I\W: How did your personal practice move into a more community-based practice? Is this a thread that has always found its way into your work?
MG: I have had a public art practice rooted in community-based art since I was in high school. I grew up in Chicago and started creating murals when I was 14. So for me, that was a big part of my life and identity as an artist. That was also a large part of my art education, especially in thinking about transforming public space, power, and geography, but also using improvisation and community-based practices as generative ways of working. I find that work to be deeply personal. Throughout my grad and even undergrad studies, I felt as if I was leading a double life. I was making studio projects that were located within formal art institutions, and felt as if I hadn't quite figured out how to articulate the threads between that work and my public, community-based art projects. I was making these large-scale public art projects, but then also making weird looking brown blobs in my studio. The breaking point for me was when I was doing a massive mosaic mural as part of a youth arts organization in Chicago. I was working with over fifty young people on a 1600 square feet mural made of Italian glass tile. Although I loved the experience of working collectively, the project started to feel merely decorative to me. It felt like the project was being whittled down to something that at its core wasn't as radical as I wanted it to be. This was a profound moment that helped to define the kind of work I wanted to make, and one that intersects between various modes of working.
I\W: Is this when you began to work more more performatively, initiating projects such as City as Site?
Yes, I was exploring performance through solo projects already, and wanted to engage issues of performance in my community work. I knew that was exactly what I wanted to be doing. I was interested in those same aspects of it being a public art practice that so many people fall in love with—the collective modes of working, improvisational processes, and working with both artists and non-artists. City as Site brought together ideas around public actions, performances, and theater, while also looking at landscape and place with youth from the local area. So that project was an exciting moment for me because it allowed me to bring all of those aspects together, ones that I enjoyed and were meaningful to me, while also grappling with spatial justice issues at the same time.
I\W: Why do you think you are so attracted to community-based projects?
Well, they have a long history in a place like Chicago. We are known for the first community-based mural, the Wall of Respect on the South Side, so I admire this legacy rooted in equality and civil rights. That history is important, but so is thinking about what projects are happening in Chicago right now. For me, artists are rabble rousers, interlocutors, and can be great interventionists. I think we are good at articulating unknowns and emotional experiences that are hard to put to language. Using performance, theatre, and sound to figure out and problem solve with public exchange became much more exciting for me as an artist. I also wanted to get other people excited about experimenting with a variety of creative approaches. That collective problem-solving and meaning-making is critical to a human experience and, for me, can catalyze a sense of liberation and freedom.
I\W: What are some of the core ideas that you and the other organizers of 96 Acres Project share? How much improvisation does the project take?
I was just talking to a musician friend of mine yesterday about improvisation. He is also a visual artist, and he was talking about how in music there are certain harmonies or structures that if the group doesn't come with a set of understandings around, that the collective improvisation doesn't work so well. So, when I think about the term improvisation, I think about how challenging it is, and try to come up with various ways of creating a generative situation to bring about compelling ideas. 96 Acres Project is now in its fourth year. I was born and raised a few blocks away from the jail, and witnessed its landscape while taking the #60 bus every week to and from school. I also visited the jail while in elementary school, and saw its impact on my neighbors. Many of the collaborators and participants from across the city have long-term relationships to the issues around mass incarceration, or are committed to social justice in their own fields and work. I think the politics of the body and the politics of place are ideas that are examined within our work. We like to think about questions like how do places of incarceration affect our psyches, our social and cultural relationships, and our political ideas? How does the physical space influence our social behavior, and how do we critically examine that? We have spent time discussing systemic oppression and how it plays a role in our everyday lives. The jail is the largest piece of architecture in the neighborhood. So for me at the outset of the project I was interested in that perceptual and political experience based in cultural understandings/misunderstandings about criminalization, policing, and surveillance. Rather than normalizing the jail, the project seeks to offer up and imagine new alternatives through art.
For me, artists are rabble rousers, interlocutors, and can be great interventionists. I think we are good at articulating unknowns and emotional experiences that are hard to put to language.
I\W: The project began by engaging the voices that surround the jail, however you are now beginning to work with the voices inside. Can you talk about that move from the outside in?
The last four years have been really focused on mobilizing people on the outside, and for a long time there have been a lot of folks that have already been doing this work. All of us that are involved in the project—the teachers, the activists, the families, the neighbors—they all practice transformative justice on their own, and in different ways. They are teaching and asking questions about root causes in their classrooms and schools. Recently there was news about closing private prisons, and largely there is much more attention concerning issues of mass incarceration. How does police violence, anti-blackness, and the killing of black youth inform this project? And more recently, how do we respond to the rise of racist and xenophobic culture? There is a lot of reflection and relearning to do, especially at this critical time. It seems important that the next step would be to go inside with the folks who are currently incarcerated. Previously, we had collaborated with some community members that were formerly incarcerated, but now we are planning to provide creative opportunities to those inside. So, there is much to be figured out still and we are certain that the participants will be teaching us a lot throughout this process. The latest 96 Acres Project, RADIOACTIVE, will offer that opportunity by exploring audio workshops that include storytelling, sonic landscapes, fiction, and possibly a novella format project. The name RADIOACTIVE plays with the terms activism and action. The idea is that participants will be able to broadcast on the jail wall using that structure, the frame, and then hopefully dissolve the wall through audio and visual projects.
I\W: How do you highlight the voice of someone their audience can't see?
As someone who is interested in performance and the politics of the body in space, I think a lot about how you embody an artwork, a set of issues, and how you engage others. How do you get others to get conflicted about something and negotiate it? Recently, I was talking to a theater artist friend of mine. We were having a discussion about audio, and his first impression was that audio is completely disembodied. Then we had this really beautiful discussion about how sound travels through the body. We spoke about the way it comes from the interior of the shell of ourselves and travels through the diaphragm and the chest, and comes out through the mouth. There is something really powerful about that because it is about voice, and to me I think about audio like a material. How does that then come into its own kind of space? If I think about issues of mobility and immobility, I am drawn to thinking also about forms of embodiment and disembodiment – who is mobile and who is immobile, when do we feel connected and located, and when do we feel disconnected or displaced? Using audio as a medium can get to some of those questions in interesting and, I hope, powerful ways. It can be incredibly personal and political at the same time. One can relate the idea of the voice to issues of power, and think about how silencing and invisibility both function. I am interested in how the recorded voice can create a space of visibility. I can't really claim that I give others visibility, but I think that maybe what I can try to do is create situations within my own work and with others to present highly creative spaces where participants feel like they can be heard. And also, create a space where a public audience can listen and learn something new, or question their own misperceptions.
I\W: Do you consider this space your studio, or do you have a more broad understanding of what your studio is and where it can exist?
How is a studio defined? A studio is a laboratory and a place of experimentation. It is also a place of refuge. Sometimes the studio is a quiet space, I am by myself, I can be messy. I really honor the introspective qualities of a studio, but I also host meetings here, so it's not always quiet! In fact, it's also a place of exchange. I enjoy when physical spaces can be many things. Historically my projects have moved around all over the city. In the past, I have done work using empty storefronts, like the one that a local businessman let us use 10 years ago for the Little Village Arts Fest exhibits. I have also organized collective, public performances down main streets in Chicago. I like when a studio, a space for creative work, happens in unlikely places. I like when meetings take place at the local church or someone's front yard. It is about work, and exchange, and creating thriving spaces wherever they may be.
I can't really claim that I give others visibility, but I think that maybe what I can try to do is create situations within my own work and with others to present highly creative spaces where participants feel like they can be heard.
I\W: How has your community-based practice reflected back on what you are making personally?
It all feels personal, but I have been thinking a lot about all of the materials I have been collecting since I started the 96 Acres Project. Because I am also running the back end of things, there is just a lot of organization material that I have accumulated. I have been thinking about pedagogy and how that plays a role in a visual space. I feel like I have been contributing to a group and it has been exciting for me to do it in this collective space, but I am also giving myself the time to individually translate the experience. I think it's about growing and challenging oneself on many levels. In the last 96 Acres Project exhibition at the Jane-Addams Hull House Museum, we exhibited audio that we had recorded as well as video documentaries of all the artists' projects. I created a large hanging textile using a curtain tracking system. The image printed on the textile was a 10' x 160' image of the jail wall. I call that piece Haunting Raises Specters. I had been reading a lot at Avery Gordon's work, a sociologist. The image of the jail wall was meant to be both haunting and compelling, especially in its scale. The piece was meant to be interactive, so that people could pull the wall away using the curtain track or even take the wall down. The textile was somewhat transparent so you didn't know if you were on the "inside" or the "outside." I wanted the thousands of viewers from all over the world that visited the Hull House to understand the project through a very physical, yet symbolic experience, especially if the viewer felt disconnected from the issues presented in the show. It was a way to implicate the viewer. What grew out of that piece then was a new sound project I worked on at a residency with the Experimental Sound Studio. I had been studying the informal architectures around the jail—the carnival, the Mexican Day Parade, and recording sounds from those events. The final piece is a composite of sounds from the inside and the outside, and then I made a video pan of the wall to go with it.


We have two teenagers - our daughter is at university and our son is in his last year at school. Our daughter came home recently looking very different - her long hair replaced with short and her clothing less girly. She sat us down and announced that she is a lesbian. My husband and I do not have an issue as we've always supported our children and we can see she is happy. However we're struggling with how to help our son who has taken it badly. He's not speaking to his sister and says she's not the same person. We tried explaining that you have to accept people for who they are but he got quite upset and said he wished she'd leave home. My husband then got angry. Our kids have always been quite close but this has driven them apart. Our daughter is really hurt and we are sad that our son is being so unaccepting. How can we help him get over this?
I can assure you that you are not alone. It is painful when siblings who have got on so well in the past suddenly become distant and uncommunicative. You and your husband's patience is a great tool for dealing with your son's current lack of care for his sister. I suggest speaking to him in a completely non-confrontational way. Say you too have been taken aback by your daughter coming out and that her new appearance took you by surprise.
Your son could be afraid of repercussions with his close friends if they find out his sister in now out. Maybe your son's school has a counsellor he could speak to confidentially – somebody he can trust to express his personal feelings. We find at Families Together London that the ability to talk to people disconnected with family helps people open up without creating unwanted distress to nearest and dearest.
Your daughter is still the same person within and her sexuality is only part of who she is. Without realising it he has loved her as a lesbian and now she is out. She is fundamentally the same sister he had before she went to university. Both your children at this time need support and even if you and your husband are finding it difficult to accept your son's behaviour, he is on a journey himself, which can take time. With patience and understanding you will hopefully find unity again.
Jackie is a member of the steering committee of Families Together London, a volunteer support group who meet twice a month. She is the mother of two grown-up children. Her son came out when he was approaching his teens and her daughter came out in her mid-20s. FTL is attended by people of different faiths and ethnic groups. The Steering Committee are not professional counsellors but all have a child/children who are LGBT and therefore have experienced their own difficulties in coming to terms with their child's sexuality.


text:
Get Ready For A Lot More Tweetstorms Thanks To Twitter's New Tool 1/X
After a brief beta test, Twitter is rolling out its new tweet-threading feature to everyone.
By Alex Kantrowitz
Alex Kantrowitz BuzzFeed News Reporter
Last updated on December 12, 2017, at 1:31 p.m. ET
Alex Kantrowitz @Kantrowitz
Get ready for a lot more tweetstorms in your Twitter timeline. https://t.co/X67UhSuTzE
06:02 PM - 12 Dec 2017
Twitter is releasing a tool that makes it easier to write and send tweetstorms — or multi-tweet "threads" — to user… https://t.co/ZgbO1qlBnT
The tool, which can be accessed by hitting a "+" next to the Tweet button in Twitter's compose window, allows peopl… https://t.co/8oGbaDR4Jm
Twitter views tweetstorms — which are used for everything from magnificent storytelling to nonsensical rants — as "… https://t.co/XIwfmiYR0T
Intriguingly, the person who popularized the format, venture capitalist Marc Andreessen no longer tweets (Andreesse… https://t.co/5tnByolvmS
BuzzFeed News gave the tweetstorm tool a spin on Monday, using it to thread the lyrics of a world-renowned musical… https://t.co/lPxlKUfyN2
When the thread went live, it was met with seemingly universal approval:
Someone even turned it into a Twitter Moment: https://t.co/bpymzSYKbo
Twitter was born as a network with brevity at its core, but the company has moved away from that foundation in rece… https://t.co/lrDC3eBvWD
The early data on the longer tweets shows that people seem to like them. And though Twitter declined to tell BuzzFe… https://t.co/jhABAkIJNy
Alex Kantrowitz is a senior technology reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in San Francisco. He reports on social and communications.
Contact Alex Kantrowitz at alex.kantrowitz@buzzfeed.com.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Although we've been home for more than a week it has taken a little while to settle down to writing and we have had the distraction of family visiting as well – that's enough excuses! We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and have many treasured memories, not always accompanied by a photo! The following are a few of my favourites.
I can't take credit for these photos or for finding the snake but I can tell a story to go with them.
This lovely Carpet Python was keeping warm in a sunny patch well hidden in long grass along the edge of our newest wetland system. Although we have a lot of natural regeneration of trees and smaller herbaceous plants around the edges of the wetlands it is necessary for us to control the weeds which take every opportunity to multiply. Allen was using a cane knife to cut down some clumps of Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum) – the species name gives you a clue about its potential size – and luckily he works carefully keeping an eye out for sheltering creatures so he saw the snake before it was in any danger.
If you look carefully in the last photo you can see the bulge – of what we are not sure – which we presume was the snake's most recent meal. After taking the photo Allen pulled some dead vegetation over the snake in the hope that the Whistling Kite wouldn't spot it as it made one of its regular sweeps over the property. The snake was in the same place later in the day so it doesn't seem to have been too put out by the camera's brief intrusion into its post prandial basking in the warmth.
So how many turtles can sit on one log? Again I can't claim accolades for the photograph but it goes with the 'warmth' theme. The photo of these Saw-shelled Freshwater turtles was taken from some distance away in order to capture the group before they spotted the photographer and plopped into the water.
Towards the end of the 'wet' we often experience extended periods of drizzly rain but now we are happily enjoying some clear, starry nights and beautiful sunny days. Although cool, the evenings are quite pleasant as long as we remember to put on some extra clothes and to close all the doors to keep in some of the day's warmth.
Butterflies have been busy feeding on flowering Callistemon – a good height for some photos unlike the Melaleucas which are also very popular with the nectar lovers but too high for me to get a good photo. Both Melaleuca and Callistemon flowers are constantly visited by birds and butterflies during the day and Spectacled Fruit Bats feast on the Melaleucas at night. Even though this photo could have been sharper I can't resist including it because I was so pleased to have two Ulysses in the one shot! The host plant for Ulysses is Corkwood (Melicope elleryana) a fast growing Rainforest tree which we often include in our revegetation work.
The larvae of Union Jack butterflies (Delias mysis mysis) feed on the broad leaves of a red-flowering Mistletoe according to Common & Waterhouse. Although Mistletoe is a parasitic plant it provides a good source of nectar and so we don't make much of an effort to discourage it especially as it often flowers when there is little else available.
Now that the days are cooler the cold-blooded creatures are being seen a little more frequently as they make the most of any patches of sunlight. I disturbed this young Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) which was lying quietly on some dead grass until I walked down the hill concentrating on the water ahead of me and not watching where I was going. When I heard a movement on the grass I saw that I had disturbed this poor fellow but managed to get a quick photo before he slid off into another pile of mulch. Although they are a venomous snake we don't consider Red-bellied Blacks a threat to our safety. Like most snakes they would prefer to keep out of our way whenever possible. It appears that this snake has attempted to make itself look bigger by flattening out but I think it looks like it needs a good feed!
Scattered showers and thunderstorms are frequently forecast at this time of the year and although it is often too wet to work outside sometimes the showers are scattering in other areas of the tropical north so we have enough fine weather to do a few outside jobs.
Our main focus at this time of the year is on planting and we are nearly at 1,000 trees for this season – this includes a special planting in December to celebrate our family gathering.
This python has been enjoying some of the many frogs that inhabit our wetlands as well as helping itself to the eggs laid by the Bush Stone-curlew.


text:
Q: How to use R ggplot2 to create a stacked histogram as barcode plot with row-wise color pattern from a R base table This question has been posted originally here and did not found a solution yet.
Here I would like to ask for ANY solution to the coloring problem while keeping the overall plot layout, possibly using ggplot2 or other ways.
Briefly, I want to plot sth similar to a barcode plot, with bar height reflecting row-wise column differences and bar width reflecting row sums across columns.
test.matrix <- matrix(c(70, 120, 65, 140, 13, 68, 46, 294, 52, 410), ncol=2, byrow=TRUE)
rownames(test.matrix) <- c("BC.1", "BC.2", "GC", "MO", "EB")
colnames(test.matrix) <- c("12m","3m")
test.matrix <- as.table(test.matrix)

test.matrix
     12m  3m
BC.1  70 120
BC.2  65 140
GC    13  68
MO    46 294
EB    52 410

plot(test.matrix)

layout_NO_color
This is exactly the layout I need, however I cannot figure a way to color the different rows across colums, it only colors columns across rows.
color.ct <- c("gold","yellowgreen","navy","royalblue","orangered")
names(x = color.ct) <- rownames(test.matrix)
color.ct
         BC.1          BC.2            GC            MO            EB
       "gold" "yellowgreen"        "navy"   "royalblue"   "orangered"
plot(test.matrix, col= color.ct)

layout_color
Is there ANY R or python solution out there to solve this problem and obtain exactly the same plot layout as above but with bars colored according to the provided color vector?

A: Maybe try this approach with ggplot2 and tidyverse functions:
library(tidyverse)
#Code
test.matrix %>% as.data.frame.matrix %>% rownames_to_column('Var') %>%
  pivot_longer(-Var) %>%
  mutate(name=factor(name,levels = rev(unique(name)),ordered = T)) %>%
  ggplot(aes(x=name,y=value,fill=Var))+
  geom_bar(stat='identity',color='black',position='fill')+
  coord_flip()+
  scale_fill_manual(values=c('BC.1'="gold",'BC.2'="yellowgreen",
                             'GC'="navy",'MO'="royalblue",'EB'="orangered"))+
  theme(axis.text.x = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks.x = element_blank())

Output:

Another option can be:
#Code 2
test.matrix %>% as.data.frame.matrix %>% rownames_to_column('Var') %>%
  pivot_longer(-Var) %>%
  mutate(name=factor(name,levels = rev(unique(name)),ordered = T)) %>%
  ggplot(aes(x=name,y=value,fill=Var))+
  geom_bar(stat='identity',color='black')+
  coord_flip()+
  facet_wrap(name~.,scales = 'free',strip.position = 'left',ncol = 1)+
  scale_fill_manual(values=c('BC.1'="gold",'BC.2'="yellowgreen",
                             'GC'="navy",'MO'="royalblue",'EB'="orangered"))+
  theme(axis.text.y = element_blank(),
        axis.ticks.y = element_blank())

Output:

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This Is It (S01E01) is the first episode of season one of "One Day at a Time (2017)" relea... More This Is It (S01E01) is the first episode of season one of "One Day at a Time (2017)" released on Fri Jan 06, 2017. Over 14,718 TV Time users rated it a 7.86/10 with their favorite characters being Isabella Gomez as Elena Alvarez, Justina Machado as Penelope Alvarez and Rita Moreno as Lydia Riera.
Let's be honest, I'm watching this because of the daughter story line. BUT I've appreciated that pilot. It was nice. Funny. Simple. There has been some good jokes really! The one with the periods at the beginning, loved it!!!
And I love that feminist tone. Good good point!
And I always like to learn more about another culture. This show is gonna make my weekend nice and relax.
"Sometimes you just need someone to hug you and say ' I got you'. "
So, I don't like the laugh tracks (thank u, next. Seriously, erase this from tv) or whatever, it's not necessary and too much that it becomes annoying, but I'll handle it cause it seems worthy.
There are some clever lines and I like the critics to society.
Very good first episode. It was really funny, but also extremely sad and real.


This item can only ship to Australia, Canada, Europe , United States , United Kingdom for now. We will expand the shipping address as soon as possible. Please stay tuned.
Perfect, stylish bag for work. I love the super soft leather, and long shoulder straps. Light color matches my Michael Kors purse perfectly. Great amount of regular and zippered pockets. Big enough for my laptop & charger, wallet, phone & charger, wireless mouse, mouse pad, flash drive, pens, and a several files.Have been using for several days now, and have made a few plane trips with it. Holding up perfectly - very well made. I searched several bags before deciding on this one, and I'm so glad I did.
My bag arrived today. The leather is so soft, the color is absolutely gorgeous and the hardware feels nice and sturdy. Time will tell on how well it holds up but looking at it right now, I will be carrying this bag for a very long time. I bought the wallet to match as well. Came packaged nice as well.Will order another in different color as a gift to my sister.
I absolutely love this bag. It is classy and expensive looking, with a good number of pockets. The shoulder and body straps are great lengths, so they are actually functional unlike some other bags.Like it.
Love this bag! Perfect size, big enough to fit all my stuff. And the bag is so soft!!
This bag looks very stylish, while also being very functional with lots of room and compartments. I am pleased with the size, not too big but also not too small, and the added outside pockets are a real bonus. It's sturdy and well-made, and great quality for the price. I highly recommend it!


text:
Sixto Sanchez Has 1 of the Coolest Names in the MLB
by Milla Henson on October 29, 2020
The Miami Marlins had an interesting 2020 season. It was full of tense moments, big wins, and some great players. One player, a rookie with the unusual name of Sixto Sanchez, generated a great deal of buzz for MLB fans. Who is Sixto Sanchez Many Miami Marlin fans are pinning their hopes on Sixto Sanchez. Sanchez hasn't had a dream rookie season with …
What Is the Record for Longest Consecutive Game Home Run Streak in MLB History?
by Kyle Dalton on August 3, 2020
Home runs make highlights. Hitting streaks make headlines. When you combine the two, you have big news. What is the longest home run streak in MLB history?
What Happens to Foul Balls and Home Run Balls in 2020 With No Fans in the Stands?
The 2020 MLB season is unique on many levels including no fans in the stands. What happens to foul balls and home run balls that land in the stands?
The Embarrassing Reasons President Trump Backed Out of Throwing First Pitch at Yankees Stadium
President Trump planned to throw out the first pitch at Yankees Stadium in a game on August 15. Now he's backed out for several embarrassing reasons.
MLB's Bizarre Rule Changes Perfectly Fit in With 2020
We all know 2020 has been a crazy year. MLB is joining in on the fun today with some bizarre rule changes that fit perfectly into the craziness.
These 5 MLB Hitters Could Hit .400 in the Pandemic-Shortened 2020 Season
Ted Williams was the last to hit over 400 in 1941. The shortened 2020 season could produce another 400 hitter. Here are five hitters that might accomplish the feat.
Who Is Jessica Mendoza?
Jessica Mendoza has been with ESPN since 2007. This season, she will see her role expanded as an MLB analyst and will be featured in more weekly broadcasts.
Charlie Daniels Once Wrote a Passionate Letter on PEDs in Sports
by Luke Norris on July 6, 2020
Music legend Charlie Daniels, who passed away on Monday at the age of 83, once wrote a passionate letter on the use of PEDs in sports.
Did MLB Just Cancel the Season Without Saying It?
by Kyle Dalton on June 20, 2020
MLB announced late Friday it was shutting down all spring training facilities with increased numbers of positive COVID-19 tests for a deep cleaning. Will it return or is this MLB's way of cancelling the season without saying it?
Nick Watney and His Famous Cousin Heidi Swapped Their Childhood Destinies
Nick Watney wanted to be a baseball player growing up. His cousin, Heidi, had a dad who was a golf coach. Now she works for MLB and he's on the PGA Tour.
What to Expect From Tonight's 'The Return of Sports' Special on ESPN
by Luke Norris on June 15, 2020
A look what viewers should expect in Monday night's two-hour ESPN SportsCenter special, "The Return to Sports."
Where Is Steroids Mastermind and BALCO Founder Victor Conte Today?
Victor Conte was at the center of the MLB steroid scandal as founder and president of BALCO. He went to prison. Where is Victor Conte today?
The Crazy Journey of 2004 MLB No. 1 Draft Pick Matt Bush Included Years in Prison
Matt Bush was the No. 1 pick in the 2004 MLB Draft. Ten years later he sat in prison hoping for another chance. He got it in 2015.
Bob Costas Made Tons of Money on TV Ever Since His Baseball Coach Told Him He Couldn't Hit His Weight
by Mike Thomas on April 28, 2020
Legendary sports broadcaster Bob Costas made a lot of money calling games ever since his high school coach told him he couldn't hit his weight.
Sports Memorabilia Market Estimated at $5.4 Billion, but Beware of the Fakes
Some have estimated the sports memorabilia industry to be worth $5.4 billion, but don't believe that all of what's out there is authentic.
What Happened to 3-Time All-Star Pitcher Roy Oswalt?
by Kevin Moore on April 21, 2020
Roy Oswalt spent 13 seasons in the MLB playing for four teams. He spent the majority of his playing career with the Houston Astros.
Remembering the Incredible MTV 'Rock N' Jock' Era of the 1990s
by Luke Norris on April 17, 2020
A look back at the MTV 'Rock N' Jock' era that saw professional athletes mix it up with celebrities in wild softball and basketball games.
Jackie Robinson Was Not the First African American to Play Professional Baseball
Before Jackie Robinson, there was Moses Fleetwood Walker who is considered to be the first African American to play major league baseball.
Former MLB Star Kenny Lofton Could Have Had a Career in Basketball
Kenny Lofton is known as one of the best outfielders in the game. Before his baseball career, he was a standout basketball player.
A Look Back When Torii Hunter Threw a Punch at a Teammate
Former Minnesota Twins' teammates Torii Hunter and Justin Morneau got into a mini scuffle after a Twins' game.
How Hall of Fame Baseball Star Rickey Henderson Became The Stolen Base King
Rickey Henderson is the all-time stolen base leader in MLB. There may not be another player to ever catch Henderson in that category.
Torii Hunter is Still a Vital Part of the Twins' Success
by Kevin Moore on April 9, 2020
Torii Hunter spent 19 seasons in the MLB and after his retirement he continues to be an essential part of the Minnesota Twins' organization.
What an MLB Return With All Games Played in Arizona Would Look Like
Major League Baseball is reportedly eyeing a May return with all games played in Arizona. Here's what that scenario looks like.
Holding UFC 249 on an Island Is Template for MLB, NBA to Resume
by John Moriello on April 7, 2020
Dana White wants to move UFC 249 and several other fight cards to a private island this spring as a workaround to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meet Jon Rauch: The Tallest Player in the History of Major League Baseball
Many people may not know who Jon Rauch is, but he's the tallest player in MLB history at 6'11. He played 12 years in the league.
Whatever Happened to Former Cleveland Indians Slugger Albert Belle?
by Mike Thomas on April 6, 2020
Should Albert Belle be in Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame? Some have been asking that question which means Belle had himself quite a professional baseball career. Belle's baseball performance sometimes was overshadowed by his antics both on and off the field. Belle was a five-time all-star but was also one of the toughest guys …
What Happened to Former MLB Pitcher Hideo Nomo?
Hideo Nomo pitched 12 seasons in the MLB. He through two no-hitters during his time in the league for two different teams.
What Happened to Controversial MLB Pitcher John Rocker?
A look back at the career and controversial comments of former MLB pitcher John Rocker and what he did after leaving baseball.
Deion Sanders vs. Bo Jackson: Who Was the Better Two-Sport Athlete?
Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders are two of the best two-sport athletes ever. But who's the better one out of the two?
Babe Ruth and the 17-Year-Old Girl Who Struck Him out on 4 Pitches
by Stephen Sheehan on April 4, 2020
Babe Ruth may have hit 714 home runs, but he also had the unfortunate luck of getting struck out by a 17-year-old girl in 1931.
Bo Jackson May Have Been a Tampa Bay Buccaneer If Not for a Plane Ride
Bo Jackson, the two-sport, all-star athlete, may have been a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers if not for a plane ride.
Ex-Chicago Cub Sammy Sosa Looks Completely Different Now
Baseball fans who saw Sammy Sosa play in a career that included more than 600 home runs might not even recognize the retired Chicago Cubs great today.
Where is Former MLB Player Johnny Damon?
by Kevin Moore on March 31, 2020
Johnny Damon spent 18 seasons playing in the MLB for multiple teams. He won two World Series titles with the Red Sox and the Yankees.
Paul Lo Duca Slams Alex Rodriguez in New Interview, Even Taking Shots at J.Lo
Former MLB catcher Paul Lo Duca ripped Alex Rodriguez in a new radio interview and isn't buying into his redemption story.
A Look Back at Brian Jordan, the 'Other' Two-Sport Star
by Mike Thomas on March 31, 2020
Brian Jordan, who played professionally for the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons, is always the forgotten two-sport athlete.
What Happened to Jason Giambi?
by Kevin Moore on October 26, 2020
Jason Giambi played 20 seasons in the MLB. He played for multiple teams and was once the AL MVP when he played for the Oakland Athletics.
Alex Rodriguez Will be 50 When He Gets His Last MLB Paycheck
by Stephen Sheehan on July 30, 2020
Alex Rodriguez will be 50 when he receives his final MLB paycheck as a result of a $26 million deferred payment plan with the Texas Rangers.
The Cincinnati Reds' Michael Lorenzen Shares a Fun MLB Record With Babe Ruth
Cincinnati Reds pitcher/outfielder Michael Lorenzen shares an amazing Major League Baseball record with none other than Babe Ruth.
Babe Ruth's Life Is More Tragic Than You Think
Babe Ruth may have been the greatest baseball player of all time. Off the field, the New York Yankees star endured many difficult tragedies.
The Little-Known Story of How Babe Ruth Almost Went to the Cincinnati Reds
A look back at the story of how the Cincinnati Reds nearly acquired Babe Ruth before he ever went to the New York Yankees.
Pete Rose Offers Insight and Advice to Players Who Will Have a Delayed 2020 Season
Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader Pete Rose offers advice and insight to players who will have a delayed start to the 2020 season.
Whatever Happened to MLB's One-Handed Pitcher Jim Abbott?
Remembering one-handed pitcher Jim Abbott's no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians and finding out what he is doing today.
Here Are 4 MLB Players That Hit 3 Home Runs on Opening Day
There have only been four MLB players to hit three home runs on Opening Day. Take a look at who they are and when the last time it happened.
Play Ball! Memorable MLB Opening Day Moments
by John Moriello on March 26, 2020
We don't know when baseball's 2020 Opening Day will arrive, but past seasons have kicked off with memorable moments.
Joe Buck Is Making It Impossible for People to Hate Him Right Now
Fox Sports announcer Joe Buck is making it impossible to hate him as he works on his play-by-play skills on social media.
Will Major League Baseball Consider 7-Inning Doubleheaders to Help Save the 2020 Season?
Would Major League Baseball consider playing seven-inning doubleheaders to help save the 2020 baseball season?
The Number of Female Coaches in Major League Baseball Is Growing
Female coaches in men's sports leagues has been a thing for years and Major League Baseball is finally catching up.
20 Years ago the New York Yankees Became the Last MLB Team to 3-Peat
The New York Yankees won its third consecutive World Series title in 2000. They are the last team in baseball to win three straight.
Can the Detroit Tigers get Back to Their Winning Ways?
Detroit Tigers are currently in the rebuilding process. How long will it take for them to get back to the playoffs?
Which Professional Sports Commissioner Gets Paid the Most?
by Jack Dougherty on March 22, 2020
Professional athletes are getting bigger contracts every season, but what about the commissioners who run America's best sports' leagues?
Michael Jordan Always Taunted Derek Jeter About Having More Championships
NBA legend Michael Jordan taunted New York Yankee great Derek Jeter about having six championship rings to Jeter's five.


The rich green color, the soft feel beneath your feet and the iconic fresh-cut smell — thriving grass enhances your property in countless ways. Spring is the ideal time to focus on your lawn, so by taking steps now, you can enjoy lush, green grass for many months to come.
Keep the grass mowed to 3-4 inches tall. At that height, grass shades out weeds, develops deeper roots and cools the soil. Some grasses — such as Kentucky bluegrass, fescues and perennial rye grass — grow faster in cool weather. That means you mow more frequently in spring and early summer to keep it in the 3-4 inch range, and less frequently in mid to late summer and into fall.
Want an insider tip to a great lawn? Leave clippings on the grass. As they break down, they return important trace nutrients to the soil. If the grass is tall when mowed, spread out any large, heavy clumps so the clippings don't smother the lawn.
First, the application prevents crabgrass seeds from sprouting and — unlike traditional weed and feed products — also kills crabgrass seedlings up to 4 weeks after germination. Second, it kills dandelions plus 250 types of tough broadleaf lawn weeds on contact, down to the roots. Finally, it feeds the lawn continuously with a slow-release 20-0-6 formula that promotes even greening and strong roots for maximum heat and drought resistance.


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SWB on misogyny and raising girls today
So would you look at that: Dominic Rabb, our esteemed Justice Minister, isn't actually sure what defines misogyny, as he blundered his way through an interview this morning. He must have spent all of about six minutes preparing (and that's being generous to him) for what is one of society's most pressing issues. Boris has dismissed any plans to make misogyny a hate crime, since there is already an 'abundance' of laws out there to protect women. Well, try telling that to the 214 women who were killed last year in the UK, 9 out of 10 of which were at the hands of men. I'm sure they all felt that their safety was an absolute priority.
Could it be that Boris is reluctant to implement such a law, lest an officer knocks at the door of number ten to arrest him for one of many blatant misogynist comments which he has bandied about over the years?
Yes, he may protest that his remarks were 'flippant' or 'said in jest', but isn't that how it starts? Normalising the objectification of women? That is perhaps the same argument used by Wayne Couzens in his WhatsApp chat with his police cronies. It's all just 'wee jokes' and 'bantz', until it isn't, of course.
When it becomes acceptable to undermine and demean women, through everyday rhetoric, it will inevitably lead to men being less empathetic, less respectful, less kind. And that, sadly, is where we're at today, with tragic news headlines.
We've been forced to have some difficult conversations at home as a result. My girls have asked what happened to Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa. I can't flick off the radio every time the news comes on, and I've watched the colour drain from their faces as they try to compute what has happened. But I've decided to be honest with them, rationalising that they should have some awareness about the world around them. So we talk and I try to answer their questions. I tell them that these things don't happen often, but that they do, on some very rare occasions.
They are still of primary school age, but we have only just let the older one start walking home from school by herself. What has been lovely is that other neighbours know, and they look out for her going past, and some stop for a chat. It truly does take a village to raise a child.
I don't want my anxiety to burden my girls; to temper their sense of adventure and enthusiasm: they have to learn how to navigate their way through this world. But we must give them the tools, so that they grow to be independent, curious and assertive.
And that's where the hate crime comes into it. I don't want them thinking that it's acceptable to be spoken about in a degrading fashion. That's why awkward discussions need to become the norm. While most men and boys aren't remotely misogynist, we all have a part to play in calling out those who are. Maybe they will make fewer locker room jokes and lewd, salacious comments, if they aren't let off with it.
I don't believe that Couzens was called out- in fact, it is rumoured that the was referred to as 'The Rapist' in his group chats, which defies belief. So, while misogyny may not yet be a hate crime, at least in considering it as such, as a society we are challenging it. Our young people deserve better.
Image credit to Vyvyan Nguyen
SWB on Mental Health (or lack thereof)


While Windows 10 makes it easy to pin shortcuts to universal apps to Start and the taskbar, there's no obvious way to create shortcuts for these apps on the desktop, or elsewhere in the file system. Here's how you can do so.
As you become more familiar with Windows 10, you will likely appreciate how easy it is to access the universal apps and desktop applications you use every day … assuming you do so from either Start or the taskbar. But one thing Windows 10 doesn't provide is a way to create a shortcut to these apps so you can launch them from the desktop or elsewhere.
Or, at least an obvious way.
But as it turns out, all of the applications installed on your PC—including the universal apps that come with Windows 10 or are downloaded from Windows Store—are accessible from a hidden shell view called Applications. And once you open this view in File Explorer, you can create shortcuts for any of them.
Find an app you wish to create a shortcut for, right-click (or tap and hold on) it, and choose Create shortcut from the pop-up menu that appears.
You'll be prompted that the shortcut cannot be placed here, and Windows will recommend placing it on the desktop instead. Click Yes. A shortcut with the name App-Name – Shortcut (like Microsoft Edge – Shortcut) will appear on the desktop. You can leave this as-is, or rename it (I usually remove the – Shortcut bit). And you can of course move the shortcut to any folder as needed.
Now, just repeat for all the app shortcuts you need.
Thanks again to Joe M. for this tip.


After an overwhelming response, to my purple coat on my Instagram feed, I thought I should share a secret of how I landed this piece.
Given my excitement to share you may have already guessed this was a bargain, I snagged at a thrift store. Yes, but here is the fun part - this is a Park Avenue brand coat I found in a store in commercial street.
It's no secret that I love a good bargain, so obviously exploring street shopping on my trips back home is a must. ( Watch my India shopping video on IGTV here). On a warm Saturday afternoon last December I entered commercial street ( via the Tamanna lane) on the right I saw a small thrift store and walked in. To my surprise, they had a ton of coats and winter clothing. I tried this and I was not sure at first. After a little thought, I realized that at a good price point (₹ 1000) I would have a warm coat in a color I wanted to experiment with.
I was still unsure if would keep warm in the Bay Area but you guys this coat had been a staple in my winter wardrobe. I have used it almost every day. It has kept me comfortable, cozy and didn't make me feel guilty as I wore it on filthy public transport and dry cleaned it multiple times.
My only piece of advice is - no matter the color or price don't compromise on the quality for your winter wear but keep an open mind on where you find a good deal.
Never thought I would find a warm and stylish coat in Bangalore to get me through California weather!


server under the complete control of CCSA and recently relocated our headquarters to Westminster, Colorado.
"Tha na Coiningeanaich an seo" The Cunningham Clan shall remain here in PERPETUITY!
in America, Scotland, Ireland, France, Canada, Australia and the world over!
Current Members can access our Clan Cunningham Society's online Genealogy Database.
With 26,112 entries and GROWING DAILY!
Predating the 11th century, the roots of the Cunningham surname sprang from the ancient District of Cuninghame in the lowlands of Scotland covering a vast area roughly from the Clyde River in the North, southward to the city of Ayre, bordered by the Firth of Clyde to the West, eastward to Glasgow. In subsequent centuries Cunninghams have spread around the globe, settling in such diverse areas as South Africa, down under in Australia and New Zealand, all across Europe, and North & South America where we keep in constant touch with our friends, family, and members through email and our full-color quarterly international newsletter, The Cunningham Communiqué.
It is our mission to connect with our kith and kin, and share the heritage which binds together our relatives and acquaintances scattered far and wide. Some of that history defined what it meant to be a Cunningham during those 800 glory years of Scottish history when our distinguished and honourable Clan was at its peak. We also invite you to join us in our modern era as we celebrate the Glencairn legacy in activities and programs which we continually plan in America, Scotland, France and Ireland to explore, discover, and pass this on to the next generation of our extended world-wide family.
We think you will find this site to be a wonderful resource for all Cunninghams. Our website is rich with valuable information about Clan Cunningham history and genealogy. In addition, you can learn about upcoming Scottish festivals that the Clan Cunningham Society will be attending, in addition to learning more about the substantive projects Clan Cunningham Society currently has underway. A great deal more is available to Clan Cunningham Society members, so we encourage you to join today!
Clan Cunningham Society of America, Inc. (CCSA) is the oldest and the largest Clan Cunningham organization in the world. For three decades Clan Cunningham Society has worked hard to preserve, discover, restore, document, and share our rich Cunningham heritage. With an ever-expanding world-wide membership of 1,146, Clan Cunningham Society continues to embark on many new programs and projects, forging ahead into the 21st century with a clear and dynamic vision to promote all the best of what it means to be a Cunningham descendent.
If you are seeking the foremost resource, and representative, for the Glencairn Earls and their direct line of successful Cunningham chiefs who brought honor, esteem and prestige to that name for eight centuries in Scotland, you have come to the right place. As the leader of our society, who takes our noble ancestor's legacy seriously, I place a high value on integrity and accomplishment, holding myself and our society to high standards. We "aim high," aspiring to emmulate the honor of the Glencairn line in all our affairs. We strive for excellence with the passion of our race, such pursuits being their own reward.
Clan Cunningham Society has the distinction of being the only Clan Cunningham organization in America formed upon the advice and blessing of the Office of the Lord Lyon King of Arms in Scotland. This honor was extended to Clan Cunningham Society in 1984 and it was upon the recommendation of the Lord Lyon's Office that we adopted our name "Clan Cunningham Society of America." CCSA is non-political, non-sectarian and operates as a nonprofit corporation.
A warm Clan Cunningham welcome goes out to our latest members on February 6, Nancy and Michael Poe of Florida and on February 16, Chris and Helen Cunningham of Shallow Lake, Ontario, Canada; and in March we have six new members to whom we pass along a warm Cunningham welcome: Neil Davis, John & Sharon Cunningham, David Hemphill, Michele Butler, Nici Mahlandt and Lee Baker; and in April we welcome new members Michaele and William Swiderski! Thank you all for your interest in, and your support of the Clan Cunningham Society 'of America' and all our Cunningham members around the entire globe since 1984!
Our October 15, 2018 quarterly Clan Cunningham Communiqué newsletter was our 71st consecutive issue in a row published and mailed to our current members world-wide; with our January issue already in the works!
The October issue of our quarterly Clan Cunningham Communiqué newsletter is in today's (10/23/2016) mail and on its way to our worldwide members for the 63rd consecutive issue in a row beginning in April 2001!
"Here I always thought that the high station of King Malcolm Canmore's children appeared entirely at odds with standard English historical interpretations of the Scottish kings, who are generally considered insignificant in European history. So I quickly realized that to solve Clan Cunningham's history I would have to rewrite 11th century history, and that is what I will now do by simply using the coat of arms of ..."
"Now at this point, I want to point out an intriquing and largely unexplained part of European history, and that is, why King Malcolm's daughters were so sought after by the most powerful families in mainland Europe."
These recent revelations will arrive in our members postal mail during the next few days. If you wish to renew your memberships - or wish to receive our October issue through a new membership - simply click on this link and submit your request on our Membership page through PayPal or via snail mail.
Clan Cunningham completed a major technical achievement on August 20, by transferring its Clan Cunningham Global web site to our new virtual server on the Cloud.
On August 22, our advanced Clan Cunningham web site - where you are currently browsing - was also brought online on our Cloud server managed exclusive by Clan Cunningham.
And on August 28, our online genealogical database was made available on the Cloud 24/7 for the convenience of our current dues-paying members of Clan Cunningham with 25,839 Clan Cunningham genealogical entries which was originally conceived, designed, and implemented by two of our Cunningham members back in 2003.
We thank our current members for their loyal support which has enabled Clan Cunningham under the dedicated leadership of our High Commissioner and Chairman, Larry Augsbury, since 2001, to consistently and reliably continue to pursue its commitment of excellence in service to our world-wide members and to the distinguished legacy of the Cunningham Clan.
The dormant Earldom of Glencairn, but NEW Cunningham Chief!
Lynn Forest Cunningham, Artist - Sculptor Extraordinaire!
Lynn F. Cunningham III has been an artist as long as anyone can remember. His father Lynn is the CCSA Wyoming State Commissioner who has also co-hosted Cunningham hospitality tents across Colorado since 1999. Thus named, his son often goes by his middle name Forest to avoid confusion. Born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Forest resides in the family cabin nestled at 9,000 feet elevation in the Snowy Range chain of mountains of South-Eastern Wyoming.
Forest recounts from the 2007 Longs Peak Scottish Festival in Estes Park, CO, "My father and I had to chuckle one day when Larry turned to me and queried, 'So Forest, do you know anybody who's good with a chain saw?" And thus the seed of the Rampant Unicorn sculpture from the trunk of a giant Cottonwood tree in Larry's front yard was germinated. Shown here, at left, on the summer solstice, June 20, 2008, is Forest and Lorcàn le Rouge at project completion.
Forest, his work, and the progress through completion of the unicorn project "Lorcàn le Rouge" ('Lorcàn' is Gaelic for fierce - and 'le Rouge' is French for 'the Red' ~ thus, Lorcàn the Red) will be featured in the July 15th Communiqué, CCSA's newsletter! For more information you can reach Forest in Wyoming at (307) 742-7426.
Longs Peak Festival Clans Coordinator, Kent Woodward, presents the Clan Champion trophy to our High Commissioner of Clan Cunningham, Larry Augsbury. Left to right: Val and Chris Cunningham, Kent Woodward, (Lynn) Forest Cunningham, Larry Augsbury-High Commissioner, and Lynn Cunningham-Wyoming Commissioner.
Come and visit our Clan Cunningham hospitality tent at a festival in your area. To see if we are in your area this year, check our festival listings on our FESTIVALS page under the ABOUT CCSA menu tab above. If we're not in your area, would you like to host?
Click flag above for MORE NEWS!
Not a Member and Want To Know What Our Members Have Access To?
Members of Clan Cunningham Society from the U.S., Scotland and France gathered together with their British cousins from the newly formed Society of the Earl of Glencairn of Cunningham at Balgonie Castle, Thanksgiving Day, November 27, 2003 to celebrate the ties that bind this ancient Clan of Scots together.


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NewsTravelReligionSportsLifestyleSocial
Malaysia expels North Korean ambassador over Kim probe
North Korean Ri Jong Chol, right, speaks to reporters from behind a fence at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing early Saturday, March 4, 2017. Malaysian authorities on Friday deported the only North Korean detained in the killing of the half brother of North Korea's leader after releasing him because of a lack of evidence to charge him. (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP)
North Korean Ri Jong Chol, front center, detained in the killing of the half brother of North Korea's leader, arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing early Saturday, March 4, 2017. Malaysian authorities on Friday deported Ri after releasing him because of a lack of evidence to charge him. (Naohiko Hatta/Kyodo News via AP)
In this Monday, Feb 20, 2017 photo, North Korea's Ambassador to Malaysia Kang Chol speaks to the media outside the North Korean Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysia's foreign minister said Saturday, March 4, 2017 that the government has expelled North Korea's ambassador for refusing to apologize for criticizing investigations into the murder of the exiled half-brother of Pyongyang's leader. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
North Korean Ri Jong Chol criticizes Malaysian government's investigation, at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing early Saturday, March 4, 2017. Malaysian authorities on Friday deported the only North Korean detained in the killing of the half brother of North Korea's leader after releasing him because of a lack of evidence to charge him. (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP)
North Korean Ri Jong Chol speaks to reporters from behind a fence at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing early Saturday, March 4, 2017. Malaysian authorities on Friday deported the only North Korean detained in the killing of the half brother of North Korea's leader after releasing him because of a lack of evidence to charge him. (Naohiko Hatta/Kyodo News via AP)
North Korean Ri Jong Chol speaks in front of reporters at the North Korean Embassy in Beijing early Saturday, March 4, 2017. Malaysian authorities on Friday deported the only North Korean detained in the killing of the half brother of North Korea's leader after releasing him because of a lack of evidence to charge him. (Naohiko Hatta/Kyodo News via AP)
In this Friday, March 3, 2017 photo, North Korean Ri Jong Chol, center, waits for the departure inside a plane bound for Beijing, China, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia. Malaysian authorities on Friday deported the only North Korean detained in the killing of the half brother of North Korea's leader after releasing him because of a lack of evidence to charge him. (Daisuke Sato/Kyodo News via AP)
North Korean Ri Jong Chol detained in the killing of the half brother of North Korea's leader, arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing early Saturday, March 4, 2017. Malaysian authorities on Friday deported Ri after releasing him because of a lack of evidence to charge him. (Minoru Iwasaki/Kyodo News via AP)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia said it expelled North Korea's ambassador on Saturday for refusing to apologize for his strong accusations over Malaysia's handling of the investigation into the killing of the North Korean leader's half brother.
Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said a notice was sent to the North Korean Embassy at around 6 p.m. declaring Ambassador Kang Chol persona non grata. The notice said Kang must leave Malaysia within 48 hours.
Earlier in the week, Malaysia demanded that North Korea formally apologize for Kang's accusations over the investigation into the Feb. 13 killing of Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur's airport, including that "the Malaysian government had something to hide and that Malaysia has colluded with outside powers to defame" North Korea, Anifah said in a statement.
He said that no apology had come and none appeared forthcoming, and that North Korean Embassy officials also failed to turn up for a meeting Saturday at the foreign ministry, so Malaysia decided to expel the ambassador.
"It should be made clear — Malaysia will react strongly against any insults made against it or any attempt to tarnish its reputation," Anifah said.
The death of Kim, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has unleashed a diplomatic battle between Malaysia and North Korea. Authorities said Kim was killed within 20 minutes after two women smeared his face with VX, a banned nerve agent considered a weapon of mass destruction.
Kang's expulsion came just days after Malaysia said it would scrap visa-free entry for North Koreans and expressed concern over the use of the nerve agent. Anifah had said this was an "indication of the government's concern that Malaysia may have been used for illegal activities."
Earlier Saturday, a North Korean chemist deported from Malaysia accused police of threatening to kill his family unless he confessed to killing Kim. Ri Jong Chol, who was released after police said there was insufficient evidence to charge him, spoke to reporters in Beijing while on his way to Pyongyang.
Ri said that he wasn't at the airport the day Kim was killed, but that police accused him of being a mastermind and presented him with "fake evidence." He said they showed him a picture of his wife and two children, who were staying with him in Kuala Lumpur, and threatened to kill them.
"These men kept telling me to admit to the crime, and if not, my whole family would be killed, and you too won't be safe. If you accept everything, you can live a good life in Malaysia," Ri said. "This is when I realized that it was a trap ... they were plotting to tarnish my country's reputation."
Malaysia's national police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, said he would hold a news conference on Tuesday to respond to Ri's comments.
Ri was detained four days after Kim died, but police never said what they believed his role in the attack was. Two women — one Indonesian, one Vietnamese — have been charged with murder in the case, although both reportedly say they were duped into thinking they were playing a harmless prank.
Malaysia is looking for seven other North Korean suspects, four of whom are believed to have left the country on the day of the killing. Three others, including an official at the North Korean Embassy and an employee of Air Koryo, North Korea's national carrier, are believed to still be in Malaysia.
On Friday, police issued an arrest warrant for the Air Koryo employee, Kim Uk Il, but didn't say why he is a suspect. Police say he arrived in Malaysia on Jan. 29, about two weeks before Kim was killed.
North Korea earlier had rejected Malaysia's autopsy finding that VX killed Kim. Ri Tong Il, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, said he probably died of a heart attack because he suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Malaysia's finding that VX killed Kim boosted speculation that North Korea orchestrated the attack. Experts say the oily poison was almost certainly produced in a sophisticated state weapons laboratory, and North Korea is widely believed to possess large quantities of chemical weapons, including VX.
North Korea is trying to retrieve Kim's body, but has not acknowledged that the victim is Kim Jong Un's half brother, as Malaysian government officials have confirmed.
Kim Jong Nam reportedly fell out of favor with his father, the late Kim Jong Il, in 2001, when he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport to visit Tokyo Disneyland.
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While red wine, cranberry sauce and turkey gravy are real crowd-pleasers, they aren't so kind to upholstery and carpets.
If you notice that one of your guests got a little too cozy with her red wine and the evidence is left behind on your rug or upholstery, blot it right away with a white cloth until all of the liquid has been absorbed. If the stain's dry, whip up a quick solution of dishwashing liquid (1 tbsp), white vinegar (1 tbsp) and warm water (2 cups) to blot away the stain.
Immediately blot the wine or gravy stain with a white cloth until all of the liquid is absorbed.
Mix (1 tbsp) of diswashing liquid, (1 tbsp) of white vinegar, and (2 cups) of warm water and use the solution to blot away dry stains.


Just a quick note to remind you that I am on vacation and not posting daily columns here BUT I am posting in Facebook (facebook.com/joan.lewis.10420). Wanted to touch bases today with an interesting story that I will also be posting this on Facebook!
Another plane flight, another fascinating seat mate, another wonderful story!
I had an exceptional and serendipitous meeting on my flight last Saturday from Los Angeles to Honolulu where I was seated next to David Ciardi, an astronomer and research scientist from Caltech University.
I replied that I live in Italy and was going to Hawaii on vacation. David said, "I am an astronomer" (no one had ever said that to me before in a first meeting!) and told me he was heading to Honolulu to attend the 29th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). I learned that this is a two week-long meeting that brings together over 2500 astronomers from an estimated 75 countries around the world.
I said I imagined the Vatican Observatory would be represented and David said he was sure it would be as it is one of the most respected authorities in the field of astronomy. As we exchanged business cards, I said I know the Vatican has been famous for centuries for its telescopes and, as a matter of fact, is known for the VATT (Vatican Advanced Telescope Technology) atop Mount Graham near Tucson, AZ. In fact, I have been to the observatory in Castelgandolfo on a number of occasions for their celebrated biennial summer school courses for graduate and under-graduate students of astronomy.
Once in my hotel, I did some research on the IAU website and sure enough, the Vatican has sent four of the Jesuits who run the Vatican observatory …three based in Tucson. I wrote to my Rome Jesuit astronomer friend, Bro. Guy Consolmagno to see if he could put me in touch with them.
Bro. Guy contacted the Jesuits here, gave them my cell phone number and I got a call Monday from Fr. Christopher Corbally. We made an appointment for an interview on Tuesday and he was wise enough to get me press credentials, knowing that security was tight at the Hawaii Convention Center, with credentials being checked very carefully.
What is interesting is that the IAU general assembly has been planned for years but was taking place amid protests against the building of the TMT telescope atop a mountain held sacred by native Hawaiians on the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island. It was a peaceful protest but the message from the native Hawaiians was that they do not want the building on a sacred spot of the TMT the Third Meter Telescope that would be one of the biggest in the world. Plans and financing for this project have been underway for a long time and people here told me the protesters – many were native Hawaiians – were simply awaiting the presence of the IAU astronomers.


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MJHS may refer to:
Metropolitan Jewish Health System, a nonprofit known as "MJHS" in New York City, United States
 Maynard H. Jackson High School, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
 Memphis Jewish High School, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
 Mount Judea High School, Mount Judea, Arkansas, United States
 Mount Juliet High School, Mount Juliet, Tennessee, United States

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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"...[T]here is the cultivation of meditative and contemplative techniques aimed at producing what might, for the lack of a suitable technical term in English, be referred to as 'altered states of consciousness'. In the technical vocabulary of Indian religious texts such states come to be termed 'meditations' ([Skt.:] dhyāna / [Pali:] jhāna) or 'concentrations' (samādhi); the attainment of such states of consciousness was generally regarded as bringing the practitioner to deeper knowledge and experience of the nature of the world." (Gethin, 1998, p. 10.)
Weight training aims to build muscle by prompting two different types of hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy leads to larger muscles and so is favored by bodybuilders more than myofibrillar hypertrophy, which builds athletic strength. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is triggered by increasing repetitions, whereas myofibrillar hypertrophy is triggered by lifting heavier weight.[23] In either case, there is an increase in both size and strength of the muscles (compared to what happens if that same individual does not lift weights at all), however, the emphasis is different.
Later developments in the various Buddhist traditions led to new innovations in yogic practices. The Theravada school, while remaining relatively conservative, still developed new ideas on meditation and yogic phenomenology in their later works, the most influential of which is the Visuddhimagga. The Indic meditation teachings of Mahayana Buddhism can be seen in influential texts like the Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra (compiled c. 4th century). Mahayana meditation practices also developed and adopted new yogic methods, such as the use of mantra and dharani, pure land practices which aimed at rebirth in a pure land or buddhafield, and visualization methods. Chinese Buddhism developed its own methods, such as the Chan practice of Koan introspection and Hua Tou. Likewise, Tantric Buddhism (also Mantrayana, Vajrayana) developed and adopted tantric methods, which remain the basis of the Tibetan Buddhist yogic systems, including the Six yogas of Naropa, Kalacakra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen.[251]
The spiritual sense of the word yoga first arises in Epic Sanskrit, in the second half of the 1st millennium BCE, and is associated with the philosophical system presented in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, with the chief aim of "uniting" the human spirit with the Divine.[24] The term kriyāyoga has a technical meaning in the Yoga Sutras (2.1), designating the "practical" aspects of the philosophy, i.e. the "union with the supreme" due to performance of duties in everyday life.[25]
a technique for entering into other bodies, generating multiple bodies, and the attainment of other supernatural accomplishments; these are, states White, described in Tantric literature of Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as the Buddhist Sāmaññaphalasutta;[41] James Mallinson, however, disagrees and suggests that such fringe practices are far removed from the mainstream Yoga's goal as meditation-driven means to liberation in Indian religions.[42]
Many non-competitive bodybuilders choose not to adopt this conventional strategy, as it often results in significant unwanted fat gain during the "bulking" phase. The attempt to increase muscle mass in one's body without any gain in fat is called clean bulking. Competitive bodybuilders focus their efforts to achieve a peak appearance during a brief "competition season".[citation needed] Clean bulking takes longer and is a more refined approach to achieving the body fat and muscle mass percentage a person is looking for. A common tactic for keeping fat low and muscle mass high would be to have higher calorie and lower calorie days to maintain a balance between gain and loss. Many clean bulk diets start off with a moderate amount of carbs, moderate amount of protein, and a decently low amount of fats. "Gaining lean muscle means going for leaner cuts of meat, like flank steaks and fillets, chicken, and, of course, fish," says White[who?]. "Enjoy your meat with some starch: rice, beans, quinoa, whole-grain couscous, or sweet potato, for example".[20] To maintain a clean bulk it is important to reach calorie goals every day. Macronutrient goals will be different for each person, but, it is ideal to get as close as possible.
To combat steroid use and in the hopes of becoming a member of the IOC, the IFBB introduced doping tests for both steroids and other banned substances. Although doping tests occurred, the majority of professional bodybuilders still used anabolic steroids for competition. During the 1970s, the use of anabolic steroids was openly discussed, partly due to the fact they were legal.[9] In the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990, U.S. Congress placed anabolic steroids into Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In Canada, steroids are listed under Schedule IV of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, enacted by the federal Parliament in 1996.[10]
^ * Wynne states that "The Nasadiyasukta, one of the earliest and most important cosmogonic tracts in the early Brahminic literature, contains evidence suggesting it was closely related to a tradition of early Brahminic contemplation. A close reading of this text suggests that it was closely related to a tradition of early Brahminic contemplation. The poem may have been composed by contemplatives, but even if not, an argument can be made that it marks the beginning of the contemplative/meditative trend in Indian thought."[73]
In Iran, as of May 2014, according to its Yoga Association, there were approximately 200 yoga centres in the country, a quarter of them in the capital Tehran, where groups can often be seen practising in parks. This has been met by opposition among conservatives.[306] In May 2009, Turkey's head of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, Ali Bardakoğlu, discounted personal development techniques such as reiki and yoga as commercial ventures that could lead to extremism. His comments were made in the context of reiki and yoga possibly being a form of proselytization at the expense of Islam.[307]
The Rigveda, however, does not describe yoga, and there is little evidence as to what the practices were.[7] Early references to practices that later became part of yoga, are made in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the earliest Hindu Upanishad.[67] For example, the practice of pranayama (consciously regulating breath) is mentioned in hymn 1.5.23 of Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (c. 900 BCE), and the practice of pratyahara (concentrating all of one's senses on self) is mentioned in hymn 8.15 of Chandogya Upanishad (c. 800–700 BCE).[68][note 8] The Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana teaches mantra repetition and control of the breath.[71]
Some bodybuilders use drugs such as anabolic steroids and precursor substances such as prohormones to increase muscle hypertrophy. Anabolic steroids cause hypertrophy of both types (I and II) of muscle fibers, likely caused by an increased synthesis of muscle proteins. They also provoke undesired side effects including hepatotoxicity, gynecomastia, acne, the early onset of male pattern baldness and a decline in the body's own testosterone production, which can cause testicular atrophy.[43][44][45] Other performance-enhancing substances used by competitive bodybuilders include human growth hormone (HGH), which can cause acromegaly.
The practice of awakening the coiled energy in the body is sometimes specifically called Kundalini yoga. It is based on Indian theories of the subtle body and uses various pranayamas (breath techniques) and mudras (bodily techniques) to awaken the energy known as kundalini (the coiled one) or shakti. In various Shaiva and Shakta traditions of yoga and tantra, yogic techniques or yuktis are used to unite kundalini-shakti, the divine conscious force or energy, with Shiva, universal consciousness.[279] A common way of teaching this method is to awaken the kundalini residing at the lowest chakra and to guide it through the central channel to unite with the absolute consciousness at the highest chakra (in the top of the head).[280]
^ For instance, Kamalashila (2003), p. 4, states that Buddhist meditation "includes any method of meditation that has Enlightenment as its ultimate aim." Likewise, Bodhi (1999) writes: "To arrive at the experiential realization of the truths it is necessary to take up the practice of meditation.... At the climax of such contemplation the mental eye … shifts its focus to the unconditioned state, Nibbana...." A similar although in some ways slightly broader definition is provided by Fischer-Schreiber et al. (1991), p. 142: "Meditation – general term for a multitude of religious practices, often quite different in method, but all having the same goal: to bring the consciousness of the practitioner to a state in which he can come to an experience of 'awakening,' 'liberation,' 'enlightenment.'" Kamalashila (2003) further allows that some Buddhist meditations are "of a more preparatory nature" (p. 4).
Similarly, Brahma sutras – the foundational text of the Vedanta school of Hinduism, discusses yoga in its sutra 2.1.3, 2.1.223 and others.[121] Brahma sutras are estimated to have been complete in the surviving form sometime between 450 BCE to 200 CE,[122][123] and its sutras assert that yoga is a means to gain "subtlety of body" and other powers.[121] The Nyaya sutras – the foundational text of the Nyaya school, variously estimated to have been composed between the 6th-century BCE and 2nd-century CE,[124][125] discusses yoga in sutras 4.2.38–50. This ancient text of the Nyaya school includes a discussion of yogic ethics, dhyana (meditation), samadhi, and among other things remarks that debate and philosophy is a form of yoga.[126][127][128]
The bulking and cutting strategy is effective because there is a well-established link between muscle hypertrophy and being in a state of positive energy balance.[19] A sustained period of caloric surplus will allow the athlete to gain more fat-free mass than they could otherwise gain under eucaloric conditions. Some gain in fat mass is expected, which athletes seek to oxidize in a cutting period while maintaining as much lean mass as possible.
The number of asanas used in modern yoga has increased rapidly from a nominal 84 in 1830, as illustrated in Joga Pradipika, to some 200 in Light on Yoga and over 900 performed by Dharma Mittra by 1984. At the same time, the goals of Haṭha yoga, namely spiritual liberation (moksha) through the raising of kundalini energy, were largely replaced by the goals of fitness and relaxation, while many of Haṭha yoga's components like the shatkarmas (purifications), mudras (seals or gestures including the bandhas, locks to restrain the prana or vital principle), and pranayama were much reduced or removed entirely.[228] The term "hatha yoga" is also in use with a different meaning, a gentle unbranded yoga practice, independent of the major schools, sometimes mainly for women.[229]
^ The Pāli and Sanskrit word bhāvanā literally means "development" as in "mental development." For the association of this term with "meditation," see Epstein (1995), p. 105; and, Fischer-Schreiber et al. (1991), p. 20. As an example from a well-known discourse of the Pali Canon, in "The Greater Exhortation to Rahula" (Maha-Rahulovada Sutta, MN 62), Ven. Sariputta tells Ven. Rahula (in Pali, based on VRI, n.d.): ānāpānassatiṃ, rāhula, bhāvanaṃ bhāvehi. Thanissaro (2006) translates this as: "Rahula, develop the meditation [bhāvana] of mindfulness of in-&-out breathing." (Square-bracketed Pali word included based on Thanissaro, 2006, end note.)
In the 1970s, bodybuilding had major publicity thanks to the appearance of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbu, Lou Ferrigno, and others in the 1977 docudrama Pumping Iron. By this time, the IFBB dominated the competitive bodybuilding landscape and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) took a back seat. The National Physique Committee (NPC) was formed in 1981 by Jim Manion,[7] who had just stepped down as chairman of the AAU Physique Committee. The NPC has gone on to become the most successful bodybuilding organization in America and is the amateur division of the IFBB. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the decline of AAU-sponsored bodybuilding contests. In 1999, the AAU voted to discontinue its bodybuilding events.
Pre-philosophical speculations of yoga begin to emerge in the texts of c. 500 – c. 200 BCE. Between 200 BCE and 500 CE, philosophical schools of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism were taking form and a coherent philosophical system of yoga began to emerge.[49] The Middle Ages saw the development of many satellite traditions of yoga. Yoga came to the attention of an educated western public in the mid 19th century along with other topics of Indian philosophy.


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Theme Gardens /
Theme Gardens – Labyrinth offers Journey to our inner-self
Everyone has a path in life. We take twists and turns along our journey often not knowing what lies around the next bend but once we start there is only one way to go, forward.
photo credit: xmacex
A labyrinth is an ancient symbol dating back over 3000 years. It relates to wholeness and combines the image of a circle and a spiral into what looks like a wandering path. This path represents a journey to our center, who we are, and will return us back into the world in which we live.
Labyrinths are used worldwide. They can be found in parks, medical centers, retreat centers, prisons, back yards, sacred sites and churches. One of the more famous labyrinths is the Chartres labyrinth, which is inlaid at the cathedral in Chartres, France. It is made out of paving stones and dates back to around 1200.
The Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua New York has a Labyrinth, which was designed by Lisa Moriarty and is the Circle of Peace design. It is located under trees at the north end of Turner Community Center on Rt. 394 making it easily accessible and available to the community and public. The labyrinth can be used year long, unless covered and hidden with snow in the winter.
The current labyrinth was constructed in 2005 through the combined efforts of several Chautauqua labyrinth supporters. Special Studies classes, Chautauquans and the general public use it. It is used as a way to relax, to renew one's spirit, as a walking path or a place to pray.
Debra Dinnocenzo is the Labyrinth Coordinator and offers an orientation to the labyrinth at 7 p.m. every Tuesday during the season. She feels that it is important that people realize a labyrinth is not a maze. There are no dead ends or tricks to it. It is one path that leads to a center. You use the same path to return, making it unicursal; the path in is also the path out. It is a "walking meditation" that affects each person differently.
Dinnocenzo presents a history of labyrinths at the orientation. She explains the three stages to the walk: "releasing" on the way in, "receiving" in the center and "returning" or taking back out what you received from the experience. "There is no wrong way to use the labyrinth, Dinnocenzo said.
After the talk, questions can be asked and people will then walk the labyrinth.
Dinnocenzo said participating in the labyrinth in a group is a very different experience. You know what you are feeling but you also see other people in various stages of the walk. You are all walking towards one point but because of the way the path is laid out you often look like you are headed in opposite directions. This is much like life, we walk the same paths but each person's experiences are totally unique.
Dinnocenzo helped chose the location for the labyrinth by Turner Community Center when it was moved from Miller Park. They wanted it under the trees for shade but the location of the trees didn't seem to quite work. They started working on finding the center of the labyrinth and as they worked out from the center, a tree fell exactly where they felt the alter should be. The alter is a term used for the open area just inside the entrance.
The entrance and alter were emphasized by the tree. It became a unique part of the Chautauqua labyrinth.
Dinnocenzo became interested in labyrinths when she took a special studies class 6 years ago from Harriette Royer called Sacred Circles. She has since walked Labyrinths all over the United States.
photo credit: Zesmerelda
For additional information on Labyrinths, visit on the Web:
www.labyrinthonline.com www.lessons4living.com www.labyrinthsociety.org


World 1945 is a little forum-based Cold War role-playing game we've been experimenting with. In World 1945 you can take control of one nation and play as the nation through the course of the Cold War. You control everything from the military, to your budget. You control the political flow, your publics opinion (to an extent), your taxes, your technology…just about everything.
Here's a Beginners Guide which is worth having a look at if you're interested. The list of available countries is here. Many key nations are still up for grabs so there's a lot to choose from.
What is your username thier so I can find you?
Is it just me or did your mom just wink at me?
I play the Republic of China.


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Малтуге́л () — село у складі Аягозького району Абайської області Казахстану. Входить до складу Тарбагатайського сільського округу.

Населення — 283 особи (2009; 253 у 1999, 416 у 1989).

Національний склад станом на 1989 рік:
 казахи — 100 %

У радянські часи село називалось також Ферма Малтугай.

Примітки

Джерела

Посилання
 Вікімапії

Населені пункти Аягозького району
Села Абайської області


To celebrate these early screenings, we sat down with Shazam! star Zachary Levi for a special episode of Concession Confessions. What is the ultimate Shazam! movie snack? When seeing Shazam!, where does Zach suggest you sit in the theater? Watch Zach offer suggestions on the ultimate way to experience Shazam! in theaters by checking out the exclusive video below.
Tickets to Fandango Early Access screenings of Shazam! on Saturday, March 23 are now available, so get yours today!
From the official synopsis: "We all have a superhero inside us - it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson's (Asher Angel) case, by shouting out one word—SHAZAM!—this streetwise 14-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult Super Hero Shazam (Zachary Levi), courtesy of an ancient wizard. Still a kid at heart—inside a ripped, godlike body—Shazam revels in this adult version of himself by doing what any teen would do with superpowers: have fun with them!"


The ninth annual Bike, Walk & Wheel Week begins tomorrow with a kickoff celebration at Flat Branch Park on Fourth Street.
The kickoff will be from 1 to 4 p.m., preceded by a �Young at Heart� 13-mile round-trip ride with former Mayor Darwin Hindman from the Flat Branch playground to the Perche Creek Bridge at 11 a.m. and a family ride to the kickoff from the MKT Forum trailhead to Flat Branch Park at 12:30 p.m.
Other events throughout the week will include cycling classes, a free city transit day on Thursday and breakfast stations around town next Friday morning.
Last year, more than 5,000 people took Hindman�s challenge to bike, walk or wheel their way to work, school or other destinations around town during the weeklong celebration of non-motorized transportation.
Participants can register online at getaboutcolumbia.com or at the GetAbout Columbia office, 101 N. Seventh St. Registered participants receive a free T-shirt. This year�s honorary chairman for the event is NASCAR driver and cycling advocate Carl Edwards.


Seasoned Fashion Film director Markus K. Jones wants us to know that no man is safe in a well tailored suit.
"Night Fits" the director's follow up to his 2011 Best Director showing.
In this year's IFFF entry Alex Lundquist is the unsuspecting victim to a most heinous fashion crime. Classified as a Thriller, Markus K. Jones used a common incident in New York nightlife as inspiration.
"A waitress spills red wine across the lapel of a well-dressed man's suit. A ten thousand dollar suit.
Alex Lundquist in a tailored ten thousand dollar suit would need nothing short of a bodyguard. It would be no wonder if his attacker or attackers were female. In "Night Fits" Alex is simply distracted by a stunning Anastasia Safonov (Wilhemina Models) while Actor Ben Curtis (Dell) and Grayson Gettys (Wilhemina Models, Micheal Kors) goes for the suit.
Markus K. Jones' "Nights Fits" was orginally produced for Client Magazine. Check out the film and let us know what you think. Will there be another Best Director Award for the voguish director?


The Democratic House is taking on ethics reform first. We need it.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS won a majority in the next Congress not because they are unified behind Medicare-for-all — they are not — or because they favor an infrastructure plan — which President Trump does, too. They won in some previously GOP-friendly areas because they promised an alternative to Mr. Trump's undignified, cynical behavior.
They appear to have received voters' message. The first major action the new Democratic majority plans to take next year is not the embrace of a left-wing ideological hobby horse, but an ambitious plan to tighten up the nation's democratic procedures, combat big money in politics and enhance political ethics rules. Senate Republicans may balk at the bill, set to be the first filed in the House next year. But they will have a hard time explaining why.
The plan will be finalized over the coming weeks, but the outlines are becoming clear. Democrats will make the biggest push to fight money in politics since the early 2000s, finally adapting the nation's rules to the reality ushered in by the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling. The origins of the dark money sloshing around the political system would have to be disclosed.
If the early indications hold, there would also be a new public financing system for candidates that would amplify the power of small-value donations. Every dollar donated would be matched at a high rate — perhaps 6 to 1 — by public funds if candidates voluntarily submitted to the small-donor program. Local-level experiments with this sort of public financing program have shown promise. If Democrats are to make a statement on how the political system should be working, this is a crucial element of the bill that must remain in the package.
Also important are elections reforms, which would make the process of voting safer and less of a hassle. Voter registration should be automatic unless individuals opt out, as is the case in California and Oregon. Early voting should be readily available. Election security should be bolstered well before the 2020 election. The nation must invest more money in better voting equipment. Congress has wide authority over how states conduct federal elections. It can require much more than it now does. Also well within its power is updating and repairing the Voting Rights Act to better protect minorities' access to the ballot box.
After two years of seemingly nonstop scandal, ethics reforms are badly needed. All presidents should be required to release their tax returns. Members of Congress should not be able to serve on corporate boards.
A proposal that reflects these priorities would not be some loony left-wing monstrosity. Most — if not all — of these reforms should be bipartisan. If "H.R. 1" turns out to be nothing more than a messaging bill, it will reflect more on the opponents who blocked it than on the new Democratic majority pushing it forward.
Greg Sargent: Democrats will try to get Trump's tax returns. But they need to do it right.
Knut Heidar: Voter registration is useless. So let's get rid of it.
Ellen Kurz: Registration is a voter-suppression tool. Let's finally end it.


Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) Inc. is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization serving more than 25,000 girls in grades K-12. Our membership also includes over 11,000 adult volunteers who serve as leaders, trainers, consultants, and board members.
Corporate Challenge has been developing teams, team leaders, and team members using experiential methods since 1985. Training occurs at work sites, convention centers, retreat settings, and more exotic locations.


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EDO ACT has merged with EDO Ltd. Please visit our new website at https://www.edo.org.au
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The Environmental Defenders Office ACT acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land, seas and rivers on which we work and live in the ACT and surrounding region. We pay our respects to the Ngunnawal elders past, present and future. We are grateful that we share this land and express our sorrow for the costs of this sharing to Australia's First Peoples. We aspire to learn from traditional knowledge and customs so that, together, we can protect our environment and cultural heritage through law.
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