#Country Recognition Quiz

[zvaigzdelasas]

Since map games are in again here's a few about breakaway/disputed/dependent territories (quizzes of varying qualities)

[helloitshaley]

please reblog for a bigger sample size! I love seeing peoples answers to these

[rabbitcruiser]

Purple Day 

Raising awareness about a condition that affects millions worldwide is vital in promoting understanding, education, and compassion towards those living with epilepsy.

Purple Day is a grassroots celebration that is aimed at raising worldwide awareness of epilepsy, a condition that affects over 65 million people globally. As a neurological condition that causes seizures and often begins in childhood, epilepsy is sometimes misunderstood which can lead to difficulty in social situations. The idea of Purple Day is to provide education to those who don’t understand the condition, as well as for those who have epilepsy to recognize that they are not alone.

Because lavender is the international color for epilepsy and is also a color that symbolizes solitude, it only made sense that purple would be the color of choice for this important day of recognition and awareness!

History of Purple Day

Cassidy Megan, a nine-year-old from Canada, founded Purple Day in 2008 when she was motivated by her own struggle with epilepsy. Cassidy’s efforts were supported by the Epilepsy Association of The Maritimes (EAM) of Canada, as well as the Anita Kaufmann Foundation of New York, and the day eventually became an international event.

In fact, Purple Day’s popularity grew quickly! The celebration in 2009, the second year of its existence, brought at least 100,00 students, 95 workplaces, and 116 politicians out to participate in the day’s festivities.

From there the day simply kept growing. It’s hard to believe that only 10 years later, in 2019, Purple Day had made its way to Disney World! Sponsored by the Epilepsy Foundation of Central Florida, Purple Day shared the magic with many participants. The day’s founder, Cassidy Megan, made a special appearance (wearing a purple evening gown, of course) and became good friends with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Now, Purple Day is celebrated on every continent and in over 100 countries, in places such as India, Australia, South Africa, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Of notable importance, however, is the fact that the only nation whose government officially recognizes this day currently is Canada, which was put into effect with the Purple Day Act on June 28, 2012.

How to Celebrate Purple Day

Celebrating this day is not only fun, but is also important in raising awareness for this challenging neurological disorder. Try out these ideas or be creative with others ideas to help the cause:

Wear Purple

Obviously, one of the easiest things to do to honor the celebration of Purple Day is to pull something purple out of the closet and put it on. A purple shirt, dress, pants or hat will certainly do the trick. Or try dressing in purple from head to toe!

Consider stepping outside the box with purple eyeshadow, purple face glitter or purple lipstick. For those who are more committed to the cause, purple hair dye could make a huge impact.

People who would like to celebrate by wearing an official purple t-shirt for the day, can access a Purple Day t-shirt on the official website.

Organize a Purple Day Event

Host a special coffee morning, organize a quiz night or hold a murder mystery evening in support of Purple Day. (These can all be done in person or virtually.) The Epilepsy Society of the UK offers easy-to-use resources for gathering friends, family, and coworkers for an awareness event.

For more creative ideas, consider what people have done in the past in support of Purple Day. Some have raised funds for the charity by dying their hair purple, shaving their head completely, scaling 1000 flights of steps or giving up something they love for the month. Others have organized a fun run, walk, or cycle (26 miles is perfect on the 26th!) to raise awareness for those who live with epilepsy.

Alternatively, dress in purple and hold a purple-themed fund-raising event in aid of either EANS, The Anita Kaufman Foundation or any other charity supporting epilepsy awareness.

Learn about Epilepsy

Head over to the local library to check out some books that will provide interesting, educational information about the condition of epilepsy. The internet also offers a significant number of resources provided to raise awareness about this condition.

Even just reading through Cassidy Megan’s story can help folks become better aware and more understanding about the challenges and victories that are involved with this condition. Anything that can be done to learn more about epilepsy and tell others about Purple Day is a great way to honor this day.

Be Creative with Purple

It’s never too early to start sharing with children about epilepsy–especially if someone they know might be dealing with its effects. For families or school teachers, Purple Day is an ideal time to have kids wear purple.

But, more than that, it’s a good chance to dip into fun activities that give opportunities to share what the day is all about. Try these crafts and activities on for size:

In art class, explore the wide variety of shades of purple by creating basic geometric shapes and then mixing purple paint with whites and blacks.

For a less messy version, pull out all of the purple shades of construction paper and let the kids use their safety scissors to cut out shapes and combine them into art.

Create a purple-fizz volcano science experiment by using baking soda and white vinegar as well as food coloring in red and blue. Of course, it should probably be attempted outside or in an area that allows for easy clean up!

Have a Purple-Themed Dinner

Purple foods can be hard to come by, but it’s possible to have a nutritious meal with (mostly) the color purple. Not only are they fun to look at, but purple foods are packed full of nutritional value!

What’s on the menu for Purple Day? Well, eggplant might be the obvious choice for the main dish, while purple sweet potatoes or purple carrots might be another option (albeit a bit exotic and maybe harder to find). Try a purple cabbage slaw or purple kale (also called redbor) salad. Then round things out by serving a purple fruit salad using blackberries, purple grapes, blueberries, and purple acai berries.

For those who aren’t cooking an entire meal, purple yogurt (colored with berries) could be a fun snack. For beverages, consider options such as grape juice, grape KoolAid, or grape Fanta soda.

Become a Purple Ambassador

Anybody interested in raising awareness for epilepsy and supporting Purple Day can become an ‘Ambassador of Purple’. This role involves wearing purple and spreading awareness of epilepsy in the local community and to friends and family.

Purple Day Guiness Book of World Records

In 2017, Anita Kauffman, one of the original supporters of the day, initiated the setting of a Guinness World Record for the largest ever epilepsy training session. The event was combined with the Purple Day Walk and occurred at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA.

Source 

[pooma-today]

Centum Achievers Academy Organizes International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls

Anamalai, Pollachi Dt, Tamil Nadu — December 10, 2023

By: The National UN Volunteers-India

The Centum Achievers Academy in Anamalai, Pollachi District, Tamil Nadu, commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls on November 25. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from 79 girls, spanning across classes 6 to 12, who engaged in a Quiz competition under the diligent supervision of their tutors.

Appreciation and Recognition

Mr. Mohammed Hakkim, the Director of the academy, expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the active involvement of both the participants and the dedicated tutors. The following tutors were instrumental in ensuring the success of the event:

Ms. Rexana

Ms. Sindhuja

Ms. Emily

Ms. Aishwarya

Ms. Uma

Ms. Suvetha

Ms. Neelavathi

Acknowledgments and Awards

The participating students received participation certificates, recognizing their commitment to raising awareness about this critical issue. Additionally, Certificates of Achievement were bestowed upon those who demonstrated exceptional performance during the competition.

Empowering the Next Generation

In his address, Mr. Hakkim emphasized the pivotal role of education in shaping responsible citizens. He highlighted that the future of our state and country rests upon the shoulders of these young learners. By participating in events like this, they are not only gaining knowledge but also preparing themselves for the responsibilities that lie ahead.

Conclusion

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls serves as a reminder of our collective responsibility to create a safer and more equitable world. As we celebrate the achievements of these young minds, let us continue to work towards a society free from violence and discrimination.

Published by:

[daffodilsworldschool6]

discover the best cbse school in sikar,rajasthan-best private school in sikar,rajasthan-best english medium school in sikar-top 10 schools in sikar-daffodils world school

Daffodil World School Sikar Rajasthan. It is a popular CBSE-affiliated school in Sikar.The school was started in 2008 by the Rajasthan Education Society with a broad thinking to create a world-class learning environment for the students.

The following are some of the key points of Daffodil World School Rajasthan:

It is one of the ranked Best private schools in Sikar with a high rating Positive reviews on various web portals

It has gained many awards and recognitions such as Best CBSE School in Sikar by Education Today, Best Emerging School in Rajasthan by Brain feed Magazine, Best Infrastructure Award by Education World, etc.

It has got super results in board exams with 100% positive percentage and many pupils securing top ranks in district, state and country level.

It has participated in many national and international competitions such as Olympiads, Spell Bee, Quiz, Debate, MUN, etc. and won many prizes

It has made & produced various social service activities such as blood donation camps, tree plantation motion, cleanliness campaign, etc.

It has hosted many cultural events such as annual day function, sports day function, joy festivals celebrations, etc.

It has invited many famous personalities such as scientists, authors, artists, etc. To meet and get together with the students.

It has introduced various innovative practices such as smart classes, classrooms with projectors & futuristic learning, etc.

[globusinfocomlimited]

6 major advantages of digital boards for classrooms

The new learning method that is being encouraged in schools across the country is digital boards in the classroom. These digital boards for teaching are replacing the existing traditional method of learning and enable students to learn with audio-visual content supporting both personalized learning as well as encouraging students’ participation for better results.

Discussed below are some of the advantages of Digital Boards

Engaging sessions enhancing participation

Students find lessons to be very interesting. Different research has proven that students learn better when they learn visually. It has also helped in developing retention rates amongst students in a better way. Teachers are also finding digital boards in the classroom to be the best and most effective medium for teaching where students are eager to come to the classes and enjoy the sessions with the available multimedia content.

Accessibility to the external resources

Access to a wide and relevant range of educational resources online. With the different resources for the same concept, students get multiple ways of solving questions, learning concepts, and different methodologies ensuring their growth. Digital boards for online teaching thus create an easy and approachable platform for teachers so that they can utilize available resources in explaining their sessions. The use of relevant videos provides enriched learning experiences with audio-visual learning.

Ensure more attentiveness in the classrooms

Digital learning solutions in the classroom help students increase attention to what’s being taught in the classrooms. Students can easily access the notes and save them with the available recording options to refer to later. Which ensures never to miss classes and also notes. Saving time from writing thus enables students to focus more on improving productivity.

Enriched learning experiences

These digital boards for schools are transforming complete learning methodologies of the classrooms creating a better learning ecosystem. The available multimedia content, effective assessment methods, different quiz tools, and screen-sharing options enhance maximum participation and audio-visual learning allowing learners to get to the concepts easily ensuring their academic excellence.

Option for multi-finger touch

Interest in teaching can be achieved with multiple-finger touch recognition with senses. Writing using a dual-tip point stylus enable annotation on the text to give students to mark important points, create explanatory remarks, helping them focus and pay attention in class. The multiple-finger touch option allows the palm to erase written things on displays.

Enables students to work together

The ability for students to simultaneously draw and write on the same board inspires creativity and transforms a regular classroom into a collaborative one.

Teaching can be more fluid for both the teacher and the students in a classroom with interactive digital boards. Without ever having to worry that the classes aren't dynamic enough, teachers may always come up with fresh and interactive methods to use digital boards.

[modgirlyreposts-revamped]

I love Kamiko sm. She’s my funny little guy (she is so fucking sad)

Basically, Kamiko, the ultimate academic, is from Kamagasaki, a neighborhood in Osaka, Japan. Every character comes from a specific town in their home country (e.g Rian and Kira are from Ennis Clare in Ireland), but Kamiko’s is particularly important because the Kamagasaki area hosts a large population of homeless and impoverished people. Kamiko herself is in fact homeless, and grew up with her single mother, Ichika Miyazaki. As a child she was sent to live with her father, Kichiro Yoshioka, who at least wasn’t homeless, but he didn’t want to admit to Ichika that he wasn’t in any place to be caring for a little girl, and Kamiko’s needs were neglected as a result. Upon Kichiro finally having to own up to it and admitting he was completely failing her, Ichika was livid, and despite the couple having split up on decent terms, Kamiko never saw Kichiro again. Most adults in Kamiko’s life were well intentioned and cared about her- such as her mother and father- but she never had her needs met. This is intended to bear a resemblance to Rian’s childhood, while he wasn’t impoverished, his parents divorced at a young age and he was taught to blame it on himself, and he was also repeatedly let down and failed by everyone in his life. So while Rian is an emotionally driven but defensive person, Kamiko is detached, disillusioned and focuses on only one thing: her talent.

Kamiko’s intelligence was the only thing that helped her out of the rut she’d been born in. It’s hard to ignore the sad little homeless girl when she’s reading at near college levels while just around the corner of sixth grade, and Kamiko became a spectacle, something to admire and be put on a pedestal. She wasn’t ignored. Kids didn’t feel so free to try to bully wimpy little Kamiko. She knew for a fact that her parents were proud of her, and she could see a future beyond cheap hotels and fantasizing about leaving the city. Her intellectual prowess was her one leg up on life, and she was not going to lose it. She began staying hours late after school, entering competitions, joining quiz bowl teams, her whole life became about her success and it became her obsession. She taught herself to braid her hair and began regularly wearing it like that so she could look as proper and intelligent as possible. She stopped caring about her social life and kids who were once her friends felt pushed away and made fun of her for her nerdiness. In fact, she was made fun of a lot, but she never let them shake her pedestal. She became nothing but a paragon of perfection. Not even a person.

When Kamiko found out that Hope’s Peak Academy was sending out scholarships for Class 79, she set her sights on the academy, and knowing she could never, ever afford the reserve course if they even reopened it, she did everything in her power to be worthy of an ultimate. Months after the announcement, after almost a year of Kamiko fighting tooth and nail for the academy’s recognition, the letter she was damn near praying for despite being an atheist was slipped in under her motel room’s door, offering her a fully paid scholarship to Hope’s Peak under the title of the Ultimate Academic. She wore that like a badge of honor, it was everything she’d worked for. But arriving at the academy, so many of them just seemed like they didn’t care. They didn’t deserve to be there. Not like Kamiko did. She resented them, having been, in her eyes, all easily offered the opportunity she had to give up everything for, no doubt because several of them- Heiran, Lukas and Alice come to mind- came from rich families. But above all she resented Rian, who didn’t belong, didn’t think he belonged, wasn’t worthy of being there, hadn’t done anything to warrant it, didn’t deserve the praise, hated himself, was below everyone else, was below Kamiko. But he hadn’t needed to fight like she did. This was how their rivalry began. Rian’s insecurities caused Kamiko to hate him as they embodied her resentment, and vice versa. They projected onto each other, fought, they were petty and bitter, constantly trying to knock the other down. But Kamiko isn’t the antagonist of the story, not really. That goes to… well, the role is spread between her, Heiran, and Luke. But she’s 100% on the others’ side, and only appears cold and cruel because she’s learned to prioritize survival and success over well being and encourages others to do the same, which is well intentioned, and because of her resentment for how she had to fight to get here, and the way that she and Rian project their issues onto each other, which skews the audience’s view as they see her through Rian’s eyes.

Kamiko is a humble and determined person who puts survival and success above all else. That’s really who she is at the end of the day, but focusing so much on the “one good part of her life,” she ultimately is rejecting her own needs and well being, and seeing herself as subhuman. When she falls in love with Minori, it’s a confusing thing for her, because she feels she doesn’t have the right to a relationship. Idolization is a form of dehumanization, and when you only see yourself as the version of you others have on a pedestal, well…

Kamiko has a full arc given she doesn’t fucking die, though her death was reused for the other character intended to die there, as it was originally a double murder and they didn’t get off so easy. For her it’s all about seeing herself as a person, but also facing her love for others, shown both with Minori and Rian. She has a super emotional scene with Rian near the end once they’ve begun to put things aside and become friends, when Rian puts his life in danger to save Alice’s, and Kamiko, despite her overbearing survival instinct to run and save herself, stays and calls for help and waits, hoping, begging that he’ll survive. When Rian finally returns, heavily injured, struggling to breathe and stumbling under the weight of Alice leaning on him for support, he insists Alice get help first, nearly collapsing to the ground trying to breathe and remove some of the weight of his clothing from his body and process all the horrible things that have happened, and when his legs begin to give out, there’s Kamiko, grabbing him, lifting him from under his arms and clutching his button-down shirt, it takes Rian a moment to process because for a moment he mistakes her for Kira, and for a moment he’s caught in a shocked sort of delusion, before it dawns on him where his sister really is and whose arms are around him and Kamiko, despite her cold nature and low empathy and relationship skills, despite everything, doesn’t even try to scold him. She holds him tightly, whispering so her voice doesn’t break and cause her to fall apart, and tells him it’s okay, because he was there it’s okay, Alice is safe, he just needs to stay with them and she’ll help him, and everything will be okay because of him. And Kamiko, who doesn’t believe in miracles, who doesn’t think it “rational” to be caught up in grief or what-ifs or be overwhelmed by emotion even in the face of losing someone you love, who even got angry with Masumi and yelled at him for being desperate not to let his only friend die, insisting that none of them wanted this to happen but there was nothing they could do, who never thought she’d escape and was ready to just survive, stoic, stone cold Kamiko cries softly, and tells him one last thing. Thank god you’re alive, Rian.

Sorry I’m hella emo over them. The relationships between the survivors are everything to me I wish I could explain more without spoiling everything 😭😭 seriously though Kamiko and Rian love each other so fucking much it wrecks me. They probably would have never gotten to know each other, they would have eventually learned to tolerate each other but never been friends, if not for the killing game, in the attempt to destroy their hope and lives they found each other and they learned to care. Rian loves Alice as well, and heck, so does Kamiko, but Rian is literally in love with Alice, and still, Kamiko and Rian’s relationship is so, so deeply important to both of them.

A few extra tidbits about Kamiko before I stop dragging this on: in her sequel design two years later, she has loose and short hair, since it represents- especially in Japan- a fresh start, or the end of an era, and when initially drafting her I didn’t want her dynamic with Rian to have any possible romantic reading, so I made her canonically a lesbian, which I also pulled with Minori, and then I was like Hey. These Two Are Kinda Gay. And then I ran with it.

Idk if there's something wrong with me or if I just need to stop relating to dark fucked up stories, but how tf is Kamiko so similar to me like-

Rian's my fav, but I probably relate to Kamko the most, especially the part about her not considering emotions to be rational, as I tend to look at almost every situation analytically to avoid feeling anything, or getting attached so I don't get hurt, and look at everything from a logical point of view, so I'm not that emotionally intelligent

Might be because of trauma but idk-

Oh, and also lesbian ffjhgjdhjkdsdf-

[stormblessed95]

Hi Storm, just slipping an ask in before you close them. BTS are called humble kings and it seems to me some of it is likely cultural: expressing gratitude to fans, we’ll try harder etc. But they also flex: lots of lyrics about how they’re superior to their haters, Jin not shutting up about how handsome he is lol, JM not shy either about naming his charms, RM’s we’re already in the textbook, Suga’s pick up line (“Do you know BTS?) etc. This could all be just (1) complex humans with humble and proud moments (2) running gags (3) part of an idol persona (4) stating facts (no lies detected!). What do you think are some good examples of BTS’ humility? Is this unusual in the k-pop environment? (How) do you personally make sense of the humble and the brag? Thx

I think there is a big difference between being humble and knowing your worth. Those things can coexist as well too. Being humble doesn't mean not acknowledging your hard work or skills necessarily. It just means essentially not acting like being so big, so famous, so full of talent, makes you better than anyone else. Idk if that makes sense, but that's how I see it

Like for example, how they are constantly donating money to people, places, organizations who need it. And they NEVER do it for the recognition for it. It's done quietly. It's done specifically to give back to the world. It's not about them or what this act of kindness can do for them. It's being humble in the not expecting anything in return for their good fortune and doing things just because it's the right thing to do. Like the most recent example was when it came out that Jin used his prize money from the You Quiz show and donated all of it. That was almost a year ago at this point (March 2021) but we just found out like last week. It's not about press or looking good. It's just because they want to help others

Another example would be all the insane records they have been breaking. Topping charts for extended periods of time. Smashing hit over and over. And when asked about these accomplishments, the first thing that they do is talk about how the only thing they want is to be able to return the love they have been given to army. By working harder, celebrating with us, wanting to be able to perform for us to give us a gift in return and be together. For example:

We see how humble they are in just their interactions with people. They came from NOTHING and they never act like they are kings now that they have it all (even though they ARE kings now). Like for example, this delivery driver talking about how he wasn't even a BTS fan, but he delivered food to them as part of their job and how incredibly kind hearted, down to earth and caring people they are

Or like how Jimin stopped in the middle of the workout to give ARMY a full bow after getting the news of being on the BB # 1 Hot 100 again. How grateful, touched and moved he was that he expressed his gratitude towards his fans like that. In a way that was so meaningful and humble. It's this attitude that gives them that "humble kings" title. It moved everyone, it even made the front page of their newspaper, the whole country noticed how special that thank you was for sure. Or how he adds the # our armys got an award hashtag everytime they win. They know the fans are the ones who support them and got them to where they are and they never forget to acknowledge and cherish that

How everyone they meet, either other celebs or just regular people or ARMY talks about how kind they are, down to earth they are, special and sweet and considerate. And it the midst of how many celebrities view themselves are better than the "Normal folk" it is a great example of how they always stay humble. The way they treat their staff and backup dancers and their whole teams. It's always on equal footing and with care.

So I think when you asked is it ..., it's a little bit of all 4. People are complex, every coin has 2 sides. You can be proud and loud, while still being kind and humble. You can acknowledge your efforts and still be down to earth and never forget your roots. You can be humble, while not letting people step over you or make your efforts or talent "less than" too.

Is this unusual? Yes and no. Yes in the fact that BTS are so geniune with it. And it's just who they are. And part of that I'm sure is also their started from the bottom and now we are here underdog story too. They weren't given anything easily. And instead of letting that go to their head, they let it make them better people. But it's not something only they have. Just the other week BangChan from Stray Kidz said that BTS paved the way in reference to all the doors they have been opening for kpop. It was an incredibly sweet and humble thing to say. He is a star in his own right. It's nice seeing how they appreciate and look up to other groups though too. That BTS is that group people look up to now 💜💜 it's also that "we will work hard" statements and slogan almost is fairly common. The letting your work speak for you. Not bragging too much, etc. That's all definitely very cultural in kpop.

If anyone had reasons to have a superiority complex, it would be them. And they don't. Not even close. Which is why we call them our humble kings. At least that's my opinion! Thanks for the ask!! Sorry it took me a while to get to it 💜💜💜

[sugadaily]

On tvN’s You Quiz on the Block, SUGA told stories from before his debut. The period of his life when he struggled with how to live off his music. SUGA and BTS have kept going and going for eight years, and now he’s on their grounds, where he can do anything he wants musically. What began with that long journey is the story of SUGA holding his head up higher and staring at the future, reaching for it.

How are you feeling after your shoulder surgery? You’re doing physical therapy in parallel with work. SUGA: I’m all right. I’m keeping up with the physical therapy, too. I had surgery last year because I wanted to be able to go back to work sooner. I have nothing else to do except music.

You said that there’s nothing for you to do other than music in the “BE-hind Story” interview on YouTube, too. SUGA: It’s true. I tried gaming, but I have no talent for it. The people I play with online get so frustrated if I do. I mean, I’m working hard and got some recognition in my life, and yet people bash me so hard in games. (laughs)

I wonder if there’s a game you can do better in than you do in your career. You’re currently at your sixth week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 [with “Butter, at the time of this interview]. (laughs) How are you feeling these days? SUGA: When we were at number one for two weeks straight, I was like, Wow, this is so amazing! But after the fifth or sixth week, we really started to talk about it between ourselves: I really can’t believe this. Anyway, I feel like I have a responsibility. And I think I’ll end up thinking much, much more when we get ready for the next promotion. Even if I just try to enjoy this situation, it hasn’t sunk in. We can’t leave the country, plus there’s lots of issues in the world right now that are much more important than how well we perform on the charts.

As you say, it’s a tough situation, all over the world. How do you feel about releasing “Permission to Dance,” with its positive message, at this point in time? SUGA: It seems like everyone around the world is really tired of this situation dragging out. I wanted to convey a message that tells people to keep hanging on to hope until the very end. Whereas we released the album BE in this situation, seemingly without any certainty, I believe things will slowly get better now. I don’t know if we can go back to the way things were before, but I’m still working with the hope that we can return to a situation that resembles what we had before.

Aren’t you tired of the pandemic being in this prolonged state? SUGA: I look at it as, when you lose one thing, you gain another. I ended up being able to see my family more since I’m in Korea. In that sense, I feel more stable, so I’m not so much tired as hoping each day that things will become okay soon. I keep moving back and forth between work and home, and I’ve started to reflect on parts of myself I didn’t know about before. Like that I feel somewhat comfortable when I start and finish work at a certain time. While I used to have to go to bed at a certain time for work the next day or else I had a hard time getting up early, now I know I’ve figured out what time I should wake up at to make sure I feel good all day. What I pursue in life is emotional stability, and I don’t think there’s really anything too exciting or sad happening these days.

What effect do those emotions have when you work on music? SUGA: They don’t have a big effect on it. I think it affects the way I write lyrics a bit, but I’m not working on any lyrics at the moment. I’ve been making music for a long time, so I think it’s possible for me to express emotions I’m not feeling in the moment. And it’s good that we released “Permission to Dance” in this kind of situation.

You sing rather than rap in “Permission to Dance.” In addition to rapping, you started singing more both before and after BE. What did you learn about your voice? SUGA: “Permission to Dance” was a little bit difficult. I don’t draw a line between singing and rapping or anything, but it was different from our usual style, and the vocals were a bit high, too. So even though it took a while to prepare for it, I worked hard, and even when I asked some older musicians for their opinions, they all said, “It’s good the way you’re doing it. Don’t try to sing better—just sing more.” I think my only option is to sing more, like they suggested.

As far as style goes, you’ve been doing a smoother kind of pop music. Did any differences arise as a result of these changes? SUGA: All things considered, the English was the hardest part. I paid close attention to my pronunciation in “Butter” and “Permission to Dance.” It wasn’t easy to capture that smooth feeling in the songs, so I practiced my pronunciation quite a bit. And I end up breathing a lot when I’m doing an English song, but the rap parts were a bit hard for that reason. There’s a clear difference from Korean songs, since English has so many syllables. But I don’t have any one method I stick with for my vocals yet, so I tend to try lots of different things out.

What do you make of BTS’s achievements over the past year with “Permission to Dance” and “Butter,” as well as the group’s change in style? In the space of a year, you’ve released songs in a style different from MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 or BE. SUGA: As a producer, I think reactions are important to an artist who works within the field of popular music. With that in mind, speaking as a producer, “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” were the best choices. And musical tastes are different from country to country, and the cultures are different, too. Given that situation, I think it’s important that we’re a group who can send such a universal message out into the world.

BTS has really grown and changed a lot, starting with “No More Dream” and all the way to “Permission to Dance.” SUGA: I think it’s a natural course of event for those of us who make pop music. Artists mix and match different genres as they grow, and the music develops as the people of its time listen to it. I’ve been listening to a ton of music lately, and thanks to the times we live in, if I listen to a song a few times, they recommend me more songs in a similar style. And after listening to them, I realized the style of hip hop is also changing and is splitting off into different offshoots. Other than hip hop, I also listen to a lot of instrumental music. I’ve always liked Hans Zimmer’s music. There have been many times where a movie I like turns out to have music by Hans Zimmer.

What is it about Hans Zimmer’s music that draws you in? SUGA: I like orchestral music. There’s a lot of pop songs that are under the three-minute mark now, and whereas it’s sort of predetermined that they’re always written with intros that are four bars long, orchestral music can do a lot within its framework.

But, as can be seen in IU’s song “eight,” which you both produced and featured on, you broke out of pop music’s typical composition style and tried out a highly condensed progression. The composition of the chorus is very straightforward. SUGA: Yes. I insisted that the flow be roughly cut in half from that of a typical song, and I expect more pop music will be like that in the future. And maybe even shorter as time goes on. I mean, these days there’s songs that are under two minutes, even.

Regardless, I felt the chorus in “eight” is extremely dramatic with its structure and the melody of the chorus. I thought it was rather grand in scale as well. Would you say that you’re attempting to mix your tastes and things you want to do into the structure of pop music? SUGA: As you know, I love hip hop, so when I was first making music I thought it had to be hip hop no matter what and that I had to take pride in my own ideas and not accept any compromise. But while getting some experience at the forefront of pop music, I figured out that you can keep being stubborn or inflexible because there are people listening to you. There was a time I made music without any listeners before I became a member of BTS. But if someone were to ask if I stopped being stubborn about the music I’m making these days, the answer’s no. As I grew up and became an adult, I came to realize that I have to negotiate between what I want to do and the kind of music the public wants without compromising anything. When I give up on something I wanted to do, I ask myself, What will I get out of this? And conversely, when I want to do something, I ask myself, What can I get out of this? That’s how I keep my balance to make it to where I am now.

You have no choice but to think about those things when you work on other artists’ songs, especially when you’re a producer. SUGA: I’m BTS’s SUGA, and I’m Agust D, and when I’m producing, I go by “by SUGA.” But when it comes to by SUGA, I make perfectly commercial music. I’m the producer for those songs, sure, but the owner is someone else, you know? In that case, they’re commissioning my work. But they wouldn’t think about just leaving it all with SUGA. The artist’s label has to think carefully about whether to commission me for producing and consider my situation, too, and those people must be hoping for something commercial. That’s the most important part of working with outside people. Actually, that kind of work isn’t much of a benefit to me, to be honest. Oh, he can write this kind of song, too. That’s all. The more valuable thing I can get from it is the recognition and records the artist or the company will get with the song instead.

As you noted in your previous Weverse Magazine interview, when you discussed your “interest in the music industry in the US,” you seem to constantly think about the things artists can do within the framework of the music industry. SUGA: I don’t know. It’s just that I’ve become more certain since the pandemic started that I’m the kind of person who always has to be doing music. That much I know for sure, so I want to keep on making good music. And the pop music market is something that came about because there were people listening, and there’s a long history to the US music market, and it possesses the most influential charts in the whole word. So then I thought, Wouldn’t they have gone through all the same things that we have? And really, whenever I talk to other pop stars, the situation is always similar. The US is also more realistic about commercial results than any other country. I wanted an accurate picture of how those people work. Right now, Korean pop music’s spread is in full swing and we need more good artists to keep popping up. From a producer’s standpoint, if that’s going to happen, I think the key is how well we can mix our music and the characteristics of overseas music industries overall.

How did it feel to be in the lineup for the Grammy Awards, one of the icons of the US music industry? SUGA: The feeling was less immediate because we couldn’t be there in person, and it wasn’t a huge distinction, but the performance made me think, This is different, because it’s the Grammys. What changed my view from the first time I went to an American music awards ceremony was, the first time I went, I was really scared of the world’s biggest music market. But when I look back now, I don’t think I had any reason to feel that intimidated. To be honest, I have only now begun to enjoy the awards ceremonies; I wasn’t able to then.

It’s no exaggeration to say that you’ve achieved most of the things that you can as an artist in the music industry. What steps do you think are necessary for the artists who follow after BTS? SUGA: The way artists work seems so difficult. They make an appearance on a different music show every day once the promotional period begins, meaning the exhaustion artists face is enormous, and that fatigue often results in injuries as it adds up. That kind of music show is for promotional purposes, so it’s not like the artists can earn a proper income from them. On top of that, despite all the promoting, there’s no visible outcome, so they inevitably lose morale. If possible, it’d be nice to have one of the performances be really high-quality, even if it’s just the one, but in this environment I’d say that’s pretty difficult. And since our job doesn’t fit the common conception of work, there’s ambiguous boundaries when it comes to issues of legal protection as well. We need a lot of improvements to be made to the industry and its system.

They demand a lot of things as collateral for success, yet success is extremely difficult to attain. SUGA: The great thing about the label I’m with is they listen to the artists’ opinions. I think both we and the label know to a certain degree what kinds of activities would be best commercially speaking. But the question is whether the body can endure it or not. If the fatigue builds up as you continuously do those promotional activities, it’s hard to do them the way you did when you first debuted. In that case, I think the label ought to actively accommodate the artist’s views about what they can and cannot do. An attitude that’s just like, Oh, we made you kids, and as long as you just do what we tell you to it’ll all work out, so just do it—I think that really doesn’t make any sense. Of course, there could still be situations where the label has to be pushy like that, obviously. But I heard there’s been times where a label will just say, Do it, without any explanation to the artist, or, Why are you talking so much? I think that’s the biggest issue and it’s destroying the industry. If you just see the artist as a product, how can they do anything creative? I really think it’s very contradictory to ask the people on stage to put on an enjoyable performance when they’re experiencing neither fun nor enjoyment.

That reminds me of the music video for “Daechwita” somehow. You appear onscreen as both a rebel character and a king, looking as different as your situation when you first debuted with BTS and your situation now. SUGA: There was a lot I wanted to do in “Daechwita,” not just musically but also visually, and a lot of ideas came to me as I came to reflect on who I am as a person while working on the music video. It naturally occurred to me to separate SUGA, by SUGA and Agust D. The character I played in that video who wasn’t the king was a stranger. It takes place during the Joseon era, but then there’s cars and guns, which of course don’t belong in that era. I think we’ve been living our lives that way. Right from our debut, a portion of the hip hop lovers criticized us by saying, They’re idols. But at the same time, we heard things like, They’re not idols. I didn’t know which drumbeat to march to, so I think that’s why each of our albums took a different direction than people were expecting. But I don’t think I can call myself a stranger in this situation anymore. So these days my main goal is to keep going with BTS for a long time. Having a huge audience show up at our concerts is nice, but I think the goal for all of us is to make sure the group can keep making music even as we get older. I think right now we’re thinking a lot about how we can have fun and be happy on stage.

What do you mean when you say fun and happy music? SUGA: I think people are happier the busier I am, so lately I’ve been thinking that I need to focus a little more. I figure we should do as much as we can for ARMY since they feel happy watching us. We’ll continue to try our best, so I hope they believe in BTS and keep their eyes on us.

So that’s why you do music. SUGA: This is the only thing I know how to really do. Other than music and BTS, there’s nothing special about me when I look at this 28-year-old Min Yoongi. That’s why I want to keep doing this.

[for-yoongi0309]

‘This is the only thing I know how to really do.. ’

On tvN’s You Quiz on the Block, SUGA told stories from before his debut. The period of his life when he struggled with how to live off his music. SUGA and BTS have kept going and going for eight years, and now he’s on their grounds, where he can do anything he wants musically. What began with that long journey is the story of SUGA holding his head up higher and staring at the future, reaching for it.

Q: How are you feeling after your shoulder surgery? You’re doing physical therapy in parallel with work.

SUGA: I’m all right. I’m keeping up with the physical therapy, too. I had surgery last year because I wanted to be able to go back to work sooner. I have nothing else to do except music.

Q: You said that there’s nothing for you to do other than music in the “BE-hind Story” interview on YouTube, too.

SUGA: It’s true. I tried gaming, but I have no talent for it. The people I play with online get so frustrated if I do. I mean, I’m working hard and got some recognition in my life, and yet people bash me so hard in games. (laughs)

Q: I wonder if there’s a game you can do better in than you do in your career. You’re currently at your sixth week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 [with “Butter, at the time of this interview]. (laughs) How are you feeling these days?

SUGA: When we were at number one for two weeks straight, I was like, Wow, this is so amazing! But after the fifth or sixth week, we really started to talk about it between ourselves: I really can’t believe this. Anyway, I feel like I have a responsibility. And I think I’ll end up thinking much, much more when we get ready for the next promotion. Even if I just try to enjoy this situation, it hasn’t sunk in. We can’t leave the country, plus there’s lots of issues in the world right now that are much more important than how well we perform on the charts.

Q: As you say, it’s a tough situation, all over the world. How do you feel about releasing “Permission to Dance,” with its positive message, at this point in time?

SUGA: It seems like everyone around the world is really tired of this situation dragging out. I wanted to convey a message that tells people to keep hanging on to hope until the very end. Whereas we released the album BE in this situation, seemingly without any certainty, I believe things will slowly get better now. I don’t know if we can go back to the way things were before, but I’m still working with the hope that we can return to a situation that resembles what we had before.

Q: Aren’t you tired of the pandemic being in this prolonged state?

SUGA: I look at it as, when you lose one thing, you gain another. I ended up being able to see my family more since I’m in Korea. In that sense, I feel more stable, so I’m not so much tired as hoping each day that things will become okay soon. I keep moving back and forth between work and home, and I’ve started to reflect on parts of myself I didn’t know about before. Like that I feel somewhat comfortable when I start and finish work at a certain time. While I used to have to go to bed at a certain time for work the next day or else I had a hard time getting up early, now I know I’ve figured out what time I should wake up at to make sure I feel good all day. What I pursue in life is emotional stability, and I don’t think there’s really anything too exciting or sad happening these days.

Q: What effect do those emotions have when you work on music?

SUGA: They don’t have a big effect on it. I think it affects the way I write lyrics a bit, but I’m not working on any lyrics at the moment. I’ve been making music for a long time, so I think it’s possible for me to express emotions I’m not feeling in the moment. And it’s good that we released “Permission to Dance” in this kind of situation.

Q: You sing rather than rap in “Permission to Dance.” In addition to rapping, you started singing more both before and after BE. What did you learn about your voice?

SUGA: “Permission to Dance” was a little bit difficult. I don’t draw a line between singing and rapping or anything, but it was different from our usual style, and the vocals were a bit high, too. So even though it took a while to prepare for it, I worked hard, and even when I asked some older musicians for their opinions, they all said, “It’s good the way you’re doing it. Don’t try to sing better—just sing more.” I think my only option is to sing more, like they suggested.

Q: As far as style goes, you’ve been doing a smoother kind of pop music. Did any differences arise as a result of these changes?

SUGA: All things considered, the English was the hardest part. I paid close attention to my pronunciation in “Butter” and “Permission to Dance.” It wasn’t easy to capture that smooth feeling in the songs, so I practiced my pronunciation quite a bit. And I end up breathing a lot when I’m doing an English song, but the rap parts were a bit hard for that reason. There’s a clear difference from Korean songs, since English has so many syllables. But I don’t have any one method I stick with for my vocals yet, so I tend to try lots of different things out.

Q: What do you make of BTS’s achievements over the past year with “Permission to Dance” and “Butter,” as well as the group’s change in style? In the space of a year, you’ve released songs in a style different from MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 or BE.

SUGA: As a producer, I think reactions are important to an artist who works within the field of popular music. With that in mind, speaking as a producer, “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” were the best choices. And musical tastes are different from country to country, and the cultures are different, too. Given that situation, I think it’s important that we’re a group who can send such a universal message out into the world.

Q: BTS has really grown and changed a lot, starting with “No More Dream” and all the way to “Permission to Dance.”

SUGA: I think it’s a natural course of event for those of us who make pop music. Artists mix and match different genres as they grow, and the music develops as the people of its time listen to it. I’ve been listening to a ton of music lately, and thanks to the times we live in, if I listen to a song a few times, they recommend me more songs in a similar style. And after listening to them, I realized the style of hip hop is also changing and is splitting off into different offshoots. Other than hip hop, I also listen to a lot of instrumental music. I’ve always liked Hans Zimmer’s music. There have been many times where a movie I like turns out to have music by Hans Zimmer.

Q: What is it about Hans Zimmer’s music that draws you in?

SUGA: I like orchestral music. There’s a lot of pop songs that are under the three-minute mark now, and whereas it’s sort of predetermined that they’re always written with intros that are four bars long, orchestral music can do a lot within its framework

Q: But, as can be seen in IU’s song “eight,” which you both produced and featured on, you broke out of pop music’s typical composition style and tried out a highly condensed progression. The composition of the chorus is very straightforward.

SUGA: Yes. I insisted that the flow be roughly cut in half from that of a typical song, and I expect more pop music will be like that in the future. And maybe even shorter as time goes on. I mean, these days there’s songs that are under two minutes, even.

Q: Regardless, I felt the chorus in “eight” is extremely dramatic with its structure and the melody of the chorus. I thought it was rather grand in scale as well. Would you say that you’re attempting to mix your tastes and things you want to do into the structure of pop music?

SUGA: As you know, I love hip hop, so when I was first making music I thought it had to be hip hop no matter what and that I had to take pride in my own ideas and not accept any compromise. But while getting some experience at the forefront of pop music, I figured out that you can keep being stubborn or inflexible because there are people listening to you. There was a time I made music without any listeners before I became a member of BTS. But if someone were to ask if I stopped being stubborn about the music I’m making these days, the answer’s no. As I grew up and became an adult, I came to realize that I have to negotiate between what I want to do and the kind of music the public wants without compromising anything. When I give up on something I wanted to do, I ask myself, What will I get out of this? And conversely, when I want to do something, I ask myself, What can I get out of this? That’s how I keep my balance to make it to where I am now.

Q: You have no choice but to think about those things when you work on other artists’ songs, especially when you’re a producer.

SUGA: I’m BTS’s SUGA, and I’m Agust D, and when I’m producing, I go by “by SUGA.” But when it comes to by SUGA, I make perfectly commercial music. I’m the producer for those songs, sure, but the owner is someone else, you know? In that case, they’re commissioning my work. But they wouldn’t think about just leaving it all with SUGA. The artist’s label has to think carefully about whether to commission me for producing and consider my situation, too, and those people must be hoping for something commercial. That’s the most important part of working with outside people. Actually, that kind of work isn’t much of a benefit to me, to be honest. Oh, he can write this kind of song, too. That’s all. The more valuable thing I can get from it is the recognition and records the artist or the company will get with the song instead

Q: As you noted in your previous Weverse Magazine interview, when you discussed your “interest in the music industry in the US,” you seem to constantly think about the things artists can do within the framework of the music industry.

SUGA: I don’t know. It’s just that I’ve become more certain since the pandemic started that I’m the kind of person who always has to be doing music. That much I know for sure, so I want to keep on making good music. And the pop music market is something that came about because there were people listening, and there’s a long history to the US music market, and it possesses the most influential charts in the whole word. So then I thought, Wouldn’t they have gone through all the same things that we have? And really, whenever I talk to other pop stars, the situation is always similar. The US is also more realistic about commercial results than any other country. I wanted an accurate picture of how those people work. Right now, Korean pop music’s spread is in full swing and we need more good artists to keep popping up. From a producer’s standpoint, if that’s going to happen, I think the key is how well we can mix our music and the characteristics of overseas music industries overall.

Q: How did it feel to be in the lineup for the Grammy Awards, one of the icons of the US music industry?

SUGA: The feeling was less immediate because we couldn’t be there in person, and it wasn’t a huge distinction, but the performance made me think, This is different, because it’s the Grammys. What changed my view from the first time I went to an American music awards ceremony was, the first time I went, I was really scared of the world’s biggest music market. But when I look back now, I don’t think I had any reason to feel that intimidated. To be honest, I have only now begun to enjoy the awards ceremonies; I wasn’t able to then.

Q: It’s no exaggeration to say that you’ve achieved most of the things that you can as an artist in the music industry. What steps do you think are necessary for the artists who follow after BTS?

SUGA: The way artists work seems so difficult. They make an appearance on a different music show every day once the promotional period begins, meaning the exhaustion artists face is enormous, and that fatigue often results in injuries as it adds up. That kind of music show is for promotional purposes, so it’s not like the artists can earn a proper income from them. On top of that, despite all the promoting, there’s no visible outcome, so they inevitably lose morale. If possible, it’d be nice to have one of the performances be really high-quality, even if it’s just the one, but in this environment I’d say that’s pretty difficult. And since our job doesn’t fit the common conception of work, there’s ambiguous boundaries when it comes to issues of legal protection as well. We need a lot of improvements to be made to the industry and its system.

Q: They demand a lot of things as collateral for success, yet success is extremely difficult to attain.

SUGA: The great thing about the label I’m with is they listen to the artists’ opinions. I think both we and the label know to a certain degree what kinds of activities would be best commercially speaking. But the question is whether the body can endure it or not. If the fatigue builds up as you continuously do those promotional activities, it’s hard to do them the way you did when you first debuted. In that case, I think the label ought to actively accommodate the artist’s views about what they can and cannot do. An attitude that’s just like, Oh, we made you kids, and as long as you just do what we tell you to it’ll all work out, so just do it — I think that really doesn’t make any sense. Of course, there could still be situations where the label has to be pushy like that, obviously. But I heard there’s been times where a label will just say, Do it, without any explanation to the artist, or, Why are you talking so much? I think that’s the biggest issue and it’s destroying the industry. If you just see the artist as a product, how can they do anything creative? I really think it’s very contradictory to ask the people on stage to put on an enjoyable performance when they’re experiencing neither fun nor enjoyment.

Q: That reminds me of the music video for “Daechwita” somehow. You appear onscreen as both a rebel character and a king, looking as different as your situation when you first debuted with BTS and your situation now.

SUGA: There was a lot I wanted to do in “Daechwita,” not just musically but also visually, and a lot of ideas came to me as I came to reflect on who I am as a person while working on the music video. It naturally occurred to me to separate SUGA, by SUGA and Agust D. The character I played in that video who wasn’t the king was a stranger. It takes place during the Joseon era, but then there’s cars and guns, which of course don’t belong in that era. I think we’ve been living our lives that way. Right from our debut, a portion of the hip hop lovers criticized us by saying, They’re idols. But at the same time, we heard things like, They’re not idols. I didn’t know which drumbeat to march to, so I think that’s why each of our albums took a different direction than people were expecting. But I don’t think I can call myself a stranger in this situation anymore. So these days my main goal is to keep going with BTS for a long time. Having a huge audience show up at our concerts is nice, but I think the goal for all of us is to make sure the group can keep making music even as we get older. I think right now we’re thinking a lot about how we can have fun and be happy on stage.

Q: What do you mean when you say fun and happy music?

SUGA: I think people are happier the busier I am, so lately I’ve been thinking that I need to focus a little more. I figure we should do as much as we can for ARMY since they feel happy watching us. We’ll continue to try our best, so I hope they believe in BTS and keep their eyes on us.

Q:So that’s why you do music.

SUGA: This is the only thing I know how to really do. Other than music and BTS, there’s nothing special about me when I look at this 28-year-old Min Yoongi. That’s why I want to keep doing this.

[fyeah-bangtan7]

SUGA: “This is the only thing I know how to really do”

On tvN’s You Quiz on the Block, SUGA told stories from before his debut. The period of his life when he struggled with how to live off his music. SUGA and BTS have kept going and going for eight years, and now he’s on their grounds, where he can do anything he wants musically. What began with that long journey is the story of SUGA holding his head up higher and staring at the future, reaching for it.

How are you feeling after your shoulder surgery? You’re doing physical therapy in parallel with work. SUGA: I’m all right. I’m keeping up with the physical therapy, too. I had surgery last year because I wanted to be able to go back to work sooner. I have nothing else to do except music.

You said that there’s nothing for you to do other than music in the “BE-hind Story” interview on YouTube, too. SUGA: It’s true. I tried gaming, but I have no talent for it. The people I play with online get so frustrated if I do. I mean, I’m working hard and got some recognition in my life, and yet people bash me so hard in games. (laughs)

I wonder if there’s a game you can do better in than you do in your career. You’re currently at your sixth week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 [with “Butter, at the time of this interview]. (laughs) How are you feeling these days? SUGA: When we were at number one for two weeks straight, I was like, Wow, this is so amazing! But after the fifth or sixth week, we really started to talk about it between ourselves: I really can’t believe this. Anyway, I feel like I have a responsibility. And I think I’ll end up thinking much, much more when we get ready for the next promotion. Even if I just try to enjoy this situation, it hasn’t sunk in. We can’t leave the country, plus there’s lots of issues in the world right now that are much more important than how well we perform on the charts.

As you say, it’s a tough situation, all over the world. How do you feel about releasing “Permission to Dance,” with its positive message, at this point in time? SUGA: It seems like everyone around the world is really tired of this situation dragging out. I wanted to convey a message that tells people to keep hanging on to hope until the very end. Whereas we released the album BE in this situation, seemingly without any certainty, I believe things will slowly get better now. I don’t know if we can go back to the way things were before, but I’m still working with the hope that we can return to a situation that resembles what we had before.

Aren’t you tired of the pandemic being in this prolonged state? SUGA: I look at it as, when you lose one thing, you gain another. I ended up being able to see my family more since I’m in Korea. In that sense, I feel more stable, so I’m not so much tired as hoping each day that things will become okay soon. I keep moving back and forth between work and home, and I’ve started to reflect on parts of myself I didn’t know about before. Like that I feel somewhat comfortable when I start and finish work at a certain time. While I used to have to go to bed at a certain time for work the next day or else I had a hard time getting up early, now I know I’ve figured out what time I should wake up at to make sure I feel good all day. What I pursue in life is emotional stability, and I don’t think there’s really anything too exciting or sad happening these days.

What effect do those emotions have when you work on music? SUGA: They don’t have a big effect on it. I think it affects the way I write lyrics a bit, but I’m not working on any lyrics at the moment. I’ve been making music for a long time, so I think it’s possible for me to express emotions I’m not feeling in the moment. And it’s good that we released “Permission to Dance” in this kind of situation.

You sing rather than rap in “Permission to Dance.” In addition to rapping, you started singing more both before and after BE. What did you learn about your voice? SUGA: “Permission to Dance” was a little bit difficult. I don’t draw a line between singing and rapping or anything, but it was different from our usual style, and the vocals were a bit high, too. So even though it took a while to prepare for it, I worked hard, and even when I asked some older musicians for their opinions, they all said, “It’s good the way you’re doing it. Don’t try to sing better—just sing more.” I think my only option is to sing more, like they suggested.

As far as style goes, you’ve been doing a smoother kind of pop music. Did any differences arise as a result of these changes? SUGA: All things considered, the English was the hardest part. I paid close attention to my pronunciation in “Butter” and “Permission to Dance.” It wasn’t easy to capture that smooth feeling in the songs, so I practiced my pronunciation quite a bit. And I end up breathing a lot when I’m doing an English song, but the rap parts were a bit hard for that reason. There’s a clear difference from Korean songs, since English has so many syllables. But I don’t have any one method I stick with for my vocals yet, so I tend to try lots of different things out.

What do you make of BTS’s achievements over the past year with “Permission to Dance” and “Butter,” as well as the group’s change in style? In the space of a year, you’ve released songs in a style different from MAP OF THE SOUL: 7 or BE. SUGA: As a producer, I think reactions are important to an artist who works within the field of popular music. With that in mind, speaking as a producer, “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” were the best choices. And musical tastes are different from country to country, and the cultures are different, too. Given that situation, I think it’s important that we’re a group who can send such a universal message out into the world.

BTS has really grown and changed a lot, starting with “No More Dream” and all the way to “Permission to Dance.” SUGA: I think it’s a natural course of event for those of us who make pop music. Artists mix and match different genres as they grow, and the music develops as the people of its time listen to it. I’ve been listening to a ton of music lately, and thanks to the times we live in, if I listen to a song a few times, they recommend me more songs in a similar style. And after listening to them, I realized the style of hip hop is also changing and is splitting off into different offshoots. Other than hip hop, I also listen to a lot of instrumental music. I’ve always liked Hans Zimmer’s music. There have been many times where a movie I like turns out to have music by Hans Zimmer.

What is it about Hans Zimmer’s music that draws you in? SUGA: I like orchestral music. There’s a lot of pop songs that are under the three-minute mark now, and whereas it’s sort of predetermined that they’re always written with intros that are four bars long, orchestral music can do a lot within its framework.

But, as can be seen in IU’s song “eight,” which you both produced and featured on, you broke out of pop music’s typical composition style and tried out a highly condensed progression. The composition of the chorus is very straightforward. SUGA: Yes. I insisted that the flow be roughly cut in half from that of a typical song, and I expect more pop music will be like that in the future. And maybe even shorter as time goes on. I mean, these days there’s songs that are under two minutes, even.

Regardless, I felt the chorus in “eight” is extremely dramatic with its structure and the melody of the chorus. I thought it was rather grand in scale as well. Would you say that you’re attempting to mix your tastes and things you want to do into the structure of pop music? SUGA: As you know, I love hip hop, so when I was first making music I thought it had to be hip hop no matter what and that I had to take pride in my own ideas and not accept any compromise. But while getting some experience at the forefront of pop music, I figured out that you can keep being stubborn or inflexible because there are people listening to you. There was a time I made music without any listeners before I became a member of BTS. But if someone were to ask if I stopped being stubborn about the music I’m making these days, the answer’s no. As I grew up and became an adult, I came to realize that I have to negotiate between what I want to do and the kind of music the public wants without compromising anything. When I give up on something I wanted to do, I ask myself, What will I get out of this? And conversely, when I want to do something, I ask myself, What can I get out of this? That’s how I keep my balance to make it to where I am now.

You have no choice but to think about those things when you work on other artists’ songs, especially when you’re a producer. SUGA: I’m BTS’s SUGA, and I’m Agust D, and when I’m producing, I go by “by SUGA.” But when it comes to by SUGA, I make perfectly commercial music. I’m the producer for those songs, sure, but the owner is someone else, you know? In that case, they’re commissioning my work. But they wouldn’t think about just leaving it all with SUGA. The artist’s label has to think carefully about whether to commission me for producing and consider my situation, too, and those people must be hoping for something commercial. That’s the most important part of working with outside people. Actually, that kind of work isn’t much of a benefit to me, to be honest. Oh, he can write this kind of song, too. That’s all. The more valuable thing I can get from it is the recognition and records the artist or the company will get with the song instead.

As you noted in your previous Weverse Magazine interview, when you discussed your “interest in the music industry in the US,” you seem to constantly think about the things artists can do within the framework of the music industry. SUGA: I don’t know. It’s just that I’ve become more certain since the pandemic started that I’m the kind of person who always has to be doing music. That much I know for sure, so I want to keep on making good music. And the pop music market is something that came about because there were people listening, and there’s a long history to the US music market, and it possesses the most influential charts in the whole word. So then I thought, Wouldn’t they have gone through all the same things that we have? And really, whenever I talk to other pop stars, the situation is always similar. The US is also more realistic about commercial results than any other country. I wanted an accurate picture of how those people work. Right now, Korean pop music’s spread is in full swing and we need more good artists to keep popping up. From a producer’s standpoint, if that’s going to happen, I think the key is how well we can mix our music and the characteristics of overseas music industries overall.

How did it feel to be in the lineup for the Grammy Awards, one of the icons of the US music industry? SUGA: The feeling was less immediate because we couldn’t be there in person, and it wasn’t a huge distinction, but the performance made me think, This is different, because it’s the Grammys. What changed my view from the first time I went to an American music awards ceremony was, the first time I went, I was really scared of the world’s biggest music market. But when I look back now, I don’t think I had any reason to feel that intimidated. To be honest, I have only now begun to enjoy the awards ceremonies; I wasn’t able to then.

It’s no exaggeration to say that you’ve achieved most of the things that you can as an artist in the music industry. What steps do you think are necessary for the artists who follow after BTS? SUGA: The way artists work seems so difficult. They make an appearance on a different music show every day once the promotional period begins, meaning the exhaustion artists face is enormous, and that fatigue often results in injuries as it adds up. That kind of music show is for promotional purposes, so it’s not like the artists can earn a proper income from them. On top of that, despite all the promoting, there’s no visible outcome, so they inevitably lose morale. If possible, it’d be nice to have one of the performances be really high-quality, even if it’s just the one, but in this environment I’d say that’s pretty difficult. And since our job doesn’t fit the common conception of work, there’s ambiguous boundaries when it comes to issues of legal protection as well. We need a lot of improvements to be made to the industry and its system.

They demand a lot of things as collateral for success, yet success is extremely difficult to attain. SUGA: The great thing about the label I’m with is they listen to the artists’ opinions. I think both we and the label know to a certain degree what kinds of activities would be best commercially speaking. But the question is whether the body can endure it or not. If the fatigue builds up as you continuously do those promotional activities, it’s hard to do them the way you did when you first debuted. In that case, I think the label ought to actively accommodate the artist’s views about what they can and cannot do. An attitude that’s just like, Oh, we made you kids, and as long as you just do what we tell you to it’ll all work out, so just do it—I think that really doesn’t make any sense. Of course, there could still be situations where the label has to be pushy like that, obviously. But I heard there’s been times where a label will just say, Do it, without any explanation to the artist, or, Why are you talking so much? I think that’s the biggest issue and it’s destroying the industry. If you just see the artist as a product, how can they do anything creative? I really think it’s very contradictory to ask the people on stage to put on an enjoyable performance when they’re experiencing neither fun nor enjoyment.

That reminds me of the music video for “Daechwita” somehow. You appear onscreen as both a rebel character and a king, looking as different as your situation when you first debuted with BTS and your situation now. SUGA: There was a lot I wanted to do in “Daechwita,” not just musically but also visually, and a lot of ideas came to me as I came to reflect on who I am as a person while working on the music video. It naturally occurred to me to separate SUGA, by SUGA and Agust D. The character I played in that video who wasn’t the king was a stranger. It takes place during the Joseon era, but then there’s cars and guns, which of course don’t belong in that era. I think we’ve been living our lives that way. Right from our debut, a portion of the hip hop lovers criticized us by saying, They’re idols. But at the same time, we heard things like, They’re not idols. I didn’t know which drumbeat to march to, so I think that’s why each of our albums took a different direction than people were expecting. But I don’t think I can call myself a stranger in this situation anymore. So these days my main goal is to keep going with BTS for a long time. Having a huge audience show up at our concerts is nice, but I think the goal for all of us is to make sure the group can keep making music even as we get older. I think right now we’re thinking a lot about how we can have fun and be happy on stage.

What do you mean when you say fun and happy music? SUGA: I think people are happier the busier I am, so lately I’ve been thinking that I need to focus a little more. I figure we should do as much as we can for ARMY since they feel happy watching us. We’ll continue to try our best, so I hope they believe in BTS and keep their eyes on us.

So that’s why you do music. SUGA: This is the only thing I know how to really do. Other than music and BTS, there’s nothing special about me when I look at this 28-year-old Min Yoongi. That’s why I want to keep doing this.

© source

[disneylanddilettante]

You are now tasked with launching and designing a new Disneyland-modeled castle park. Each realm needs a new E-ticket, as well as a B-C ticket attraction, not based on a film (except Fantasyland, where movie basis is fine). What rides do you dream up to meet this goal? Same core lands as DL: Tomorrow, Fantasy, Adventure, Frontier, plus two new more specific themed lands to replace NoS and Critter Country.

*cracks knuckles* You asked for it...

Adventureland

E-ticket: Fire Mountain, a roller coaster set in a volcanic area. The effects include actual pyrotechnics (a safe distance from the track). It's mostly in the open, spiraling around an active cinder cone, but for a portion of the ride, the track dips into a “crevice” to visit a fantastic cavern filled with olivine crystals, basalt formations, and glowing lava flows.

B-ticket: Castaway's Treehouse. The Adventureland treehouse is a good idea, but would be even better if it didn't lean on someone else's shipwreck story to be exciting. In this version, you get to pretend that you are the castaway! A bank of touch-screens in the ground area let you take a quick quiz to figure out what kind of castaway you are—are you taming the jungle or running with the monkeys? Are you taking advantage of your impromptu vacation or are you eager to be rescued?

Frontierland

E-ticket: A good old-fashioned Wild West stunt show! Gunplay! Rooftop chases and fistfights! Dramatic falls and somersaults! A cast of original characters who also appear in caricature form on a unique line of merchandise!

B-ticket: Grab a pan and pick a trough. We've shipped some mud from the actual gold-bearing streams of the Sierra Nevada, and whatever you find, you can keep! Take all the time we need (we don't anticipate this one being all that popular despite the potential to find literal treasure).

Fantasyland

E-ticket: If I may borrow someone else's idea (it's okay, she's my sister), this would have to be Rapunzel's Tangled Quest, a flume ride that takes the “animated film dark ride” concept to the next level...more or less literally, as the flume rises and falls in concert with the beats of the story.

B-ticket: Enchanted Fairy Forest Maze, a walk-through attraction with many branching paths to explore and magical effects that activate when you approach them.

Tomorrowland

E-ticket: Adventure Thru Inner Space Redux! (If you didn't see this coming...you're lying. This is me here.) The limitations of 1960s technology made it hard to depict the shrinking process very well. This version of the ride, like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, would combine fully dimensional sets and props, representing microscopic objects, with screens and motion-sim effects to indicate shrinking from one scale to another. And I'm thinking it would use the original ATIS concept, of visiting a drop of pond water and the microorganisms within, to provide more visual interest and an extra hint of danger.

C-ticket: I don't have a name for it, but it's a dark ride/shooting gallery ride where you play exobiologists in a manned rover on a newly discovered planet that might harbor life. Only instead of a laser gun, you have a camera and you are recording the alien creatures that pop up unexpectedly out of the fantastic landscape. Image-recognition technology allows the ride to rate your pictures and calculate your score.

BONUS LAND #1: ANTIQUELAND

In this land, ancient civilizations and their legends come to life! Who doesn't love the art, architecture, and mythology of the peoples that flourished B.C.E.?

E-ticket: The Night Voyage of Ra, as described in this post.

C-ticket: Deus Ex MOCKina. A “4D” movie show, depicting an attempt at classical Greek theatre that goes comically wrong. Actors grab the wrong masks, things catch on fire, the stagehand with the bucket trips on the way to put it out and splatters the audience, and even the machine to lower the “gods” onto the stage breaks down and sends cogwheels bouncing everywhere.

BONUS LAND #2: SYMPHONYLAND

Imagine a world made of music! Elevated walkways dip and curl like musical staves leaping off a page of sheet music, and even the buildings resemble musical instruments. Whatever your taste in tunes, you'll find something here to enthrall you.

E-ticket: Our Musical Journey—a slow but grand ride in the mold of Epcot 1.0, tracing the history of music through the log drums and auroch horns of our prehistoric ancestors through Pythagoras's discovery of the octave, the invention of musical notation, and the constant evolution of musical genres all the way up to the electronic rave-club sounds of the 21st Century. You know how those rides like to maintain continuity through the scenes by having a theme tune that evolves through different eras? This ride is about that theme tune.

B-Ticket: The Orchestracycle—it only looks like a Dumbo clone with individual ride cars shaped like different instruments. There are two control sticks in the vehicle...one for altitude like you'd expect, and one for volume—pull back harder to make it louder, and ease up to make it softer...and what's this? Your altitude is also your pitch! Coordinate with your seatmate to play a tune, any tune! It's a challenge! Try to harmonize with the other instruments or create a stand-out solo!

Whew. I hope you're happy, OP! @_@

[rabbitcruiser]

Purple Day

Purple Day is a grassroots celebration that is aimed at raising worldwide awareness of epilepsy, a condition that affects over 65 million people globally. As a neurological condition that causes seizures and often begins in childhood, epilepsy is sometimes misunderstood which can lead to difficulty in social situations. The idea of Purple Day is to provide education to those who don’t understand the condition, as well as for those who have epilepsy to recognize that they are not alone.

Because lavender is the international colour for epilepsy and is also a colour that symbolises solitude, it only made sense that purple would be the colour of choice for this important day of recognition and awareness!

History of Purple Day

Cassidy Megan, a nine-year-old from Canada, founded Purple Day in 2008 when she was motivated by her own struggle with epilepsy. Cassidy’s efforts were supported by the Epilepsy Association of The Maritimes (EAM) of Canada, as well as the Anita Kaufmann Foundation of New York, and the day eventually became an international event.

In fact, Purple Day’s popularity grew quickly! The celebration in 2009, the second year of its existence, brought at least 100,00 students, 95 workplaces, and 116 politicians out to participate in the day’s festivities.

From there the day simply kept growing. It’s hard to believe that only 10 years later, in 2019, Purple Day had made its way to Disney World! Sponsored by the Epilepsy Foundation of Central Florida, Purple Day shared the magic with many participants. The day’s founder, Cassidy Megan, made a special appearance (wearing a purple evening gown, of course) and became good friends with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Now, Purple Day is celebrated on every continent and in over 100 countries, in places such as India, Australia, South Africa, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Of notable importance, however, is the fact that the only nation whose government officially recognizes this day currently is Canada, which was put into effect with the Purple Day Act on June 28, 2012.

How to Celebrate Purple Day

Celebrating this day is not only fun, but is also important in raising awareness for this challenging neurological disorder. Try out these ideas or be creative with others ideas to help the cause:

Wear Purple

Obviously, one of the easiest things to do to honor the celebration of Purple Day is to pull something purple out of the closet and put it on. A purple shirt, dress, pants or hat will certainly do the trick. Or try dressing in purple from head to toe!

Consider stepping outside the box with purple eyeshadow, purple face glitter or purple lipstick. For those who are more committed to the cause, purple hair dye could make a huge impact.

People who would like to celebrate by wearing an official purple t-shirt for the day, can access a Purple Day t-shirt on the official website.

Organize a Purple Day Event

Host a special coffee morning, organize a quiz night or hold a murder mystery evening in support of Purple Day. (These can all be done in person or virtually.) The Epilepsy Society of the UK offers easy-to-use resources for gathering friends, family, and coworkers for an awareness event.

For more creative ideas, consider what people have done in the past in support of Purple Day. Some have raised funds for the charity by dying their hair purple, shaving their head completely, scaling 1000 flights of steps or giving up something they love for the month. Others have organized a fun run, walk, or cycle (26 miles is perfect on the 26th!) to raise awareness for those who live with epilepsy.

Alternatively, dress in purple and hold a purple-themed fund-raising event in aid of either EANS, The Anita Kaufman Foundation or any other charity supporting epilepsy awareness.

Learn about Epilepsy

Head over to the local library to check out some books that will provide interesting, educational information about the condition of epilepsy. The internet also offers a significant number of resources provided to raise awareness about this condition.

Even just reading through Cassidy Megan’s story can help folks become better aware and more understanding about the challenges and victories that are involved with this condition. Anything that can be done to learn more about epilepsy and tell others about Purple Day is a great way to honor this day.

Be Creative with Purple

It’s never too early to start sharing with children about epilepsy–especially if someone they know might be dealing with its effects. For families or school teachers, Purple Day is an ideal time to have kids wear purple.

But, more than that, it’s a good chance to dip into fun activities that give opportunities to share what the day is all about. Try these crafts and activities on for size:

In art class, explore the wide variety of shades of purple by creating basic geometric shapes and then mixing purple paint with whites and blacks.

For a less messy version, pull out all of the purple shades of construction paper and let the kids use their safety scissors to cut out shapes and combine them into art.

Create a purple-fizz volcano science experiment by using baking soda and white vinegar as well as food coloring in red and blue. Of course, it should probably be attempted outside or in an area that allows for easy clean up!

Have a Purple-Themed Dinner

Purple foods can be hard to come by, but it’s possible to have a nutritious meal with (mostly) the color purple. Not only are they fun to look at, but purple foods are packed full of nutritional value!

What’s on the menu for Purple Day? Well, eggplant might be the obvious choice for the main dish, while purple sweet potatoes or purple carrots might be another option (albeit a bit exotic and maybe harder to find). Try a purple cabbage slaw or purple kale (also called redbor) salad. Then round things out by serving a purple fruit salad using blackberries, purple grapes, blueberries, and purple acai berries.

For those who aren’t cooking an entire meal, purple yogurt (colored with berries) could be a fun snack. For beverages, consider options such as grape juice, grape KoolAid, or grape Fanta soda.

Become a Purple Ambassador

Anybody interested in raising awareness for epilepsy and supporting Purple Day can become an ‘Ambassador of Purple’. This role involves wearing purple and spreading awareness of epilepsy in the local community and to friends and family.

Purple Day Guiness Book of World Records

In 2017, Anita Kauffman, one of the original supporters of the day, initiated the setting of a Guinness World Record for the largest ever epilepsy training session. The event was combined with the Purple Day Walk and occurred at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA.

Source

[lesbiansforboromir]

Impossible LotR Quiz Answer sheet with explanations!

As an addendum, since people have been doing the quiz I’ve seen a few mistypes and awkwardnesses that are my own fault so I’ve corrected them. This means some people got a higher score than was shown, know that when I looked over your answers I saw your actually right answers and fully appreciated them! It’s good to not that the ‘fill in the blanks’ questions will not take two words in one space, so I’ve had to get creative with how I apply two named folk like Mardil Voronwe, or people who have numbers like Hurin I.

I would also like to say, to everyone talking about how they’ve never read the Silmarillion, this quiz is very purposefully almost entirely based outside of the Silmarillion. This is Appendices stuff! Indeed there is only 1 question even tangentally related to elves in here, this is by design. 

@magaramach, @brynnmclean and @apojiiislands asked to be tagged in this! Answers under the cut. 

Q2. Who was Dora Baggins in relation to Bilbo Baggins? - Second cousin on his father's side Dora Baggins is a very elderly woman who was the daughter of Bilbo’s father’s brother. She likes writing people a lot of unsolicited advice! THIS WAS WRONG AND SAID FIRST COUSIN FOR SO LONG AND I AM DEEPLY SORRY FOR IT.

Q3. How many pairs of biological twins are mentioned in the whole of Arda's timeline and what races do they belong too? - 2 for men, 1 for elves and 3 for half-elves Fastred and Folcred, Haleth and Haldar (men) Amrod and Amras (elves) Elured and Elurin, Elrond and Elros, Elladan and Elrohir (half-elves) Now, admittedly Elladan and Elrohir are never actually described as twins. However they appear completely identical and have the same birth date, so it is assumed.

Q4. Baldor is who the skeleton scratching at the door used to be. When Aragorn and co pass through the paths of the dead they find a skeleton clawing at a door to the mountain. It is finely dressed and described as mighty and was later essentially confirmed to be Baldor, the eldest son of King Brego of Rohan, also called Baldor the hapless, who foolishly wandered into the paths of the dead on, apparently, a dare. (the answer to this was originally Brego because of a foolish typo from me, many apologies!)

Q5. When was the Ondonóre Nómesseron Minaþurie written? - During Meneldil's reign. “Enquiry into the Place-names of Gondor” was a text written by settled numenoreans about their new kingdom during Meneldil’s reign, who was the first sole King of Gondor after both Anarion (his father) and Isildur had perished.   

Q6. Farmer Maggot's particular friend was Tom Bombadil  It is stated that Farmer Maggot sometimes peacefully passes through the Old Forest to go and meet Tom Bombadil, who very much enjoys his company. However! Those who answered Merry or Pippin still deserve excellent recognition, Farmer Maggot was indeed fond of Pippin and respected Merry greatly.

Q7. What was the office of the Steward originally created to do? - Keep the Tradition of Isildur When Romendacil I went to war in the east, he realised that if he died then the secret of the Tradition of Isildur would die with him. Hence he wrote it down in a sealed scoll and gave it to a trusted confidante, to be given to his heir if he should perish. This tradition was maintained by further kings and those trusted confidantes became the Stewards of Gondor. This, admittedly, is a more suggested progression than explicit, but it’s a Impossible evil quiz so :) Q8. What was the 'Tradition of Isildur'? - Remember where Elendil was buried. Elendil had been secretly entombed in Calenardhon, supposedly the midpoint between Gondor and Arnor. This was a hallowed space for only Kings at first, but in later years when the Stewards came to rule Gondor they also were permitted the secret. Cirion had the remains moved when Calenardhon was gifted to the Eotheod to eventually become a part of the Kingdom of Rohan. 

Q9. At the time of Pelargir's founding, is the world flat or round? - Flat. Pelargir was founded as a ‘Faithful Numenorean’ haven on the river Anduin. Therefore it was built before Numenor’s destruction in the Akallabeth, the reason for which being that Eru turned the world from flat to round. 

Q10. Which of these monarchs were indolent and had no interest in ruling? - King Atanatar I - King Narmacil I - Tar-Vanimelde King Atanatar I ruled during Gondor’s richest generation and seemed to believe that meant he didn’t need to put any work in. Narmacil I, his son, didn’t want to put any work in, but he at least assigned his nephew, Minalcar, as ‘Karma-Kundo’ or regent during his reign. So he at least did something to keep the country going. Tar-Vanimelde had no interest in ruling and allowed her husband to do most of the governence. This backfired when she died and he organised a coup against his son to hold power.

Q11. When looking back on the Ship-Kings of Gondor, King Tarannon Falastur began the invasion of Harad and expanded Gondor's borders, King Earnil-I finally took Umbar but died at sea shortly afterwards, King Ciryandil spent most of his reign trying to defend Umbar and died in it's seige and King Hyarmendacil defended Umbar against seiges for 35 years before making war upon all Harad and claiming Harondor as a province of Gondor, ending the line of the Ship Kings.

Q12. What happened during the reign of King Romendacil II? - I don't know! Nothing? Yes I know this is particularly evil of me but Romendacil II was originally called Minalcar, yes the same Minalcar who became REGENT of Gondor due to Narmacil’s indolent nature. Minalcar indeed did everything else listed as answers to this question, but none of them happened during his reign as king. Indeed, his reign was said to be peaceful and we have no real information on it, so technically saying we don’t know, and suggesting nothing happened, is actually the most correct answer :)

Q13. Who succeeded Tar-Telperien of Numenor? - Her nephew, Minastir Tar-Telperien was a lesbian Queen of Numenor who never married and never wanted too and did an excellent job and I love her. Her nephew built a tower to mope in about how much he wanted to be an elf. They are not the same. Absolutely terrified about what Amazon could do to her. 

Q14. Whilst his brethren, the nazgul, were attacking the Prancing Pony, The Witch-King was waiting in the Barrow Downs and probably had a really nice time. Not much to this! Witch King was chilling with the Barrow Wights. 

Q15. Which of these characters are described as 'beautiful' at least once in the Lord of the Rings? - Galadriel, Denethor, Eowyn, Frodo, Elanor, Celeborn, Boromir Yes, Arwen is never described as beautiful, but Denethor is :)

Q16. We all love Boromir II, select the similarities he and Boromir I did NOT share. - Renowned relationship with the Rohirrim. - Destroyed the Bridge of Osgiliath - Feared by the Witch King - Retook Ithilien. - Had a brother. In case you’re wondering, yes, I love both Boromirs. But this question is a fun highlight of how many similarities Boromir II has with his namesake. These are the only things they didn’t both do. Although! Boromir I’s son was Cirion who allied with the Eotheod and created Rohan in the first place, the Uruk-Hai destroyed the Bridge of Osgiliath in Boromir I’s lifetime, Boromir II was PROBABLY feared by the witch-king we just don’t know, Boromir II held Ithilien and Boromir I had two elder sisters like Denethor II did.

Q17. Hey, did you know that, from Boromir I's war with the Uruk-Hai of the Morgul Vale, Gondor didn't know peace until Sauron's death on the 25th of March, 3019? Hah hah! How gut wrenching is that? About how long do you think it has been since Gondor knew peace then? Hey wait does that mean Boromir I's valiant victory that came at a personal sacrifice was the beginning of Gondor's wars and then Boromir II's valiant sacrifice was the end- oh god... oh fuck - 550 years To everyone who answered the crossed out answer,,, you’re correct in my heart. You get bonus points. Also hey! What the fuck :) 

Q18. Who was Borondir? - The rider sent to find Eorl who made it to him after starving himself for two days but who then rode to the Celebrant with Eorl anyway and died in that battle. Literally couldn’t love this fellow more. Big Hirgon energy. A hero of Gondor for time immemorial. 

Q19. The Ruling Stewards, from first to last (with their numbers typed as so Turin-I Hurin-II etc), were as follows; Mardil ; Eradan ; Herion ; Belegorn ; Hurin-I ; Turin-I ; Hador ; Barahir ; Dior ; Denethor-I ; Boromir-I ; Cirion ; Hallas ; Hurin-II ; Belecthor-I ; Orodreth ; Ecthelion-I ; Egalmoth ; Beren ; Beregond ; Belecthor-II ; Thorondir ; Turin-II ; Turgon ; Ecthelion-II ; Denethor-II ; and for like two seconds ; Faramir ; Alrighty, we had a bit of a fight in my discord about this but eventually I did relent in agreement that Faramir IS... very briefly... legally considered a RULING Steward. Ruling Stewards being Stewards that ruled a Kingless Gondor. But! With Aragorn RIGHT THERE is just seemed very redundant. Still! I’ll allow the pedant to win out, ten minutes is still a Ruling Steward. ALSO! I decided that having an extra box for the ‘voronwe’ part of mardil voronwe was just mean as it set everyone’s answers off kilter, so I removed that. ALSO for all of those calling me a bastard for adding this question, @illegalstargender was the one who requested it! I wasn’t going too! 

Q20. The Stewards, despite ruling through very tumultuous and violent periods, were often known for boring things (because they simply ruled better than the Kings did, I said what I said) But what boring thing was Steward Turin I remembered for? - Being the only monarch of Gondor that married twice This skeezy bastard really did marry a second time during his OLD age just to father a son. I can only imagine what a dreadful cultural and social effect this had on this prude country. It’s so unnecessary! He had daughters, many of them! One of them certainly had a son before he did. He was just being a controlling arse, down with Turin I!!!!

[anniekoh]

This Indian Country: American Indian Activists and the Place They Made by Frederick Hoxie (2012)

Frederick E. Hoxie, one of our most prominent and celebrated academic historians of Native American history, has for years asked his undergraduate students at the beginning of each semester to write down the names of three American Indians. Almost without exception, year after year, the names are Geronimo, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. The general conclusion is inescapable: Most Americans instinctively view Indians as people of the past who occupy a position outside the central narrative of American history. These three individuals were warriors, men who fought violently against American expansion, lost, and died. It's taken as given that Native history has no particular relationship to what is conventionally presented as the story of America. Indians had a history too; but theirs was short and sad, and it ended a long time ago.In This Indian Country, Hoxie has created a bold and sweeping counter-narrative to our conventional understanding. Native American history, he argues, is also a story of political activism, its victories hard-won in courts and campaigns rather than on the battlefield. For more than two hundred years, Indian activists—some famous, many unknown beyond their own communities—have sought to bridge the distance between indigenous cultures and the republican democracy of the United States through legal and political debate. Over time their struggle defined a new language of "Indian rights" and created a vision of American Indian identity. In the process, they entered a dialogue with other activist movements, from African American civil rights to women's rights and other progressive organizations.Hoxie weaves a powerful narrative that connects the individual to the tribe, the tribe to the nation, and the nation to broader historical processes. He asks readers to think deeply about how a country based on the values of liberty and equality managed to adapt to the complex cultural and political demands of people who refused to be overrun or ignored. As we grapple with contemporary challenges to national institutions, from inside and outside our borders, and as we reflect on the array of shifting national and cultural identities across the globe, This Indian Country provides a context and a language for understanding our present dilemmas.

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15: My informal quiz is intended to prod students to look beneath the surface of the popular beliefs that define Native people as exotic and irrelevant. I also ask students to consider why it is that Americans so easily accept the romantic stereotype of Indians as heroic warriors and princesses? Why don’t we demand a richer, three-dimensional story? I pose a Native American version of the question the African American writer James Baldwin often asked white audiences a generation ago: “Why do you need a nigger?” My question is the same: Why do Americans need “Indians”—brave, exotic, and dead—as major figures in national culture?

17: This book counters that preference by presenting portraits of American Indians who neither physically resisted, nor surrendered to, the expanding continental empire that became the United States. The men and women portrayed here were born within the boundaries of the United States, rose to positions of community leadership, and decided to enter the nation’s political arena—as lawyers, lobbyists, agitators, and writers—to defend their communities. They argued that Native people occupied a distinct place inside the borders of the United States and deserved special recognition from the central government. Undaunted by their adversary’s military power, these activists employed legal reasoning, political pressure, and philosophical arguments to wage a continuous campaign on behalf of Indian autonomy, freedom, and survival. Some were homegrown activists whose focus was on protecting their local homelands; others had wider ambitions for the reform of national policies. All sought to overcome the predicament of political powerlessness and find peaceful resolutions for their complaints. They struggled to create a long-term relationship with the United States that would enable Native people to live as members of both particular indigenous communities and a large, democratic nation.

The story of these activists crosses several centuries. It opens in the waning days of the American Revolution, as negotiators in Paris set geographical boundaries for the new nation that ignored Indian nations that had fought in the conflict and had been recognized previously in international diplomacy. Native activists take center stage in the 1820s, when nationalistic U.S. leaders abandoned an earlier diplomatic tradition and pressed Indian leaders to surrender their homes to American settlers. The Choctaw James McDonald, the first Indian in the United States to be trained as a lawyer, is the protagonist of chapter two. McDonald became his tribe’s legal adviser and drew on American political ideals to defend Indian rights, thereby laying the foundation for future claims against the United States.A generation after McDonald, the Cherokee leader William Potter Ross developed and widened the young Choctaw’s arguments. During the middle decades of the nineteenth century he traveled among Indian tribes in the West as well as to Washington, D.C., to recruit other Native leaders to defend tribal sovereignty. Among those who followed in Ross’s wake were Sarah Winnemucca, a Nevada Paiute who in the 1880s became a nationally famous writer, lecturer, and lobbyist, and a group of remarkable Minnesota Ojibwe tribal leaders who battled both at home and in Washington, D.C., to preserve their tiny community on the shores of Mille Lacs Lake.In the twentieth century the leading activists were often polished professionals like Thomas Sloan, an Omaha Indian who became an attorney and established a legal practice in Washington, D.C. The first Indian to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Sloan helped found the Society of American Indians in 1911 (serving as its first president) and encouraged other community leaders to create similar networks of support. In the 1930s, when Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal offered those leaders opportunities to speak out in defense of their tribes, these networks brought forth tribal advocates such as the Seneca Alice Jemison and the Crow leader Robert Yellowtail, as well as a new generation of intellectuals and thinkers, among them the Salish writer and reformer D’Arcy McNickle and the visionary scholar Vine Deloria, Jr., who by the time of his death in 2005 had become the leading proponent of indigenous cultures and tribal rights in the United States.

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Vocal opposition to Indian landholding in Mississippi began in 1803, after Napoleon had suddenly decided to sell the entire territory to the Americans. The French emperor’s decision immediately transformed the Choctaw homeland from a distant border area to an inland province that boasted hundreds of miles of frontage on a river that was destined to become the nation’s central highway.15 Secure borders and the lure of plantation agriculture triggered a surge of settlement. The American population in the region doubled between 1810 and 1820 and then doubled again by 1830. New towns clustered along the east bank of the Mississippi as well as on the lower reaches of the Tombigbee River, two hundred miles to the east.The American immigrants were soon calling for the creation of two territorial governments in the area. Congress had first organized Mississippi Territory in 1798 as a hundred-mile-wide swath of unsurveyed land hugging the east bank of the great river and then in 1803, had expanded its borders so that it stretched south from Tennessee to the Gulf. Finally, in 1817, the region took its modern shape when the Tombigbee settlements became the Alabama Territory, Mississippi’s eastern neighbor.Events on America’s northwestern frontier echoed those along the Gulf. Secure borders, a surging settler population, and aggressive local leaders encouraged the rapid organization of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois into territories and states during Jefferson’s presidency. (Ohio became a state in 1803; Indiana in 1816; Illinois in 1818.) Jefferson championed both traditional Indian diplomacy and westward expansion. He understood the value of traditional diplomacy, but he also understood the rising power of western politicians and was far more likely to accommodate them.In 1808 Jefferson supported a major purchase of Choctaw land. He noted that while it was “desirable that the United States should obtain from the native population the entire left (east) bank of the Mississippi,” federal authorities were also determined “to obliterate from the Indian mind an impression . . . that we are constantly forming designs on their lands.” The Choctaws’ current debt of more than forty-six thousand dollars, he explained, provided a solution to this dilemma. Owing to “the pressure of their own convenience,” Jefferson reported, the Choctaws themselves had initiated this sale of five million acres of their land. He wrote that he welcomed this “consolidation of the Mississippi Territory,” and the Senate quickly ratified the agreement.16

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95: Leaders of the removed tribes were quick to promote the idea of multitribal “international councils” aimed at promoting peaceful relations among the tribes in Indian Territory and the surrounding region. These councils grew out of a tradition of peace conferences that U.S. officials had organized prior to removal to reduce tensions between western tribes (particularly the Osages, Pawnees, Kiowas, and Comanches) and the eastern Indians who had begun to migrate voluntarily to the West early in the century. Fort Gibson, erected in 1822 along the Arkansas River at a spot near the future site of the Cherokee capital of Tahlequah, had been the scene for several of these gatherings. One such meeting in 1834 involved more than a dozen tribes (including recently arrived Delawares and Senecas from the Midwest) that pledged friendship to one another and agreed to meet again to conclude a formal treaty. The 1835 Camp Holmes treaty, negotiated on the prairies west of Fort Gibson, fulfilled that goal. It established peaceful relations between the eastern tribes such as the Cherokees, Choctaws, and Creeks, and local groups such as the Wichitas and Osages. A second gathering the following year extended the Camp Holmes agreement to the Kiowas and Kiowa-Apaches.15In the 1840s the Cherokee tribal government, along with the governments of neighboring groups, began hosting their own intertribal meetings. They took this step both because they were eager to maintain good relations with the powerful tribes that had previously occupied their new homelands—particularly the Osages, Kiowas, and Comanches—and because they were increasingly conscious of threats to their borders. To the south, the new Republic of Texas, dominated by slaveholders, seemed determined to remove its resident tribes and create a homogeneous, independent settler nation on the model of the United States. The Cherokees had little interest in antagonizing these aggressive neighbors, many of whom were recent arrivals from Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Tribal leaders in Tahlequah were also aware that Mexican officials to the west, still resentful of the Texans’ recent success in their war of independence, were eager to form alliances with Comanches and other groups who had traditionally raided agricultural communities along the Arkansas River. To the north, resettled tribes from the American Midwest—particularly Delawares, Shawnees, Potawatomis, and Wyandots—were making new homes on the Missouri frontier. The disruptions accompanying their arrival triggered yet another round of retaliation and resentment among indigenous groups.16Large intertribal gatherings began in 1843. In June of that year more than three thousand representatives of twenty-two tribes gathered at Tahlequah in response to invitations sent out by John Ross and Roly McIntosh, the chief of the Creeks. For four weeks the delegates made camp across a two-mile-wide prairie and participated in round dances, ball games, and parades. William Potter Ross, barely a year removed from his Princeton graduation, was among them.When the formal sessions began, Chief John Ross reminded the delegates of the serious work before them. “Brothers,” he cried, “it is for renewing in the West the ancient talk of our forefathers, and of perpetuating forever the old pipe of peace . . . and of adopting such international laws as may redress the wrongs done by the people of our respective tribes to each other that you have been invited to attend the present council.” In addition to securing pledges of peace from all who attended, Ross won approval for eight written resolutions that established rules of conduct and included the declaration “No nation party to this compact shall without the consent of all the other parties, cede or in any manner alienate to the United States any part of their present territory.”17One white observer predicted that the 1843 gathering would “disperse without having done anything,” but the resolution regarding land cessions was a clear signal that the men who had been victims of removal had a serious purpose. They wanted to forge an alliance that could hold their enemies at bay.18 Often ignored by outsiders, these gatherings continued throughout the coming decade.

[dojae-huh]

1. i've been reading through your posts about doyoung's "children" and while i think it is true to an extent, i think you sometimes forget that as the younger brother, he likes to be babied by his hyungs. interactions with people like jinyoung and sm sunbaes have shown this. and the 95-line especially like to baby him, the obvious ones being taeyong and their squabbles and compliments, johnny who finds doyoung and things he does cute, and yuta who initiates a lot of close skinship

2. in 127's most recent episode, when doyoung is the "maknae" of the hyung line he becomes significantly more cute and pouts a lot. the 95-line always talk about him too, like when they were exercising and were supposed to be talking about their hobbies and interests they talked about him instead. or when they use the nickname "young-do" in the office and baseball series. or in htoh when they scream do's name a lot.

3. even as far back as the nimble cushion quiz, johnny likes do's cooking, and even taeil praises his singing. during the lunch time yuta calls him "dons" and gives him food free of exchange. so as much as doyoung likes to care for people around him, he is also taken care of and is often referred to as the "baby" of the 95line by fans. rather than him babying them, it's rather he's someone that acts like a same age friend and takes care of them but is still someone younger that they look out for

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I’ve actually planned to write on “Doyoung the baby” fanon, so your Ask is timely. I will elaborate later in a separate post. 

For now:

1) I tend to repeat myself often and talk about things that interest me. If I mention something rarely, it doesn’t mean I’m not aware of it. That’s why I ask the readers to read the blog first before entering a discussion, to get my overall view on things. 

2) Taeil, Johnny and Taeyong are not in the “children” category (Yuta is).

3) Gongmyung, the biological older brother: “Sometimes I feel like the younger brother”. Doyoung told us stories about fighting with Gongmyung, but not about being looked after (like Taeyong always talks about his older sister). And of course GM looks after him, its the fact that Do doesn’t stress it that matters. 1:20 Do being savage about his brother.

4) Doyoung doesn’t like to be babied. He hates giving control to someone else. Receiving care, support and being praised is different, it’s appreciation and recognition. That’s exactly what he works for, the ultimate goal of the hierarchiral game for him. He is never “a child” (he is friends even with his parents, and Korea is a very patriarchal country with a huge importance on age). 

Don’t mistake Doyoung being playful for being in a child role (which “babying” implies). He behaves childishly, but he doesn’t turn into a child. 

5) You see Doyoung’s idol persona. Pouting is Doyoung’s habit, he does it with Jaehyun and other younger members, during his lives, when he reads comments, it’s not a “baby” mood. The last 127 promo is a great example of Do playing his new idol role to the fullest before the cameras. He found out how the fans like him and changes his behaviour accordingly. He does variety, he entertains. Don’t you wonder how Johnny’s account differs from what the fans are presented with? “He is the member who is the most different on stage and off stage”, “I called to warn him to not swear upon entering my room”, “he is like a manager now, he knows everything”, “or should I follow you?”. The latter is especially important, because Johnny backtracked on his initial joke. 

I can’t find a link to the translation. On his vlive Tae created nicknames for Johnny and Doyoung. And Do’s was based on “scary” (Johnny’s on “kind” or something similar). Taeyong said on several occasions that “Do can be really scary”, meaning, he doesn’t back out from arguments with his hyungs. Not to mention Tae accepting silently Do saying about him: “he is my child who can’t take care of himself without me” during an interview.

6) Everyone in NCT likes Doyoung. And yes, he acts as a same-age friend with the hyung line (and technically he is by Korean rules).