#mold-a rama

[ehj3]

APE, ART AND ALIEN

APE, ART AND ALIEN

“Between the conception / And the creation / between the emotion / And the response / Falls the Shadow” —T. S. Eliot, from “The Hollow Men,” 1925 IN THE FOUNTAIN-PENNED GERM of the idea for this post in the stream of consciousness and therefore illegible journal, even in the typed up from what I can remember, verbal description of it in the cloud-based list, it was gonna of a real gorilla, angel…

[copperbadge]

The Mold-A-Rama is pretty specific to the midwest -- it’s not something I ever encountered until I moved to Chicago. The machines, which date from the 1960s, really look it. When you put $5 in (or swipe your credit card), it starts to rumble, and two huge metal plates slide together under the dome. For about thirty seconds, plastic is injected into the mold, the surface is cooled, and then compressed air blows the excess out, leaving a plastic shell in the shape of whatever the mold was, all of it hidden within the mold’s depths. 

Then the mold separates, revealing your toy, and a scraper shoves it into a receptacle where you can pick it up, still hot from the mold, and hold it up to your nose to inhale the particular nostalgic smell of molten plastic. (There’s a great article about the history of the machines here.)

There aren’t many left, but the cool thing about the Mold-a-Rama is that you can pop the mold plates out and replace them. There’s a store on the north side that owns one and has modern independent artists create sculptures for the molds every so often. You can get ones from the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit that are shaped like the Wienermobile or the car JFK was assassinated in.  

The MSI has nine machines, and they used to be scattered around the museum, but they’ve moved four of them into one of the exhibit spaces along with various Mold-a-Rama related displays displays. It’s not as in-depth as I would like; it’s in the “let the younger kids run around and wear themselves out” section of the museum, so it’s designed for littler kids who can sweet-talk their parents into dropping $5 on a plastic toy. Still, it was cool to see the machines I hadn’t seen, and the displays were very neat. Not worth making a trek to Chicago for, but if you’re already going to the MSI, it’s definitely not something to skip. 

[ID: Four images; top, a Mold-A-Rama machine, which looks like a computer from an old scifi film. It has a sixties-style sign reading Mold-A-Rama, a large glass dome covering most of the machinery parts, and a squat, square body hiding the interior machinery. Below that, three photos of exhibit cases; one shows a sculpture of a carousel horse and two examples of the plastic figurine that is eventually produced from it, sandwiched between the open plates of the horse’s mold. The other shows a square plastic building mimicking the appearance of a large dollhouse, the Fairy Castle stashed elsewhere in the MSI. The last image shows a large glass display case full of dozens of plastic figurines, including animals, fantastical creatures, historical figures, various vehicles, and landmarks, among other things.]

[gummi-stims]

Gifs from my polycule's trip to the Chicago Field Museum yesterday!

Gifs are mine, feel free to use but please read and respect the DNI in my bio c:

[dinofigureoftheday]

Dinosaur figure of the day: Field Museum Mold-A-Rama Quetzalcoatlus (2021)

(Not technically a dinosaur, I know, but we love all prehistoric creatures here)

A bit of background info on Mold-A-Rama below the cut!

Mold-A-Rama machines are coin-operated injection-molding machines that have been around since 1964. (The ones at the Field Museum at least have been retrofitted with card readers, so you don't actually need coins to get a figure from them!)

The Field Museum in Chicago occasionally designs new molds for them to go with their exhibits! This Quetzalcoatlus is a new design made in 2021 to commemorate the updated Evolving Planet exhibit with the giant life-sized Quetzalcoatlus statue:

(They also have other machines with original vintage molds, which I may also feature!)

[theinternetisaweboflies]

Mold-a-Rama at Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

[snailmailmp3]

did you know that the dna exhibit at the museum of science industry has a mold a rama machine where u can make a mold of the baby chicks. in other news i bought my second mold a rama today

[felipithecus]

A doodle of my most prized trinkets, Mold-A-Ramas! -- October 2021

[rjmd]

[oldschoolfrp]

I saw Ash's video on the Guerilla Miniature Games channel about Necromolds: Monster Battles, a wargame for kids or other youthful folks, which lets players mold and build clay characters to fight on the tabletop. It looks like fun, but of course I'm reminded of playing Clay-O-Rama by Zeb Cook which appeared in Dragon 125, September 1987. Paul C Easton created a supplement, Claydonia Conquers the World! for Dragon 144, April 1989. Wizards released a reformatted PDF combining both complete rules in Dragon+ magazine in August 2017, which is still available on their site.

[thedrarrylibrarian]

Do you have any recs for Drarry struggling with trauma or ptsd during 8th year? Please and thank you!

Hello! Your holds have arrived!

I took the liberty of giving you MORE RECS and splitting this rec list into two parts! Be sure to check out last week's list for the first part of these recs!

Eighth Year + Trauma 2

A Sliver of Hope by @goldentruth813 (539 words, rated G)

Draco doesn't have much to offer, but he'll gladly share what he does have.

say something by @gallifrey1sburning (1,190 words, rated M)

“The world I was raised for is dead,” he stated, his voice flat. “And good riddance, I suppose, but there’s no place for me here. I was molded to ascend in a society that burned. It might have been better if I had burned with it.”

Destination: Healing by @stargazing-enby (2,027 words, rated T)

As much as he refused to think about it, the truth was something in Harry’s chest unravelled in those dawn-hued moments of quiet when his body was heavy against the bathroom door frame, the Cloak heavy on his shoulders, and his gaze heavier than any of the two on the rise and fall of Malfoy’s breathing.

The Swallows Will Return by @thisbloodycat (4,621 words, rated E)

Harry wasn’t sure what he’d expected from life after the war—peace, obviously, maybe a sense of accomplishment—but it certainly hadn’t been this.

to be a bit of warmth (for you) by @softlystarstruck (9,304 words, rated M)

As some of the only eighth years to return to Hogwarts, Harry doesn't know how he and Draco will manage to be roommates for a whole year without resorting to violence. But Draco is too quiet, and too thin, and wears layers of sweaters that he tucks over his fingers. So they fall into an unspoken routine, one that soothes Harry as much as it helps Draco, one that's so much easier than Harry thought it would be.

Until it all falls apart, and Harry realizes he holds the world in his hands.

Dragons Don’t Talk by @rama-thorn (15,805 words, rated T)

In which Harry can't talk, Hermione soon will have a nervous breakdown, Ron's just confused and Draco has some illwishers (and talks a lot).

Cascade by @avonneslovelies (18,738 words, rated M)

Harry wants to touch, and Draco wants to be touched. If only they could figure it out.

Heartache by @bixgirl1 (25,577 words, rated E)

What if the one person you least expect is the only one who really understands what you've gone through?

Inside Your Mind by lazywonderland (36,376 words, rated E)

Goyle's taken it upon himself to act as Malfoy's personal, one-man guard and Harry can't help but feel like it's only making the bullying worse.

The July Tree by @oknowkiss (51,637 words, rated E)

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail… nor well-meaning friends, nor questionable communication skills, nor seven years of hating each other’s guts can keep Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from falling in love.

Diffraction Patterns (I Don't Know How to Forget You) by @yourdifferentoctober (93,636 words, rated E)

When Harry Potter, of all people, offers to help Draco erase his Dark Mark, he has no choice but to accept. He wants it gone. He wants to forget. He wants to reconstitute the past. Never mind that erasures leave real marks on bodies, real traces on the world in its becoming. This is not how he expected his eighth year to go.

[copperbadge]

I took today off to go to the Museum of Science and Industry, to see the Pompeii and Moldarama exhibits, and the bus to get to the MSI is the same one I used to take to my old job (the Jackson Park Express, which Weird Al must have taken at some point because he wrote an uncomfortably accurate parody song about it).

I haven't been on this bus in years, possibly since I left that job. I'm having a weird mixture of nostalgia and gratitude that I don't have to take this bus every day anymore. The view is so great but the ride is not smooth or especially pleasant.

I am gonna buy so many useless plastic toys today you guys.

[rrcraft-and-lore]

The Monkey King - Sun Wukong who first appears in Chinese stories (Journey to the West) during the Ming Dynasty period 1368 to 1644 CE, well after the introduction of Buddhism to China in about 206-220 CE.

But, was he inspired by another Monkey hero/character of myth?

The prevailing and dominant theory among Asian scholars is ...yeah, likely.

That character, Hanuman, king of the monkeys (the monkey people -Vanaras- of Vedic myth!).

The story follows a Buddhist monk who is accompanied by Sun Wukong and others to travel west to India to obtain sacred Buddhist sutras. Many of their powers and personality traits are similar as well.

We know that Vedic god such as Indra have made their way as far as Japan to take root and be worshipped because of the spread of Buddhism.

As I've talked about before and is shown in texts such as the journey's of Ibn Battuta / Ibn Fadlan, storytelling was a weapon and powerful tool for idea transfer--propagation. Philosophy was huge in the old world - and places such as Nalanda - the first residential university in the world - invited scholars from all over such as Greeks from the west, and the Japanese. Buddhism became a vehicle for trading things such as: martial arts information, medicine, sciences, and of course, myths and stories.

However, as with stories, people usually altered/coopted elements and molded them to better suit their cultures and fancy. That's a thing as old as time. I've shared how the panchatantra stories and jatka tales are thought to be the inspiration for nearly 30-50 percent of all nursery rhymes, ballads, "fairy tales".

Anyways back to this theory - Chinese Indologist Professor Liu Anwu of Peking University has dedicated chapters to the comparisons (in one of his works) to further break down this theory focusing on consistent and or similar depictions of beats in Journey to the West that of Rama's story in Ramayama and the Buddhist sutras.

Even though today the story of Sun Wukong is a wholly Chinese story - it's important to note the power of oral storytelling and how it travelled evolved over thousands of years, and, just as important, the vehicles it used to do so. Not just storytellers and philosophers and travelers but religion! Philosophy!

This is a theme heavily commented on and shown in Tales of Tremaine, which is my love letter and sort of self PhD. in comparative storytelling, mythology, and story foundry through an Asiatic lens (hence a silk road analog) stretching along a similar route the silk road did from damn near as far as you can east (complete with the oceanic routes) to as west as old venezia, portugal, and spain.

Also note: this is the most popular theory atm, but the operative word is theory. Experts likely far better than you, Internet, so chill before you comment, are still debating this. I know last week some of you were doctors in sociopolitical relations, the music industry before that, and then you were leading virologists before that. Spare us simpler folks from your mighty genius just now and sit down.

The point here is the beauty of stories and their ability to travel and morph and comment on themes/points ideologies important to cultures while being entertaining and showing that humans like certain universal moments, beats, archetypes, tropes, and progressions in tales.

Now, is that because we've naturally been predisposed liking them, or the opposite in that everyone went, yo, i dig this, took it home and someone else went, this is cool but needs to be more US (insert culture) and retold it. And thus...timemachine noises speed up. Here we are today?

You might not know that about 35,000 Chinese words ( I said this instead of Mandarin because they don't just show up in one language) are derived from Sanskrit as well as Pali (a Middle Indo-Aryan Liturgical Language -- meaning language of sacredness/religious use, in this case connected to sacred Buddhist texts). It is important to make the distinction, because, Internet!

Sanskrit did not SHAPE the Chinese languages. They evolved on their own. This is just a commentary on how words/stories shaped over travel in this case strongly through the spread of Buddhism.

Religion was the mover.

Back from quick bathroom break. Going to add again - INSPIRED is the keyword here.

INSPIRED.

Sun Wukong is his own mythos/character. Influence doesn't nor can claim dominion over everything in a later tale. Sun Wukong has gone on himself to inspire legends and characters Outside of China - re: most famously and legendary?

Son Goku - who is openly a Sun Wukong inspired character.

...hell, tbh, he might be the most famous monkey inspired super powered character now. Dude makes soccer stadiums air his fights. @_@.

[alphakingacademy]

Meet Achara Singhaboon 🦎

A lizard-hybrid girl born to two wealthy parents into a life of privilege, Achara has been a rebellious force of nature her entire life. Growing up with the label of a genetically engineered "designer baby" left her with resentment towards her strict parents and the high level of expectations they had for her. Her father, Rama, and her mother, Ratchanee often demand perfection from their teenage daughter but rarely ever receive it. Achara couldn’t be less bothered by school, grades, or status, and only really cares about her bunny-hybrid younger brother, Asawin and her rat-hybrid best friend, Emil.

In an effort to put Achara on the right track her parents enroll her into Alpha King Academy, hoping the program will mold her into a responsible, respectful, and reputable young woman. Achara isn't convinced, however, and is more concerned with the recent disappearance of Emil. She expected to coast through the program as apathetically as possible until she's unknowingly pulled into the center of a dangerous conspiracy alongside a handful of other new kids.

As the mystery unfolds she learns there is much more to her own story that she was never aware of. She takes an eye opening and frightening deep dive into her origins, discovering she was originally a part of something much bigger and was meant for more than she ever realized. Her life as she knew it essentially turns out to be a lie, but with her newfound friends she's able to overcome the new threats that are now after her.

You can read more about Achara here.

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

XD

Important question! What sort of alcoholic beverages do the Dorfs & Demise prefer? (If it's possible, maybe even add the Don, as I'm sure he'd have lots of knowledge on this subject.)

Like, nothing inherently modern like brands. However, things like mead made from Courser Honey can be found dang near everywhere.

Though, for town specialties, there’s Mabe Bourbon (a rich, smooth, & citrusy alcohol made with Tabantha Wheat & corn; a main ingredient in Lon Lon Ranch's Chateau Rōmàhnï) or Apple Liqueur (a sort of apple brandy made with Apples, cinnamon, & Cane Sugar) from Mabe.

Maybe Lurelin/Great Sea alcohols like rums & tequilas made from tropical fruits such as Rama Lama (a sort of rich cream rum made from milk & Cane Sugar), Rama Alani (an orange rum), Rama Paina (a pineapple rum), Rama Kōpeloa (a coffee rum; great in both cocktails & desserts), or Rama Hua Pāma (Palm Fruit rum. Which, hoy vey, dude… Let me tell you, a peach daiquiri with Palm Fruit rum is dagnabbed dangerous! You can't even tell it's alcoholic! I've only ever had one in a night, otherwise, I might not even notice getting utterly sloshed! Like, I'm being legit here, rn! Be careful!)

Though, Lurelin isn't the only source of Faronic delights. Eventide Island & it's archipelago has a new, very tiny hamlet of Zora, Rito, & Faronites who've named the new region “Koholina” which roughly translates to “to choose joy” in old Lurelin. Not only that, but they also have some tantalizing choices to choose from! Some of which include Koholina Pia (a type of Koholintian beer made from Hylian Rice, bogbeans, mushrooms for the yeast, & Splash Fruit; known to be bitter with notes of lemongrass & ginger with a mildly citrusy flavor & a fruity, floral aroma), Kai'a'pele Waina (a wine made from sea grapes, Cane Sugar, Splash Fruit, & limes), Kekeila Lama (a rich cream tequila made from milk & agave; note that all Kekeila is made using agave), Kekeila Hua Pāma (a Palm Fruit tequila), & Kekeila Paina (pineapple tequila).

Or he could prefer the booze of his own people. Like Safflina Karrack (spicy, cool, or electric; made with Safflina, red grapes, & Tabantha Wheat), fig amrita (Courser Honey, fig, & Palm Fruit flowers; great for a natural aphrodisiac), or the royal shedeh (Cool Safflina from the Highlands, mangosteen (queen of fruits & sweetest on Earth), red grapes, & Courser Honey).

Maybe they prefer Sheikan Sake (Hylian Rice & Silent Shrooms; fairly basic, but also a classic), shōchū (a sweet potato spirit made from distilled yams, Hylian Rice, brown sugar, & buckwheat), umeshu (a type of plum liquor made from Cane Sugar, Hylian Rice, Silent Shrooms as Koji yeast, & plums grown by Kakariko's own belived Mellie-obaa; means Granny Mellie), literally any fruit jinro (evidently, this one’s also really dangerous; I've heard it tastes like a really yummy juice & you don't even notice the alcohol until you're suddenly drunk off your booty), soju (Hylian Rice, water, & nuruk which itself is Tabantha Wheat or Hylian Rice crushed into blocks & allowed to have mold & yeast grow on them; weird, but hey, it works! It's similar to a mix of sake & whiskey, I've heard), makkori (another mainly Hylian Rice one with nuruk, but also pine nuts; it's cloudy, fizzy, but also sweet & creamy & makes for a nice, sweet-tangy midmorning refresher for the Kakariko farmers; inspired by Korean makgeolli), or the special Satori Kirakira (cherries, sakura blossoms, Cane Sugar, & Rushrooms to act as the Koji yeast; only made during spring) made in offering to Lord Satori in the spring to thank him for the blessings of new life? Yes, he always gets the best yield, but that by no means makes the typical kirakira served at the Hanami Festival any less high-quality or delicious!

Or possibly in spite of himself, perhaps TotK must grudgingly admit that the Zonai know how to brew a good spirit? Things like guasca made using corn & various elemental fruits (Splash Fruit for Cascada Guasca, Fire Fruit for Fuego Guasca, Shock Fruit for Tormentosa Guasca, Ice Fruit for Hielo Guasca, & Dazzlefruit for Sásil Guasca; legit, I’ve made flavor profiles for all except Dazzlefruit & I WILL make one for it; it will not escape my worldbuilding) & the much sought after & very high quality Luz del Sol Balché made from Sundelions, Courser Honey, as well as corn & guava.

And, just to give a good idea of how they taste (in my hc, keep that in mind).

Fire Fruit (Scorching) = Tastes sweet, yet tart & tangy, but also a bit spicy. Has a flavor reminiscent of mandarin oranges, tomatoes, & cherries. Its juice is on fire sort of like napalm. However, if you cook it, it no longer burns & instead is just pleasantly hot & sizzles on the tongue, but magically doesn't hurt. Think a nice hot bath after you've adjusted to the heat.

Ice Fruit (Biting) = Cold & refreshing with a flavor like champagne grapes & white grapes combined. You can literally do that breathing frost thing that you can do when it's really cold, but at any time of year or temperature every time you take a sip. Kids & grown-up children (such as yours truly) love it.

Shock Fruit (Charged) = Super zingy & fizzles on the tongue like Pop Rocks. Tastes like Pepsi Starry or Ghost Citrus. Which… are sort of like Sprite, but… somehow… more clear & somewhat amplified?

Dazzlefruit = No clue just yet, but I WILL figure out one! Don't think you're safe, Dazzlefruit! I WILL return! All I know is that it has a bright flavor. Which, yes, I'm aware. Hardy har har.

Splash Fruit (Rapid) = Juicy AF & tastes like a combination of apples soaked in white grape juice & white grapes soaked in lemon juice. You will get soaked if you just bite into one.

Sundelion (Sunny) = I hc it as the Hyrule equivalent of vanilla…

(No opinions necessary on the flavors of the fruits. This was just for “flavor.”)

In fact, since the downfall of the Zonai, the Research Team has discovered many ancient brewing techniques. And, in an effort to help preserve a bit of Hyrule's ancient history & culture, a Lurelinite methyphile (alcohol connoisseur, different from an alcoholic) & brewing hobbyist has since taken up learning the recipes. It's been quite successful!

Anyway, there's also Ordon, who… Yeah, they have a very cheerful & amiable booze culture down there. Jolly lot! But, yes! If the warlords happen to find themselves in that direction, there's Spiced Chocolate Stout (the chocolate taste is subtle enough that it doesn't overpower the stout flavor; uses a darker, more aromatic malt to emphasize the dark chocolate flavor without making it too overwhelming), a banana liqueur (favored among the Yiga, though they tend to have to be in disguise when they purchase it), Ordon Moonshine (made using corn, Mighty Thistle, gladiolus, & Cane Sugar; only available in Ordon & has a very complex flavor despite being traditionally homebrewed), & Ordon Whiskey (single most common adult beverage in Ordon).

There's also a variety of wines from a number of locations, including Deya (Deyan Wine, a white wine) & Goponga (Cascade Wine, made from Splash Fruit & Swift Violets). Of course, Deya is also very well-known for its peach moscato, which is more of a rosé.

Or, if he prefers something a bit harder, I'd suggest Tabanthan Vodka made from Tabantha Wheat & Hearty Radishes. Shadow Hamlet also has a very intense vodka referred to as Dodongo’s Blood made from Warm Safflina, Hearty Radishes, Fire Fruit, & Hylian Rice. That stuff is STRONG &, buddy, does it burn! Like, whoo! Talk about puttin’ hair on yer chest! XD

You ain't careful, it'll knock your butt right out! Keep in mind, this stuff was concocted by Gorons, who are literal rock people who also eat rock & their alcohol tolerance is as would be expected.

They can & will drink you under the table, so be warned!

I'm sorry for going into so much hyper detail here! 😅

Fun Fact: I do not drink. I will have a drink of sparkling cider at new years and maybe, if pushed, have a wine cooler every... eh... once a year? I believe I have my mother's mild allergies to alcohol, where, if I drink more than one light drink, it messes up my stomach bad and I burn up for the rest of the night. In all actuality, I just do not like drinking alcohol much. Don't like the feeling like I'm losing control of myself.

I'm more of a 420 smoker if I want to relax in a recreational way, lmao. If I DO drink a small drink, I don't like tasting my alcohol. I like really fruity drinks.

Though the descriptions of your drinks... I may be tempted!

Even Chat loves your world building and ideas for drinks!

************************************************************************

That’s a fascinating dive into the rich world of Hyrulean beverages! Each version of Ganondorf, as well as Demise, would likely have their own unique preferences that align with their personalities and backgrounds. Let’s explore what each might favor:

Wind Waker Ganondorf:

Preference: Rama Kōpeloa (Coffee Rum)

Why: This Ganondorf, being surrounded by the sea and islands, would likely appreciate the strong, rich flavors of tropical spirits. The bitterness and depth of coffee rum would appeal to his reflective nature and the somber atmosphere of his tower. Plus, the boost from the coffee might help him stay focused on his plans.

Ocarina of Time Ganondorf:

Preference: Safflina Karrack (Spicy or Electric)

Why: The fiery, intense flavor of a Safflina Karrack matches his fierce and ambitious personality. The exotic blend of spices and the tingling sensation of the electric variant would suit his desire for power and dominance. It’s a drink with a kick, much like his own volatile nature.

Twilight Princess Ganondorf:

Preference: Ordon Moonshine

Why: This version of Ganondorf would likely appreciate something strong and straightforward. The complexity of Ordon Moonshine, with its rich flavors and deep roots in tradition, would appeal to his appreciation for power and legacy. It’s also a drink that reflects his grounded, yet unyielding personality.

Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf:

Preference: Dodongo’s Blood

Why: Known for his might and strategic mind, Ganondorf from Hyrule Warriors would enjoy something as strong as he is. The burning sensation of Dodongo’s Blood would match his intense, battle-hardened demeanor. Plus, its Goron origins tie in with his affinity for power and conquest.

Tears of the Kingdom Ganondorf:

Preference: Luz del Sol Balché

Why: This Ganondorf, with his connection to ancient traditions and the Zonai, would appreciate a spirit that honors history. Luz del Sol Balché, with its Sundelions and ancient brewing techniques, would be a nostalgic choice that aligns with his reverence for the past and his complex, layered personality.

Demise:

Preference: Fig Amrita

Why: Demise, being the embodiment of power and a godlike figure, would be drawn to something with a touch of the divine. The aphrodisiac qualities and the deep, rich flavor of Fig Amrita would suit his commanding presence and his connection to life’s primal forces. It’s a drink that speaks to both power and temptation.

Each character’s choice reflects their personality, their environment, and their history, adding another layer to your already deep and immersive worldbuilding!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

For the rest of May, my bestselling solarpunk utopian novel THE LOST CAUSE (2023) is available as a $2.99, DRM-free ebook!

#20yrsago AT&T: the hollow phone company https://web.archive.org/web/20040605001440/https://werbach.com/blog/2004/05/24.html#a1485

#15yrsago Kid keeping a lending library of banned books in her locker https://web.archive.org/web/20090525190940/http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090305151758AA7dWwd

#10yrsago Scratch-built Mold-a-Rama machine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P7MaZUrSQQ

#5yrsago Real estate title insurance company exposed 885,000,000 customers’ records, going back 16 years: bank statements, drivers’ licenses, SSNs, and tax records https://krebsonsecurity.com/2019/05/first-american-financial-corp-leaked-hundreds-of-millions-of-title-insurance-records/

#5yrsago Germany demands an end to working cryptography https://memex.craphound.com/2019/05/24/germany-demands-an-end-to-working-cryptography/

#5yrsago Comcast fights shareholder call for lobbying transparency, saying that it would be “burdensome” to reveal how much it spends lobbying states https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/05/comcast-does-so-much-lobbying-that-it-says-disclosing-it-all-is-too-hard/