This week we begin something new, less about the mess in the yet-to-be drained American political swamp, more about the world at large.

We start, though, as before: the Optimist; notable dates in American history; kudos to a former student; Notre Dame; a black hole, the "now known;" women in control; Cuban baseball; freedom in Hong Kong; the California "super bloom;" America's first war on terror; children and climate change; national banking; not so unique; a new hominid; the Kelly space twins; dictator's handbook; the voice for the planet; Bernie and the Fox; immunizations.
 
Optimist. Link here.
     1. A very young musician, Avett Ray, has not let his near-total blindness limit his pursuit of perfection.
     2. A US historian vs. Nike's "Lost Cause" commercial. Megan Kate Nelson watched the Nike commercial, heard its last sentence ("Because the lost cause will always be a cause worth supporting.”) and swung into action. She researched the ad (it debuted on April Fool's Day), posted it on Twitter, asking "Is this for real? Have any #twitterstorians seen this?”" Within 6 hours, the ad was withdrawn. "The lost cause" phrase is associated with the Civil War and subsequent drive by southerners to justify their fight for slavery. For the record, this was not Nike's first advertising gaff. In 2012, a shoe named "black and tan" was renamed when it was pointed out the phrase was (1) the name of a drink and (2) associated with the brutalization of Irish by British troops in the 1920s.
     3. That "thing" out there. Einstein predicted it, doubted his own calculations, but finally we earthlings have seen an actual black hole. It took time, of course, data from ten far-flung radio telescopes, waiting for the summer in Antarctica (to transport that telescope's data out), and massive number crunching. Now there it is, "...an extraordinary, 'supermassive' black hole at the center of Messier 87, a gigantic galaxy about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo."

Notable dates. 
     10 April 1866: The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) was founded in NYC by philanthropist and diplomat Henry Bergh. He modeled it after the Royal Society PCA in England.
     11 April 1865: President Lincoln made a short address to people outside the White House, his last public address. 1951: President Truman relieved Gen. Douglas MacArthur of his commands in the Far East, including conduct of the Korean War.
     12 April 1861: The Civil War began as Confederate batteries opened fire on Ft. Sumpter in SC. 1945: President Franklin Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Warm Springs, GA. 1963: MLK, Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, AL, charged with contempt of court and parading without a permit. While in jail he wrote the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail."
     13 April 1970: Apollo 13 suffered extensive damage and began its "iffy," but successful return to Earth. 1997: As this year's tournament was being played, it was noted that twenty-two years ago pro-golfer, Tiger Woods, became the youngest player to win the US Masters tournament.
      14 April 1865: President Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. 1935: Exactly 84 years ago, the sky darkened on "Black Sunday" as a massive dust storm swept across the central Great Plains.
      15 April 1865: President Lincoln died after being shot by John Wilkes Booth. 1947: On opening day, baseball great, Jackie Robinson, walked on to Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, integrating the big leagues. 2013: Two pressure cooker-bombs near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring more than 260.
      16 April 1963: MLK, Jr. wrote his "Letter from Birmingham Jail," asking fellow clergymen why they questioned his non-violent tactics. He wrote, famously, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Kudos for a Pulitzer winner. The winner in this year's news Commentary category was Tony Messenger, a former student, working at the St. Louis Post Dispatch. As Tony's citation notes, he has become a much acclaimed journalist.

World Heritage site destroyed. If you have been to Paris, you have seen/visited the iconic Notre Dame cathedral. Monday's fire has changed the "City of Light," perhaps forever.

The now seen black hole. There have been myriads of related stories, some from erudite, obscure scientific journals, others less so. Here is the link to columnist Colbert King's layman's thoughts.

Forget politics for a moment. Behold infinity. [Black holes] are places where space and time as we know them cease to exist, where the familiar parameters that define our reality lose all meaning....To see such an object is to gaze into the ultimate abyss. Dumbstruck awe is the only reasonable response....How is it even possible to take a picture of a black hole against the inky blackness of space? How do you capture an image of nothing? It turns out that some black holes, including the massive M87, are surrounded by in-falling material that circles rapidly like water going down a drain. All of that material reaches such high speeds that it forms a hot, glowing disc — a blazing doughnut around the voracious hole....Humans are capable of epic screw-ups that endanger our very existence. But sometimes, somehow, we still get it right.

Yet, on the latter point, one needs to consider the less-than humanitarian applications of Einstein's and others' equations, e.g. Trinity site, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Bikini Atoll, Nevada, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl....
     Amelia Urry, a science writer, poet, and the daughter of two astrophysicists, has her own take on the newly seen black hole.

Women in charge. Politics, first. Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty notes the changes that occurred in the CO legislature as a result of the November 2018 election. While the artwork in the Capitol may be predominately male, the legislative branch is majority-feminine. Nor, Tumulty says, is CO alone, NV's legislature was similarly "flipped." Tumulty: "...[M]ore than half of the state representatives — 34 out of 65 — are women. Seven of the 11 House committees are chaired by women....
     "Colorado’s groundswell for more female representation has been building for years, fueled by organizations such as the state chapter of Emerge America, which operates a sort of boot camp for women interested in running at the state and local level." Hopefully, hard work and due diligence will yield even further success in 2020.
     And in farming. America's farmers are majority-male and aging. Perhaps not surprisingly, "The number of female producers increased 27 percent in the five years through 2017, according to the first new federal census of U.S. farms since 2012. More farms are reporting that multiple individuals are involved in decision making, with total producers increasing 6.9 percent from 2012."

Democrats galore. Columnist George Will is less than impressed with the Democratic field. In his inimitable style, he notes -- then explores -- "The Democrats’ presidential aspirants seem determined to prove that their party’s 2016 achievement — the election of the current president — was not a fluke that cannot be repeated." 

Cuban baseball. The Trump administration has reversed former President Obama's plan to let Cuban baseball players come directly to the US. Nevertheless, the lure of the game, money, and freedom may mean more outright defections. An obvious question: What is the difference between a poor, frightened Honduran fleeing across the Rio Grande and a soon-to-be wealthy Cuban baseball player "jumping ship" somewhere/somehow? Will Homeland Security treat each equally?
     On my recent inaugural trip to Cuba, it was impossible to not notice the plethora of baseball diamonds. (Baseball, not soccer, rules the island.) Virtually every village/town/city had at least one field and the tour guides made quick to make mention of local teams who had done well, gone on to better venues, won championships, even sent a player (or two) to the "show" (the major leagues) in the US.

Hong Kong. From Foreign  Policy's morning brief. "In Hong Kong, nine pro-democracy protesters were charged with public nuisance in response to their involvement in the Umbrella Movement protests of 2014, which called for the city to be free to elect its own leader" This important coastal city continues to be a thorn-in-the-side of the CPU. The younger residents seem to have imbibed of the city's past freedom, even as the elderly, who remember the past, die out.

CA in color. The plentiful rain in CA these past few months brought forth a so-called "super bloom" across the state. Death Valley is not often so inviting! However, not all those who came were behaving properly. Hence, the shaming on Instagram of those who trod/laid upon/uprooted or otherwise ill-treated the spectacular vistas. The account was called "Public Lands Hate You."
     The badly behaved selfie-takers were not appreciated.

The [on line] posts are part of a trend toward social-media shaming of bad behavior on America’s public lands, and have prompted brands to break with misbehaving influencers, as well as investigations from the National Park Service.

America's First War on terror. It was in the bloody aftermath of the Civil War and was aimed at deterring the KKK terror directed against blacks through the use of federal marshals and troops. Of course, this anti-Klan activity began to fade with the presidency of Andrew Johnson and ended with the compromise that resulted in election of Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel J. Tilden (1876) by the Electoral College.

Kids and climate change. According to this article from Foreign Policy, the adults in the room are becoming unsettled. "An estimated 1.6 million to 2 million people—mostly teenagers and preteens—gathered in thousands of cities and towns in more than 125 countries to demand their political leaders meet existing climate goals. As intended, they grabbed the world’s attention." The changing climate is, so to speak, even more their long term problem than their parents'. Moreover, as these teens age and gain the vote, they will be even more mindful of what should be done to insure their future.
     According to Volker Quaschning, a professor of renewable energy systems at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and co-founder of Scientists for Future,  “If the politicians don’t act, they’ll lose this younger generation. They’re worried.” As well they should be; President Trump, the US Congress, and others, too.
     A Guardian article notes that an increasing number of young Republicans are splitting with their "elders" over the issue of climate change. They do not see the issue as "bull s---," like President Trump.

National Banks. The current issue of the Economist notes that the world has grown accustomed to --  and profited from -- the stability afforded the cautious policies of the world's major national banks. Economists are concerned because "President Donald Trump has demanded that interest rates should be slashed, speculated about firing the boss of the Federal Reserve and said he will nominate Stephen Moore and Herman Cain, two unqualified cronies, to its board." This appears to be just one more indicator of how the President does not realize the worldwide power of ill advised decisions.
     On Thursday, four Republican senators announced their opposition to Herman Cain's nomination, seeming to doom his chances for nomination to the Fed.

A "new" hominid. Archaeologists in the Philippines have uncovered bones of a heretofore unknown small hominid they have named Homo luzonensis. More exploration and research will attempt to further illuminate its place in the chain of human evolution.

Space twins. As the US and other nations consider trips back to the moon and much longer voyages to Mars, the twin US astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly continue to contribute to the science of extended space travel. Scientists continue to explore the genetic changes between Scott (who spent 340 days in space) and his earth-bound twin.
     Dr. Andrew Feinberg of John Hopkins says, "It marks 'the dawn of human genomics in space.' He led one of 10 teams of researchers that scrutinized the twins’ health down to the molecular level before, during and after Kelly’s 340-day stay at the International Space Station.

The Dictator's handbook. Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, enumerates:

1. fuel public anger against the "others;"
2. conger a crisis;
3. use [that] crisis to increase your power;
4. use cruelty to spread fear;
5. take power unilaterally;
6. destroy democracy.

As in Hitler: Beer putsch, the Reichstag's fire, krystallknacht, Enabling Act, Jews, Dachau (et al)..; or Stalin: Trotsky, Fascists, Jews, Poland, Germans, gulag.........

Speaking for Mother Earth. Sir David Attenborough, the voice so much associated with stories of nature, is now giving voice to his growing concerns about climate change.

Last fall at a global climate conference in Poland, he told world leaders that "if we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilization and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon....The only conditions modern humans have ever known are changing and changing fast. It is tempting and understandable to ignore the evidence and carry on as usual or to be filled with doom and gloom. … We need to move beyond guilt or blame and get on with the practical tasks at hand."

Bernie and the Fox. Far from every Democrat, even some of his supporters, are not sure that candidate Sanders should "do" a Town Hall program with Fox News. Some have gone so far as to call Fox News the closest thing we have to "state TV." The network will not be permitted to host any of the upcoming Democratic debates. Sanders, on the other hand, wonders how do you talk to the president's supporters if not directly via the network they most watch?

Immunization. Monday (15th), a CO legislative committee heard arguments until after midnight about a proposed law to increase the steps parents would have to take to secure non-immunization status for their children. Nationally, the CDC has warned of the increasing number of measles cases, with extreme outbreaks in several states and NYC. In fact, the increasing number of measles cases worldwide has been noted by the World Health Organization.

Thank you for reading. The imagination is not an escape, but a return to the true richness of ourselves; a return to reality. George Mackay Brown (Scottish poet, author, and dramatist)