave no details.
Last year, the government reduced the DUC, the largest payment Pemex makes to state coffers, from 65% to 58%.
The source also said the first of several capital injections, scheduled within the next two weeks, will be used to pay down debt, and that it is unlikely Pemex will issue bonds on the international market this year.
Pemex has carried out liability management of different types, including bond refinancing and bank line extensions, totaling more than $30 billion between 2019 and 2020.
Luis Gonzali, co-director of investments at Franklin Templeton Investments in Mexico, said the $5 billion will "enter and leave, without any major impact" on the company's long-term prospects.
"Lowering taxes and capitalizing in small amounts does not solve the underlying problem: lack of infrastructure, capital supporting unprofitable projects, lack of exploration," he said. "But it will help it survive more comfortably throughout the year."
Uber drivers entitled to workers' rights, UK supreme court rules
Non-surgeon medical staff 'can perform safe operations'
Canada vows to be next country to go after Facebook to pay for news
March 1, 2021 behallenscom
FirstEnergy says activist investor Carl Icahn looking to buy stake
SolarWinds hackers studied Microsoft source code for authentication and email
Chris Jones: I keep telling myself I won't lose in the Super Bowl again
The substitute chemical BPF can be linked to children's cognitive development
Wall St closes down on tech slide, rising jobless claims
Redmi K40, Redmi K40 Pro, K40 Pro+ Launched With Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs, 120Hz Display & More


text:
The Empathic Ideal Observer
Dr. Michael S. Pritchard
Dr. Joseph Ellin
Dr. David Newman
Masters Thesis-Campus Only
The Ideal Observer theory is a possible ethical naturalist position in metaethics, describing the meaning of ethical statements as that of which human beings with an idealized psychological state would approve. It has been met with several criticisms, including the charge of circularity and doubts about its prediction of the convergence of moral judgments of idealized psychologies. In this paper, I will argue that the Ideal Observer theory has more potential than its critics acknowledge. In particular, recent studies in cognitive science on the role of empathy and altruism suggest further investigation of the Ideal Observer theory may be fruitful.
I will argue the following: (1) a contemporary formulation of the Ideal Observer theory, namely Roderick Firth's, coupled with a cognitive scientific position regarding empathy's role in altruistic pro-social motivation, namely Martin Hoffman's, results in a simpler, more streamlined version of Firth's original theory; and (2) cognitive scientific studies, like Hoffman's, vindicate the theory from the charge of circularity and strongly suggest that the empirical facts support the theory's required moral convergence.
Wampler, "The Empathic Ideal Observer" (1998). Master's Theses. 3629.
Off-campus Download


The report from UpGuard comes nearly a year after revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy, improperly accessed the personal data of 87 million Facebook users with the aid of a quiz app.
What's Facebook doing about it?
Upguard apparently tried to contact Cultura Colectiva, with no response.
By far the larger of the two comes from Mexico-based media company Cultura Colectiva.
The second AWS server stored data recorded by the "At the Pool" Facebook game.
In response to public concern for privacy, Facebook started an audit of thousands of apps and suspended hundreds of them past year to ensure information was not stored unsecured in public databases. "We are committed to working with the developers on our platform to protect people's data", the spokesperson added.
How much data do these buckets contain?
Cultura Colectiva was quoted by Reuters as saying in a statement that all of its Facebook records came from user interactions with its three pages on Facebook and is the same information publicly accessible to anyone browsing those pages. The smaller dataset was taken offline during UpGuard's investigation. Plaintext passwords were included, but they weren't Facebook passwords. "But as these exposures show, the data genie can not be put back in the bottle", UpGuard wrote in its blog post. "Combine that plenitude of personal data with storage technologies that are often misconfigured for public access, and the result is a long tail of data about Facebook users that continues to leak".
"Too many organisations are using poor hygiene when storing passwords and other sensitive information", said Stephen Cox, Chief Security Architect at SecureAuth. Once your data is out there, there's really no getting it back.
According to UpGuard, all information found was collected by two applications, Collective Culture and At the Pool.
Still, UpGuard's findings reveal how Facebook partners collect massive amounts of data with their own apps.
Cultura Colectiva is a digital platform that posts stories about celebrities and culture and largely targets a Latin American audience. So reports UpGuard, a cybersecurity risk assessment company, which notes in an April 3 press release that the two data sets in question were configured for public download.
UpGuard sells products for companies to prevent and detect data exposures.
First the Cambridge Analytica saga, then the security flaw that allowed hackers to access 50 million Facebook accounts... and now this. We also asked the company how it intends to prevent this kind of third-party app privacy failure in the future.


text:
US Q1 GDP Estimate Ticks Up But Growth Outlook Remains Muted
Revised nowcasts for the US economy edged higher in recent days, but the Bureau of Economic Analysis is still expected to report a slowdown in growth for the first-quarter report on gross domestic product (GDP) that's due on April 26.
The "advance" GDP report is expected to show that output increased 1.8% in Q1, based on a set of estimates compiled by The Capital Spectator. The revised nowcast marks a slight improvement over the previous outlook from late-March, but a 1.8% increase still reflects a softer trend vs. recent history. If today's projection is accurate, the economy is on track to decelerate for a third straight quarter, easing from the modest 2.2% gain in last year's Q4.
The IMF advises that the global economy is also slowing, adding to macro headwinds facing the US in 2019. In an update published yesterday, the IMF says world output will rise 3.3% this year, down from October's 3.7% forecast. For the US, the new full-year estimate has been trimmed to a 2.3% increase for 2019, down from previous 2.5% estimate.
"After strong growth in 2017 and early 2018, global economic activity slowed notably in the second half of last year, reflecting a confluence of factors affecting major economies," the IMF advises.
China's growth declined following a combination of needed regulatory tightening to rein in shadow banking and an increase in trade tensions with the United States. The euro area economy lost more momentum than expected as consumer and business confidence weakened and car production in Germany was disrupted by the introduction of new emission standards; investment dropped in Italy as sovereign spreads widened; and external demand, especially from emerging Asia, softened.
Learn To Use R For Portfolio Analysis
Quantitative Investment Portfolio Analytics In R:
An Introduction To R For Modeling Portfolio Risk and Return
By James Picerno
But while the pace of expected growth for the US and the world has decelerated, forecasters still anticipate that the expansion will stay strong enough to stave off a new recession, at least for the near term. That outlook aligns with The Capital Spectator's business cycle profile for the US, as reported in late March.
The recent deceleration in US economic activity in last year's second half is expected to spill over into 2019's first quarter, but there are signs that the slowdown may be stabilizing. A fresh run of numbers for a broad range of indicators shows that the deterioration in the macro trend has ended, at least for now, based on analyzing the data published to date.
Although a US recession isn't imminent, the prospects remain low that we'll see a material upturn in economic activity in the foreseeable future. Looking ahead via projections of the US GDP trend on a year-over-year basis suggests that economic activity remains on track for a downshift. The Capital Spectator's average estimate via a set of combination forecasts indicates that the point forecast for this year's annual first-quarter increase will slow fractionally to a 2.9% pace from 3.0% in Q4 and continue to soften in the quarters ahead.
It's still reasonable to expect that the long-running US expansion will prevail through this June, when it will match the 120-month growth record set in 1991-2001, according to NBER data. The growth outlook, however, remains subdued, based on numbers published to date.
Is Recession Risk Rising? Monitor the outlook with a subscription to:
The US Business Cycle Risk Report
By James Picerno | Apr 10, 2019 at 07:20 am EDT
← Macro Briefing: 10 April 2019 Macro Briefing: 11 April 2019 →


When selling your Houston home, good market preparation is the key to attracting top-dollar offers. A modest investment in time and accessories can help your home stand out from the competition! We have some inexpensive home staging tips to help you maximize your home's market potential.
First, a word of caution. A home that has condition issues, or is extremely outdated, may not benefit much by staging. If your home has some deferred maintenance, begin by addressing any repairs or cosmetic updates that you can feasibly tackle. Depending on your home's market value, condition, and your equity position, de-cluttering and cleaning could be as much staging as you wish to pursue.
Remove debris from lawn and trim landscaping as needed.
Power-wash home siding, windows, walkways and driveways.
Add new a welcome mat and potted flowers by entrance.
Thoroughly clean floors, walls and windows.
Thoroughly clean tubs, showers, shower doors and toilets.
Paint central rooms of the house, such as the living room, kitchen and master bedroom.
Remove clutter from closets, cabinets, drawers. As a rule of thumb, they should be only 1/2 full.
Remove personal photos, awards and trophies.
Put away keepsakes and valuable collectibles.
Tone down any heavily-themed rooms to make them appear more neutral and versatile.
Remove excess furnishings to open up living space.
If drapes or blinds are faded, damaged or outdated, replace them for a brighter, more modern look.
If the carpeting is worn or stained, replace it. Using thicker padding under new carpeting will give it a plush, luxurious feel, even if the new carpet itself is moderately priced.
Remove small appliances from kitchen countertops.
Remove medicines and personal products from washrooms.
Install new shower curtains in bathrooms, and hang new towels from towel bar.
Strategically place a few home accents. For example, place a new soap dish with colorful guest soaps in washrooms. Put place settings on the dining room table and include a centerpiece. Brighten the kitchen with a fresh fruit bowl. Perk up the couch with a couple of new throw pillows. Add interest to a plain room with a colorful throw rug.


text:
ngModules.service('denpyo', [ '$rootScope', '$filter', '$httpw',
//	service
	function($scope, $filter, $httpw) {
	/**
	 * 明細の小計取得.
	 */
	this.getSubtotal = function (meisai) {
		return meisai.hanbaiNumber * meisai.hanbaiTanka;
	};
	/**
	 * 合計金額取得.
	 */
	this.getTotalAmount = function (meisaiList) {
		var total = 0;
		for (var m of meisaiList) {
			total += this.getSubtotal(m);
		}
		return total;
	};
} ])
//main controller
.controller('MainController', [ '$scope', '$httpw', 'denpyo', 'common', 'meisai',
	function($scope, $httpw, service, common, meisaiService) {
	/**
	 * 伝票整合性検証.
	 */
	var validateHeader = function (callback) {
		var param = {
				kokyakuCode : $scope.kokyakuCode,
				denpyoNumber : $scope.denpyoNumber,
				uriageDate : $scope.uriageDate,
				hanbaiKubun : $scope.hanbaiKubun,
		};
		$httpw.post("/u05g002/validateHeader", param, callback);
	}
	/**
	 * 伝票明細整合性検証.
	 */
	var validateMeisai = function (meisai, callback) {
		if(!meisaiService.errorIfDuplicate($scope.meisaiList)) {
			return;
		}
		$httpw.post("/u05g002/validateMeisai", {
			kokyakuCode : $scope.kokyakuCode,
			denpyoNumber : $scope.denpyoNumber,
			uriageDate : $scope.uriageDate,
			hanbaiKubun : $scope.hanbaiKubun,
			"meisaiList[0].shohinCode" : meisai.shohinCode,
			"meisaiList[0].hanbaiNumber" : meisai.hanbaiNumber,
			"meisaiList[0].hanbaiTanka" : meisai.hanbaiTanka,
		}, callback);
	}
	// 初期化
	$scope.init = function(kokyakuCode, denpyoNumber){
		$scope.header = {
				editing : false,
				edit : function(editable) {
					this.editing = editable;
				}
		};
		if ($scope.isReadMode()) {
			$scope.get(kokyakuCode, denpyoNumber);
		} else if ($scope.isRegisterMode()) {
			$scope.header.editing = true;
			if(!$scope.meisaiList){
				$scope.meisaiList = new MeisaiList();
			}
		}
	};
	// 取得
	$scope.get = function(kokyakuCode, denpyoNumber) {
		var callback = function(model) {
			// set
			$scope.kokyakuCode = model.kokyakuCode;
			$scope.denpyoNumber = model.denpyoNumber;
			$scope.hanbaiKubun = model.hanbaiKubun;
			$scope.uriageDate = model.uriageDate;
			$scope.recordId = model.recordId;
			$scope.version = model.version;
			$scope.urikakeVersion = model.urikakeVersion;
			$scope.isKeijoZumi = model.isKeijoZumi;
			$scope.isSeikyuZumi = model.isSeikyuZumi;
			// 明細
			$scope.meisaiList = new MeisaiList();
			for (var i = 0; i < model.meisaiList.length; i++) {
				var _meisai = model.meisaiList[i];
				var meisai = $scope.createMeisai(_meisai);
				$scope.meisaiList.push(meisai);
			}
		};
		$httpw.post("/u05g002/get", {
			kokyakuCode : kokyakuCode,
			denpyoNumber : denpyoNumber,
		}, callback);
	}
	// 明細入力完了
	$scope.done = function(meisai) {
		validateMeisai(meisai, function () {
			meisai.editDone();
		});
	};
	// 新規登録
	$scope.register = function() {
		// callback
		var callback = function(model) {
			// 参照モードへ
			common.toRead();
			$scope.get(model.form.kokyakuCode, model.form.denpyoNumber);
		};
		// param
		var param = {
				kokyakuCode : $scope.kokyakuCode,
				denpyoNumber : $scope.denpyoNumber,
				uriageDate : $scope.uriageDate,
				hanbaiKubun : $scope.hanbaiKubun,
		};
		$scope.meisaiList.merge("meisaiList", param);
		$httpw.post("/u05g002/register", param, callback);
	};
	// 更新
	$scope.update = function() {
		if (!meisaiService.check($scope.meisaiList)) {
			return;
		}
		// callback
		var callback = function(model) {
			common.toRead();
			$scope.get(model.form.kokyakuCode, model.form.denpyoNumber);
		};
		// param
		var param = {
				kokyakuCode : $scope.kokyakuCode,
				denpyoNumber : $scope.denpyoNumber,
				uriageDate : $scope.uriageDate,
				hanbaiKubun : $scope.hanbaiKubun,
				recordId : $scope.recordId,
				version : $scope.version,
				urikakeVersion : $scope.urikakeVersion,
		};
		$scope.meisaiList.merge("meisaiList", param);
		$httpw.post("/u05g002/update", param, callback);
	};
	// リストモデルに新しい明細行を追加する
	$scope.addMeisai = function() {
		if($scope.header.editing == true && $scope.isRegisterMode()) {
			validateHeader(function() {
				var meisai = $scope.createMeisai();
				meisai.edit();
				$scope.meisaiList.push(meisai);
				$scope.header.edit(false);
			});
		} else {
			var meisai = $scope.createMeisai();
			meisai.edit();
			$scope.meisaiList.push(meisai);
		}
	};
	// 履歴取得
	$scope.getRireki = function() {
		var callback = function(model) {
			$scope.meisaiList = new MeisaiList();
			var rirekiList = model.rirekiList;
			for (var rireki of rirekiList) {
				var meisai = {};
				meisai.meisaiNumber = rireki.meisaiNumber;
				meisai.shohinCode = rireki.shohinCode;
				meisai.hanbaiNumber = rireki.hanbaiNumber;
				meisai.hanbaiTanka = rireki.hanbaiTanka;
				$scope.meisaiList.push($scope.createMeisai(meisai));
			}
		};
		var param = {
				recordId: $scope.recordId,
		}
		$httpw.get("/u05g002/getRireki", param, callback);
	};
	// 編集開始
	$scope.edit = function(meisai) {
		meisai.edit();
	};
	// 任意の明細行をリストモデルから取り除く
	$scope.removeMeisai = function(target) {
		$scope.meisaiList.delete(target);
	};
	// 引数から小計を計算して返す
	$scope.getSubtotal = function(meisai) {
		return service.getSubtotal(meisai);
	};
	// 明細小計の合計
	$scope.getTotalAmount = function(meisaiList) {
		return service.getTotalAmount(meisaiList);
	};
	// 更新画面へ
	$scope.toUpdateMode = function() {
		if(!!$scope.isSeikyuZumi == true) {
			if(!confirm("売上伝票は請求済みです。変更を行いますか?")) {
				return;
			}
		} else if(!!$scope.isKeijoZumi == true) {
			if(!confirm("売上伝票は計上済みです。変更を行いますか?")) {
				return;
			}
		}
		common.toUpdate();
	};
	// 削除
	$scope.delete = function() {
		var callback = function(model) {
			_.submitForm("/u05g001/refer", "uriageDenpyo");
		};
		var param = {
				kokyakuCode : $scope.kokyakuCode,
				denpyoNumber : $scope.denpyoNumber,
				recordId: $scope.recordId,
				version: $scope.version,
				urikakeVersion: $scope.urikakeVersion,
		}
		$httpw.post("/u05g002/delete", param, callback);
	};
	// キャンセル
	$scope.cancel = function() {
		if(!!$scope.isSeikyuZumi == true) {
			if(!confirm("売上伝票は請求済みです。キャンセルを行いますか?(一度キャンセルを行うと、以降更新はできません。)")) {
				return;
			}
		} else {
			if(!confirm("キャンセルを行いますか?(一度キャンセルを行うと、以降更新はできません。)")) {
				return;
			}
		}
		var callback = function(model) {
			common.toRead();
			$scope.get(model.form.kokyakuCode, model.form.denpyoNumber);
		};
		var param = {
				kokyakuCode : $scope.kokyakuCode,
				denpyoNumber : $scope.denpyoNumber,
				recordId: $scope.recordId,
				version: $scope.version,
				urikakeVersion: $scope.urikakeVersion,
		}
		$httpw.post("/u05g002/cancel", param, callback);
	};
	/**
	 * 明細作成.
	 */
	$scope.createMeisai = Meisai.define([{
		name : "shohinCode",
		uniqueKey : true
	}, {
		name : "meisaiNumber",
		uniqueKey : false
	}, {
		name : "hanbaiNumber",
		uniqueKey : false
	}, {
		name : "hanbaiTanka",
		uniqueKey : false
	}]);
} ]);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Tuesday 24 May
Debate session
Danilo Norata
Giuseppe Danilo Norata, Prof, PhD, is Full Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Milan, Italy, and is Honorary Senior Lecturer at the William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry Queen Mary University, London, UK. He graduated in 1996 in Pharmacy, received the PhD in Experimental Medicine at the University of Siena in 2002 and was a post-doc from 2002 to 2004 at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. His research activity is devoted to the investigation of molecular mechanisms involved in vascular and cardiometabolic diseases and their connection with immunometabolism from a translational perspective. He coordinates the activities at the Laboratory of Lipoproteins, Atherosclerosis and Immunity at the Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences in Milan and those of the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Genetics and Genomics at the Center for The Study of Atherosclerosis at the Bassini Hospital. He published more than 16 papers in the field of cardiovascular and immunometabolic diseases and participated as speaker and/or chairmen in several national and international meetings. Giuseppe Danilo Norata is Academic Editor of PLOS ONE and is a member of the Editorial Board of Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease. He is a member of the European Lipoprotein Club Organizing Committee, of the Faculty of the International Atherosclerosis Research School and of the European Working Group on Immunometabolism.
Stefano Romeo
HDL: In search for a function
Anne Tybjaerg Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Arnold von Eckardstein, Zurich, Switzerland
Arnold von Eckardstein
ZurichSwitzerland
Arnold von Eckardstein studied medicine in Giessen and Kiel and then specialized in laboratory medicine and clinical chemistry in Frankfurt and Münster (Germany). Since 2001, he is professor at the medical faculty of the University of Zurich and the director of the Institute of Clinical Chemistry of the University Hospital of Zurich (Switzerland; http://www.en.ikc.usz.ch/Pages/default.aspx). His main research interests include risk factors and biomarkers of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases as well as structure, function, and metabolism of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and sphingolipids. He has published about 400 original and review papers in international peer reviewed scientific journals. Arnold von Eckardstein is the Editor-in-Chief of Atherosclerosis and current member of the Editorial Boards of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology; BBA Molecular Biology of Lipids; Cardiovascular Research, and European Heart Journal. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the European Lipoprotein Club, the Swiss and German Atherosclerosis Societies, and the Swiss Society of Clinical Chemistry as well as the Secretary of the European Atherosclerosis Society.
Wednesday 25 May
Young fellows' session
Christoph Binder
Christoph J. Binder (born 1973) received his MD degree from the University of Vienna, Austria, in 1997 and his PhD degree in Molecular Pathology from the University of California San Diego (UCSD), USA, in 2002. Following postdoctoral training at the Department of Medicine of UCSD, he established his own research group at the Medical University of Vienna in 2005. In 2009 he was appointed Full Professor of Atherosclerosis Research at the Medical University of Vienna. He is a specialist in Laboratory Medicine and currently Deputy Head of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna. He is also PI of the Austrian Familial Hypercholesterolemia Registry. Since 2014 Christoph Binder acts as a referee and board member of the Austrian Science Fund. From 2016 until 2019 he was a member of the Executive Committee and since 2021 he is Vice President of the European Atherosclerosis Society. Christoph Binder's research interests span vascular biology, lipid oxidation, and immunity. His group is investigating immune mechanisms of atherosclerosis with a special focus on the role of innate and humoral immunity and how this can be exploited for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Christoph Binder has authored >150 original and review papers in important international journals, including Nature Medicine and Nature. He is Co-Editor of Atherosclerosis and Section Editor of Thrombosis & Haemostasis.
Jan Boren
Atherosclerosis-associated chronic inflammation: the outcome of metabolic imbalances or irregular immune responses?
Chrysoula Boutari, Greece
How does diabetes accelerate atherosclerosis?
Karin Bornfeldt, Washington, USA
How does endothelial rewiring contribute to ASCVD?
Jeffrey Kroon, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Macrophage metabolism in atherosclerosis
Laurent Yvant-Charvet, Nice, France
Laurent Yvant-Charvet
NiceFrance
Dr. Laurent Yvan-Charvet obtained his Ph.D. in Endocrinology in 2005 from the University of Paris XI, France. His research work at Columbia University has been mainly focused on how regulation of inflammation and stem cell biology by cholesterol efflux pathways affect cardiovascular diseases. He was the recipient of the Roger Davis Award in 2010, finalist of the I.H. Page Young Investigator Award in 2011, recipient of the EAS young Investigator Award in 2013 and the Daniel Steinberg Early Career Investigator Award in 2015. After a contribution to the development of new therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases at Pfizer, his current research interest as a Director of Research and group leader lies in hematopoietic cell metabolism – a new area of research for cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. This work is supported by two most prominent French and European fundings: an Atip-Avenir excellence program and an European ERC consolidator excellence program.


The Open Brain Coral, Trachyphyllia geoffroyi, also known as the Honeycomb Coral, Pineapple Coral, Moon Coral, Closed Brain Coral, Closed Pineapple Coral, Star Coral, and Worm Coral, has fleshy green polyps that hide its skeleton. This coral gets its name from the various folds and crevices that seemingly resemble a brain. The Open Brain Coral is one of the most popular corals for beginner aquarists as it is incredibly hardy and easy to maintain. This coral requires its own space and should be kept away from other corals as it can sting them its sweeper tentacles which come out at night. The Open Brain Coral should be fed a carnivorous supplemental diet twice weekly consisting of small marine inverts. They best thrive with moderate light and waterflow. Overall, the Brain Coral is one of the most popular types of coral in the home aquarium trade due to its hardiness and uniquely beautiful patterns and colors. This particular specimen is green in color.


GJ is not about doing what's typical, and luckily neither is our client Trumark Communities. They came to us to brand TruLiving—to redefine age-qualified communities and flip what people know about 55+ on its head. So we pushed the tried and tired formula aside and took a new approach. And it's one that speaks to the real people and gives ordinary a run for its money.
TruLiving isn't just 55+ master-planned communities with pickleball and tennis courts. It's a new way to live life as you will and live it well. And we wanted to put this innovative new concept front and center, creating a brand that shows it off for what it is: a fresh approach to 55+ that's healthy, ageless and disruptive. So we rolled out an identity and website that doesn't reach out to 55+ in that same old fashion. From the creative video to the intriguing graphics and narrative, we captured the essence of TruLiving in non-formulaic style, and it all revolves around the tagline This Side of U.
More than a play on words, This Side of U takes on ageism and the unending shift of the happiness U curve. As we leave childhood and start busy lives, happiness takes a backseat, reaching a low at middle age before embarking on the new side of U. It's this side where your knowledge, experience and freedom leave you boundless and fearless and you can choose to have less responsibilities and more time for you. And it's the side of TruLiving that focuses on just that: living.
Those in the age-qualified crowd find themselves on the upswing of happiness, yet most marketing puts them in a box, files them away and dismisses them just as easy. Not this time. We're disrupting the blueprint because life after 55 can be adventurous, new and exciting—and no one belongs in a box.
Go behind the brand by checking out the press release.
So let's face the facts and the music. TruLiving is not just communities to house the age-qualified. Rather than telling them how to live or labeling the crowd, it simply engages them, addressing a generation that's gone unheard like no other developer has done. This is a brand that's changing all you know about getting older, and we have Trumark Communities to thank for being the first to step forward. The movement is just getting started.
So go ahead and make your way through the site and into TruLiving. Your untypical experience starts here.


text:
Q: python traceback - performance problems we have a python script that uses a c library to call some low level functions.
Because of code structure reasons we want to store the stack trace/call stack before each c call.
To do this we use traceback.extract_stack() to extract the call stack of python.
When an exception occurs later on, we use traceback.format_list(abc) on each element to format and print the stack trace.
The problem is that the function extract_stack is too slow. I slows down our code from 1.7 seconds to 11 seconds.
Is there any function to store the stack trace in order to be able to use/print it later?
The stacktrace getter must be very fast. The format function can be slow, this is no problem.
Example:
Stack Trace:
  - LXScript: '_LXS:TOOL:RUNLX'
      File "_LXS:TOOL:RUNLX", line 13, in <module>
      File "lxs", line 1, in <module>
  - UNIFACE ACTIVATE: 'ACTQREC_SVC' 'EXECLXSRP'
  - LXScript: '_DATATRT:ACTQREC:EXECUTE@Main:run'
      File "_LXS:TOOL:RUNLX", line 13, in <module>
      File "lxs", line 1, in <module>
      File "<string>", line 63, in run
      File "<string>", line 97, in __doAll
      File "<string>", line 127, in __do
      File "_DATATRT:ACTQREC:EXECUTE", line 7, in do
  - UNIFACE ACTIVATE: 'ACTQ_CSVC' 'EXECBYREC'
  - LXScript: 'TOOL:ACTQ:SYNLAB_DATA@Main:runOnBeforeExec'
      File "TOOL:ACTQ:SYNLAB_DATA", line 1, in <module>
    ImportError: No module named 'localls'

A: I resolved the problem!!!
We can use stt_obj = sys._getframe().f_back to get the "<frame>?" And then we can use estt_obj = traceback.extract_stack(f=stt_obj) and traceback.format_list(estt_obj) to get the stack trace as string list.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


On the third Saturday of May, whiskey lovers unite to enjoy the special day set apart for them. And according to the official site of World Whiskey Day anyone can join in on the party however they like.
And if you cant wait for Saturday, you will be happy to know that the annual Whiskey Live Celebration will kick off tonight!
Not quite clued up on whether you should have your whiskey on the rocks, mixed or with a dash of water? Well, we've got you covered.
With World Whiskey Day coming May 19 its best you prepare your FOMO.
What are some of the erroneous ways we have imbibed our whiskey?
The owner of premium drinks company Truman & Orange, Rowan Leibbrandt, has stated that there is no "right" way to enjoy whiskey. You might want to know how to spell it; if you are drinking a whiskey spelt with an 'e' it's Scottish but a whisky spelt without an 'e' is either Irish or American.
Can I dash my whiskey?
According to Glenlivet Brand Ambassador, Isaac Pooe, Whiskey already has flavour due to the ageing process. So, when you add mixers you're adding strong flavours to a subtle flavour. So avoid strong flavoured mixers if you do not know the original notes of the whiskey, which the mixer, if it has the same notes, can help enhance.
Am I breaking any rules if I have a whiskey cocktail?
Not necessarily-let's look at gin. When making a gin cocktail they use botanicals like juniper or citrus peels and keep to the same rule when adding a garnish. So essentially you would need ingredients that would help the flavours come alive.
What about adding water or ice, which one is the best?
Water is the best way to enjoy your whiskey, regardless of whether you use tap or bottled water. The science behind this is that water is an H2O and alcohol is a hydroxide known as OH− which means that when you add water to whiskey it allows the aromas to come out and releases all the wonderful flavours. This also helps minimise that burning effect when you drink it.
So should I shun all my friends who use ice?
Not really, but what ice does to whiskey is that it kills its aroma. Whiskey connoisseurs call this killing your whiskey.
Oh no! How do I bring it back to life?
Keep calm and wait for the ice to melt.
I've seen people swirl wine around me and it always makes me feel left out, should I do the same thing with whiskey?
On average, wine contains more alcohol than whiskey. You will also find that whiskey contains more ethanol than wine so if you swirl it around and stick your nose in the glass all you're going to smell is the ethanol.
Red wines can be largely intimidating when you don't know your merlot from your pinotage.
OK then how do I appreciate a good glass of whiskey?
You can lift the glass up to the light or a white backdrop to look at how red, brown or gold the colour is. And then you want to swirl and then observe the sides of the glass. You will notice streams of liquid going down. These the little streaks on the sides are called legs (and also called tears) to check the viscosity (how quickly the whiskey runs down) and the complexity of the whiskey. The thicker and slow your whiskey runs, the higher its alcohol content.
Enough chit chat, when do I down the good stuff?
You don't want to shoot it down your throat like a tequila, that's just going to make it burn. What you want to do is hold it on your tongue and coat your mouth so that every bit of it picks up the flavours.
Will this help me know if I'm drinking a bad or good whiskey?
A good whiskey's flavour will linger in your mouth and you will still taste the flavours but a bad whiskey won't even leave an after taste.
A look at our bars that offer unique cocktails and an unforgettable bar experience.


It's been an AGE since I wrote a post for this blog. 2012 has been, without question, the nuttiest year of my life, and it's only the start of May. In the last four months I have: published a novel; gone on tour to promote said novel; become an American citizen; got divorced; bought a house. And in between all that I have been running my law firm and parenting my lovely children. What I haven't been doing very much of is writing.
When I am writing, I need space – of both the literal and metaphorical variety. I have not had much of either recently. There has been so much going on – struggling to survive the emotional shrapnel of the divorce in particular – that I have been unable to sit down and dive into the story that is swirling around my head (and in a plethora of notebooks.) And the rented condo where I've been living for the past year had nowhere I could call my own for me to write. This creative logjam – I refuse to call it writer's block – has been slowly gnawing away at me and is, I suspect, largely responsible for much of the gloom that has been afflicting me of late. Writing is hard, hard work, but it is also an escape, and immeasurably rewarding (when it goes right, anyway.) It is also what I do, who I am. Being unable to tell stories is a bit like cutting off a limb – suddenly I'm a little less the person I was.
A couple of weeks ago I bought a house. It's lovely – it has a beautiful kitchen and a gorgeous garden – and it already feels like home. But the photo at the top of this post is what really attracted me to the place. I now have my very own nook, where I can shut myself away from the rest of the world and write my heart out. Just as importantly, the new house represents a fresh start for me. I have been treading water for the past year, really just trying to keep afloat, but now it is time to strike out for new horizons. It's time to take my finger off the pause button and start moving again.
Which means, of course, that it's time to get writing. So this morning I set my alarm for 5 o'clock for the first time in months, hauled myself out of bed, fixed a coffee, and sat down at my computer. Admittedly, I'm writing this post first, and then I have to complete a piece for NPR's All Things Considered, but my new novel is now at the forefront of my thoughts, demanding my attention. Last week I signed a contract with Amy Einhorn Books to publish the book. This is exciting news, but one of the things about publishing contracts are these pesky things called deadlines. I have until February 2014 to deliver my manuscript. So far I have written three chapters. Given that it took me seven years in total to write A GOOD AMERICAN, I obviously have my work cut out. So it's time to roll up my sleeves and get to work.
I'm so happy for your fresh start, and honestly, a little in awe. You didn't break under the pressure. You have a new beginning. I have no doubt you will flourish.
Much good luck to you. Congratulations on being ready to continue on this fresh path , and I do covet your writing nook!
Congratulations on the contract, and good luck writing the next book! I'm glad you have your own space in which to write, and look forward to reading what you write in the new house!
Thanks, all. It's a long road ahead, no doubt about it, but I am relishing the challenge. I'm going to try and post more regularly as well, now that the madness has abated a little.
I think you have handled it all very, very well. You are indeed embarking on a new life and I hope you find the happiness you so deserve. A new home is a great start! Your writing space looks just perfect!
I look forward to reading more posts–we have missed you!


Just wanted to say a huge than you to people who attended my talk on life after levels today. I am posting the PowerPoint and links to other useful resources on this blog post. Please do get in touch if you would like to discuss further.


A team of 37 world-leading scientists from 16 countries have just released the world's first ever scientific eating plan. The diet sounds like a silver bullet, but we have found it to be slightly problematic. It doesn't recognise the enormous differences across the world when it comes to food consumption and production systems.
Over the past two years, 37 experts from around the world have battled to develop a diet that is both sustainable and healthy. They integrated existing knowledge on the impact of diet on diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, with the impact of current food production systems on the environment.
Video: is the future of fish and chips plastic?
Our ocean is central to our livelihoods, our identities, our culture and the future of our planet. From the cold Arctic to the warm waters of the Coral Triangle to the dark depths of the Pacific, it shapes our lives, feeds our people, provides jobs, and supports a global family of over 7.5 billion people.
However, it will take action by us all to sustain this source of life. Current trends point to diminishing ocean health and wealth: declining fisheries, a warmer, more acidic, and increasingly polluted ocean. This is a future no one wants, and not one to pass on to our children.
A small boy hauls enthusiastically on his fishing rod. The line flies up and a needle-spined fish strikes him in the eye. Desperate to stay outdoors, he ignores the pain, but his sight deteriorates over the following months. He continues to pursue his love of nature but, now blind in one eye, he is confined to studying creatures that are easy to see: insects. He grows to become the global authority on ants, and in later life is given the moniker 'the father of biodiversity'.
Heat, dust, and thirsty cattle: a summer drought.
The summer here in Burgundy has been hot, and dry. We have had no significant rain since May, and even now, as September winds down towards October, there is not a cloud in the sky and the daytime temperatures reach 30ºc.
Grazed and Confused? How much can grazing livestock help to mitigate climate change?
Ruminating on cattle, grazing systems, methane, nitrous oxide, the soil carbon sequestration question – and what it all means for greenhouse gas emissions.
At the back of the house there is a room that originally would have been the 'summer kitchen'. It would have had a sink, a dirt floor, a fire or oven, little else. It would have been used for cooking in the hot, dry summer months as a way of keeping the main house cool.
After a twenty-year period in which famine had become all but a distant memory, starving people in several countries around the world began making headlines again over the last year. As reported in Political Geography, if political action doesn't alter this course the world could be headed into a 'fifth period' of famine, warns Elsevier Atlas Award winner Alex de Waal, Executive Director at the World Peace Foundation in Somerville, MA, US. He warns that famine almost always has multiple causes; political factors are chief among them.
To really do something about our massive overconsumption of water, we should limit the strain we put on rivers and freshwater basins. Information on the water use of our products should be transparent and clear. And in the end, individual citizens would have to change their lifestyle fundamentally. Taking shorter showers simply is not enough.
Cab Davidson is a trained microbiologist, a maker of holograms, and a self-confessed cheapskate. He forages, grows vegetables and fruits, makes soaps and jams, all in an attempt to avoid shopping. In a guest article, he explores how many of us have become the new peasant class, how we may escape little-by-little, and gardening as civil disobedience. How do the things we talk about in Locavore translate to everyday life?
In a guest column for Locavore, Tracy Worcester, founder of Farms Not Factories, explains why she started campaigning for high welfare pig farming and how by using the power of the purse we can close down inhumane and dangerous factory farms.


text:
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class __TwigTemplate_65d77b72919715c4020c9c3d370f439c559edc36e77c896f71bb07378611be0e extends Twig_Template
{
    public function __construct(Twig_Environment $env)
    {
        parent::__construct($env);

        $this->parent = false;

        $this->blocks = array(
        );
    }

    protected function doDisplay(array $context, array $blocks = array())
    {
        // line 1
        if ($this->getAttribute((isset($context["field"]) ? $context["field"] : null), "fields", array())) {
            // line 2
            echo "

    ";
            // line 3
            $context['_parent'] = $context;
            $context['_seq'] = twig_ensure_traversable($this->getAttribute($context["field"], "fields", array()));
            $context['loop'] = array(
              'parent' => $context['_parent'],
              'index0' => 0,
              'index'  => 1,
              'first'  => true,
            );
            if (is_array($context['_seq']) || (is_object($context['_seq']) && $context['_seq'] instanceof Countable)) {
                $length = count($context['_seq']);
                $context['loop']['revindex0'] = $length - 1;
                $context['loop']['revindex'] = $length;
                $context['loop']['length'] = $length;
                $context['loop']['last'] = 1 === $length;
            }
            foreach ($context['_seq'] as $context["_key"] => $context["field"]) {
                // line 4
                echo "        ";
                if ($this->getAttribute($context["field"], "type", array())) {
                    // line 5
                    echo "            ";
                    $context["value"] = $this->getAttribute((isset($context["data"]) ? $context["data"] : null), "value", array(0 => $this->getAttribute($context["field"], "name", array())), "method");
                    // line 6
                    echo "                ";
                    $this->loadTemplate(array(0 => (((("forms/fields/" . $this->getAttribute($context["field"], "type", array())) . "/") . $this->getAttribute($context["field"], "type", array())) . ".html.twig"), 1 => "forms/fields/text/text.html.twig"), "forms/fields/column/column.html.twig", 6)->display($context);
                    // line 7
                    echo "        ";
                }
                // line 8
                echo "    ";
                ++$context['loop']['index0'];
                ++$context['loop']['index'];
                $context['loop']['first'] = false;
                if (isset($context['loop']['length'])) {
                    --$context['loop']['revindex0'];
                    --$context['loop']['revindex'];
                    $context['loop']['last'] = 0 === $context['loop']['revindex0'];
                }
            }
            $_parent = $context['_parent'];
            unset($context['_seq'], $context['_iterated'], $context['_key'], $context['field'], $context['_parent'], $context['loop']);
            $context = array_intersect_key($context, $_parent) + $_parent;
            // line 9
            echo "

";
        }
    }

    public function getTemplateName()
    {
        return "forms/fields/column/column.html.twig";
    }

    public function isTraitable()
    {
        return false;
    }

    public function getDebugInfo()
    {
        return array (  69 => 9,  55 => 8,  52 => 7,  49 => 6,  46 => 5,  43 => 4,  26 => 3,  21 => 2,  19 => 1,);
    }
}
/* {% if field.fields %}*/
/*
*/
/*     {% for field in field.fields %}*/
/*         {% if field.type %}*/
/*             {% set value = data.value(field.name) %}*/
/*                 {% include ["forms/fields/#{field.type}/#{field.type}.html.twig", 'forms/fields/text/text.html.twig'] %}*/
/*         {% endif %}*/
/*     {% endfor %}*/
/*
*/
/* {% endif %}*/
/* */