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Home→Books and Authors→Richard Katrovas
Richard Katrovas
Raising Girls in Bohemia: Meditations of an American Father
A Memoir in Essays by Richard Katrovas
Raising Girls in Bohemia
"A remarkable achievement, a heady ride, wise and knowing."
—Patricia Hampl, A Romantic Education
"A potent, fascinating book."
—Tracy Kidder, Strength in What Remains
In the remarkable, personal, and political essays of RAISING GIRLS IN BOHEMIA: MEDITATIONS OF AN AMERICAN FATHER, writer and poet Richard Katrovas (Mystic Pig, Prague Winter), chronicles his life as a father of three Czech-American daughters. While tracing what fatherhood has taught him about the world, Katrovas delves in depth into a range of intricately-related, yet far-flung subjects including fine dining, sexual epithets, gender identity, racism, poetry, and education, tracing "the contours of his ignorance" about all things. Through the course of these fine essays, Katrovas unveils what it means to be an American and to be a man, and especially what it means to be a father of three daughters, born in Prague, in what we can only hope is the twilight of patriarchy. As award-winning author Stuart Dybek (I Sailed with Magellen), notes, "Richard Katrovas vividly conveys the complexity of the relationship between a father and his bilingual daughters who are being raised as citizens of two very different cultures. The freshly written, deeply felt essays in Raising Girls in Bohemia, were fascinating when first published individually in literary magazines. But to read these essays together adds a welcome sense of an overarching narrative, and dials the level of complexity higher still. A vital, one-of-a-kind book."
ISBN: 978-1-941110-06-5 Trade Paperback; ISBN: 978-1-941110-07-2 ebook
256 pages; $15.95
Publication date: Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Distributed by:
Praise for Raising Girls in Bohemia
"Katrovas' memoir in essays is so neatly woven, that the occasional jumps in time embrace rather than lose the reader, and also contribute to the feel of a natural and evolving conversation. Likewise, his decision to intermix terms that could be found on a SAT or ACT test with common slang aptly portray atypical situations in such a way that they seem simultaneously familiar and foreign. . . His personal reflections are superb. Readers will root for Katrovas' efforts to ensure his daughters feel native to both of their parents' home countries." –Kasey Beduhn, San Francisco Book Review
"RAISING GIRLS IN BOHEMIA is by turns political and personal, honest and full of insight into the human condition, all filtered through a poet's thoughtful lens. Insightful rumination on being human across geographical and emotional divisions." — Rob LeFebvre, Shelf Awareness
"A potent, fascinating book." —Tracy Kidder, Strength in What Remains
"RAISING GIRLS IN BOHEMIA is a brave meditation on the hazards and fleeting forms of happiness available to a navigator of two divergent cultures. The American poet and prose writer Richard Katrovas explores the fallout from his doomed marriage to a Czech woman, and in the process addresses his own complicated inheritance-—the ways in which his father's long-term imprisonment shaped his childhood; his fierce love for his three daughters and inability to protect them from heartbreak; the difficulty he finds in entering into another language and life. In these wide-ranging essays, Katrovas examines the nature of freedom, the artist's role in society, and the impossibility of ever really knowing someone, all with wit and wisdom. This is a wonderful collection." —Christopher Merrill, The Tree of the Doves: Ceremony, Expedition, War
"The freshly written, deeply felt essays in RAISING GIRLS IN BOHEMIA, were fascinating when first published individually in literary magazines. Richard Katrovas vividly conveys the complexity of the relationship between a father and his bilingual daughters who are being raised as citizens of two very different cultures. But to read these essays together adds a welcome sense of an overarching narrative, and dials the level of complexity higher still. The result is a vital, one-of-a-kind book" —Stuart Dybek, I Sailed with Magellen
"Speaking from first-hand knowledge, I can say that Richard Katrovas is an exemplary parent, friend, and colleague, generous, tough-minded, invigoratingly opinionated, and tender-hearted. As a writer of prose and poetry, he is simply an international treasure. All of these qualities are on display in Raising Girls in Bohemia, a wide-ranging collection of essays that speaks not only to fathers, daughters, and Bohemians both upper and lower case, but to all of us who matter to each other." —Arnold Johnston, The Witching Voice: A Novel from the Life of Robert Burns
"At once deeply personal and strikingly erudite, Richard Katrovas' RAISING GIRLS IN BOHEMIA is a remarkable achievement. In every piece the voice is authentically his, whether describing episodes from his exceptional life story, pondering the intricacies of fatherhood, or sidling into rumination on subjects as far-reaching as the role of art in society, the horrors of prison or the disparate ways we experience connection to past and homeland. This potentially random collection of essays is a true memoir and a satisfyingly thought-provoking read." —Elise B. Jorgens, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Western Michigan University (retired)
"In these trenchant essays, Richard Katrovas strips away the gauzy romanticism of expatriate life to probe the challenges of raising three Czech-American daughters in a culture he cannot fully embrace – and that can never fully embrace him in return. In sweeping, meditative arcs, the essays roam from the author's own complex relationship with his incarcerated father to his struggles with the language and customs of Prague, turning always on the axis of his profound love for his daughters. A must read for anyone interested in the literature of expatriation." —Robert Eversz, Gypsy Hearts
"If, as Socrates told us, the unexamined life is not worth living, Richard Katrovas demonstrates amply in RAISING GIRLS IN BOHEMIA, that a life considered rationally, and with sensitivity, reveals insight both triumphant and heartbreaking. This is a fascinating book. In these essays Katrovas proclaims unceasingly that the lives of his beloved daughters—indeed all of our lives— are not problems to be solved, but rather mysteries to be lived." —Gerald Costanzo, Regular Haunts; director, Carnegie Mellon University Press
"In RAISING GIRLS IN BOHEMIA, Richard Katrovas tells a unique story of how his own rootless childhood in the U.S. led him eventually to have roots in two continents as the loving father of three daughters born in Czech Republic. Though he reminds the reader often of the unusual twists and turns of his early life – Dickensian barely describes it! – by the end of this book, he has in fact told the story of his generation, especially the men of his generation. The final essay, "Glenn Beck Is Not My Brother," is the best I know about the heartbreaking divisions in American society today." —Mark Jarman, Bone Fires: New and Selected Poems
"Sometimes a person is in the right place at the right time to witness history, which is lucky. Sometimes that person is a writer of Richard Katrovas` talent, which is even luckier. These 23 essays reflect on a world bent on transforming itself, gazed through the transformative eye of fatherhood. From his unique position–one foot in the Bohemia of the French Quarter, one in, well, Bohemia, Katrovas speaks with humor and authority, whether describing the `Worst Restaurant in the Western World,` or realizing that 'My daughters are more physically free in Europe, and more rhetorically free in America.' RAISING GIRLS IN BOHEMIA is a clear-eyed, sure-handed, big-hearted book." —Beth Ann Fennelly, Great with Child
Past Praise for Richard Katrovas
"Tough, direct, gritty, full of wonder…there is nothing meek about Mr. Katrovas…He sings with an authority that is guided by compassion, by an unblinking eye for what is beautiful within what is not." —New York Times Book Review
"Partly Mark Twain, partly Henry Miller. It is ferocious, tender, original." —Gerald Stern, This Time: New and Selected Poems
"Richard Katrovas is the best of the new poets." —Denis Johnson, Tree of Smoke
"Richard Katrovas is a fine writer…He makes the (reader) feel gratitude, and, in addition to illumination, friendship." —James Dickey, Deliverance
"Katrovas is observant, outrageous, and completely original." —Valerie Martin, Property
"As Hemingway portrayed Paris of the twenties, Katrovas portrays…post-revolution Prague. Katrovas is a talented and honest writer who captures the unrenderable, sees the invisible, and makes the truth into poetry." —Arnost Lustig, Prayer for Katerina Horowitzowa
About Richard Katrovas
The recipient of numerous grants and awards, Richard Katrovas is the founding academic director of the Prague Summer Program, and is the author of seven collections of poetry, a short story collection, a novel, and three memoirs. Katrovas taught for twenty years at the University of New Orleans before moving to Western Michigan University. Katrovas lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan; New Orleans, Louisiana, and Prague, Czech Republic.
More information is available on his website www.richardkatrovas.com.
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Woke up, first thing to do for my Saturday – Shoot Shan-zi!
Shan-Zi (扇子), inspired by Chinese Fan (Implement).
These earrings measures 2.5cm excluding earwires, and 2cm at its widest measure.
Artistic Wires, Silver 925 ear wires, Swarovski Crystal Pearls.
I enjoy all of your work, but these are definitely up there on my list. They're just gorgeous!
a very unique style earring and it is easy to tell from those photos you have excellent craftsmanship - what an inspiration!


text:
World class surfing set to come to Barbados
World class surfers, including Brian Talma, will gather at the Caribbean's #1 surfing spot, the Soup Bowl on the Northeast Atlantic coast of Barbados, this November, for the 7th Annual Independence Pro Surfing Classic.
On November 13 and 14, 2004, surfers from the United States, Jamaica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Trinidad, and the US Virgin Islands will match their lefts and rights with top local surfing talent to compete for a prize of US $10,000.
The Barbados Surfing Association (BSA) has hosted this competition for the past six years, which has challenged world-class surfers such as Kelly Slater, Asher Nolan and Dylan Greaves. The BSA is also currently celebrating its 21st Anniversary as the officially recognized National Governing Body for the sport of surfing in Barbados.
"The BSA strives to promote the sport of surfing in all its forms in Barbados," said Nicholas Donawa, President, Barbados Surfing Association. "We are proud to host this competition in Bathsheba and welcome some of the world's best surfers to our shores".
Past winners have included Dylan Greaves, the Puerto Rican "wonder-kid", who won in 2003, 2002 champion Asher Nolan and Kelly Slater, the six-time ASP (WHAT IS THE ASP?) World Champion, who won in 2001.
Local hometown hero, Mark Holder, managed to secure a win in the early days of the Pro Surfing Classic, but has only come as close as 4th in recent competitions.
The Soup Bowl in Bathsheba, on the island's rocky North East Coast, is a favorite spot for surfers and has been rated the Caribbean's #1 surfing spot by countries such as the United States, England, Japan, France, Brazil, Portugal, South Africa, and Ecuador.
Construction Begins on The Peninsula Tokyo
USVI semi-annual charteryacht show set for autumn

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I've recently returned from 7 months spent roaming around Asia. During that time I focused my travel on exploring what it means to be human on the other side of the world, as well as sharpening my skills as a knowledgeable international educator.
Prior to my latest nomadic journey, I worked with public school teachers from all over the United States on globalizing curricula at levels of education. It is my sincere belief that everyone should begin learning the skills needed to understand and act upon issues of global significance from the earliest of ages.
Other fun facts: I hold a Master's degree in International Communication and am currently working on improving my language skills in Mandarin Chinese. Today, you can find me on the East Coast inevitably eating a bowl of noodles, checking out yet another book from the library, and helping out with operations at Melibee!


text:
Yorkshire Games Festival returns in February 2020
Vikki Blake 13th November 2019	Business News
Yorkshire Games Festival is returning for its fourth year on February 5-9th, 2020.
The five-day event has been crafted for "developers, gamers, and families alike", offering a "wide variety of events and activities to appeal across the spectrum". A series of Games Talks running on 6th and 7th February are designed for industry professionals, and prospective developers can participate in "Meet the Developers" networking sessions. The event will also host the return of BAFTA's Young Developers Conference for 11-18 year olds.
The event will include insights from Mike Bithell of Bithell Games, Chloe Crookes of Team17 who serves as Senior QA Analyst, Sumo Digital level designer Zi Peters and nDreams' CEO, Patrick O'Luanaigh. Also on the bill is journalist Alysia Judge, whose work has been published in the BBC, The Guardian, IGN, and The Independent, and Coatsink lead animator, Emma Hollingsworth. UK studio Rare will also be there to talk about the making of Sea of Thieves, and Team17 will be setting up a pop-up Usability Lab.
"We've made a point of providing a welcome environment for industry luminaries to come and lay open their views, their experiences, and their knowledge to what is always an engaged and committed crowd," says Festival Director, Kathryn Penny.
"The next Yorkshire Games Festival is going to be no different, building on that strong relationship we're developing with the industry and bringing those voices to the next generation – a generation of creatives who can't typically head to events elsewhere around the country. It's a unique meeting of minds, making the next festival the best yet."
"It's exactly publishers like Team17 and activities like the Usability Lab that help us to illustrate just how wide and diverse the games industry is to our attendees," continues Penny. "It's very easy for those just thinking about starting out in games to have their eyes fixed on the big glamorous jobs at the Triple-A studios and not realise the industry has a wealth of other jobs and professions to offer."
Tickets for Yorkshire Games Festival: Game Talks 2020 are now available at the Yorkshire Games Festival website.
Tags 2020 BAFTA YGD Develop Newsletter development events MCV Newsletter yorkshire games festival
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text:
RRSP hatchery First Hole program honored by governor
Purdy mayor Bo Prock resigns from position
Eagle Rock ambulance station expected to be complete in March
Year In Review 2019, Pt. 3
City of Cassville awards Employees of the Year
Haven of the Ozarks' Pet of the Week: Jax
CHS basketball coaches present to Rotary
Barry County Health Department releases December Food Service Report
Wheaton names November Students of the Month
91st Barry County Soils and Crops Conference Jan. 23
MDC reports 12,000 deer taken during alternative-methods portion
Purdy announces Homecoming, Tip-Off candidates
Three hurt in multi-vehicle crash south of Aurora last week
Rocky Comfort man charged with selling meth
Arkansas woman injured in crash, DWI charges sought
Two injured in Route Z crash
Three from CHS earn football Academic All State
New Cassville student organization travels to nation's capital
Mattingly steps down from Exeter School Board
Vinnie Roberts
At the Exeter School Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, June 12, Exeter resident and long-serving board member Kerry Mattingly announced that she would be stepping away from her duties after 11 years of service to the board.
According to Mattingly, this is to focus on her education as she finishes her degree to become a middle school teacher.
"I decided that now was a good time to focus on my education. I am furthering my education and finishing my teaching degree," said Mattingly. "I would like to be certified in middle school. I'm going to finish my elementary education degree and try to Praxis into other subjects."
Mattingly explained she believes her time working on the school board will be helpful to her as an educator.
"I get to see the back side of everything," continued Mattingly. "I see the types of things that we work on, school financial needs and things like that. I think it will be a big help in my career moving forward."
Mattingly served on the Exeter School Board for 11 years. She was elected to the board in 2008. According to her, her service began during one of Exeter's more trying times as a district.
"When I first got on the board, our school's standing wasn't the greatest," said Mattingly. "We were able to rise up and overcome so many obstacles. When I was on the board, we were able to make a lot of positive changes to our school. Being able to help others has always been a strong motivation for me."
This sentiment was further expanded upon by Exeter superintendent Dr. Ernest Raney, who has served the district for nine of the 11 years that Mattingly has been on the board.
"She's a great lady. Anything you ever need done, she's willing to give it her all to make sure that we accomplish our goals," said Raney. "We're about meeting students needs first and that's what her goal always was. She's both feet in on every project and in doing everything that the board wants to accomplish and everything that she sets out to do."
Mattingly went on to express that the district's current positive state was another contributing factor to her decision to step away.
"We're currently operating in the best standing we've ever had," said Mattingly. "Our administration is strong, so I felt like if I was going to leave, now would be the best time."
According to Raney, this positive direction the district is in has a lot to do with Mattingly's involvement.
"She's led a lot of different efforts," said Raney. "She did a lot to make a difference in the lives of these kids. That's always been her center of attention. It's always been a great experience to work with her. We always knew we could count on her support in anything that we did."
Mattingly has lived and worked in the district for a large portion of her life.
"I grew up in Exeter and I went to school there. I have always had an interest in making our school as good as possible. If we can make a change and make life better for at least one student, that's all I ever wanted to do.
Though the decision to leave was a difficult one for Mattingly, she hopes to continue to work within the district once her degree is finished.
"It's very bittersweet," said Mattingly. "It was a hard decision to make. I hope to be back soon but in a different role."
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text:
/********************************************************************
 * 2014 -
 * open source under Apache License Version 2.0
 ********************************************************************/
/**
 * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
 * or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
 * distributed with this work for additional information
 * regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
 * to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
 * "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
 * with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */
#ifndef _HDFS_LIBHDFS3_RPC_RPCAUTH_H_
#define _HDFS_LIBHDFS3_RPC_RPCAUTH_H_

#include "client/UserInfo.h"
#include "Hash.h"

#include <string>

namespace Hdfs {
namespace Internal {

enum AuthMethod {
    SIMPLE = 80, KERBEROS = 81, //"GSSAPI"
    TOKEN = 82, //"DIGEST-MD5"
    UNKNOWN = 255
};

enum AuthProtocol {
    NONE = 0, SASL = -33
};

class RpcAuth {
public:
    RpcAuth() :
        method(SIMPLE) {
    }

    explicit RpcAuth(AuthMethod mech) :
        method(mech) {
    }

    RpcAuth(const UserInfo & ui, AuthMethod mech) :
        method(mech), user(ui) {
    }

    AuthProtocol getProtocol() const {
        return method == SIMPLE ? AuthProtocol::NONE : AuthProtocol::SASL;
    }

    const UserInfo & getUser() const {
        return user;
    }

    UserInfo & getUser() {
        return user;
    }

    void setUser(const UserInfo & user) {
        this->user = user;
    }

    AuthMethod getMethod() const {
        return method;
    }

    void setMethod(AuthMethod method) {
        this->method = method;
    }

    size_t hash_value() const;

    bool operator ==(const RpcAuth & other) const {
        return method == other.method && user == other.user;
    }

public:
    static AuthMethod ParseMethod(const std::string & str);

private:
    AuthMethod method;
    UserInfo user;
};

}
}

HDFS_HASH_DEFINE(::Hdfs::Internal::RpcAuth);

#endif /* _HDFS_LIBHDFS3_RPC_RPCAUTH_H_ */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
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International Security & Defense--Security Strategy (91)
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(-) Science & Technology--Biosafety (1)
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Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship (1)
Technology and Public Purpose (1)
AP Photo/Federica Narancio
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Catherine Gegout
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In the turbulent times of difficult EU-US relations, Brexit, and rising nationalism in Europe, this course analyses the impressive extent of EU presence in the developing world. It first introduces theories, concepts and decision-making processes related to EU foreign policy (by both Member States and EU institutions). In particular, we analyse the processes within the European Communities, and the CFSP (Common Foreign and Security Policies) / CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policies) frameworks. The course then critically assesses security and economic policies towards the developing world. Themes to explain the nature of contemporary EU foreign policies include: European integration (intergovernmentalism and supranationalism, neoliberalism and ethical foreign policy), diplomacy, post-colonialism, military and civilian means for conflict-management, and also policies on migration, asylum and
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Future of Diplomacy Project welcomes Ambassador João Vale de Almeida for Europe Week
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Ischinger: We need courageous steps to save the EU
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Farah Pandith speaks about countering violent extremism in the wake of Trump Administration travel ban
Farah Pandith
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A pioneer in the field of CVE (Countering Violent Extremism), Farah Pandith spent over a decade developing strategies to prevent and defend against the spread of extremist ideology, a policy area that has been under the microscope since President Trump declared his intention to "unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth," during his inaugural address on January 20th.
At a Future of Diplomacy Project seminar on February 13, Pandith spoke about the evolution of CVE policy and the importance of soft power in combating the spread of extremist ideology. She identified three distinct phases in the development of US counter-terrorism strategy after September 11.
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Managing Risk in an Unstable World
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Douglas Alexander Discusses the Future of European Security
Rt. Hon. Douglas Alexander
Read more about Douglas Alexander Discusses the Future of European Security
The Right Honourable Douglas Alexander offered his views on European security in a discussion moderated by FDP Executive Director Cathryn Cluver.


Also many thanks to coordinator KAN, testers ifsmirnov, gritukan, AlexFetisov and any other people who participates in preparation of contest.
I don't know, maybe this topis was discussed on Codeforces but google didn't help me.
It seems that standart hash function in gcc works badly (for Visual C++ all is good).
For example code in spoiler works more than 10 seconds on Codeforces because hashes of all numbers are equal to zero.
What can we do without writing our own hash function?
Firstly, in case c = 0 we should output YES if a = b else answer is NO.
If b belongs to sequence b = a + k * c where k is non-negative integer.
So answer is YES if (b - a) / c is non-negative integer else answer is NO.
Number in the center may be any from 1 to n because number in the center belongs to all subsquares 2 × 2. So, let's find answer with fixed number in the center and then multiply answer by n.
Let's iterate over all possible x. Sums of each subsquare 2 × 2 are the same so x + b + a + m = y + c + a + m and y = x + b - c.
Similarly, z = x + a - d and w = a + y - d = z + b - c.
This square is legal if 1 ≤ y, z, w ≤ n. We should just check it.
Also we can solve this problem in O(1).
We have array ai and should make all numbers in it be equal to zero with minimal number of operations. Sum of all ai equals to zero.
We can divide array into parts of consecutive elements with zero sum. If part has length l we can use all pairs of neighbours in operations and make all numbers be equal to zero with l - 1 operations.
So, if we sum number of operations in each part we get ans = n - k where k is number of parts. We should maximize k to get the optimal answer.
One of the part consists of some prefix and probably some suffix. Each of other parts is subarray of a.
Let's calculate prefix sums. Each part has zero sum so prefix sums before each part-subarray are the same.
So we can calculate f — number of occurencies of the most frequent number in prefix sums and answer will be equal to n - f.
Bonus: how to hack solutions with overflow?
We have binary search tree (BST) and should insert number in it with good time complexity.
Let we should add number x. Find numbers l < x < r which were added earlier, l is maximal possible, r is minimal possible (all will be similar if only one of this numbers exists). We can find them for example with std::set and upper_bound in C++.
We should keep sorted tree traversal (it's property of BST). So x must be right child of vertex with l or left child of vertex with r.
Let l hasn't right child and r hasn't left child. Hence lowest common ancestor (lca) of l and r doesn't equal to l or r. So lca is between l and r in tree traversal. But it's impossible because l is maximal possible and r is minimal possible. So l has right child or r has left child and we know exactly which of them will be parent of x.
That's all. Time complexity is .
Let the indexation will be from zero. So we should subtract one from all ai. Also let an - 1 = n - 1.
dpi is sum of shortests pathes from i to i + 1... n - 1.
dpi = dpm - (ai - m) + n - i - 1 where m belongs to range from i + 1 to ai and am is maximal. We can find m with segment tree or binary indexed tree or sparse table.
Now answer equals to sum of all dpi.
Codeforces Round #353 (Div. 2) will take place tomorrow on the 16th of May at 19:35 MSK. I tried to make interesting problems, hope you enjoy them.
I'd like to thank GlebsHP for his help in preparing problems and MikeMirzayanov for Codeforces and Polygon.
We are given array which contains only ones and zeroes. We must divide it on parts with only one 1.
Tricky case: when array contains only zeroes answer equals to 0.
In general. Between two adjacent ones we must have only one separation. So, answer equals to product of values posi - posi - 1 where posi is position of i-th one.
Bonus: what's the maximal possible answer for n < 100?
First radius equals to zero or distance from first fountain to some flower. Let's iterate over this numbers. Second radius equals to maximal distance from second fountain to flower which doesn't belong to circle with first radius. Now we should choose variant with minimal r12 + r22.
Bonus: It's O(n2) solution. Can you solve problem in O(nlogn)?
Answer equals to one if all coordinates x or y of points are same.
When answer equals to two? Let's iterate over all pairs of points. Let first point in pair is beginning of polyline, second point is end. Only one or two such polylines with answer two exist. If third point is on the polyline it belongs to rectangle with corners in first two points. We can just check it.
Else answer equals to three. We can build vertical lines which contains the most left and the most right point and horizontal line through third point. If we erase some excess rays we will get polyline.
Let's calculate array pref (pref = 0, ).
Xor of subarray a[l...r] equals to .
So query (l, r) is counting number of pairs i, j (l - 1 ≤ i < j ≤ r) .
Let we know answer for query (l, r) and know for all v cnt[v] — count of v in a[l - 1...r]. We can update in O(1) answer and cnt if we move left or right border of query on 1. So we can solve problem offline in with sqrt-decomposion (Mo's algorithm).
Tomorrow, on 23rd of January at 18:35 MSK Codeforces Round #340 (Div. 2) will take place. It's my first round, hope you enjoy the problems.
Thanks to GlebsHP for his help in preparing the problems, Delinur for translations of statements and MikeMirzayanov for Codeforces and Polygon.
Server time: Apr/22/2019 02:07:15 (e3).


text:
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web;
using System.Web.Mvc;
using TournamentsMVC.Models;
using Microsoft.AspNet.Identity;
using AutoMapper;
using TournamentsMVC.Data.Contracts;
using TournamentsMVC.Services.Contracts;
using System.IO;
using TournamentsMVC.Areas.Admin.Models;
using TournamentsMVC.Common.Constants;

namespace TournamentsMVC.Areas.Admin.Controllers
{
    [Authorize(Roles = "Admin")]
    public class AddPlayerController : Controller
    {
        private readonly IPlayerService playerService;
        private readonly ITeamService teamService;

        public AddPlayerController(IPlayerService playerService, ITeamService teamService)
        {
            if (playerService == null)
            {
                throw new ArgumentNullException("playerService");
            }

            if (teamService == null)
            {
                throw new ArgumentNullException("teamService");
            }

            this.playerService = playerService;
            this.teamService = teamService;
        }

        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            var model = new AddPlayerViewModel();
            model.Teams = this.GetTeams();
            return this.View(model);
        }

        [HttpPost]
        [ValidateAntiForgeryToken]
        [ValidateInput(false)]  //Perhaps remove
        public ActionResult Index([Bind(Exclude = "Teams")]AddPlayerViewModel playerModel)
        {
            if (!ModelState.IsValid)
            {
                playerModel.Teams = this.GetTeams();
                return View(playerModel);
            }

            if (!this.IsImageFile(playerModel.PhotoFile))
            {
                this.ModelState.AddModelError("Photofile", "Player photo photo should be an image file.");
                return View(playerModel);
            }

            var player = this.GetPlayer(playerModel);
            this.playerService.AddPlayer(player);

            return this.Redirect("/home");
        }

        private Player GetPlayer(AddPlayerViewModel playerModel)
        {
            var filename = playerModel.PhotoFile.FileName;
            //var path = this.Server.MapPath($"~/Content/Images/{filename}");
            var path = this.Server.MapPath(ProjectConstants.ImagesRelativePath+filename);
            playerModel.PhotoFile.SaveAs(path);

            // TODO map?
            var player = new Player()
            {
                FirstName = playerModel.FirstName,
                LastName = playerModel.LastName,
                NickName = playerModel.NickName,
                CV = "", //playerModel.CV,
                Email = playerModel.Email,
                IsCoach = false, //playerModel.IsCoach,
                Picture = filename,
                Rating = 0,
                Votes = 0,
                //Team = playerModel.Team,
                TeamId = 1, // playerModel.TeamId, todo
                //User = playerModel.User,
                UserId = new Guid(this.User.Identity.GetUserId())
            };

            return player;
        }

        private bool IsImageFile(HttpPostedFileBase file)
        {
            if (file == null)
            {
                return false;
            }

            var contentType = file.ContentType.ToLower();
            var result = contentType == "image/jpg"
                || contentType == "image/jpeg"
                || contentType == "image/png";

            return result;
        }

        private IEnumerable<SelectListItem> GetTeams()
        {
            var teams = this.teamService.GetAllTeams().Select(x => new SelectListItem() { Value = x.Id.ToString(), Text = x.Name }).ToList();
            return teams;
        }
    }
}


Augusta — With the regular firearms season for deer concluding on Saturday, Dec. 1, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's new online registration system showed that deer hunters had a very good year in Maine, likely the best in more than 15 years.
The numbers are still preliminary, but as of Monday, Nov. 26, hunters in Maine had taken 30,299 deer, the most since 2004 when the deer kill was 30,926. With the muzzleloading season to begin on Monday, Dec. 3 throughout the state, it is likely the 2018 deer kill will surpass that 2004 total, but will fall short of the 38,153 deer taken in 2002.
With the new online registration system, MDIFW biologists monitored the season and harvest. While the number of deer taken the first two Saturdays was close to 2,000 deer lower in 2018 compared to 2017, the last two Saturdays of the season showed the exact opposite, as hunters took a little more than 2,000 additional deer than 2017. Weekday totals the last week and a half of the season were higher than last year as well.
MDIFW biologists expected to see a higher deer kill this season due to the increase in the number of any-deer permits issued. A total of 84,745 any-deer permits were issued in 22 of the state's 29 wildlife management districts, an increase of 28 percent from the previous year. One reason for the permit increase is that the 2017-18 winter was more moderate in central and southern Maine, while up north the winter was a little more severe than years past.
Deer hunting in Maine provides many Maine families with wild game meat that is high in nutrition, sustainable, free range and organic. On average, a 150-pound field-dressed deer will provide close to 70 pounds of meat. It is estimated that this year's deer kill will provide more than 1.5 million pounds of meat to hunters and their families.
Deer seasons began the Saturday after Labor Day and will continue until Dec. 8. These structured seasons, along with controlling the harvest of female deer in the 29 WMDs across the state through the any-deer permit system, allows biologists to manage deer population trends.


text:
Putin seeks to use 'winter as weapon of war'
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants "to use winter as a weapon of war" in his campaign in Ukraine, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday in Bucharest ahead of a meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers.
"We have to be prepared for more refugees crossing into the rest of Europe," as a result of Russia's "deliberate attack on critical services, heating, light, water, gas" in Ukraine, Stoltenberg said.
Forest fires grew 14% in Brazil, especially in the Amazon 01/02/2023
"China is a key partner in the industrialization of Brazilian science and technology" 01/02/2023
Ho Iat Seng challenges Macau Trade Association to continue uniting and leading the sector 01/02/2023
Hong Kong bans CBD, being at the same level of punishment as cocaine and heroin 01/02/2023
Céline Dion's sister reveals details about the singer's health 01/02/2023


We've been enjoying this series of comics so much that we decided to re-enlist it for a fourth installment.
This could be an AWESOME! movie!!
Skipanator II – Up to your shitdick!
A war can cause many changes. It will be hard for him to exert his authority when puberty strikes.
Sweet, another part! I assume it will conclude with Wyatt somehow overthrowing a dictatorship, then taking it for his own twisted imagination.
No I think he means dictatorship.
I've been trying to understand this one for a few minutes now, but no luck yet. Can anyone enlighten me on the pun ?
No pun, buddy…he was just mad he didn't say sir.
No, I think it was /3 before and they updated it on all of the comics, cuz I remember it being /3 too. Don't worry, your not going insane.
Well, isn't this nice. A fifth after that perhaps?
Wyatt, dont let Skip hold you back, why do you think his parents treat him like they do.
also, YES! My wish was granted, the series was extended!
I didn't even realize that was Wyatt. Boy do they grow up fast.
In the Army, you don't call sergeants "sir"… you call them "sergeant". Only officers – 2nd Lieutenant and higher – are called "sir".
And yes, I am TOTALLY a stickler for details. I still love the comic.
That's what makes it funny. A sergeant wanting to be called sir.
I don't think that's what makes it funny.
Sometimes I think Skip & Wyatt got mixed up at birth, because Wyatt ALWAYS reminds me of Ken.
You know something, I can see the family resemblance now.
And who is piloting the helicopter? Skip's dad???
I was just thinking, wouldn't their heads be shaved at some point in boot camp?
Why is it that Skip always has rolled up sleeves?
Jeez, man, no Sgt would be called "sir". A Sgt's parents were married.


Once the request is completed you will be able to add regular Skype users to Skype For Business contacts list: 1. Open Skype For Business application and switch to Contacts view. Click a button with the picture of a person and a plus sign > Add a Contact Not in My Organization > Skype. 2. Enter Skype username of a person you want to add in the search field. 3. Find a user you would like to add... The contact's name will appear on your Recent Tab, which is just beside the tab for your Contact List. Right-click the unwanted contact's name then select the "Block This Person" option. Right-click the unwanted contact's name then select the "Block This Person" option.
I finally realized that there was not a function using the regular Skype app in windows 10 that would allow me to see the request and accept it. Solution: The person who needs to accept the contact request has to sign in to skype online.
On a Windows phone, launch Skype Preview, go to settings and select "Make Skype your default messaging app."; and on a Windows PC, launch Skype Preview, go to settings and under "SMS" select "Enable." You will then see an authentication code.
Skype™ is software application that makes it easier than ever to keep in touch with anyone, anywhere* in the world. All you need is a webcam and microphone on your Dell™ PC, along with a high speed internet connection, and you're all set.


The Woman Mountain Biking: Medium-Light Skin Tone emoji is a sequence of the 🚵 Mountain Bicyclist, 🏼 Emoji Modifier Fitzpatrick Type-3 and ♀ Female Sign emojis. These are combined using a zero width joiner between each character and display as a single emoji on supported platforms.
Woman Mountain Biking: Medium-Light Skin Tone was added to Emoji 4.0 in 2016.


Silk Oil of Morocco's Argan Fine Hair Volume Masque is the ideal solution for dull, weak, dry, flat and damaged hair. A lightweight treatment formulated with Soy and Wheat Protein to help strengthen, repair, protect, reduce hair breakage and enhance hair manageability. This conditioning hair masque enhanced with Cold Pressed Certified Organic Argan Oil and the addition of Pro-Vitamin B5 and horsetail plant extract leaves hair looking luxuriously soft, healthy, smooth and radiant.
What hair type is Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque suitable for?
Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque is suitable for dry, weak, damaged, flat/limp, dull/lifeless, thin/fine and oily hair.
What will the Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque do for my hair?
A lightweight treatment formulated with Soy and Wheat Protein to help strengthen, repair, protect, reduce hair breakage and enhance hair manageability.
Can I leave Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque in the hair?
It is recommended to use the Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque on wet hair as a quick hydrating conditioner or towel dried hair for 2-3 minutes then wash out. For an intense treatment, apply to towel dried hair for 10 minutes hours and then wash thoroughly out.
How often should I use the Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque?
It is recommended to use once a week/fortnight for an intense treatment depending of hair condition.
Can Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque be used on hair extensions?
No, Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque cannot be used on hair extensions as it contains Soy and Wheat Proteins.
What Fragrance is in the Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque?
The Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque is infused with a lovely Jasmin & Green Tea fragrance.
What is the pH level of the Argan Fine Hair Volumizing Masque?
Use as a treatment once a week/fortnight (depending on hair condition) to maintain soft, shiny and healthy looking hair.
Wet Hair: Apply evenly on wet hair and leave to process for 5 minutes then rinse thoroughly.
Towel Dried Hair: Apply evenly onto towel dried hair and comb through. Leave to process for 10 minutes and rinse thoroughly.
WARNING: Avoid getting into the eyes. If product gets into eyes wash out thoroughly with water.


text:
// Copyright 2000-2022 JetBrains s.r.o. and contributors. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license.
package com.intellij.codeInsight.daemon.impl.quickfix;

import com.intellij.codeInsight.daemon.quickFix.LightQuickFixParameterizedTestCase;
import com.intellij.codeInspection.LocalInspectionTool;
import com.intellij.codeInspection.optionalToIf.OptionalToIfInspection;
import com.intellij.testFramework.LightProjectDescriptor;
import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;

import static com.intellij.testFramework.fixtures.LightJavaCodeInsightFixtureTestCase.JAVA_12;

/**
 * @see OptionalToIfInspection
 */
public class OptionalToIfInspectionTest extends LightQuickFixParameterizedTestCase {

  @Override
  protected LocalInspectionTool @NotNull [] configureLocalInspectionTools() {
    return new LocalInspectionTool[]{new OptionalToIfInspection()};
  }

  @NotNull
  @Override
  protected LightProjectDescriptor getProjectDescriptor() {
    return JAVA_12;
  }

  @Override
  protected String getBasePath() {
    return "/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/quickFix/optionalToIf";
  }
}


text:
Aldous Huxley Audio Books
Online Audio (Free)
Cloning, feel-good drugs, anti-aging programs, and total social control through politics, programming...
The Doors of Perception
This controversial statement about the benefit of hallucinogenic drugs from the author of...
Brave New World Read by Aldous Huxley
The CBS Radio Workshop was an experimental series of productions, subtitled "radio's distinguished series to man's imagination". The premiere production was Brave New World, narrated by Huxley himself...
Crome Yellow
Audio Download (Free)
Apocylapse is prophesied, virginity is lost, and inspirational aphorisms are gained in a trance. Our hero, Denis, tries to capture it all in poetry and is disappointed in love.
The Defeat of Youth and Other Poems
Though later known for his essays and novels, Aldous Huxley started his writing career as a poet. Published in 1918, The Defeat of Youth and Other Poems is his third compilation of poetry.
Though he gained recognition for his later essays and novels, Aldous Huxley started his writing career as a poet.
Jacob's Hands
Jacob Ericson, a shy, enigmatic, and somewhat inept ranch hand learns that his hands possess the mysterious gift of healing...
Antic Hay
Young Oxford tutor Theodore Gumbril has become thoroughly dismayed by the formality of college life and the staid British institutions of learning. An impetuous need for celebration, even rebellion, possesses him...
The Devils of Loudun
In 1632, an entire convent in the small French village of Loudun was apparently possessed by the devil.
After the Fireworks: Three Novellas
From one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, Aldous Huxley, comes his great novella, set in Rome, about a writer's affair with a mysterious young fan - once again available in the US, for the first time in more than 70 years, and featuring two other acclaimed short works, plus an original introduction from noted critic Gary Giddins.
1 - 10 of 14 Titles


text:
Listen live with
October 5, 2018 News
Mopani district fixing water leakages
By Chandu Ligege The Mopani District Municipality says the fixing of water leakages on the main pipe line that draws water from the Thabina dam to a reservoir in Lenyenye outside Tzaneen has sta...
NADEL launches UL student chapter
By Khomotso Mabelane The National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL) says it is concerned about the domination of mostly white males in the legal fraternity while there are more black females g...
Department to focus on early cancer detection
By Nhlamulo Marhule Limpopo Health MEC Dr. Phophi Ramathuba says early detection and prevention of cancer will be the department's main focus in fighting the scourge of cancer in the province Ramath...
CWU discusses workers' challenges
By Staff Reporter Image: Cosatu/Twitter The Communication Workers Union (CWU) is calling for a new funding model for the public broadcaster, the SABC, one which will help prevent job losses in the bro...
Involve communities in Jobs Summit- Tubatse Business Forum
By Thabo Molokoane Image: Twitter/PresidencyZA The Tubatse Business Forum says the effectiveness of the Jobs Summit will depend on the involvement of all stakeholders, particularly business forums in ...
Water Department commits to paying Khato Civils
By Chandu Ligege Image: Facebook/Khato Civils The Department of Water and Sanitation maintains its failure to pay a construction company for the Giyani water project has nothing to do with its financ...
ANCWL Limpopo seconds move to castrate rapists
By Staff Reporter The ANC Women's League in Limpopo is also calling for the chemical castration of rapists saying this might be the answer to the high rate of rape cases in the country. ANCWL ...
Villagers receive SASSA grants from unknown source
By Chandu Ligege The South African Social Security Agency in Limpopo says it has no connection with the company that visited Ndengeza village outside Giyani and made payments to SASSA beneficiarie...
Edna Molewa remembered as passionate
By Staff Reporter The Minister of Higher Education Naledi Pandor says the late minister Edna Molewa always devoted herself to achieving positive outcomes for South Africa, the department of Environmen...
Nene testifies of hostility towards Treasury
By Khomotso Mabelane Image: Timeslive/Thapelo Morebudi Finance minister Nhlanhla Nene says his colleagues became hostile towards him for refusing to sign a letter confirming South Africa's commi...
Bolsheviks Party calls for Health MEC's removal
By Nhlamulo Marhule The Limpopo Provincial Government says allegations that the department of Health is failing to provide services, one of them being the system of dispensing medication to health fa...
Water restrictions at indebted Mopani municipality
By Nhlamulo Marhule The Mopani District Municipality says it is working tirelessly to settle more than R500 million in debt owed to Lepelle Northern Water, to ensure that water supply is fully restore...
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text:
DHHS says it's moving to make kids safer, after report shows 26 deaths since 2017
A public awareness campaign about safe sleeping environments for infants and a push for more visits from public health nurses to help families with substance use disorders are among the steps announced by the DHHS.
By Scott ThistleStaff Writer
AUGUSTA — Maine's Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday it is taking immediate action to improve child safety following the report of 26 child deaths since 2017.
The department said in a statement it would launch a public awareness campaign about unsafe sleep environments for children, especially infants, noting that 48 of 107 child deaths from 2014 to 2019 were related to unsafe sleeping situations.
The department will also increase the number of home visits by public health nurses to families with new babies in an effort to help families who are struggling with substance use disorder.
According to the release, 33 percent of child abuse victims in Maine have parents with active drug use disorder as a risk factor and 18 percent have a parent with alcohol use disorders.
"We are deeply saddened by these children's deaths and are taking immediate actions as part of our broader work to reform the child welfare system to prevent such tragedies," Jeanne Lambrew, commissioner of the Maine Department of Human Services, said in a prepared statement Monday. Kennebec Journal photo by Joe Phelan
"We want parents who are struggling with a substance use disorder to know that help is available and that, through initiatives like this, we can fight addiction and support people on the path to recovery as well as protect Maine children," said Gordon Smith, Maine's director of opioid response.
The announcement came on the last day of the bench trial of Shawna Gatto, who is accused of killing 4-year-old Kendall Chick after the girl was placed by DHHS in the custody of her grandfather, Stephen Hood, and Gatto, his fiancée, in 2017. Justice William Stokes said Monday he will issue his verdict on April 30.
Gatto told police she had been caring for the little girl the day she was found unresponsive in a bathtub, and police said they found bloodstains in multiple places in the Wiscasset home.
The Public Health Nursing Program and Maine Families Home Visitation Program, which serve all new parents in Maine, will offer parenting guidance and connect families with children under age 2 to community-based supports.
Lawmakers urged to limit Maine child protection workers' caseloads
The department also plans to submit an application for federal support through the Maternal Opioid Misuse Initiative, a program to address the widespread impact of the opioid epidemic and provide pregnant women and mothers with treatment and recovery supports to reduce the number of drug-affected births in Maine.
"The Maine Department of Health and Human Services takes seriously its responsibility to protect the safety and welfare of children," DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said in a prepared statement. "We are deeply saddened by these children's deaths and are taking immediate actions as part of our broader work to reform the child welfare system to prevent such tragedies."
The department will use "Safe to Sleep" campaign public service announcements for radio, television and weekly community newspapers in an effort to reach all new parents in Maine, whether they are involved with DHHS child protective services or not, the release stated.
"Safe sleep guidelines include placing babies on their backs to sleep on a firm surface free of loose bedding and soft objects, and at a comfortable room temperature," the release stated. "Parents are encouraged to share a room with their baby for sleep, but infants should not sleep in an adult bed or on a couch or chair."
Flaws in Maine's child protection system frustrate frontline workers, report says
According to Lambrew, the new initiatives build on previous actions taken by the department.
Todd Landry Photo by Kevin Gaddis Jr.
Those actions include hiring more than 100 staff to fill vacancies in Maine's child welfare system, giving child welfare caseworkers access to better background information on individuals when assessing abuse and neglect allegations, and ending a waiver with the federal government, which allows the state to access federal funding for all eligible expenses rather than operating with a fixed funding amount.
An initial analysis completed within DHHS estimated that ending the waiver early would result in access to an additional $3.7 million for services for children and foster families in Maine.
The Legislature is debating several bills aimed at strengthening the child protective services system. On Monday, a legislative committee endorsed a bill that requires DHHS to develop a plan for lowering caseloads and set specific caseload limits and a timeframe for meeting them.
In March, Lambrew announced the hiring of Todd Landry to be the first permanent director of the Office of Children and Family Services, which was led by temporary and interim directors for years under the administration of Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
Landry, who starts in his position on April 29, most recently was chief executive officer of the Lena Pope Home in Fort Worth, Texas, a nonprofit that serves children and families. He previously served three years as director of Nebraska's Division of Child and Family Services. He also sits on several national boards, including as treasurer for the Child Welfare League of America, a national coalition of private and public agencies working to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families.


"I chose Hampden-Sydney because of the friendly atmosphere, the southern hospitality, the helpful faculty and staff and the close alumni network. I have never been to a place like Hampden-Sydney and fell in love with it the moment I stepped on campus. Hampden-Sydney is the one college I left with the feeling that I could do great things"


text:
La Linea: Stories from El Paso
Commuting through the border to school
Fence or Wall, El Pasoans carry on
Patrolling the Border with Border Patrol
An undocumented landscaper in El Paso
Deflating peso is trouble for El Paso's business community
A Dreamer
A Native American Tribe on the Border
A Community at the Epicenter of Immigration Enforcement
Asian Businesses in Downtown El Paso
Catholic Churches in El Paso Shelter Immigrants
Farm Worker Are Concerned About Trump Administration
Being Jewish in a Bordertown
A family divided by the border
Fleeing Mexico for the Safety of El Paso
By Eli Kurland
The relationship between El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico starkly contrasts rhetoric from certain U.S. politicians about border security concerns. In 2014, El Paso was ranked the safest city in America for the fourth consecutive year, compiled from crime rates for U.S. cities with over 500,000 residents. Tens of thousands of people cross the border in both directions daily to see friends and family, go to school, work and shop – boosting El Paso's economy by hundreds of millions of dollars annually, according to the Sabér Research Institute.
But the commerce this transnational flow brings into El Paso fades further each month, exacerbated by the deflating peso. In July 2015, $16.33 pesos equaled $1 U.S. but by January 2017, the exchange rate had shot up to $19.10 to $1 U.S. Today, the equivalent of $1 U.S. has hit $20 pesos. This has heavily discouraged Mexican nationals from spending in the U.S., where their purchasing power is severely diminished.
Downtown El Paso, a retail business-based area highly dependent on Mexican patronage, is now facing an economic crisis. When walking through the area, a few minutes from the U.S./Mexico border, it's impossible to miss the seemingly countless shuttered storefronts and "For Rent" signs.
As the peso keeps deflating and Mexicans' spending power diminishes in the U.S., downtown El Paso continues to feel the pain. The "For Lease" signs are out. Many business owners have had to call it quits. Photo by Eli Kurland
The District Director of El Paso's Small Business Administration, Phillip Silva, is highly concerned.
"When we've had more substantial peso devaluations, we've seen total retail sales drop in the downtown area by over 50%," Silva said. "Some businesses reported as much as a 90% drop in sales. As the peso continues to devalue, it's going to significantly impact what happens to El Paso's downtown. A significant amount of downtown businesses close in these situations."
Many merchants and business owners in downtown El Paso not only share the fear. They don't know how to continue.
"Two businesses are shutting down right by our store," said Jose Magana, an employee at the downtown clothing store Yong, who spent years as a wholesaler of electronics and beauty supplies in El Paso. "When the Peso deflates, it becomes absolutely dry around here. Ninety-five percent of our store's business is done in pesos. Now, wholesalers are forced to find products in Mexico."
Closed stores in downtown El Paso. Photo by Eli Kurland
As business owners feel this peso pain, they must still make fixed lease payments in U.S. dollars.
"One business owner left the merchandise inside his store and just walked away," Magana said. "Standing here in a store in downtown El Paso – you're experiencing the past right now. The place we're in is in past mode."
Han C. Park, a downtown El Paso business owner who runs the electronics store Boston Electronics Company, is also struggling to remain afloat after 29 years of business. He believes this current peso devaluation could hit the area's retail businesses harder than in the past because of Mexico's increased free trade and the mainstream adoption of e-commerce purchasing.
"They wouldn't just come over the border to go to my store," Park said. "They'd come to this area to buy clothes, shoes and then also electronics. Because of free trade, they can get these things in Mexico for similar prices, or young people just buy online. With the political stuff, they don't need to come."
He said business has never been so slow.
"The deflating Peso is absolutely impacting my business. Ninety percent of my customers are from Mexico so, comparing this January to last year's, my sales are down 40 percent. At my age, I don't worry too much but I expected a better life than this."
Around the corner from Park, Laurie Knipp runs the gift shop Angels Via Michael, and she doesn't have a more optimistic story to tell. Her store's primary product is angel figurines, popular among El Paso's Catholic community. She chuckled at the irony of being a Jew who owns the city's primary carrier of this product, but discussing her business woes instantly evaporated the humor.
Foot traffic has shifted greatly over the last three months," Knipp said. "I have 40 percent of the Mexican customers I had before. Our business is down probably 70 percent if not more so now I'm borrowing from my life insurance to keep us afloat. I'm already into my policy for $11,000. So it can't go on forever. It's devastating. I'm just hanging on."
Knipp has lived in El Paso all her life, inheriting her store – which has been in business for 60 years – from her father.
"I need a place to come to, to get up, dressed and put on makeup for. I'll do it as long as I can," Knipp said as she teared up. "It's scary for those of us who are still here. All of us store owners here are looking down the same tunnel and there's no light at the end. It's very sad."
Laurie Knipp, owner of the downtown El Paso gift shop called Angels Via Michael, sits at her desk. The store has been in her family for 60 years but is now in danger of shutting down. Photo by Eli Kurland
Much of Donald Trump's presidential campaign rhetoric focused on taking a hardline stance on undocumented immigration, rethinking trade agreements with Mexico and moving facilities of American businesses from Mexico to the U.S. This caused major economic nervousness and uncertainty throughout Mexico. The peso's value relative to the U.S. dollar significantly decreased during this time, fell further when Mr. Trump won the election, and further still now that he seems to plan on following through with his campaign promises.
"I believe that if the policies that Donald Trump puts forward changes NAFTA considerably, it could be very difficult for the border areas," Nathan Ashby, Associate Professor of Economics at The University of Texas – El Paso, said. "El Paso was hit hard at the time of NAFTA but now it's come to depend on it. El Paso recovered by transitioning from manufacturing to a more service-oriented economy. If Trump hurts the trade relationship between both sides of the border that's grown over the last decades, then I'm pretty pessimistic (on the outcome)."
Ashby is particularly concerned about how Trump's proposal of a 20 percent tariff on Mexican imports will damage El Paso's economy and that of other border areas. If the tariff is initiated, he believes it will directly extinguish many jobs on the border dedicated to commerce with Mexico.
"I don't think people realize Texas has a trade surplus with Mexico," Ashby said. "That comes through El Paso. The downtown is a big part of the economy and El Paso experience. What's going to replace it? There could quite possibly be a strong increase in welfare needs, drug problems, and prostitution. That joblessness void will need to be filled and it's not going to be easy to do that. If downtown goes under, it would be a huge sore spot for El Paso and set us back."
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The Best Whisky Brands in The World: 15 Unmissable Drams
Everything to know about sipping on only the best.
It's never been a more exciting time to be a whisky drinker.
Alongside the best whisky brands that have been pleasing lovers of the spirit for years comes a new influx of distilleries making subtle differences to switch things up. These whisky brands are introducing unique flavor profiles, unusual aging methods, and thinking up new tricks as time passes to keep the drink at the forefront of our minds.
And when it comes to whisky, the cliché is true: there really is something for everyone.
Take a glance through amber-tinted glasses to explore a huge range of our favorite drams, from the peaty Laphroaigs to the smooth Balvenie and the unconventional Teelings.
We've compiled a list of our 15 favorite brands for drinking on every occasion. Looking for the best budget whisky, the best single malt whisky, or the once-in-a-lifetime must-try whisky? You'll find them all in our guide below.
In a rush? No problem! Here's our selection of the best options available right now.
A smooth Scotch whisky that connoisseurs and newcomers alike will delight in.
Taste: Mocha re-imagined
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
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BEST TASTING
The world's most widely distributed brand of Scotch whisky. Velvety smooth and vibrant.
Taste: Creamy and nutty
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
A smooth on the palate (and wallet) Scotch whisky. Perfect for fireside sipping.
Taste: Creamy and honeyed
The 15 best whisky of 2023
Glenmorangie Signet: Overall best whisky
Macallan 12 Year Double Cask: Best value whisky
Johnnie Walker Blue Label: Best tasting whisky
Oban Distillers Edition Single Malt: Best sipping whisky
Bowmore Islay: Best single malt Scotch whisky
Buchanan's 12 Year Scotch: Best blended whisky
Highland Park 12 Year Old: Best whisky for the money
Glenlivet 12 Year: Best whisky under $50
Yamazaki 12 Year Old: Best Japanese whisky
Knappogue Castle 16 Year Old: Best Irish whiskey
Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve 14 Year: Best whisky to drink neat
Monkey Shoulder: Best whisky to mix in a cocktail
Balvenie 12 Year Doublewood: Best whisky for an Old Fashioned
Ballantine's Finest: Best budget whisky
The Singleton Of Dufftown 54 Year Old: Most expensive whisky
Before we take a deep dive into the grain spirits that'll whisk you away, find out more about the terminology you should know about whisky and our selection process for drawing up the best whisky brands in the world.
Also, keep in mind that this is a selection of mostly Scotch's whisky. You'll find a few Irish and Japanese whiskeys on our list because they follow similar production processes, but check our round-up of the best American whiskeys and bourbons or the best Irish whiskeys if you want other flavors.
1. Glenmorangie Signet: Overall best whisky
In short, you really can't go wrong with a bottle of Glenmorangie. This is a household name and for a reason: the brand knows what works and sticks to it. The distillery's successful recipes have barely changed over the course of two centuries and it's a consistent winner (Check out our dedicated brand page if you are interested in learning more about Glenmorangie).
Glenmorangie Signet, first released in 2008, is the first single malt whisky to use high roast chocolate malt barley with a blend of Glenmorangie's rarest whiskies matured in bespoke casks. It's so special that each year, for an entire week, the distillery stops every other activity and dedicates itself to producing the chocolate malt barley for the Signet.
The nose is the first thing that'll impress you: warm coffee, ginger, and cinnamon, followed by dark chocolate and tiramisu. It's a pleasant aroma that focuses on sweet notes. The taste is an explosion of mocha and dark chocolate with a touch of apricot and exotic spices. You'll finish on a note of creamy cappuccino and amaretto with bitter-sweet orange.
Glenmorangie's Signet takes the crown for best whisky of the year thanks to its character and complexity, daring to explore new horizons and doing so very successfully.
$236 on ReserveBar
$269 on Wine.com
Region of origin: Highland, Scotland
Proof: 92
Awards: 96 Points and Ultimate Spirits Challenge Finalist, Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition
2. Macallan 12 Year Double Cask: Best value whisky
If you want the best value for money with your next bottle of Scotch whisky, the safest bet is Macallan 12 Year Double Cask. An accessible drink, both for the pallet and your wallet, yet complex and rich in taste.
Hailing from the Highland region of Scotland, Macallan is an iconic distillery known for winning several awards. The brand dates back to 1824, making it one of the most trusted whisky distillers in the world, too. It's known for being partial to a sweet note. Learn more about the brand and see their entire whisky collection in our list of Macallan bottle prices.
The 12 Year Double Cask is Macallan's entry-level spirit — but don't be put off by that. The vast range of notes from this bottle makes it an enjoyable drink to sip. This Scotch whisky perfectly combines notes of fruits, caramel, and oak spices from Sherry-seasoned European oak with bright citrus and vanilla notes of Sherry-seasoned American oak. The end result is a satisfyingly rich and perfectly balanced flavor experience.
For something more affordable yet just as smooth, check the latest price of Jameson's whiskey.
$79 on ReserveBar
$52 on Total Wine
Awards: Double Gold upon release
3. Johnnie Walker Blue Label: Best tasting whisky
A popular choice for whisky novices and experts alike, Johnnie Walker takes the crown again and again for its unrivaled spirits. It's the world's most widely distributed brand of Scotch, which means it'll be a success no matter what occasion you bring it out for.
The Blue Label is the brand's most prestigious blended whisky, coming in with a higher price point that's more than worthy of the flavors to follow.
With a rounded nose and the brand's signature spiciness, expect sweetness and an explosion of flavor from the first sip. Blue Label is known for being a velvety whisky, so enjoy flavors like hazelnut, toasted oak, sandalwood, and tobacco while drinking it neat.
It's an accomplished blend that's easily drinkable and definitely worthy of its highly regarded profile.
The distillery offers one of the largest collections of whisky in the world, so take a look at our list of Johnnie Walker's bottles to discover the entire range of whisky from the brand.
If you prefer a peatier note, see our in-depth review of Lagavulin's entire bottle collection. Incredibly rich, dark, and peaty Lagavulin's whisky is peatier than Macallan yet smooth like Johnnie Walker.
$164 on Total Wine
Region of origin: Scotland
Awards: Master medal
4. Oban Distillers Edition Single Malt: Best sipping whisky
If ever a whisky could taste reminiscent, it would come in the form of a bottle of Oban. Originating as a small distillery in the Scottish Highlands, the brand offers classic 'coastal-yet-sweet' combinations that have put it firmly on the whisky lover's map.
Oban's Distillers Edition Single Malt is finished in Fino sherry casks, which elevate the sweetness of the spirit. It's a must-try from the brand, especially with the relatively low price tag.
This single malt ages for 14 years in Bourbon casks before being transferred to sherry casks for a final period of aging. This final step results in a whisky that's luscious and soft, with a full-bodied feel and hints of fresh honey and florals. Throw in some toasted spices and candied fruit and you've got yourself a winner in Oban's single malt.
Another great sipping Scotch whisky that's less known but rapidly gaining popularity is Sam Heughan's Sassenach. The modernity of Japanese whisky mixed with the smoothness of American bourbons and the heritage of Scotch whisky. Take look at our in-depth story on Sassenach to discover their collection.
Awards: 97 Points at the 2019 Ultimate Spirits Challenge competition
5. Bowmore Islay: Best single malt Scotch whisky
Bowmore combines two pillars of whisky drinking — peatiness and sweetness — to produce a range of truly delightful drinks. The first Bowmore Distillery was established in 1779 in Islay, Scotland, and uses a range of the island's malts to produce its whisky.
A perfect example of this combined flavor profile comes in the form of its 12 Year Bowmore's Single Malt Scotch. The 12 Year is all about balance: it combines subtle notes of lemon and sweet heather honey with Bowmore's trademark peat smoke, leading to a delicious, long, and mellow finish.
Leave it to sit in the glass to reveal more sweetness in the form of coconut, tropical fruit, and cinnamon sugar. A finish of dark, woody spice and tar rounds off this classic from Bowmore.
Region of origin: Islay, Scotland
Awards: Gold Award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2018) and Gold Award at the International Spirit Challenge (2017)
6. Buchanan's 12 Year Scotch: Best blended whisky
Buchanan's has been making a name for itself in the whisky world for the past 130 years and is widely recognized as another favorite across the planet. It's affordable with round and complex offerings that'll leave a strong first impression on your tastebuds.
This award-winning blended Scotch whisky combines some of Scotland's best flavors. It's an affordable bottle that works well when enjoyed alone or with a few drops of water. Or, bring out the citrus notes by mixing with soda water.
This deluxe blend reveals flavors of chocolate and orange with a lighter feel than other blended whiskies. It has hints of smoke, but in a suggestive manner rather than overpowering. It combines malts from every region in Scotland, hand-picked by Master Blender, Keith Law, one of the prestigious names in whisky.
When sipping, look out for strong vanilla notes with hints of vanilla cream and a cigar box finish. Check our Buchanan's review to learn more.
Awards: 96 Points at the 2019 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, Double Gold Medal and Best in Class Blended Scotch up to 15 Years at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
7. Highland Park 12 Year Old: Best whisky for the money
Highland Park distillery dates back more than 200 years and has the proven experience to match. It's a brand with an edge and personality that comes out in everything from its fierce bottle designs to the equally sharp taste found inside.
It's known for its long line of successful bottles and its 12-Year-Old might just be the top choice of them all. This whisky offers the gold standard when it comes to drinking Scotch, with a "heather-honey" flavoring and a wonderful nose.
With a medium price point, Highland Park's 12 Year Old is nothing if not inviting. Expect a combination of licorice and sweeter notes with a burnt, peaty, and almost salty aftertaste.
Enjoy it neat to really taste the sherried fruits and candied honey flavors from the drink.
$60 on Wine.com
Awards: Gold at the International Spirits Challenge (2020), Gold at The Scotch Whisky Masters (2020 and 2019)
8. Glenlivet 12 Year: Best whisky under $50
The Glenlivet distillery in Moray, Scotland has been producing whisky since 1824, so it's safe to say that the distillery knows what it's doing. And its 12 Year is widely known as one of the most popular whisky in the world. Despite being produced in Scotland, it remains known as the best-selling malt whisky in the United States.
Glenlivet distills its whisky in pots that still use 100 percent malted barley combined with mineral-rich spring water drawn from the distillery's historic well.
With an average starting price of $29.99 for a 750ml bottle, the 12 Year certainly won't break the bank but will offer a successful and smooth drink. The bottle is a staple in almost every bar you'll visit, mostly due to its complex and sophisticated flavor.
The 12 Year is a first-class malt with tropical fruit flavors and provides an almost refreshing nose. Take a look at our list of Glenlivet bottles and prices to discover the entire collection from the famous Scottish distiller.
Awards: Gold at the International Wine & Spirit Competition, Gold at the International Spirits Challenge, and a Master's Award at The Scotch Whisky Masters competition
9. Yamazaki 12 Year Old: Best Japanese whisky
Japanese whiskies are amongst our favorites for a modern interpretation of the age-old drink. And if we have to pick only one bottle, it would from Yamazaki. This is one of the first Japanese single malts that successfully managed to break into the British market, at the heart of traditional Scotch whisky.
Suntory's Yamazaki 12 Year Old offers a well-balanced fruity sweetness, making it accessible to novice drinkers, combined with rich complexity to fulfill the most experienced whisky connoisseurs.
We maintain an up-to-date list of Yamazaki's whisky bottles and prices if you want to discover the rest of the collection. If you're interested in exploring further the world of Japanese whisky, take a look at our review of Suntory Whisky Toki too, it's another exceptional option to put on your list.
Region of origin: Japan
Awards: Gold Award at the International Spirits Challenge (2018), Gold Award at the World Whiskies Awards (2017)
10. Knappogue Castle 16 Year Old: Best Irish whiskey
A slightly more unconventional whiskey brand, Knappogue Castle prides itself on doing things differently from the rest. Its roots date back to 1966 with the distribution of the famous Knappogue Castle 1951 whisky, one of the oldest and rarest known Irish whiskies.
Knappogue Castle 16 Year Old is an intriguing Irish whiskey with an ever-growing number of notes that seem to appear and disappear each time you sip it. This no-peat, triple-distilled malt whiskey comes aged in both bourbon and sherry barrels, ensuring a well-rounded, slightly sweet aroma and a creamy finish.
Sip on this deep amber-gold whiskey and breathe in its comforting warmth and earthy appeal. The benefits of this bottle never seem to end: while it's good enough to drink straight or on the rocks, it's also sweet enough to work perfectly in cocktails or long drinks. Complex and smooth, it's our favorite Irish whiskey if you're looking to tick all the boxes at once.
If you want something a little bit more adventurous in the Irish whiskey category, take a look at our review of Conor McGregor's Proper No. Twelve, a great value and easy to drink bottle.
Region of origin: County Clare, Ireland
Awards: Best Irish Whiskey Award by Luxe Digital
11. Glenfiddich Bourbon Barrel Reserve 14 Year: Best whisky to drink neat
Glenfiddich's focus as a brand is on creating "the best dram in the valley," so it's easy to — rightly — assume that any bottle will be a crowd-pleaser. It's also the world's most awarded single malt, offering a range of bottles at a medium price point that's easily accessible for all.
Contrary to its name, Glenfiddich's Bourbon Barrel Reserve is a Scotch whisky. Its name comes from the fact that alongside a traditional Scotch palate, this spirit also offers a sweet hint of classic Bourbon flavors.
An amber-gold whisky, the 14 Year has mainly malt-based flavors with a focus on oak, spice, and fruit. It's another sophisticated drink from a brand determined to pave the way towards single malt domination.
This is a spirit paying homage to its American cousins with the Bourbon notes but remains a favorite for whisky lovers across the world. Its long, warming finish provides a silky mouthful with a strong cinnamon hit. It's a fun and enjoyable drink that's perfect for enjoying on its own.
Curious to try another great option to drink neat, check our in-depth review of the Macallan whisky collection.
Region of origin: Speyside, Scotland
Awards: Silver at Los Angeles Spirit Awards (2020), and Silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Awards (2020)
12. Monkey Shoulder: Best whisky to mix in a cocktail
Don't be fooled by the name on the bottle, Monkey Shoulder is a proper whisky and the result of a labor of love by David Stewart, the legendary master blender and malt master for William Grant & Sons distillers.
This triple-malt Scotch is matured in 27 hand-picked casks by David Stewart before being mixed into a delicious blended whisky that is finally left in first-fill Bourbon casks for a harmonious result. Expect a richly smooth finish that will marry perfectly with your favorite cocktail.
See our latest price list for Monkey Shoulder's whisky bottles to learn more about the brand.
Awards: Gold at The Scotch Whisky Masters in the Speyside No Age Statement (2014)
13. Balvenie 12 Year Doublewood: Best whisky for an Old Fashioned
Crafted by expert distillers from start to finish, this Scotch sets itself apart from the rest. Balvenie focuses on using meticulous care and attention from a group of top distillers to produce some of the finest whisky on the market. The distillery has been producing top-quality whisky since 1962 and has built up a name for itself over time.
This Speyside whisky is another great choice from Balvenie's offerings. It's a classic after-dinner malt with a richness and complexity stemming from its second distillation in sherry casks.
Its character focuses on black pepper, raspberry, cinnamon, and milk chocolate. It's a varied selection resulting in a big-flavored dram that works very well together. Despite the mostly sweet flavors, it's a balanced drink with a long finish.
Balvenie's 12 Year Doublewood is known for being smooth and especially enjoyable with a cigar. Mix it into an old-fashioned to bring out the marmalade and orange peel notes for a perfect afternoon drink.
What it lacks in smoke it more than makes up for in other notes, with a hidden complexity that reveals itself more over time.
Awards: Gold at the International Spirits Challenge (2020), and Gold at the The Scotch Whisky Masters (2015)
14. Ballantine's Finest: Best budget whisky
Easy to drink and far more complex than its price point would suggest, Ballantine's Finest blended whisky is nothing if not consistently excellent value. All of its offerings are mellow and moreish with a satisfying aftertaste. Light flavors make for a strong choice that comes with an affordable price tag for all.
Those looking for a pleasant whisky without spending too much will enjoy Ballantine's Finest. Expect notes of milk chocolate, red apple, and vanilla. It's a wonderfully complex drink with plenty of depth for its budget price.
Awards: Gold in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible (2014), and Gold at the International Wine & Spirit Competition (2020)
15. The Singleton Of Dufftown 54 Year Old: Most expensive whisky
The very special whisky spent over half a decade aging in European oak barrels, before being treated to a final maturation in a single Pedro Ximénez-seasoned cask. The Singleton Of Dufftown 54 Year Old is an ultra-rare whisky limited to only 235 bottles, the ultimate collectors' bottle.
The is the oldest single malt from The Singleton to date, and the second and final bottling in The Singleton's Paragon of Time Collection, a 54-year-old 1966 vintage single malt Scotch by the Dufftown distillery in the heart of Speyside. The collection is a masterful exploration of time itself. It showcases the brand's skills and cares in successfully maturing whiskies over such a long period of time to develop real character and richness.
Expect a surprisingly light and lively body for a whisky of this age, with subtle sweetness and fruity notes of dried figs to begin, quickly followed by peppery spices. The finish is long and warm, with a light yet spicy black pepper sweetness, leaving a warm glow hints of oiled teak.
$45,000 on ReserveBar
Price upon request on Total Wine
Proof: 88.2
Learn more about whisky: How whisky is made
Whisky is a spirit made from fermented grain mash. The spirit features various grains, which may be malted, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. The process for creating whisky has changed little over the past 200 years including the makeup of three core ingredients — water, barley, and yeast.
There are five stages to the whisky-making process: malting, mashing, fermentation, distillation, and maturation.
Barley is soaked for two to three days and then regularly turned before it's dried. Peat is the powering source for many kilns, which means it's at this point of the process when the level of peatiness can be determined. What's left after this process is malt.
Next, the malt is mixed with water to create a mash, before the mixture is fermented with yeast. The fourth step of the process is the distillation, which is traditionally done twice for Scotch whisky and thrice for Irish whiskey.
Finally, the liquid is left to mature in casks. The spirit must mature in casks for a minimum of three years before it's legally allowed to be called whisky in Scotland.
Many factors are at play here to determine the overall flavors of the whisky: the casks, surrounding environment, and other natural compounds. Once this process is complete, the whisky is bottled and sold.
The best whisky glasses
Whisky Glass
Lowball
VENERO
Neat Glass
Check our selection of the best whisky glasses of the year for more inspiration.
What's the difference between Whisky and Whiskey?
Whisky without an 'e' refers to Scottish, Canadian, or Japanese grain spirits. Whiskey with an 'e' refers to grain spirits distilled in Ireland and the United States. Generally speaking, it's only whisk(e)y aficionados who might pull you up on the spelling. The difference ends there, at the country of origin of the spirit.
Terminology: The terms to know when talking about whisky
The world of whisky can sometimes be obscure to the uninitiated. Here are the most important terms you need to know when shopping for whisky.
Angel's Share: As the whisky ages, some of the liquid naturally evaporates. In its simplest term, the Angel's share is the percentage of whisky lost to evaporation as the spirit ages.
ABV: Alcohol By Volume — the percentage of ethanol in a beverage.
Blended: As the name suggests, blended whisky is a blend of two or more malt and grain whiskies. Blended whiskies are overlooked by a master blender to ensure a consistent flavor throughout. Due to the nature of the drink, blended whiskies are often cheaper than their single-malt counterparts.
Dram: The traditional Scottish term for a serving of whisky.
Peat: When used in a whisky distillery, peat can be the difference between a light sip and a smoky drink. Peat layers form on bogs over thousands of years and are used to smoke barley grains during the drying process. The longer the grain is subjected to the peat smoke, the smokier the resulting drink will be.
Single Malt: A whisky that is produced by a single distillery using a single malted grain, typically barley. They can be produced all over the world but are most favored among Scotch whisky.
Our methodology to select and rank the best whisky brands in the world
A combination of well-loved favorites, classic choices, and a few left-wing options made up our list of the 15 best whiskies in the world. In order to choose which brand was the best fit for each category, we took into consideration a variety of characteristics and expert opinions.
Price, flavor profile, and unique qualities of each brand were compared to compile the list, leading to an overall top 15 that we recommend sampling.
Best overall Scotch whisky
EDITOR'S CHOICE: GLENMORANGIE
A smooth, Single Malt Scotch Whisky that connoisseurs and newcomers alike will delight in, Glenmorangie Signet is produced only once a year in a Highland distillery that boasts the tallest stills in Scotland.
Frequently asked questions about whisky
What is the smoothest whisky?
The smoothest whisky is the Johnnie Walker Blue Label. It is the best choice if you're looking for a smooth whisky. With a rounded nose and the brand's signature spiciness, expect sweetness and an explosion of flavor from the first sip. Blue Label is known for being a velvety whisky, so enjoy flavors like hazelnut, toasted oak, sandalwood, and tobacco while drinking it neat.
What is considered the best whisky?
The Glenmorangie Signet is considered the best whisky in the world, thanks to its use of high roast chocolate malt barley with a blend of Glenmorangie's rarest whiskies matured in bespoke casks.
What is the best whisky to sip?
The best whisky to sip is the Oban Distillers Edition Single Malt. Oban finishes this bottle in Fino sherry casks, which elevate the sweetness of the spirit. It's a must-try from the brand, especially with the relatively low price tag.
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The newly updated version of technical Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) considering Switzerland's "third country status" within Horizon 2020 is now available.
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