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Lit for Little People: Bedtime Stories for the 21st Century

rocta — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:32:34 GMT

Lit for Little People: Bedtime Stories for the 21st Century

Been a while since you've read to the kiddies? From Shades of Black to cows on strike, Meera Bowman-Johnson flags the stories that'll give your children the sweetest dreams.

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Meera Bowman-Johnson Reviews What’s Hot in Black Children’s Books

Been a while since you've read to the kiddies? From Shades of Black to cows on strike, Meera Bowman-Johnson flags the stories that'll give your children the sweetest dreams.

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Been a while since you've read to the kiddies? From Shades of Black to cows on strike, Meera Bowman-Johnson flags the stories that'll give your children the sweetest dreams.

Been a while since you've read to the kiddies? From Shades of Black to cows on strike, Meera Bowman-Johnson flags the stories that'll give your children the sweetest dreams.

11/02/2009 19:20

Shades of Black, by Sandra and Myles Pinckney

With twins that some have mistaken for "black and white,” and an older daughter whose complexion is slightly lighter than her sister’s, I need this book. It reminds my kids that our family looks like many black families. Shades of Black has simple text that complements the striking, full-color photographs of children of a wide variety of skin tones and hair textures. I especially appreciate the way authors Sandra and Myles Pinckney compare the spectrum of skin tones to yummy things like "gingery cookies," "brassy yellow popcorn" and "midnight blue licorice sticks." Reading this book to my brood reminds me of the wonders that exist within the Diaspora of African DNA. But more importantly, it makes me hopeful that despite the color-conscious world we live in, every child of African descent may grow up to see themselves as beautiful and unique as they truly are.

Girls Hold Up this World by Jada Pinkett Smith

With verses such as, "We are sisters of this Earth/ members of one powerful tribe./ Every color, age, and size / we're united by beauty inside," Jada Pinkett Smith empowers little girls and the grown-ups who love them with words of affirmation and reinforcement. During a period when she was disappointed that she couldn’t run as fast as the boys in her nursery school class, my oldest daughter, Jasmin, took comfort in the beautiful color photos of Pinkett-Smith, her daughter, Willow, and a diverse group of females of all ages. Now an active second-grader, Jasmin knows that gender is not a hindrance and is confident enough to race any child to the finish line. I’m not saying that I have a book to thank for that, but in a world where girls need as much positive affirmation as they can get, I am grateful that Pinkett-Smith’s Girls Hold Up This World speaks truth to girl power.

Ten, Nine, Eight by Molly Bang

From its very first illustration, Molly Bang’s Ten, Nine, Eight captured my heart with its depiction of the bond between parent and child as the countdown to bedtime takes place. Starting with an adorable toddler being swept into her daddy’s arms and ending with him tucking her in for the night, this counting book enraptures the reader with sweetness. And somehow it manages to do so while remaining sincere. My children love counting down with the story’s round-faced protagonist as she checks in with all of her toys and various "comfort items” in her room before finally saying goodnight. I’d hoped that a participatory reading book about bedtime would actually make my kids want to go to sleep. So far, however, their requests for second kisses and glasses of water continue.

The Lord’s Prayer by Tim Ladwig

The other night at bedtime, while saying the Lord’s Prayer, my son asked me if "daily bread” meant he could have a sandwich. I’m hoping that the text of this special Biblical prayer will help explain things a little better. Featuring the familiar words accompanied by exceptional paintings depicting a young girl and her father befriending an elderly neighbor, the tale is rendered with clarity and simplicity without being overbearing. Hopefully, when presented in a new light, my son will understand that yes, the food we eat each day is indeed a blessing. But no, Mommy is not going downstairs to make a PB&J at 8:45 p.m. God loves you. Now go to sleep.

Click, Clack, Moo by Doreen Cronin

Now, before you start wondering, "What is a book about animals doing in here?” just hear me out. Civil rights leaders would be impressed by this Caldecott Award-winning book—a favorite of all three of my children—that offers a lesson in peaceful protest. When Farmer Brown’s cows realize they’re being taken for granted, they decide to organize. After hijacking an old typewriter, they leave a curt note on the barn door letting their owner know that they’re far from happy with the way things are going down. Much to Brown's dismay, his articulate cows go on strike, and he is forced to make amends. With the help of an impartial duck, the striking cows and Farmer Brown reach a peaceful compromise that would make Martin Luther King Jr. proud. My kids can’t stop giggling whenever I read this book and neither can I. Even though words like "ultimatum” might throw younger listeners for a loop, the bovine hard-headedness in Click, Clack, Moo will capture (and hold) little listeners’ attention from start to finish. Who could ask for more than that?

http://www.theroot.com/views/lit-little-people-bedtime-stories-21st-century

Meera Bowman-Johnson is a regular contributor toThe Root.

She's Pretty For A Dark-Skinned Girl...!

rocta — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:55:00 GMT

She's Pretty For A Dark-Skinned Girl...

By Tameka J Raymond.

Hey Roctrate Readers. I hope you enjoy this piece that I wrote surrounding Black on Black hate in our community. This piece took me over a month to write because I didn't want to offend anyone that I'm sure two to four edits ago I probably would have. I'm a huge fan of our First Lady, Alek Wek, Oprah Winfrey and others that I didn't mention, they are all beautiful strong black women. I realize that this topic is an issue in many other cultures, but I chose to speak on my own personal experience. Please note that the purpose of writing a blog piece is that it's personal to the writer. This is merely MY perspective on things. It is not meant to be a lesson in history, I never professed to be a literary genius. However, I did okay in my Psych and English classes :-) I apologize in advance for those who don't agree. Love rules.

P.S. I am so blessed to have the ability to articulate these words because due to my experience in Brazil it was thought and also a huge probability that I would not be able to. God is good.

I am a dark-skinned African American woman with features that reflect my ancestry. Debates regarding Light vs. Dark and other biases have plagued our race for years and continues to impact millions of Black women. The deeply rooted intra-racial contempt that lies beneath this inane "compliment" is the reason I've chosen to spark dialogue surrounding the topic of self-hatred in our culture. It saturates every aspect of our lives, dominating the perspectives of our generation as a whole. We culturally are so influential, at times inadvertently, that we affect all with the words we utter and the images we portray. It lends to the theory of systemic racism. I'm authoring this piece because I'm miffed by this reality and would like to share my views on these subjects.

It is a fact that many African-Americans are often mixed with an array of other ethnicities (as am I), which allows for the spectrum of our features to be as distinctive and special as we are diverse. Why is it felt that the more diluted our traditionally African features become the more aesthetically acceptable we are considered? It was said in the 1960s and the sentiment seems to be forgotten, "Black is Beautiful." Wow, nearly 50 years later and is that now only meant for a specific shade? Nonetheless, I believe the beauty of our people and splendor of every individual is reflected in our varying features and hues.

Often dark-skinned women are considered mean, domineering and standoffish and it was these very labels that followed Michelle Obama during the campaign for her husband's presidency and which she has had to work tirelessly to combat. I was appalled when I heard a Black woman refer to Michelle Obama as unattractive. The conversation turned into why President Obama picked her as his mate. No one in the witch-hunt made reference to the possibility that Michelle Obama was smart, funny, caring, a good person, highly accomplished or brilliant. Nor did they mention that she previously was President Obama's supervisor. If she were fair skinned, petite with long straight or wavy hair, would the same opinions be linked to her? I seriously doubt it. It is believed that for the dark skinned, dreams are less obtainable.

In fact, I have read similar comments about myself that I am "dark, aggressive, bossy and bitchy." It has been stated that my husband should have been with a "younger, more beautiful" woman. Astoundingly, the majority of the remarks come from African-American women and are mimicked by others. Sadly enough, I don't know nor have I met 99% of those making these assertions. Funny, how we can judge another without having personally seen, interacted with or experienced a person's character.

As I began to delve into further research on this topic, and the more I read, I concluded that many of our people do not like what they see in the mirror. Seeing ones own reflection in another person and then to dissect it in an effort to destroy can only be the product of self-loathing. Why don't we congratulate as opposed to hate?

There is an adage "hurt people, hurt people". If this is true then we must examine the root of negative words and judgments that are passed on people. Unfortunately, we have internal stereotypes based off of skin color and facial features that stem from years of programming, dating back to the "Willie Lynch" method for creating a slave. In this infamous formula, one of the main factors in separating and creating division was placing the lighter skinned blacks in a higher position in the house, while those with darker skin were made to stay in the fields and deemed "less desirable". Much like the Caste System in India. No matter what strides we make as a people, these issues continue to plague and rot our souls, causing significant decay to a portion of our population and truly hindering our progress. Perhaps we show progress in our wallets and lifestyles but not in our mind set.

Reading magazines, social media sites, watching our music videos, and television shows feed our appetites for all things 'beauty". Rarely, however do I see depictions of grace and elegance in the form of dark complexioned women. I Googled one of the more ethnic models, Alek Wek and I was saddened by the tone of what the bloggers wrote in reference to her complexion, features and hair texture. Ms. Wek's escape from Sudan, her journey, philanthropy, and groundbreaking success as a supermodel in America is not only beautiful, but it displays her tenacity and character. African-Americans seemed to have lost their eye for character. These comments are evidence of the confusion that lies within many black people. It's the cruelty and prejudice that has spilled into the fabric of our everyday lives. It makes me wonder what have we collectively lost as a people? Our Minds.

I too have fallen prey, while on vacation in Brazil I decided to undergo tummy lipo-surgery. After having an allergic reaction to the anesthesia, I went into cardiac arrest before the procedure ever began. I nearly lost my life over something as superficial as having a flatter mid-section and trying to adapt to society's traditional definition of beauty. As I nursed my psychological wounds, I began to realize that trying to live up to the prototypes of external beauty paled in comparison to the fact that I have undergone labor, subsequently being blessed to raise five handsome, smart, healthy, intuitive, and happy children. I emerged from my ordeal realizing that my body is an amazing vessel that has given birth to life and that being healthy is what's important and nothing more.

It is my hope that our First Lady and others who share in this effort will continue to be the beacon to shine a light for those who toil on America's beauty totem pole. Now don't get me wrong or take my words out of context. I truly believe that everyone has a right to delineate what they deem is attractive, but we must not confuse perceived "attractiveness" with authentic "beauty." It is important for African Americans, especially, to realize that true beauty is a spiritual element that lies deep within an individual's spirit. It can neither be seen nor is it tangible. People tend to forget that beauty is not about looks and looks is not about beauty.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the great poet Khalil Gibran who once wrote, "Beauty is not the face; beauty is a light in the heart."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tameka-foster-raymond/shes-pretty-for-a-dark-sk_b_256784.html

Be inspired!!

rocta — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:40:10 GMT

History gives us inspiration. If it were not for Mozart, King, X, B. Anthony, S. Truth, the Simmons Ron and Gene would there be inspiration? God's intention is to move people to motivate others to take action. The beauty in looking up to someone is that you have the ability and opportunity to apply such lessons to different aspects of your life. I say share your knowledge with those who come after you. We are all pupils of life lessons and it's when you stop listening and turn deaf ear - you stop learning. Aspiration is dead and words are intended to inspire one to take action. Let's hope and pray that there are many other positive people like Diddy who have the maturity to share the positive sides of life’s battles. The children are our future whether they chose to be an artist, entertainer, doctor, and lawyer or labor worker - it's okay as long as they are doing what they want to do. Success in my opinion is not measured in dollars and cents nor is it measure by name titles and abbreviations. Success is what you make it. If you are happily married and taking care of your family and that's what you truly want to do then that makes you as successful as a multi-platinum selling artist or a millionaire attorney. I am a community organizer fighting for people and advocating for the betterment of mankind period.... I do not see race or fortune when I wake every morning. My mission is to make a difference in lives of my fellow country, friends and people as a whole. I say to all, please find your passion in life. Do you and you will be successful. It’s okay to take from individuals; however, you must find away to incorporate knowledge acquired into your life without losing your identity.
Stay Positive
AC aka Cami-Dean

Contemporary Gospel Music

rocta — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:44:47 GMT

Contemporary Gospel Music

Ok so what is gospel music to begin with? Well am glad you asked. The definition of gospel is good news. So if this is gospel music, then what is this good news music we so love to talk about. Am sure a lot of people would agree with me that music has the power to transform you from that lonely state and those estranged feelings to that vibrant self you love. But what is it then about gospel music that makes it special. Tell you what, before we can even delve into all that good stuff, I would first want submit to you that I am a firm believer in the power of words, and a big component of music is words. That’s why it matters to me what those lyrics are saying to me.

Anyhow, we’re in this age of contemporary gospel music. And to say the least, it’s overtaken a lot of us. I look at contemporary music as a tool that God has placed in our hands, hearts, and souls to reach a generation for such a time as this. Now, right from the get go, I would love to underscore that I am not neglecting the…”speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in our hearts to the Lord…” (Ephesians 5:19), that is an integral part of our Christian existence no doubt!!! All am trying to say is that God asked Moses to part the Red Sea using his rod, and yet the same God told Joshua to use the Ark of the Covenant to cross over Jordan, but in both instances, the Israelites crossed on dry land and God was glorified.

With that said, I am not suggesting that you turn off your spiritual antennas and fail to “test the spirits, whether they are of God…because by this you will know the Spirit of God: every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4:1). Lord knows am glad that He has simplified His word so it’s not rocket science. You may ask, so now that we have established the obvious, what next?

The dictionary defines contemporary as existing, occurring, or living at the same time; belonging to the same time; of the present time or modern. We are living in a time when there are so many vices that the youth find themselves engaged in, but what bothers me is that no one even seems to care. We all want to have that thing that draws people to us, and as the Church of Christ, we want to know how God will use us to minister to the youth. We want to give them something that is clearly a breath of fresh air as new converts, something that won’t bore them to death, but should at the same time altogether minister to their spirits. The question on a lot of “young Christians’” minds is…so where do I draw the line and what distinguishes Spirit-filled songs from something that’s just gonna make me pop and lock. I do not claim to know it all but I guess we can try to figure it out together.

I remember growing up in a Christian family and trekking to Church every Sunday morning, mid-week Bible studies, choir rehearsal, name it I was there. But when I went to high school I got myself a boyfriend and started the whole “dedication” ritual, you know…no baby I want you to listen to this song, bla bla bla…and before I knew it, I was listening to stuff other than my “dedications”, and now I had my own play list. Slowly but surely, I was drifting from the gospel music I once loved and embraced, and it got harder by the day to sing in the choir with the same conviction I once had. Ok I know what you thinking, more like…dude what’s this got to do with contemporary gospel music? Well the point I am trying to make is like the Bible says “all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial, all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12). I am telling you this story because all of us have what seems to be a valid excuse for listening to whatever it is we listening to, or doing whatever it is we are doing. But the question we should be asking ourselves is…how beneficial is it to us and under what subjection and slavery are we placing ourselves?

With that said, I cannot begin to count how many people I have talked to that have told me that they don’t see anything wrong in listening to whatever they are listening to because they cannot seem to tell the difference between the so called worldly music and contemporary gospel music. To be truthfully honest, a part of me doesn’t blame them at all. There have been a number of occasions when I have tuned into Christian radio stations and wondered if I had pushed the wrong button because some songs just leave a lot of questions in my mind too. It’s like am going like…”well, when are going to get to the actual gospel in this song, or is this just another feel good song?” so guess what? The only thing you and I can do is to make sure that the Holy Spirit that lives on the inside of us can confirm and testify to the lyrics of that song. It doesn’t sound so straight forward I suppose, but the simplest way to put it is…”that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3: 6). And since we have the same Spirit of God in us, the spirit should bear witness to itself (Romans 8: 16).

I love me some good music, and am sure a lot of people do too. I love when I can tap to some music without even thinking about it and when my fingers snap with the beat. lol, and aint nothing wrong with having a good time in the Lord. But careful with it, it may sound good, and look good, and it sure can even seem to be “representing” but if it aint got Jesus in it, baby its shoddy and it aint gospel.

If this is too radical, then my work here is done. We are living in the end times. Therefore we need some radical authenticity in the Church. Remember, the devil “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5: 8) but I refuse to fall prey to his skims and am sure you can stand on God’s word too and reclaim everything the devil has stolen from you. If we are going to be effective in our ministries and leading this world to Christ, we are going to have to stand on the uncompromised Word of God. I like how Tye Tribbett puts it…”be black or be white, no more shades of gray, be separated, be holy, no matter what you do don’t bow, and even if you stand alone, stand anyhow”. You know why this is important? I’ll tell you why…because “the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the manifestation of the sons of God” (Romans 8: 19). This simply means that the world is waiting for us to quit giving excuses and start living lives that are worthy of the calling of Jesus Christ. We need to have that thing that will draw them to Christ, in our everyday lives, in our speech, in our conduct, and more so in our music. We are only but vessels, and God would like to use us to leave an indelible mark on this world. Therefore, “preach the word! In season, and out of season” (1 Timothy 4: 2) that includes our music too. So yes, contemporary gospel music is in the in-thing, and yes, it can be Holy Ghost filled while you dance to it. We are the generation that will change this world by the power that is living on the inside of us. And having done all to stand, stand therefore…” (Ephesians 6: 13-14).

by Mercy Ngosa.

The Revolution by Chalomba Chitanika

rocta — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:13:34 GMT

The Revolution.

About 6 years ago while having lunch with a certain girl at a shopping mall back home in Lusaka city our conversation after hitting a myriad of topics somehow drifted to Africa. The human race is today faced with many puzzles: AIDS, life and death, outer space and so on, but one of the biggest puzzles is undoubtedly Africa. How can a people be so blessed with resources and yet live in such poverty? As far as i know the only major thing the English have as a natural resource is coal and yet they stand tall having the strongest currency in the world. We all know the African story: diamonds, emeralds, oil and the like, and yet a huge chunk of the population lives on less than a dollar per day. This irony disturbed the young lady and I so much and we tried to point out the possible causes: is it our leaders, is it the people themselves?

Over the years I've been privileged to rub shoulders with many more intellectually enlightened ( I use the term enlightened in this passage in a relative way) African youths and one way or another, the African paradox finds its way into our discussions. I have my own philosophical theories as to how Africa alongside Asia and South America has found herself in the situation she is. I generally hold the opinion that West Europe conquered the world in the last 3 - 4 centuries and forcefully introduced their cultures, languages and the like on the rest of the world. I am Zambian but I speak English, South Americans speak Spanish and Portuguese and these are not our native languages. Along with the cultural changes brought on by European invasion came enforced changes in laws, ways of thinking, trading and other activities. Now I’m not one disgruntled individual pointing a finger at the west for all of the so called 3^rd world’s problems. What I’m trying to say is that the world we’re living in right now is based on the European system: Democracy, Judiciaries and other public institutions are all primarily based on the European system.

In as much as the current living conditions of most of the 3^rd world population can be pointed to acts of irresponsibility or just pure miscalculation of the leadership, I have a concept I call Social adaptation, which is a general form of adaption by a group of people. In as much as an individual has his own mindset, a group of people can have a particular mind set that unites them. Let’s pick an example of Catholics: there are millions of Catholics around the world, each with his own likes, dislikes, favorites and worst’s and so on, but they ALL believe it is wrong to divorce. If we took the belief against divorce as a criteria we can in the abstract sense, join them into one individual. In the same way with the criteria being “not European” for the so-called 3^rd world, we can unite them into one entity (in fact, they are already united into one entity - the 3^rd world!) What’s the relevance of this in our discussion? Let us take a moment to view a few concepts that govern the present world we are living in: degrees, diplomas, paper money, title deeds, and many others. All of these and many others are European concepts that have over the last couple of centuries been introduced into the rest of the world. I get a feeling someone will probably interject saying:”America is not Europe and it is the most powerful country in the world!” Well I’m no historian but I know that White Americans who form the majority of the population in that country are originally British, Irish, White Canadians are originally French, so there you go! Whichever way you look at it, a failure to live by these and many more concepts in the present world that originated from the west whether you are African, Asian, or of whatever ethnic group, will lead to your ultimate downfall, you can be a gifted person with finances but if you don’t have what is called a certificate or a degree or a diploma, you won’t find anyone who will employ you. Your great grandfather may have had a piece of land that your family has been farming on for all the previous generations but if I come along having what they call title deeds to that land, your family history is worthless in that case.

Don’t get me wrong, I in no way hold the slightest dislike for modern civilization, but rather sometimes even stand in awe of it: because of schools and universities I and many other individuals from the 3^rd world have reached a level of intellectual enlightment that we wouldn’t have reached without them.

Now it’s no secret that the more a person is exposed to something, the more accustomed they become to it, the more you practice a sport, the better you get at it. It is also no secret that an individual will make changes that will make him most comfortable in the conditions he finds himself surrounded by at a given moment. If you go out with nothing but a t-shirt on and the temperature outside is -2 degrees, you’ll run back into your house and put on a coat, unless of course you’re a penguin that lives in Antarctica. The introduction of European and American civilization into the lives of Africans has had a steady pace and even to this very day continues but with the continued exposure of Africans to this system has come their gradual but steady adaption or enlightment if I may(again may I emphasize that I use the term enlightment in a relative way).

The first major stage of African enlightment in relation to the scales set up by the West came in the 20th century. After years and years of learning from predominantly European teachers, Africans like Kwame Nkurumah, Kenneth Kaunda and many others stirred up fights for political independence and even with the strongest opposition and loss of life the west succumbed to the WILL of the newly enlightened African people which rejected any form of superiority of their European counterparts justifying their (Europeans’) political power over them on their own soil. As a result the whole of the 20^th century was characterized by European governments handing over political power to indigenous Africans.

I strongly believe the world stands on the eve of the 2^nd major stage of the African enlightment. As l mentioned earlier, l have had the pleasure of meeting with many brilliant African young men and women most of this group knows that maybe our previous leaders committed a few sins in the way they ran national affairs which have gotten us to the position we find ourselves today as a continent. Whether those mistakes were intentional or unintentional doesn’t really matter now, the main concern is that they know that right now we stand at a specific point: a place where over 3 quarters of the population live on less than a dollar per day; a point where quality health care is a luxury for most of the population; a place where capable young men and women don’t receive education due to lack of places or funds. Yes, the picture is gloomy but this group also knows that for a continent that has an insurmountable quantity of natural resources, problems such as poverty and sickness are unacceptable. They know that a diamond the size of a pea nicely curved up and attached on a ring will cost more than a dirty diamond the size of an apple which has been picked straight out of a cave; they know that a 500gram packet of well baked cookies will probably cost more than 5 kilos of freshly picked unprocessed wheat. There’s a vengeance in the mind of the educated African youth, not against a race or creed, but against poverty, sickness and starvation as a symbol of their continent. They know that they have all it takes to change this situation. They know that lawyers, doctors, economists and engineers are not born, they are made by reading, learning and practicing. This is the group that stands waiting to take over the reigns of power their continents affairs. They have full respect for the leaders who fought for their political freedom, but stress the fact that a new day has arrived and there is absolutely no reason why the African continent should not translate it’s abundance of resources into an equally good quality of life for most of it’s people.

I envision a revolution, maybe 40-50 years from now that will see the African continent no longer be labeled a haven for poverty and disease, but a haven for health and prosperity for it’s people. I don’t think there was ever a revolution that went without sacrifices: sacrifices of life, time, riches and prestige but I still hold a strong faith that even in the light of all these sacrifices, the revolution will still come.

By Chalomba Chitanika.

Questions For Kirk Franklin #1

rocta — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:22:33 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMOnZU_C-HM

words of wisdom by Rev Run 07-07-2009

rocta — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:56:24 GMT

You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy..

God is Love

Rev Run

He says to us!

rocta — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:30:38 GMT

I am the Lord, your Holy One.
the Creator of Israel, your King.
thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea,
and a path through the mighty waters.
Who brings forth the chariot and horses, the army and the power.
do not remember the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
Behold i will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth.
shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
this people I formed for Myself, they shall declare My praises
I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake,
and I will not remember your sins,
says the Lord of Hosts.