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craftycoola · 4 months

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Happy NYE/NY everyone!

Because 'tis the season for reflection, I went through my camera roll and picked out the 9 projects from this year that I'm proudest of.

(We all know what posts from this year got the most online attention, but I think it's important to be introspective and think about what projects and posts were actually most valuable to me. Anyways. /soapbox)

Swan Song Scarf (Jasmine Lin, Crafty Coola). This is my design, and although I released it a good while ago, I'm still incredibly proud of it. I spent a lot of time sketching, charting, knitting, ripping back... it was a labor of love, but I'm proud that I stuck with it and got a result I'm happy with. Yarn: Miss Babs Yummy 2-Ply (World in a Book and Light Clematis)

Woodland Cardigan (Anna Johanna, Where We Once Knitted). This was my first time steeking, and yeah, I'm pretty gosh-darned proud of that. Yarn: Knit Picks Palette (Wonderland Heather and Calypso Heather)

Anza Dress (Kennis Wong, Itch to Stitch). This was my first time installing buttons, making (sewn) buttonholes, using interfacing (...don't judge me), and sewing scoop pockets. So many new techniques for me, but it created such a polished product and was an excellent learning opportunity. I'm so glad I took the leap with this pattern. Fabric: Singer Brand Cotton Poplin (2 yards)

Color Triangle (p: do you love the color of the sky?). This was my first time using powdered acid dye (read: Big Girl Dye instead of tie-dye/Rit/food coloring)! Obviously the whole color-formulating process for the Color of the Sky shenanigans remains in progress, but I'm proud of this triangle as it is anyways. Fiber: Knit Picks Stroll Bare, Dye: G&S Acid Dyes

Custom Intarsia Blanket. This depicts DNA replication using restriction enzymes and DNA ligase. I did this one for a custom commission, and I'm proud of myself for a) designing it, b) being so free with it, and c) getting to make something science-y! I sketched a rough plan before beginning, but I had to make an absurd amount of adjustments along the way -- in the end, I even had to duplicate stitch over the restriction enzyme bit with a half-strand (i.e. half the plies) of yarn since the stash yarn was too fine. I'm so used to planning everything and then being stubborn; this was a great exercise in adaptability and letting go.

Elderberry Dress (Shavonne Cruz, Mood Sewciety). I'm not one to do muslins or even much fitting on my sewing projects. I tend to just take patterns straight out of the envelope and then sew them, consequences be damned. This dress, though? After each wear, I've been making little adjustments to improve it; shaping the neckline and adjusting the fit, amongst other things. That's something I want to carry forward for my future projects.

Eliane Scrubs (Jalie). These aren't anything particularly special from a technical perspective, but they are possibly my most-worn me-made EVER. They've held up to weekly wear and washing and I'm proud of them for that, as well as of myself for letting my babies "do their job" instead of hiding them way out of fear. Fabric: cotton poplin

Fractal Yarn (p: swirling solar winds). I spun most of this for Tour de Fleece (which feels like a lifetime ago!) and it's a huge accomplishment for me. I'm often afraid to break down gradient braids, so doing a fractal spin was a first for me! I also got it nice and fine; a practical weight for what I usually work with. Fiber: Emily C Gillies (now House of Wool) Luck of the Draw December 2022 on Merino/Silk

Handspun Sweater (p: we pull apart the stars). Ok, so this isn't finished, but handspun sweater. I think that speaks for itself as far as why I'm proud!

#top nine #nye #reflections #craftblr #knitting #sewing #spindle spinning #p: swirling solar winds #p: we pull apart the dark

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amitsaini012 · 2 months

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Top 10 Uses of R Programming Language in 2024

R has become one of the popular programming languages for data analysis and statistical computing. With its vast collection of packages and active user community, R offers endless possibilities for data scientists, statisticians, and analysts. As we move into 2024, here are 10 of the top uses of R programming:

1. Data Visualization

With libraries like ggplot2, R makes it easy to create custom, publication-quality graphics to visualize data. Complex visualizations like interactive charts, maps, and network diagrams can be made with just a few lines of code.

2. Statistical Modeling

R has a wide range of statistical and machine learning packages like stats, caret, and more. These make it possible to build and evaluate predictive models for classification, regression, clustering, time series analysis, etc. Models can be compared to select the best performers.

3. Data Wrangling

The dplyr and tidyr packages in R provide a grammar of data manipulation, making it easy to slice, dice, reshape, join, and transform data sets before analysis. This helps automate the data-cleaning process.

4. Reporting

R Markdown integrates prose, code, and visualizations into a single document. Reports and presentations with embedded statistical analysis can be dynamically generated from R scripts. The knit package enables code chunking to keep code separate from outputs.

5. Web Scraping

Packages like Rvest and RSelenium enable scraping data from HTML web pages and dynamic websites. This data can then be processed using R's other analytics capabilities.

6. Bioinformatics

Bioconductor provides over 1,600 packages for analyzing genetic data, DNA sequences, gene expression data, and more. R is heavily used in genomics research.

7. Finance

R packages like quantmod, TTR, and PerformanceAnalytics provide capabilities for analyzing financial data, estimating risk, simulating portfolios, and calculating returns. R is popular in fintech and quantitative finance.

8. Machine Learning

Packages like caret, mlbench, Keras, and H2O provide R users with tools like regression, naïve Bayes classification, random forests, gradient boosting machines, neural networks, and more.

9. Big Data Analytics

Packages like ff, big memory, and SparkR allow the handling and analysis of large datasets that are larger than a computer's RAM. This enables scalable data analysis with R.

10. Mapping & Spatial Analysis

Many R packages like ggmap, geospatial, leaflet, and sf support working with geospatial data. This makes R useful for creating maps, spatial data visualizations, and location analytics.

Conclusion

R has evolved into a powerful, versatile tool for data analysis and statistical computing. In 2024, R will continue to be valued for its extensibility via user-contributed packages, interactivity for iterative analysis, and visualization capabilities. Key strengths like effective data wrangling, modeling, reporting, and machine learning will ensure R remains popular across domains, including academia, finance, technology, genomics, and more.

While other languages like Python, Julia, and MATLAB will also have niche uses, R's focused support for statistical analysis gives it an edge for data science applications. The low-cost and open-source nature of R is attractive to both students and companies. With new packages expanding R's capabilities all the time, it is certain that R will be a highly utilized programming language in 2024 and remain a staple of data scientists' toolkits for years to come.

#r programming #programminglangauge #programminghelp #rprogramminglanguage #onlinehelp #programmers

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eternityservedcold · 2 years

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i remade my evolutionary tree(?) of the angels and demons in isaac. i didnt post the old version here i think but ill post this one :] feel free to use these ideas for your own isaac au/interpretation but i made this with my own comic, @mourneruntosheol, in mind!

more info under the cut (it is very long, jumps around topics quickly, and some of it may not be perfectly scientific, but i am not a biologist)

the taxonomic classification of these is animalia > chordata > mammalia > filiideus. im not going to get into suborders and subfamilies because i dont feel qualified to talk about that and also i dont particularly care. fallen angels are not classified as demons, despite superficial resemblance and their offspring being demons. if you examined their dna, they would still be angels. as for age, angels have been around a lot longer than demons, despite what it may appear like on this chart-- for example, A. hominum are about as old as D. peccatum

speaking generally

angels

angels typically do not need to eat, which is believed to be the reason that angels without mouths can survive. it is speculated that they may be able to do some form of photosynthesis, but there is no evidence for or against this. angels with mouths can eat, and most enjoy it

angels seem to be mostly solitary, with most of them living apart from each other unless in their natural habitat (Heaven). some angels do become friends, and those that do seem to be inseparable. no angel has ever been seen breeding or producing young. despite that, there seem to be angels who are children, and do age

angels communicate in what is believed by some to be the “Adamic language” and sometimes referred to as “speaking in tongues.” the words seem generally indecipherable to humans, though they do use some human words as loanwords, particularly more recently created ones and names. there is no known writing system for this language. most angels also seem to know human languages, though there have been examples of angels that do not

outside of their natural habitat, angels like to stay inside cathedrals and churches, as well as in forested or rural areas. they do not require places to bed or nest, and it is believed they do not require sleep. though, like with eating, they may do so. angels also prefer cold temperatures, which may be an attempt to replicate their natural habitat

fallen angels

fallen angels do need to eat, and some may be shocked by their sudden appetite. they are omnivorous, though most have a preference to either meat or plants. fallen angels may develop allergies to foods they ate before they fell, though this is rare.

fallen angels have a more close-knit social structure compared to angels. most typically group together as a form of “safety net” to reduce the risk of bad things happening to them again. (this often does not work) fallen angels tend to pack bond with most other fallen angels they come across, as well as some young demons. unlike angels, fallen angels can and do breed, though the offspring will be a demon

fallen angels may stop speaking in the angel language, but most do not. fallen angels that did not know a human language will usually pick up one from their surroundings or their social group. if a fallen angel is accepted into a group of demons, they may start speaking in demon language instead. fallen angels who fall when they are young may forget how to speak the angel language, or may start incorporating more words from other languages into their speaking patterns

fallen angels typically like to stay in places similar to where humans stay. this may cause them to break into stores, restaurants, or houses. fallen angels that look similar to humans may integrate into human society, though this is rare. some fallen angels seek refuge underground instead, and this is believed to be one of the reasons why demons prefer to live in tunnels

demons

most demons are carnivorous, with the exceptions being D. brumalis (omnivorous) and D. equitum (herbivorous). despite this, demons typically have a varied diet including both meat and plants. most things that humans can consume are safe for demons to eat, but be careful with peppers and citrus as they can be mildly poisonous

their social structure seems to generally be similar to humans, living in massive communities where parents regularly take care of each others children as their own, care for the elderly, live in multi-generational homes, and so on. they will even do this alongside other species in the same genus, and even fallen angels!

demons typically communicate through a language that bears similarities to the language of angels, (and may possibly be a different dialect of the same language) though they can be taught human languages as well. there have been examples of demons that only speak human languages, though they are few. the chances of a demon who only speaks human languages learning to speak demon language are thought to be low

demons prefer to stay in expansive underground tunnel systems, though there have been cases of demons being found on the surface. due to living underground, most demons have good dark vision and are usually sensitive to bight lights. D. brumalis is the only exception to this, as they seem to have light sensitivity roughly equivalent to a human

things that are specific to a certain species

angels

A. doctrinam are rare, and only one has been recorded, though there have been alleged sightings since as early as the first century. it is impossible to make sweeping statements about the species

A. opertus tend to be found inside cathedrals and churches. they seem to protect the places and their visitors from those that seek to harm them. humans who go to these cathedrals and churches may give offerings and seek blessings from them

A. hominum are believed to appear so similar to humans as a defense mechanism. most appear childlike, possibly in order to keep humans from attacking. they may also appear this way to blend in outside of their natural habitat. most angel sightings or “prophetic visions” are sightings of A. hominum

demons

D. peccatum are believed to be about as old as humans, and may have once lived together with them. they also feature physical similarities, leading some to believe they may have had a common ancestor. D. peccatum have a defense mechanism where they can appear to become larger for a short time, (varies, but usually >2 hours) during which they typically also become aggressive and will lash out against themselves and others

D. praegrandis is just Big Demons. demons are smaller now, but just remember: they mostly used to be big. (you dont actually need to remember this, this is a little joke im making) this is what the beast would be if she was a demon and not [something that will make your brain hurt when i reveal it]

D. exelcebra... people are gonna get mad at me for grouping siren and incubi/succubi together but look me in the eye and tell me theyre really all that different. (you cant) anyway! their hunting habits are probably the strangest of all demons, but i think you can guess what they are

D. brumalis are sometimes seen on the surface during wintertime, and it is speculated that this may be some sort of mating habit. though capital-K Krampus is used as an image example, he actually isnt D. brumalis, hes a fallen angel! (of a species not on this chart) hes just included as a visual representation of what an adult D. brumalis may look like

D. hominum are what some people call “imps” or what people generally mean when they just say “demon”. (like the word “cat”) theyre well known for their many sightings. a few of their many subspecies include Daemonica hominum volucer (winged demon, such as evil twins and our friend azazel), Daemonica hominum incurvus (curved-horn demon, such as begottens and lil’ brimstone), and Daemonica hominum hominum (classical demon, such as nulls and demon beggars)

D. iunctura have squishy bodies and soft bones that allow them to meld, or “fuse,” together into bigger creatures. this is perfectly safe, of course! loki, for example, is actually two individual D. iunctura that enjoy being “fused.” this can also be used as a defense mechanism, as the “fused” form is larger and thus more intimidating, such as when loki and hornfel “fuse”

D. equitum are the newest species of demon, and comparatively little is known about them. only six have been recorded, and they vary so much from each other that it is impossible to make sweeping statements about the species

#cant catch me gay thoughts #tboi #the binding of isaac #binding of isaac #mourneruntosheol #warning: i talk about breeding in a biological sense under the read more. less than 5 sentences total #its less graphic than a wikipedia article but i feel like i need to warn ppl #this is over 1k words and i still feel like its way too short... i have many thoughts.#obviously this is not all the demons and angels in the world its just like. the ones you can find an example of in canon isaac #unreality cw #<-- i guess. its 100% fictional but its written as if i were just telling you facts #ok sort of. i do break the immersion sometimes. it do not matter #also im examining these under the scope of biology and that may make it seem as though there is no magical component to any of this #but there is. there is so much magic happening. its just not within the scope of this post #feel free to ask me why your favorite angel or demon isnt on here but its probably one of 3 reasons:#1. they are not considered an angel demon or even fallen angel under mourner lore #2. they are a fallen angel (this is the most likely reason. this is why the dark one and satan and lilith and the lamb are not here)#or 3. they fall under one of the species here but i had a lot of image examples already #it is possible i forgor though. just probably not

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ironychan · 3 years

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WEEK 81: THE MONTAUK MONSTER

Welcome back - or if you're here for the first time just welcome! You have found your way to the Crypt-A-Long, a knitted celebration of cryptids and mysterious creatures from all over the world. It is based on the Geek-A-Long by Lattes and Llamas, patterns for which can be found on their website. My charts should slot right in, so you can make a full Crypt-A-Long, or mix and match with the Geek-A-Long squares for a blanket all your own.

In the summer of 2008, a strange carcass washed up on Montauk Beach in New York and was seen and photographed by several people. Multiple suggestions have been made for its identity, and it was most likely a dog or raccoon, but it was so decomposed that nobody can be sure. The corpse itself washed back out to sea and vanished, rendering DNA testing impossible.

#knitting #knitblr #pattern #montauk monster #cryptid #cryptozoology #crypt-a-long

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contrivedcoincidences6 · 5 years

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The Invisible Cord- Vol. 2

Ok so I’ve decided to basically rewrite this story. I’m in love with it but looking I was not really happy about how it went so with that here is a revamped version of the prologue!

***

February 1995 Washington D.C.

Looking over the DNA results Scully knows there can be no question. Mulder is Emily’s biological father.

A sob starts to build deep inside of her and she wants to grab the pillow next to her and scream into it.

Before her abduction, they had slept together three times. Just three times. She tries to remember if she’d forgotten to take her pill at some point but normally she’s consistent with it, and as a scientist, she can’t argue that the proof is staring her in the face. She’d been at least one month along when she was abducted and somehow during that time they’d stolen her little girl. Stolen her and turned her into something not human.

It wasn’t just her little girl though. It was their little girl.

The sob works its way out and she puts the results on the table, hides her face in her hands and cries.

She had looked into it all on a hunch. A tech at the hospital during Emily’s stay mentioned she had paternal DNA, rightfully assumed that the girl had a donor father.

Scully considered the fact the DNA could have come from anyone, until a few nights before when Mulder had been in bed holding her. The same way he had before her abduction.

After she returned he had stayed at arm's length. He was there for her during the cancer, he was tender and loving but he never made any advances. Scully couldn’t help but wonder if it was because he viewed her as damaged. Later she learned that couldn’t be further from the truth.

A week ago he’d come clean about the case he worked in California while she was still missing. The one with the vampire club. He told her about Kristen Kilar, about having sex with her, and the immediate shame and guilt he felt after the fact. Her grisly end just increased his remorse. He also told her what he’d been most afraid of facing since the case; the results of the HIV tests he’d had since.

He’d been tested more times than recommended and finally, his doctor told him that unless he was continually worried about contracting the virus he was fine. Mulder still felt dirty though, when he wasn’t saying it to her he showed it in the way he carried himself. It broke her heart and when he finally broke down and told her truth, she had cried. He assumed she was angry, that she wanted him to leave but she reached for his hand, made it clear she felt the opposite.

They held each other for what felt like hours before she kissed him, granted the forgiveness he was clamoring for. They weren’t involved, they’d made no promises to each other before her abduction. To her there was nothing to forgive but knowing he needed it, she absolved him, told him she held nothing against him. He melted into her arms, finally made the promises and declarations of love that he hadn’t had the chance to before.

Later that night she laid her head on his bare chest, listened to his steady heartbeat before the tech’s words rang clear in her mind.

“The genetic material could be the result of interference, but it could also be the result of intercourse. Emily was created like a normal child. But afterward they changed her biology.”

They changed her biology.

A sudden chill ran up Scully’s spine and she shivered. Feeling it in his sleep Mulder pulled her closer and covered them both. She still didn’t sleep at all that night.

They hadn’t discussed what the change in their relationship meant, but every other night one of them would show up at the others apartment. One night when she was at home knowing that he was occupied she took the time to go over the results with a fine-tooth comb. She takes all her files and documents she has pertaining to Emily, lays them out on her coffee table and began to review the data in front of her, point by point. Naturally, her assumption is wrong.

She hears him knock at the door and is forced out of her forced objectivity, her compartmentalization, her detachment. Knowing it has to be him she’s overwhelmed with dread, tastes bile. Gathering the documents she hastily stuffs them into file folders, too on edge to care her organizational system’s all gone to hell.

“One second, Mulder!” she calls, standing to put the stack of folders on the desk before taking a breath, crossing the room to open the door.

He’s standing there with a bashful look on his face, looking like a teenager picking up his prom date. Despite everything, she’d just looked at, and the churning in her stomach, his handsome face makes her smile as much as she can manage. A fuzzy warmth fills her in his presence.

“So, I know we’ve been doing an every other night type thing but I didn’t think that arrangement was set in stone and I…I just wanted to see you,” he trails off as Scully lets out a ragged breath and pulls him into her apartment.

After she closes the door he gets a good look at her and his face fills with concern.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Putting one hand on her shoulder he tilts her chin up with the other and takes in her red nose and puffy, tearful eyes.

“Please talk to me, Scully.” He whispers.

She shakes her head and he lets out a sigh before she even says the words.

“Nothing, Mulder. I’m just not feeling well.”

Dropping his head he groans. “Really, Scully? We’re still doing this?”

He expects her anger, expects her to glare and push back but instead, she shakes her head miserably, falls into him as her face crumples.

In total shock, all he can do is hold her as she cries.

“God Mulder… I don’t even know…. I…I’m so sorry…” she chokes out between sobs and hiccups, hiding her face in his chest.

Rubbing her back he feels a shiver down his spine as she stammers in half sentences that don’t even fit together.

“Shhh, Scully. Just breathe. It’s alright, it’s alright…,” Mulder murmurs, pressing kisses into her hair. When her tears don’t let up he lifts her up, carries her into the living room. Moving to the couch he takes a seat and she stays put in his lap, tucked under his chin. Rubbing her back he holds her close. Her sobbing starts to subside but she still refuses to meet his eyes.

Mulder holds back his panic at seeing Scully fall apart and waits for a few minutes in silence.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he finally asks softly, pushing some hair behind her ear. Her head still bowed, cheek pressed to his chest she looks down at their hands that are twined in her lap. Sniffling she lets out a slow breath.

“I don’t even know where to start.”

“Take your time. I’m here.”

After a beat and another slow breath, she shifts off his lap, still staring at her lap.

“There are some papers over on my desk. Could you grab them? They’re in that stack of folders there on the left. In the messy heap.”

“I didn’t know you had messy heaps, Scully,” Mulder chuckles nervously, bringing her hand to his lips before following her instructions. Picking up the manila folder, the papers above it he glances at the top sheet. Seeing medical terminology, a series of charts and figures he doesn’t understand he frowns.

“Are these in some kind of code? If I go get a copy of Catcher in the Rye will I find something hidden?” His lopsided grin cuts her heart.

“Mulder…”

She doesn’t laugh, doesn’t even manage a smile and he feels a knot form at the base of his stomach. He looks down at the sheet again, tries to scan and decipher for anything recognizable, anything familiar until he thinks of one devastating thing that he might be familiar with. Reading again though, not seeing anything he can pick up on associated with cancer he lets out a ragged breath. Hands them to her before he can scare himself more.

“What’s in these documents, Scully?”

He sits down, waits as she worries her lip between her teeth, and speaks after a beat.

“When I was with Emily in the hospital, even before she was admitted, there was so much happening all at once, it was almost impossible for me to take any of it in.”

“That makes sense. It was such a whirlwind, Scully. Why…”

“When I learned what was wrong, I was so focused on finding a way to save her… I couldn’t think about anything else. But, since that night, I remembered something. Something I discovered in the tests that were being run.”

Rifling through the papers she pulls out some transparent sheets that he recognizes as gene markers.

Taking one she holds it up to the light. “This is the breakdown for my DNA,” she says as he nods in understanding, prompting her to raise the other sheet.

“This is Emily’s. It’s clear that we’re a genetic match.”

Mulder had seen the same demonstration from her but he says nothing and waits for her to continue.

Letting out a long sigh, Scully sets down the sheets with her markers and Emily’s holds up the other sheet in her hand.

“This is the DNA from Emily’s biological father,” she says as Mulder’s brow knits. Frowning he nods, runs his hand over his face as she bows her head.

“Back at the hospital, I was told that Emily was created with normal genetic material. The tech said it this could have been the result of some kind of intervention during my abduction or…”

“Or what, Scully?”

“Or…it could have happened naturally, Mulder,” she says softly, meeting his eyes. He’s still wearing a frown, staring at the sheet in her hand. He wants to tell her to just spit it out, fill him in and stop keeping him in suspense until he squints, sees the printing etched in the top right corner of the breakdown for Emily’s paternal DNA.

Taking the sheet from Scully’s hand he slowly brings it closer to his face. Reads the series of numbers in small print, then the printed name. His name.

His whole body goes numb and his ears fill with white noise. The sheet falls from his bloodless fingers and he holds onto the arm of the couch for support.

“Mulder…” she appeals, but he can’t respond. He can’t think. All he sees is Emily’s tiny angelic face. Her little smile that matches his, the shape of her face, and the little expressions on her face that matched a young Samantha. In his mind, he sees all of these things mixed with Scully’s eyes and the light hair and small dimples. Their little girl.

The day he met he fell for her. She laughed at his jokes, that stupid potato face he made. The fact that she was a part of his partner meant he loved her from the get-go but now-this was different. An instinctual rage rose up in him. He and Scully had created a child. A child that had been taken from them. Stolen away by evil, malevolent sons of bitches who turned her into something different, made her sick, conducted experiments on her until her little body finally gave up. Molten anger rolled through him.

Concerned, Scully moves her hand to his cheek but his gaze is still far off.

“Mulder. Mulder look at me, please look at me.” She begs and takes his face fully between her hands.

The wrath she sees in his eyes scares her. The only time she’d seen anything similar had been during her cancer.

She takes the DNA sheets from his hands and moves close so she can wrap her arms around his neck.

After a few seconds, he stiffly puts his arms around her. “I’m so sorry Mulder. I should have tried to look into it at the hospital. You should have had a say in what happened. I’m so sorry.” She cries into his neck.

His hand tangles in her hair and he pulls her close. He doesn’t have the words to tell her that she shouldn’t be sorry.

Instead, he speaks in a low voice, “It’s going to be okay. I’ll find them. I’ll find who did it, Scully.”

“No, please. Please Mulder, just stay with me right now. Just be with me.”

He nods and curls himself around her as if he could protect them both from the evil around them.

#the x files #txf #msr #dana scully #fox mulder #emily sim #a christmas story #david duchovny #gillian anderson #the invisible cord #clarices fic

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dippedanddripped · 4 years

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After more than 40 years, the red, white and blue letters of the Fred Segal sign that had graced the ivy-covered brick building at the corner of Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue and Crescent Heights Boulevard was recently taken down. The navy blue–and–white lettering of Ron Herman was posted in its place on Oct. 2.

That sign was a significant symbol for Los Angeles fashion. The building, at 8100 Melrose Ave., was the address of a cradle of high-end Los Angeles boutique retail. Since 1965, consumers, celebrities and influential stylists looking for cutting-edge fashion shopped there, and many in California fashion started their careers there.

For the first time in the history of that building, Ron Herman is the only boutique retailer doing business at that address. Its neighbor, Ron Robinson, closed its bricks-and-mortar shop in 2019. The family of Fred Segal, the man who founded the Fred Segal compound of shops at that address, sold his intellectual property and trademarks in 2012. Then, in 2016, the Fred Segal brand opened a new flagship in West Hollywood. Big changes recently came to Ron Herman, which has been in business since 1976.

With no public announcement, Ron Herman sold his company to the Japanese holding company Sazaby League Ltd. for an undisclosed amount in 2019. Sazaby runs more than 20 Ron Herman stores in Japan. The Japanese company had partnered with Herman more than a decade ago. These shops offered Japanese-only product lines such as a unique Vans collaboration and a limited-edition Ron Herman Toyota FJ Cruiser vehicle. Herman and his wife, Carol, served as consultants until January 2020 and then left the company. Ron Herman had been looking for a successor. His children were not interested in taking over the business. However, he had been working with Sazaby for a decade. He believed that the Japanese company not only understood the retailer’s DNA, but they had the passion and professionalism to bring Ron Herman into a new era.

“It’s a natural evolution,” Herman said. “I felt secure and grateful to find someone who could do that.” Herman said of what he believed to be a seamless transition from his helming of the company to new ownership. Herman is not currently involved with fashion or retail projects. To get involved with a new fashion project, it would have to be something that he deemed the market and society specifically needed.

Since then, James Quirk, who has worked as a Ron Herman salesperson, buyer and store director, has been helping run operations in the United States. He currently serves as Ron Herman’s general manager and director of operations. The retailer’s U.S. operations include the two-story, 14,000-square-foot Melrose flagship as well as women’s boutiques in Los Angeles’ upscale Brentwood neighborhood and in Malibu, Calif. Also part of this boutique operation is the e-commerce shop ronherman.com.

Ron Herman’s chief operations officer, Jenny Hodge, and Toshi Fujita, its vice president, have presided over hiring a new team, who started their jobs a couple of months before the COVID-19 shutdown. The new slate includes Ami Lasser, who joined as the new women’s buyer. She has worked as a stylist and buyer for more than 20 years and started her career at Ron Herman. Ruben Leal, who co-founded the popular Venice Beach boutique Tradesman, joined Ron Herman as its men’s buyer. Kyle Moffett, the new director of e-commerce, joined in August. Quirk said that Moffett will be developing the scope of ronherman.com and adding more editorial. Industry leaders will be retained as advisers. One adviser will be John Moore, a co-founder and chief creative officer of the Outerknown brand. Another will be Hannah Henderson, co-owner of the General Store in Venice, Calif.

The pioneering retailer’s change of leadership takes place during a time of great change for the retail business and society. Quirk said that Ron Herman would chart a course to forge new ventures for the retailer. However, the new team also has been working diligently to retain the company’s personality and aesthetic, which grew out of the sensibilities of the company’s founder.

In a 2018 interview with California Apparel News, Herman called his aesthetic an “elegant simplicity.” It was one of the first stores that could mix high and low fashion, designer and denim, as well as whimsical and street styles. Its retail price points range from $45 for a T-shirt to $2,500 for high-end designer pieces and more than $8,000 for jewelry.

Ron Herman set a template for California fashion, said Nicole Pollard Bayme, a stylist and CEO for the LaLaLuxe company.

“Before laid-back, California blogger style was the rage. Those in the know could head to Ron Herman for the best selections of denim and sweats that L.A. had to offer,” she said. Her company organizes fashion tours of Los Angeles, and Ron Herman has long served as a stop on LaLaLuxe routes.

Ron Herman’s aesthetic has kept people coming back to the store for decades and made the boutique a retailer whose influence continues to be felt, Quirk said.

“He’s done everything so well. It has been consistent for so long. It is in our DNA. So for everything I do, I’m thinking, ‘Would Ron appreciate and embrace this decision?’” Quirk said.

Like other retailers, Ron Herman has grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic. Its bricks-and-mortar business shut down on March 13 and reopened in early June. During this time, a remodel was rolled out.

An independent footwear store, Gregory’s, had moved out of its space next to the first level of Ron Herman. Ron Herman extended its women’s wing and added footwear on the second floor, Quirk said. “For the first time, we carry shoes. It’s been a dream of ours,” he said. “We’ve never been able to style a head-to-toe, complete look.”

The retailer also opened an in-store jewelry salon. Eyewear company Oliver Peoples opened a separate shop in the bungalow building separate from the Ron Herman store.Throughout the location, interiors were spruced up, and the interiors have a brighter, airier ambience.

The landing area between a staircase leading to the second floor will be dedicated to new ventures. In November, it will serve as the site of holiday shop-in-shops for Los Angeles brands such as Camp High, a basics brand with a whimsical sense of humor; Soyer, a women’s contemporary knits brand; and I’m OK! by Larry Schaffer, aka Mr. Gift, who founded a Los Angeles gifting and homeware line.

Another upcoming project will be to further develop Ron Herman’s private-label clothing brands. Sazaby Private Label Coordinator Yoshie Yanagi has been working on developing more Ron Herman lines such as the upcoming RHLA sustainable-cashmere line.

The new leadership team for Ron Herman will have some big shoes to fill. Ron Herman is still known as a shop that gambled on new lines such as Juicy, True Religion as well as Trina Turk and J Brand, which came to dominate retail, said John Eshaya, founder of the JETJohn Eshaya brand, who worked at the retailer beginning in 1984 and left in 2008 as its vice president and women’s buyer.

“To be in Ron Herman in the ’90s meant that your line was going to be seen by the buyers of every department store and every specialty store as well as every designer and every actor. You would become a star,” Eshaya said. “Everyone’s eyes were on Ron Herman.”

#ron herman #fred segal #clothes boutiques #fashion blog #streetwear blog

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industrytrendsforecast · 4 years

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Viral Vector and Plasmid DNA Manufacturing Market 2020 | Industry Analysis, Growth Opportunities and Forecast 2027 |Top Players are FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Kaneka Eurogentec S.A, Fin vector, etc

In-depth analysis of Viral Vector and Plasmid Dna Manufacturing Market 2020

According to the current analysis of Reports and Data, the global Viral Vector And Plasmid DNA Manufacturing Market is expected to reach USD 2,493.80 million by the year 2027, with a CAGR of 23.8% during the forecast period. The Viral Vector and Plasmid DNA Manufacturing Market report includes complete coverage of recent R&D advancements, product launches, mergers and acquisitions, online and offline activities, and other strategic initiatives undertaken by the key companies. The statistical data is further organized into tables, charts, graphs, diagrams, and infographics.

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The report covers extensive analysis of the key market players in the market, along with their business overview, expansion plans, and strategies. The key players studied in the report include:

FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies, Kaneka Eurogentec S.A, Fin vector, Spark therapeutics, Cobra biologics, Cell and gene therapy catapult, Renova Therapeutics, Shenzhen SiBiono GeneTech Co., Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc, 4D Molecular Therapeutics are the major players in the Viral vector and plasmid DNA manufacturing market.

Additionally, the report analyzes several factors, such as productivity and manufacturing, product types, and applications in the key geographical regions of the world. The various global regions investigated in this report are North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. To gain a better understanding of the scope of the industry, competitive landscape and different progressive aspects are studied extensively in the report.

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By Product (Revenue, USD Million; 2020-2027)

Plasmid DNA

Viral Vectors

Non-viral Vectors

By Workflow (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2026)

Upstream Processing

Vector Amplification & Expansion

Vector Recovery/Harvesting

Downstream Processing

Purification

Fill-finish

By Disease (Revenue, USD Million; 2020-2027)

Cancer

Inherited Disorders

Viral Infections

Others

By Application (Revenue, USD Million, 2020-2027)

Antisense, RNAi, & Molecular Therapy

Vaccinology

By Sales channel (Revenue, USD Million; 2020-2027)

Channel sales

Direct Sales

By End user: (Revenue, USD Million; 2020-2027)

Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Companies

Research Institutes

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Provides a futuristic outlook on the key market drivers and restraining factors

A comprehensive 8-year forecast of the market and its expected growth rate and pattern

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Provides strategic recommendations to the established companies and new entrants to provide a competitive advantage over the other companies

Comprehensive analysis of the key regions of the industry and provides a SWOT analysis and Porter’s Five Forces analysis to impart a deeper understanding of the market

Helps in formulating strategic business decisions and investments plans

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Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments Market 2020-2027 | Recent Trends and Growth | CAGR of 5.0%

Knitted Fabric Market Growth – CAGR of 4.8% | To Reach USD 33.63 Billion By 2027 | Reports And Data

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#Viral Vector And Plasmid Dna Manufacturing Market #Reports and Data

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ub-sessed · 2 years

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OK! Here is a chart I just threw together* for a more accurate DNA cable to put into Andrea Cull's DNA Pullover pattern.

I HAVE NOT KNIT THIS YET, so I can't promise that it actually works. I probably won't get a chance to knit it up for at least a week or two, but once I've tested it I'll put it up on Ravelry.

You are welcome to knit it if you want! If you do, please tag me in the results! If you are on Ravelry, I'll create a pattern page so that you can add it to your project.

*Based on the DNA Scarf by June Oshiro and the Circular DNA Scarf by Angela Piotrowski, which are both available for free on Ravelry. They both put a 1/1 cross on the outside edge. I understand why they did this, because this is where you see the "ribbon" edge on, as it were, but when it's knitted up it doesn't give that effect; it just looks messy. When I'm knitting this up I might experiment with other ways of dealing with this: maybe just bringing the cable down to 1 twisted stitch at that point?

ETA: Oops: I just realized that the DNA section in the DNA Pullover is 17 stitches wide, not 18, so this won't work. See my reblog for my attempts at fixing it.

#stitch fiddle #dna #knitting pattern #knitting chart #cable knitting chart #knitblr #knitting #cable knitting pattern #dna knitting pattern #dna knitting chart #dna pullover

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tokobineka · 4 years

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Ardiles Kids DNA Sepatu Anak Sekolah - Putih Hitam Harga: Rp190.000 (harga belum termasuk ongkos kirim) ARDILES DNA DNA, koleksi sepatu Ardiles yang tak hanya stylish namun juga nyaman untuk dikenakan. Si kecil bisa asyik beraktivitas karena rubber sole sepatu ini sangat fleksibel dan aman ketika dipakai. Material Khusus Detachable One-Touch Strong Velcro Tape Velcro dengan daya rekat tinggi fungsinya untuk memudahkan si anak memakai sepatunya sendiri. Knit Mesh for Breathable Dilengkapi bahan Knit Mesh bersirkulasi udara sehingga membuat sepatu ini sejuk dan nyaman dipakai berlama-lama. Usage / Sepatu Anak (BTS) Material / Detachable One-Touch Strong Velcro Tape || Knit Mesh for Breathable Size Chart (EU) Size 31, Panjang = 19.5 cm. Size 32, Panjang = 20 cm. Size 33, Panjang = 20.5 cm. Size 34, Panjang = 21 cm. Size 35, Panjang = 21.5 cm. Size 36, Panjang = 22 cm. BUDAYAKAN MEMBACA SEBELUM MELAKUKAN PEMBELIAN Syarat & Ketentuan Proses Order yang kami tetapkan sebagai berikut : 1. Jam Operasional kami Senin s/d Sabtu , Hari Minggu dan Hari Libur Nasional kami Tidak melayani Pengiriman, namun Tetap Menerima Order 2. Batas Waktu Jika ingin di proses Orderan di hari yg SAMA, Senin sd Jumat Jam 14.00 WIB ( JNE & JNT ) dan Sabtu Jam 09.00, Harap CHAT dan Diskusikan dulu sebelum Order Sepatu sesuai Size pilihan anda 3. Order menggunakan GOJEK ( Gosend ) dan GRAB, unutk di kirim hari yang SAMA hanya Senin s/d Jumat jam 08.00 - 16.00 4. Hari Sabtu Tidak menerima Order GOJEK ( Gosend ) & GRAB, Jika ada order menggunakan 2 Layanan tsb, akan kami Proses Senin Thank You and Happy Shopping :) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEGK0ubHe8R/?igshid=jrlas7jxeuv4

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silasnce · 7 years

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Zombie Apocalypse AU! Shance

< Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 > Ao3 Link

The inside of the shack was modest, only being furnished with a dresser, a pull-out couch, and a kitchenette. A lone backpack was set on top of the worn dresser. There seemed to be no electricity as a battery-powered lamp was the only thing lighting the place, sitting just under the unfolded mattress to keep the light from shining too brightly through the windows. Pidge plopped down onto the mattress with Hunk as Lance sat down on the floor beside the couch. Keith made his way to the kitchenette, immediately checking the tap and looking through the cupboards.

Shiro shut the door and leaned against it, crossing his arms as his eyes swept over the place. His gaze soon trailed to Lance, seeing that he had been staring at him. Shiro averted his gaze to watch Keith. Silence blanketed the room as the group looked around and fidgeted awkwardly. It seemed to stretch on for forever. Heat began to creep its way up Shiro’s spine just from knowing that Lance was still studying him, proven with small glances he dared to sneak towards the other. A throat clearing itself caused them all to flinch, their gazes snapping towards the sound. Hunk smiled apologetically before turning to Lance to ask, “So, uh, what have you been up to?”

Lance rose a brow at him before cracking a smile and laughing. Pidge rolled her eyes, “The first question you ask him is what he’s been up to?”

Hunk shrugged. Keith spoke up, “I have a better question. Where have you been?”

A soft sigh slid out of Lance as his laughter quieted before he answered, “I found another group of survivors and hung with them for awhile.”

Keith turned a glare to him. Lance’s shoulders tensed, “What?”

“You... ‘hung with them’ for awhile?”

“Yeah.”

“And you didn’t even think to use your tracker while you were ‘hanging?’” Pidge joined in, “So we’ve just been worried sick about you, and you’ve been okay and decided to not contact us until now?”

Lance’s shoulders dropped as his brows knitted together as he choked out, “Used my tracker? What’re you- What?! No! No no no! You don’t understand!”

“Then, explain,” Keith leaned back against a counter and crossed his arms.

“My tracker broke months ago,” Lance bit into his lower lip as he hunched his shoulders a bit.

“What? The only reason we returned to the Garrison was because your tracker turned on.”

“Last time I saw my tracker, it was in pieces.”

Surprise colored Pidge’s expression, “Wait… When did you leave those notes?”

“About one and a half to two months ago…?” blue eyes drifted from face to face as he watched their expressions shift with confusion, “I’ve been squatting around here, waiting to see if you guys would even show up. Honestly, I was kinda starting to think you weren’t...”

“Okay, dude, I think you need to rewind to the beginning here,” Hunk ran a hand through his hair and let out a slow breath.

Lance nodded, “I can do that. After you and I separated…”

His heart felt like it was going to break through his ribs as Hunk and he ran through the Garrison halls. Their steps echoed loudly off the surrounding walls. The horde of zombies was in hot pursuit. Lance’s bow thumped against his back where it hung over his shoulder by its string. He chanced a look behind himself to determine how far behind the threat was when his foot slipped from under him. His hands flew up to catch himself before he face planted only for his palms to hit broken glass that littered the floor. He hissed sharply but didn’t waste any time scrambling to his feet to keep running.

A garbled roar sounded behind the boys, causing them to yelp. The undead behind them sped up. Soon, rotted hands were swiping and just barely grazing the backs of their shirts. Lance took one peek at his hands, dripping with blood, and, then, at Hunk before making a quick decision. He yelled, “Hunk, buddy! We gotta split up! You head up to the entrance!”

“What about you?!” Hunk stumbled but managed to keep his footing to keep sprinting.

“I’ll meet ya there!” Lance wouldn’t meet him there. He was pretty sure he was going to die. Hunk, however, believed him. He nodded and changed course as soon as a new hall came into view. Lance kept going straight, making his way to the stairwell to go down to the lower floors. The horde chose to follow him. Just as he knew they would. The smell of his blood was too enticing for them to care about going after Hunk.

He took the steps two at a time all the way down - sometimes vaulting over the railings to drop a floor to avoid being grabbed - to the lowest floor, the Garrison’s storage unit. If he was going to die, Lance was going to be sure that these zombies were trapped with his chewed up corpse. He dashed around crates despite his aching lungs and burning calves. He skidded to a stop as he came to a dead end. A dry, desperate sob wracked its way from his throat. It started to really hit him. He was going to die here. Alone. He could hear the zombies closing in. Their steps slower now as they realized their prey had stilled. Lance slumped to his knees, bowing his head as tears began to flood down his cheeks.

Then, a miracle appeared when he looked towards the ceiling with a silent prayer. A vent with its grate slightly ajar. It seemed to be just big enough to fit him. He climbed for it, wrenching it open and crawling up and inside. He closed the grate after him, his blood smearing on the cold metal, and quickened his pace as he made his way along the vent. Metallic thumps sounded behind him as the undead corpses clawed at the closed vent. Relief flooded him once it was confirmed they weren’t going to get through. He wiped at his weeping eyes before continuing along the crawlspace, hoping it led outside. He kept his gaze towards the top, expecting to have to climb up a few floors worth of vents, but instead, he ended up missing the hole that sat open in front of him. He crawled forward and fell down the shaft, a scream rising up out of his throat in panic.

“Why would the vents go down? There’s nothing below storage,” Shiro’s voice interrupted Lance’s tale.

Blue eyes met his stormy greys, “I thought so, too…”

A crack echoed in the small space that Lance landed in. He hissed as a sharp pain shot through his wrist. He pulled up his jacket sleeve to look it over and groaned in dismay at seeing the tracker that Pidge had given him was completely smashed. With a heavy sigh, Lance carefully removed and left it behind. He looked up but was unable to see just how far he fell. He took time to attempt to climb back up the way he dropped in but failed with each try. With a frustrated sigh, he went through an opening to his left, hoping he’d find an easier way up. Instead, he found himself dropping out of a vent and into what appeared to be a lab.

“Woah,” he breathed, his eyes taking in everything. The place was trashed. Papers everywhere and upturned equipment. Shattered glass on tables and dried chemicals staining the floors.

“Why would the Garrison have a secret lab?” Pidge’s lower lip pouted out as she pondered the possibilites.

“Oh, I’ll tell you why,” Lance raised his hands, “Aliens.”

“Aliens? Lance, you can’t seriously expect us to belie-” Hunk started, but Lance stopped him.

“I’m serious! While I was there, I saw some freaky alien skeleton in a locked up room! It had a chart on the door and a window to see in! It looked like something out of an old horror movie!”

“Why would they have an alien? The Garrison was founded for training future pilots and engineers,” Shiro’s mouth tipped down at the edges in wavering disbelief.

“Or maybe,” Keith mumbled, pensive, “They were just using that as a cover-up…”

“You know… That would make sense. What if they were using alien DNA for, well, whatever, and that’s what started the outbreak in the first place? There wasn’t any evidence that it was the Garrison’s fault that the zombies sprouted up at the time it happened, but there wasn’t another plausible explanation for it all having started at the Garrison either,” Pidge laid back on the couch’s mattress.

“The news said it was a naturally formed pathogen,” Hunk frowned.

“What about a zombie apocalypse is ‘naturally formed?’” she asked dryly.

“Never mind. I see your point…”

“Anyway,” Lance crossed his arms, “I was stuck in there for at least a week. There was a small storage of food and water down there. That plus the supplies I already had in my pack kept me pretty okay for awhile. Turns out, there’s a secret entrance that lets out just outside the Garrison’s outer walls, and let me tell you what. That was a lot of stairs to climb.”

Blue eyes dropped to stare at the floor, voice softening, “By that time, you guys were long gone… I tried to find you all. Really.”

“We thought you were dead,” Hunk whispered.

“Keith cried,” Pidge sat up to smirk at the broody member of their team.

“Shut the fuck up,” Keith hissed out through his teeth.

A grin inched its way onto Lance’s face as amused, sapphire eyes connected with black violet, “Aw, Keith! You do care about me!”

“Of course, I do,” Keith grumped, looking away from him, “We’re family.”

Lance gasped and turned to Pidge, “When did he start saying it, too?!”

Pidge raised a hand and tilted it side to side, “After the third time he tore through the Garrison by himself looking for you?”

“You missed me!” Lance stood and launched himself at Keith, hugging him tight.

Keith shoved at him, face red with embarrassment, “I take it all back! We’re not family! We’re not even friends! Fuck off!”

Lance finally let go, laughing happily. Shiro’s crossed arms loosened, lips slightly parted as he stared openly. Pidge noticed him and smiled deviously, slipping off the mattress to step close to him. She put a hand to her mouth and whispered, “You’re drooling.”

Shiro smacked a hand to his mouth to wipe it off with wide eyes before realizing she was joking. He dropped his hands to slip into his hoodie pockets, giving her a sheepish smile as he murmured, “That obvious?”

She shrugged, “No need to worry about it. Lance doesn’t pick up on that kinda stuff easily. You’re clear unless someone else points it out or you decide to tell him you like his ass.”

Shiro’s face colored immediately, “I-I never said I liked his-”

“Yeah, yeah,” Pidge grinned smugly, “You don’t have to say it.”

If the ground was going to open up and swallow them all whole, Shiro would’ve preferred it to be now. Lance turned towards them, having noticed them whispering, “You two keeping secrets from us?”

She let her eyes stray up to Shiro before back to Lance, saying innocently, “Nope. No secrets here.”

#zombie apocalypse au #shance #voltron #vld #fic #my writing

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junker-town · 5 years

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Deandre Ayton can be the Suns’ savior or an overlooked No. 1 pick

Deandre Ayton is already good. Can he be great?

The big man was immediately productive as a rookie with the Suns. Can he be impactful?

Whenever someone says Phoenix Suns, I think about Robert Sarver’s reign of terror, an unnecessarily complicated front office org chart and all the head-scratching choices it’s provided over the past two years, a frustrated Devin Booker and his frustrating talent, the never-ending game of musical chairs on the bench, and goats.

All are symptoms of the self-sabotage that reflect what the Suns are and have been. Unmentioned is Deandre Ayton, a 7’1”, No. 1 overall draft pick who averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds as a 20-year-old rookie. He should be at the center of Phoenix’s universe in the same way Luka Doncic and Trae Young are in Dallas and Atlanta. Or even a substantive symbol of change and growth, like Jaren Jackson Jr. in Memphis or Marvin Bagley in Sacramento. But instead, the expectations and excitement typically knitted into an aspiring franchise player’s DNA aren’t there, which is and isn’t Ayton’s fault.

The cynicism that corrodes everyone associated with the Suns organization makes the task of dragging them from the outskirts of the Western Conference quite a cross to bear. But separate from his circumstance, Ayton alone must be held responsible for the holes in his game that may prevent him from dominating modern basketball in the same way Doncic, Young, and Jackson Jr. soon will.

At the belly of his young career is a struggle between production and impact. How can he—or any traditional big man (i.e a non-primary ball-handler)—consistently influence games in a way that extends above and beyond the nightly double-double? Can they take over when a playoff series is on the line, force adjustments from the opposition, and use their physical gifts to dictate both sides of the ball?

These questions aren’t easy, particularly when directed towards someone with immense talent and just one NBA season under his belt. Ayton’s offensive function will likely toggle in several directions, depending on what type of players surround him at any given time, but big-picture reservations about relevancy and effectiveness grow a bit more urgent when defense is a question mark.

A couple months ago, Suns general manager James Jones appeared on ESPN’s The Jump and said this about his franchise center: “We expect him to take a big jump defensively. He needs to be a dominant defensive force...He has to get stronger. He has to recognize things a little bit quicker. But that comes with time.”

Indeed. Ayton has much to learn. He’s seven feet of chiseled brick that glides without instinct. Defensive anchors can’t be described that way. They must recognize their teammate’s mistakes in real time and then immediately transform into back-line insurance. Last year, Ayton was whatever the opposite of insurance is: Twenty players defended at least five shots around the rim per game, and none allowed a higher field goal percentage than he did.

The Suns were roasted at the basket and couldn’t force the mid-range shots most quality defenses are able to coax from an opponent. Ayton wasn’t entirely to blame—in every lineup he was surrounded by undersized or unequipped fours: T.J. Warren, Dragan Bender, Josh Jackson, Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza, Kelly Oubre Jr., etc.—but he was far from Phoenix’s solution. His fundamentals were all over the place. Flat hips. Low arms. Fickle feet:

Being large and taking up space can only do so much. Ayton was antsy and welcomed contact that served no purpose beyond forcing the referee to blow the whistle. Unguarded cutters whisked by whenever his eyes stayed on the ball. All big men find themselves in no man’s land from time to time. Ayton lived there:

But the thing about team defense is no one player can save it if another—or two, or three—routinely goes rogue. Ayton could’ve used a beefy tag-team partner in Phoenix’s frontcourt, and this year Aron Baynes will be exactly that. Over the past three years, the Celtics and Pistons were excellent on defense whenever Baynes played. He’ll shout instructions, take punishment, and protect Ayton in ways none of his teammates were able to last season.

Despite not playing a minute of power forward since he was drafted, Ayton should benefit from some time there this year. (Jones has talked about the possibility.) His post game is one reason to be bullish. Only seven players averaged more post-ups per game last season, and on a points per possession mark he was as or more efficient than Nikola Jokic, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Nikola Vucevic, per NBA.com.

With several teams—the Celtics, Blazers, Jazz, Nets, and Clippers, to name a few—momentarily abandoning the power forward position in favor of wings who allow more flexible options on both ends, Ayton’s contrarian bully ball can disrupt the NBA’s ongoing stylistic revolution instead of trying to fit inside it. (That’s a best-case scenario.) There was more skill than luck at the core of his impressive field goal percentage at the rim last year, and in situations where Baynes ties up the opposing center Ayton can find ways to bury a smaller defender. He makes it look so easy.

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Attacking with one’s back to the basket serves a purpose, and size will always matter when it’s combined with competence, but it’s not controversial to say that players like Ayton were a better fit 15 years ago, when those who do what he does were asked and expected to lift their team into perennial contention. Ayton is highly efficient, but thus far it’s been on shots that great offenses no longer depend on. It’s tough to reconcile with that fact, but his development isn’t static, either. There are other, encouraging dimensions to Ayton’s game that are plenty useful in this era.

As a muscular pogostick with tight-end hands, his potential as a roll man is off the chats, particularly with Ricky Rubio gift-wrapping lobs none of his teammates were able to provide last season. Rubio enters the year as a career 32.2 percent outside shooter, but working Booker, Oubre, and/or Mikal Bridges off the ball will help space the floor a bit whenever Ayton dives into the paint. Baynes, Dario Saric and Frank Kaminsky are all bigs who don’t hesitate from beyond the arc, either.

At the belly of Ayton’s young career is a struggle between production and impact

He’s as graceful as he is effective in the open floor, and has enough athleticism, strength, and aggression to normalize 16-rebounds-per-game campaigns. (When unleashed on the offensive glass Ayton knows how to finish: according to Synergy, he ended the year in the 92nd percentile on putbacks as a rookie.) If he can routinely draw double teams on the block, force help on the roll, and require multiple bodies to keep him off the glass, the Suns will undoubtedly be a better team when he’s on the floor, in ways that invigorate those around him.

Also, Ayton only attempted four threes last year, but if Monty Williams (a big man whisperer who helped mold LaMarcus Aldridge and Anthony Davis) is willing to extend his range a bit, the possibilities only grow. Ayton’s release on all the long twos he launched as a rookie was quick and smooth, and he makes his free throws. If he can become a pick-and-pop threat 25 feet from the rim, or simply stand above the break and create space for Phoenix’s guards and wings, his value will only climb.

If Ayton tops out as “polished Myles Turner” it won’t be the worst thing in the world, but the Suns probably also wouldn’t make any deep playoff runs. To eventually impose himself in fourth quarters during a playoff series, Ayton will need—in addition to premier defense—range, vision, and an ability to manufacture offense off the bounce. None of these qualities currently exist in his game—he averaged 0.41 dribbles per touch last year, which shades closer to support (Clint Capela) than star (Joel Embiid)—but there’s still plenty of time to fold them in and build on bits and pieces scattered throughout his rookie season.

A quick example: Ayton is not a great passer, but comb through tape of his assists and at least one hopeful pattern emerges. He already knows how to make release-valve kick outs that punish defenses when they trap the ball. This is small but significant.

A decade ago, the footwork, touch, and patience packed into his body would guarantee perennial All-Star appearances and raise Phoenix’s floor up to a respectable level. Ayton’s sheer size made him a privileged commodity. Today, he’s forced to adapt to his surroundings instead of having it be the other way around. But that doesn’t mean Ayton’s second season can’t end with people thinking about him before his organization’s endless missteps.

Phoenix’s most notable offseason moves were made, in part, to stabilize Ayton’s environment—from Rubio, to Williams, to Baynes. It’s a step in the right direction, though who’s to know if it will matter. Asking any one person to lead this franchise towards anything that remotely resembles sustainability is unfair. In countless ways, Ayton’s career, in or away from the Suns, can still go in so many different directions.

Still, their fans have little choice but to approach him with cautious optimism and reasonable expectations. The door for Ayton to become the savior they’ve been waiting for is wide open, but the areas of his game that took a nap during his rookie season need to wake up before he can take a step through.

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