#hashtags better than jae

[dojae-huh]

twitter . com/NCTsmtown/status/1645435627763302400?t=q4OWZ9kvw0byefbTWyO0Ow&s=19

DY and JH hashtags next to each other... same thing on the instastory post

Link

That's the order they are standing on the photo. The tags are often broken in shorter lines for better readability. Although maybe you are onto something, Doyoung could have been put first as the little brother of the actor.

Now, the outing being official (last time it wasn't disclosed, fans accidently saw them), and GM following IGs of Jae and JohnWoo is a big change.

You know.... I'm surprised how quiet JaeDo shippers are? They waited all the years, finally get all this content, and the (public) excitement is less than for some blurry "they touched hands!" in the past.

[worldoffanficskpopcpop]

Park Jaehyung Fanfic Recommendations

Hello! Welcome to my fanfic recommendations! If you would like to see other groups or other content in regards to this artist or their group, please click the links below! All of the masterlists/posts I’ve made will always be updated when I find new content or scenarios! Feel free to recommend me some blogs to check out! Also, you like my fanfic recommendations, please like and/or reblog so that more people can see it! I will release more groups as time goes on!

Go Back to All Group Masterlist

Go Back to Day6 Masterlist

A

Accidentally Kissing Him Goodbye: You bumped into your ex boyfriend at a club

Accidents Happen: Jae accidentally confesses to you

Alls Fair in Love and War: You and your lovely boyfriend Jae are at war. A hashtag war. And poor Dowoon is stuck in the middle of it. 

A Little: Maybe he was a little soft for you.

A Snowflake: Vlogger!Jae vlogging on your guys anniversary

A Soda and some Flamin’ Hot Cheetos: You, a broke college student, frequently go to this gas station to get some cheap food 

B

Baffled: Vlogger!Jae; Husband!Jae; “can I pet your dog” 

blanket burrito: You and Jae spent your anniversary in the comfort of your home

C

Call My Name: Every relationship has a story, and yours seems to always involve his name.    

Chocolate Kisses: Costco Run! 

Cookies and Kisses:  you’re baking together 

D

Driving Lessons: Jae teaching you how to drive

Drabble #29:  “Does he know about the baby?”

Drabble #2:  Falling asleep together

Drabble #3:  Wearing each other’s clothes 

Drabble #9:  Taking goofy photos in a photobooth 

Drabble #12:  Jae to buy tampons and pain killers while you're stuck in the bathroom 

Drabble #20: You are really short and Jae loves it 

Drabble #21:  you two finally have a movie date at home but instead of watching the movie the 2 of you end up just talking and cuddling and showering kisses onto each other 

Drabble #27: “How drunk was I?”

E

F

Frustration: Jae calming you down after you were becoming moody due to school

G

Guilt  Part 1, Part 2: An argument with Jae turned out to be more damaging than you initially thought 

H

I

If I Ever Fall in Love: A drunk mistake allows Jae to find out your true feelings about you and his break up

J

K

L

M

Make Me a Sandwich: You can only suffer through my whining for so long until you get up and make me a sandwich 

N

O

P

Pepero Dare: You and Jae were dared to do the pepero challenges by 4 idiots 

Pillow fight: Jae takes gaming VERY seriously

Q

R

recording sessions:  “stop looking at me like that.” “but you’re so pretty.“ 

Remember When: Remember when we were dating?

S

safe: taking the next step on a relationship seemed easy until a confusing and hurtful episode crossed your life, making you afraid and unsafe even with the person you loved the most

Snooping: “She’s my daughter, I can read her diary.” 

Sudden Change: Friends with Benefits to lovers 

Sweater Paws: You stole Jae’s hoodie but instead of looking like a sweater, it looks like a dress

T

Tickle, Tickle - Jae x Reader: mornings with Jae

The Best Things: It’s tradiition that Jae sings to you during bedtime 

The Twins: Having twins with Jae 

Too Close (Angst): Sometimes jealousy does ruin everything (Part 2)

To Study? :  where you two are studying in the library but he keeps being all fluffy and adorable that it´s distracting you

treat you better: After an awful break-up, you went to your best friend for comfort only to be surprised 

U

Untitled: Jae’s date idea goes incredibly wrong but that’s fine because he’s really cute anyway.

V

Q

W

X

Y

You’re Annoying (But I love it): “Oh my god Jae, shut up” 

Z

[onyourzeus]

sorry, felt the need to vent i dont really have people to talk to about this kind kf things yk, people wouldnt really understand :( the few days has been hell, woth the streamers and kpop stans feud going on, everythings so fucked up. im kinda disappointed in her bc i liked her so much and she went and did that, it hurts so bad, and shes also jae's friend which doesnt help the case. unfollowed her everywhere for peace of mind, i just had to bc its getting too much. again so sorry for venting :(

hey, pls don’t apologize for venting ur feelings. i’m honestly ok with that and i hope writing things out this way gave you a sense of comfort in a way. :( i read through all your messages, and i sympathize with your sentiments. 

this is one of the reasons why i don’t stay long enough until the end of his streams anymore because it’s been a regular occurrence that every time he’s on there, shit hits the fan for reasons it shouldn’t. but ofc, he has to be involved and he has to atone for thy sins and it’s just too frustrating for me to handle. 

i didn’t know he mentioned he was thinking of leaving the group due to so much absurd hate thrown at him, and that makes me even angrier. 

angry at the world, at the kpop community if you will, and just angry at how we have come to normalize this kind of behavior towards artists with fame and influence. there’s so much cognitive dissonance going on in the kpop fandom: on one hand we vow to protect these “idols” and artists we love and adore from any misconceptions or unfounded hate towards their character, but on the other we criticize fans who put them on high pedestals, and give these artists a hard time with explaining their sides of the story. what is it, really? where does the line cross? 

in regards to her, i was so shocked that happened. i can’t even put it into words. do what you want as you have been doing it in your streams, but be a little smarter than that jfc. 

i think as stan twt becomes even more rampant everywhere, it’s just so difficult to maintain some peace n balance in the community, and there will always be those who believe they’re better than everyone else bec of this n that, therefore their accusations or opinions on certain artists make sense and should be believed. 

anyway, this has gone on for too long but i rly appreciate you sharing your feelings :( i absolutely agree in that i hope he has a stable support system amidst all of this bec this is too fucking much to handle by oneself. if he’s not careful, it’s truly gonna get to him and no amount of hashtags or defensive tweets rallying for him can make its way to his head. if i’m not mistaken, jae is one of the most recent artists in the realm of kpop that has made himself extremely accessible to modern/western fans compared to other idols in this generation, and as sad (and unjust, don’t get me wrong) as it is, these are just the challenges he faces because of that. 

[mysilentmemory]

10 YEARS AGO, SUPER JUNIOR’S 'SORRY, SORRY' CHANGED K-POP FOREVER

THE SONG NOT ONLY CATAPULTED SUPER JUNIOR TO STARDOM, BUT IT REVOLUTIONIZED K-POP — AND EVERYONE FROM SEVENTEEN TO NCT HAVE COVERED IT

On any given day, fans of K-pop groups rally on Twitter to get their faves noticed. Whether that’s trending hashtags to get them onto social media charts or to win actual awards, you can’t escape their passionate presence on your timeline. And though social media has always been an integral part of K-pop fandom, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that K-pop stan Twitter became a force to be reckoned with. K-pop groups regularly dominate Billboard’s social chart, and now even brands stan Loona. But in order to get to that place in the digital space, a lot of ground had to be broken, and it can be traced back to exactly 10 years ago.

In terms of Hallyu (Korean pop culture) history, 2009 was an iconic year. Some would even argue it was a more impactful era in terms of K-pop reaching audiences outside of Korea than 2012’s “Gangnam Style.” According to an unpublished survey collected by Korea Creative Content Agency USA in 2014, the majority of K-pop fans in the States (39.5 percent) started consuming K-pop earlier than 2009, as opposed to 26.8 percent between 2012 and 2013. PSY might have turned himself into a viral phenomenon, but 2009 was a launch pad for a lot of what K-pop is today.

The year also marked a pivotal time in the internet age, which helped the globalization of Korean music. By 2009, YouTube and social media platforms had already started making K-pop content like music videos and choreography videos more accessible to consumers. This accelerated the spread of information — and dance crazes — to the world. One of the first male acts to set off a dance craze on social media was veteran K-pop group Super Junior with their 2009 mega hit “Sorry, Sorry.”

Released first as a digital single and soon followed by an album of the same name and the music video on March 12, "Sorry, Sorry" not only catapulted Super Junior to Hallyu stardom, but it revolutionized K-pop itself.

Right from the start, the song says what it’s all about: dance. Packed with a repetitive chorus, chant-like hooks, and auto-tuned vocals, “Sorry, Sorry” utilized the pop formula of the day to perfection and delivered an earworm. The album debuted at No. 1 on one of South Korea’s most important music charts, and the song topped the charts too. It also reached No. 1 in other countries like Taiwan and Thailand, and it landed in the Top 10 in the Philippines. In Taiwan, “Sorry, Sorry” spent 36 consecutive weeks at No. 1. For a lot of older K-pop fans, "Sorry, Sorry" was an entry point, thanks to the countless flash mobs — a very 2009 trend — and dance covers uploaded online from Malaysia to Indonesia to even a prison in the Philippines.

Sorry, Sorry signaled Super Junior’s coming of age, not only sound-wise, but conceptually. Their sleeker, more sophisticated neutral color palette showed a more mature side to the SM Entertainment group, who made their debut in 2005. They shifted away from the visual kei-inspired concept of previous songs like “Don’t Don” and “U” — a major trend at the time — and instead embraced an aesthetic that would inspire the next decade of K-pop. The focus on the choreography highlighted Super Junior’s strengths in numbers, which helped popularize the idea of larger-sized male groups (think ZE:A, SEVENTEEN, and The Boyz). Not to mention, the virality of a point dance had been something representative of girl groups at the time, but after “Sorry, Sorry,” male groups like SHINee (“Ring Ding Dong”) and 2PM (“Again and Again”) followed suit.

And Super Junior were pioneers in other ways as well. They were the first K-pop group to feature a Chinese national in its ranks, and though he constantly ran into setbacks for being a foreigner and eventually left the group, Hankyung (who now goes by his Chinese name Han Geng) opened doors for all non-Koreans in the idol industry today.

ailblazers in the global music industry by collaborating with Latinx artists Leslie Grace and Play-N-Skillz on the English-Spanish-Korean banger “Lo Siento” — and with Reik on “Otra Vez” — becoming the first Korean act to enter Latin Billboard charts twice.

Due to mandatory military enlistments, departures, and other issues, Super Junior’s lineup has been changing for the better part of a decade. The act’s current active members are Leeteuk (real name Park Jeong-su), Kim Heechul, Yesung (Kim Jong-woon), Shindong (Shin Dong-hee), Eunhyuk (Lee Hyuk-jae), Lee Donghae, Choi Siwon, and Kim Ryeowook. Once Cho Kyuhyun wraps up his service in May, Super Junior will have a fixed lineup active for the first time in 10 years.

Nowadays, "Sorry, Sorry" is almost like a rite of passage for newer groups, with everyone from EXO to SEVENTEEN to NCT, and even BTS, GFRIEND, and TWICE — together with Leeteuk, who's become a favorite on Korean variety shows — covering it. The song is also a frequent pick on competition shows like Produce 101, where all but two members of the winning “Sorry, Sorry” team ended up debuting in the popular temporary group Wanna One.

To celebrate 10 years of Sorry, Sorry and its lasting impact on K-pop today, let’s take a look at some of the standout tracks that made that album so iconic.

"Sorry, Sorry"

The song that started it all. Whether it’s the catchy melody, the ddan-ddan-ddans, or the continued use of "shawty" and "sorry," good luck getting "Sorry, Sorry" out of your head. And when you pair it with an equally memorable “point dance” of rubbing your hands in an apologetic manner, it’s no surprise that every K-pop stan on YouTube — and in the idol industry — has this song and its choreography on lock.

Produced by SM Entertainment’s in-house producer Yoo Young-jin (Red Velvet’s “Bad Boy,” NCT U’s “Boss”), Super Junior changed up their sound for this single. After exploring alternative rock, they went for an R&B and funk-infused dance track, a trait that would come to characterize the group for years.

"It’s You"

Following up “Sorry, Sorry” with something just as good must’ve been difficult or even impossible to fathom, but Super Junior pulled through. Two months after “Sorry, Sorry,” the group dropped the album’s second single “It’s You.” Written and produced by E-Tribe (Girls’ Generation’s “Gee,” Loona’s “love4eva”), “It’s You” is a more mellow approach for a dance and contemporary R&B song than “Sorry, Sorry.” It features a clapping beat, a haunting repetition of the phrase “it’s you” in Korean, and a balanced harmony of the members’ voices. The track also marked an important era in Super Junior history, since it was the last single to feature all 13 members of the core group in a music video (Hankyung left the group by the end of the year and Kibum went on a permanent hiatus). Upon release, “It’s You” reached No. 1 on South Korea’s then most popular social media platform, Cyworld.

"It’s You" has been revamped recently and the group — whose members are all well into their 30s — now perform it at their concerts with new lace blindfolds, which they take off mid-chorus and use as a prop. And though it still sounds distinctly 2009, the song has aged beautifully.

"Why I Like You"

There’s always that one song on an album that fans wish was a promotional single but unfortunately isn’t. On Sorry, Sorry said track is “Why I Like You.” Though performed as a b-side together with “Sorry, Sorry” on music shows, it deserved way more attention. Super Junior are the kings of, among many things, the dance-ballad, and “Why I Like You” is their crown jewel within that genre.

"Monster"

Before EDM took over, laser synths on a pop-R&B hybrid were everything in K-pop. And “Monster,” with its dark, Timbaland-like moody production, perfectly encapsulated the sound of an era. It’s a major throwback sonically, but “Monster” is undoubtedly an underrated deep cut.

"Heartquake (feat. TVXQ!’s U-know Yunho & Micky Yoochun)"

 [VIDEO LINK]

One of the group’s many sub-units is Super Junior-K.R.Y., which stands for Kyuhyun, Ryeowook, and Yesung, who are the group’s main vocalists. On Sorry, Sorry, the trio were given their own song that featured their SM labelmates U-know Yunho and Micky Yoochun, then both part of TVXQ! "Heartquake" is a mid-tempo heartbreak ballad with a hip-hop influence thanks to U-know Yunho and Micky Yoochun self-written rap verses.

CR:mtv

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a returning citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                                  Park Jaehyung, who is also known as Jae;                                                 a 27 year old son of Amaterasu.                                                       He is a street performer.

FC NAME/GROUP: Park Jaehyung /Day6 CHARACTER NAME: Park Jaehyung AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 27 / September 15th, 1992 PLACE OF BIRTH: Los Angeles, California OCCUPATION: Street Performer and YouTuber HEIGHT: 182 cm ~ 6'0" DEFINING FEATURES: He is often seen wearing any form of glasses, rain or shine. If the weather allows he’s usually wearing socks with sandals (for the meme). His hair is at the annoying length where it barely covers his eyes, except he never pushes it out of the way.

PERSONALITY: Jae has an outgoing personality and knows how to be a please a crowd. He enjoys the outdoors and is usually outside if the sun is shining. He is very energetic and is even more so if the sun is out. He loves dad humor and is the self-entitled pun and hashtag king. His personality can be seen as a little outlandish to some, and he is a bit of an acquired taste if you are just meeting him. He doesn’t get offended or annoyed very easily, and takes being teased well.

HISTORY: While growing up, Jae always wondered who he was. Born to a Korean father and a Japanese mother he never knew (though he wouldn’t learn this till much later in his life). His father remarried very early to an Argentinian woman, and Jae never questioned why they didn’t look alike. He was never sure what he identified with. The three names he was given gave him three different identities. Was he Mateo, Geoffrey, Jaehyung, or something more? His father obviously preferred Geoffrey for the family image, so that was the name he used for many years.

His father was a very sought after musical engineer. He had mixed songs for many famous singers and had clients in four different countries. Maybe his family wasn’t famous internationally, but they were definitely famous amongst the celebrity singers and musicians. While his father was busy making the money, Geoffrey was left in the care of his mother. Their relationship grew strong because of this, and he quickly became the biggest mama’s boy there was.

His father wanted Geoffrey to become a musician like him. He’d gotten the best teachers Los Angeles had to offer, and at a young age Geoffrey was taking piano lessons and listening to as much music as possible. He was no musical prodigy, but he wasn’t deaf, either. Over the years he’d learned how to play many instruments, music theory, and how to work sound equipment. At one point, he had a dream to become a famous musician himself, but his dad quickly shot that down.

Fortunately, his mother had convinced his father to let him go to public school instead of being homeschooled. They weren’t famous among the normal citizens so his father wouldn’t have to worry. Geoffrey was able to make many friends with his outgoing personality. In high school, his father took him to many of his workplaces, and Geoffrey decided to record meeting the different people in the music industry. His friends gave him the grand idea of putting them on YouTube. It was just for fun, but over his high school years and even into college, he had gained a lot of followers.

His second year into college was when he was at his happiest, but also his saddest. During a class, his father gave him a call. That never happened. He didn’t pick it up out of courtesy of his professor, but as soon as the call ended his phone rang again. Geoffrey knew something was wrong. Awkward as it was, he left the room and answered the call.

His mom was in the hospital in critical condition. A stroke was what the doctors had said. Geoffrey was distraught. He didn’t know what to say, what to do. His father showed no emotion, but Geoffrey knew better. He was just as worried, if not more than he was.

She didn’t make it to the next day. It was all over the media. Celebrities saying sorry for their loss, and that they wish the best for the Park family. Geoffrey knew better. It was out of concern for their reputation, not because they were sorry. Who would they be if they didn’t send their condolences to the very man who made them famous? As disconnected as his relationship with his father was, he now understood him better.

It wasn’t long after until his father told him the truth. His mom was really the Japanese goddess, Amaterasu. It sounded crazy, but whether he liked it or not, his father decided he would send Geoffrey off to Mount Phoenix. It was a city that the goddess had told his dad to take Geoffrey to if he wanted to really learn who he was. So off he went South Korea, dropping his English name for his Korean one, Park Jaehyung. It was time for Jae to figure out who he really was, and who he wanted to be.

~

Time has passed since Jae has first arrived. He’s met an array of different people, some more friendly than others, and he’s come and gone multiple times. Sometimes because of homesickness, other times because he felt he had to get away (also LA had this really good pizza place… an expensive flight back is worth it). Still, he couldn’t escape the charm of his second home. Once again, he lugs his guitar across the sea to the demigod island.

PANTHEON: Japanese

CHILD OF: Amaterasu

POWERS: Jae can harness the energy of the sun and help keep him energized throughout the day. His body temperature is higher than normal.

STRENGTHS: Jae is well versed in music. He can play instruments, pick music apart, and use different technology. His outgoing personality is easy to get along with, and he loves talking to others. He is most energetic during the day and loves waking up to watch the sunrise. He tries to make people comfortable around him.

WEAKNESSES: As soon as the sun is down, Jae usually feels really tired and has a hard time staying up late. He can be obnoxious if you don’t understand his humor or can’t stand his loudness. He has a hard time taking certain things seriously and is a bit oblivious.

[noona-clock]

Study: Park Jaehyung

In which we dig deeper under the surface of our favorite KPOP idols.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the gifs used in this post. I am not an astrologer nor am I a professional psychologist. These are my opinions based on the research I have done personally/as a hobby. If you disagree with any of these statements, please do so respectfully.

-Admin B

Sun Sign: Virgo (Earth)

I have said this before, and I will say it again. Here. Very definitively and very proudly. I love Virgos. I have two favorite signs other than my own sun sign (Aquarius) - Virgo and Libra. My rising sign is Virgo, and my sister’s moon sign is Virgo, so I am surrounded by this lovely Earth sign in my everyday life. 

Virgos are known, probably first and foremost, for their organization. They love to get shit done. While Jae may not be the most organized Virgo (as we’ll see in his MBTI), he does know how to get shit done. He’s probably a better promoter of Day6 than most anyone else, and he will do what he can to get his band’s name out there. Virgos are also known to be dedicated and hard-working, so basically, Jae the Promoter is also Jae the Virgo.

In addition to being organized and dedicated and hard-working, Virgos also tend to be very witty. And... I mean, do I even have to point out that trait in Jae? He definitely has a way with words and hashtags, and if his tweets don’t make you laugh... I don’t know what to tell you. 

Virgos are ruled by Mercury, which is the planet of communication, so it all really makes sense. He’s great at communicating in just about any form - Twitter, YouTube/vlogs, as an MC, during concerts - so he can thank his Virgo placement for that! But another part of that is using words to be critical. I remember Bernard Park saying he can trust Jae to be honest and give him constructive criticism; I was totally not surprised to hear that because he’s a Virgo. (Remember, I said my sister is a Virgo moon, so I’m around this sign every day of my life! I know it pretty well!)

Each sign is ruled by a planet, but also by a specific body part. Virgos are ruled by the stomach/digestive system. Jae is lactose intolerant. Coincidence? Maybe, but it could also be because he’s a Virgo!

Moon Sign: Taurus (Earth)

Now, I find it very interesting that Jae is a double Earth sign. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was a Gemini moon ONE BIT, but a Taurus moon? I was a little surprised!

Let me talk about the ruling planet and body part of Taurus first because once I realized these, I was NOT surprised. The ruling planet is Venus which is the planet of beauty. The ruling body part is the throat. And... who has an amazingly beautiful singing voice? Yep. Jae. *wipes hands* I’m done here.

Just kidding, I’m not done. Taurus is like Virgo in that they’re known for being organized and dedicated, but they’re also a lot more patient, romantic, and they’re also a little more materialistic than Virgos. They really like to collect things, and they value luxury - they like to spend their money on good quality things. Jae has mentioned several times that he’s broke, but we all know he loves him some lobster. And he does have nice clothes, wouldn’t you say? He likes to wear Jordans and Timberlands and Nike, and while those aren’t necessarily luxury brands, they are to someone who’s broke!

I also want to touch on the romantic part of being a Taurus. To be quite honest, I don’t see Jae being that romantic as a boyfriend. But the first thing that popped into my head was the video of him introducing his instrument. He got super profound and - yes - romantic when he talked about the guitar. He’s not romantic in the traditional sense, but he’s got some romantic bones in that tall, lanky body.

Chinese Astrology: Water Monkey

Monkeys in the Chinese Zodiac, like in life, are known to be intelligent, observant, and hard-working people. They’re curious but also disciplined, especially when it comes to their career. I already discussed how Jae is very devoted to promoting Day6 in whatever way he can. And even though he’s known to have written the worst paper ever in one of his high school classes, he’s obviously very intelligent. 

Water Monkeys, specifically, are a little more sensitive than other Monkeys, though they do tend to hide their emotions. They’re also very original and tend to be innovative problem solvers. They will find ways to work around things instead actually working through them. I remember Jae saying once that he tends to really focus on finding the solution for a problem instead of getting bogged down in the problem itself, and that right there is his Water Monkey talking loud and clear.

Numerology: Life Path 9

In numerology, 9 is seen as the most evolved with the strongest vibrations because it’s basically all of the other numbers wrapped up together. Life path numbers are only single digit, so 9 is seen as kind of like the Top Dog? It’s the highest number possible when it comes to this sort of numerology, so it’s seen to be the oldest and wisest.

Those born with the life path number 9 are, in turn, seen to be old souls. They’re here to really develop spirituality, integrity, and wisdom in every aspect of our lives. 9s also possess a higher purpose to inspire others. I know most people only see Jae as a meme, but if you read through his Twitter, you will definitely see bouts of wisdom. He does seem like he’s pretty spiritual, and I, for one, would feel very comfortable going to him for advice about something.

Probably the most important piece of advice for a 9 is to go with the flow. Don’t get stuck in the past and learn to live in the present and embrace the future. Something I’ve really noticed about Jae is that he gets embarrassed by choices he’s made in the past (see: his reaction to anyone bringing up his KPOP Star days/looks/outfits). If I were to meet Jae and had the chance to tell him just one thing, I’m pretty sure I would tell him to just let go of the past. Own up to all the embarrassing shit and shrug it off. Or, better yet, laugh it off. And worry about the choices you’re making now - try not to make choices you’ll want to forget in the future.

MBTI: INTP

Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving

Jae is Introverted. Apparently. In two of the Every Day6 magazines, the members chose which types they THOUGHT they were before their ACTUAL types were revealed after being professionally tested. Jae typed himself as an E but his result turned out to be an I. It’s my belief that he’s definitely not extremely introverted. Most likely, the balance between I and E for him is pretty close. I do notice that he can be very quiet sometimes, though I do think he’s an outgoing introvert (who borders on being an extrovert). So, while I was surprised to see he typed as an I, I bet you it’s just by a little.

Jae is Intuitive. This means he’s able to see the big picture of situations and imagine the possibilities of the end result. He can think abstractly and doesn’t need to experience something in order to think about how it might turn out.

Jae is Thinking. He trusts his head over his heart, and he uses logic and reason to make decisions rather than what he wants/what he’s feeling. Like his introversion preference, I think Jae probably has a pretty good balance between Thinking/Feeling. When he typed himself, he chose both T and F, so this is kind of a clear sign he’s not totally Thinking. But seeing that he’s a Virgo sun, it’s not really surprising that he is a Thinking individual.

Jae is Perceiving. This preference tells us how he interacts with the outside world, and being a Perceiving individual means he goes with the flow. He’s more spontaneous, and he doesn’t mind living in a little bit of chaos. I was actually a bit surprised to see he was Perceiving, but I feel like this could be his Taurus moon coming through. A Taurus can definitely be organized, but it’s not their main focus like a Virgo.

The INTP is known as the Logician. They pride themselves on being inventive, creative, and having a unique perspective. They are enthusiastic and capable when it comes to spotting problems and coming up with solutions.

Other Studies: Park Sungjin, Kang Younghyun, Kim Wonpil, Yoon Dowoon

[0613magazine]

210924 ABC News

BTS on COVID-19 pandemic's mental toll, band's viral UN appearance

"That feeling of being on stage is fading away," said BTS' Jung Kook.

Korean musical sensation BTS opened up in an exclusive interview with ABC News about the mental toll the COVID-19 pandemic has had on them and the depression they've dealt with over the past year and a half.

Several of the band's members said they felt a sense of loss during this time when they were unable to perform. In addition, BTS canceled their 2021 world tour due to the ongoing pandemic.

"I have been having a lot of negative thoughts and questioning my purpose in life," BTS' Jimin said. "I hope that COVID ends quickly and we can get back to doing the performances we love."

South Koreans named depression related to COVID-19 "the Corona Blue." Suga said he strongly empathizes with "the Corona Blue," describing it as "that sense of isolation and that everything has come to a halt."

He emphasized the need for everyone to work together to reduce the pandemic's progression so "we can emerge from this isolation and depression a bit faster."

BTS member j-hope said the pandemic felt as if freedom was taken away from them and misses "the trivial daily part of life … When we travel or go on tour, people gather in groups and talk to us … I get an energy from those moments that I haven't been able to feel lately."

Fellow member Jin agreed with j-hope, "There's a lot we miss in our daily lives. Back in the day, I enjoyed drinking a glass of soju over gukbab (a Korean dish with hot soup and rice) with SUGA after work. For us, those small moments brought great joy."

BTS's international popularity is fueling interest in and revenue to South Korea. The group is credited for bringing in billions of dollars each year into the country. Their impact is due to the devotion of their young fans known collectively as "the ARMY."

BTS member V said the most challenging part for him has been not interacting with their fans.

"Most important of all are our fans, who trust us, root for us and embrace everything about us," he said. "It's been almost a year and a half, two years since I've had real eye contact with ARMYs. Since I don't see [them] in person, I sometimes wonder if they really exist. 'Do they exist? Are they still there?' I ask myself. So that's what I miss the most."

BTS' Jung Kook said he longs to perform in person for the fans again.

"Rather than photoshoots or TV shows, I could do concerts all day long. That's the biggest loss for me," he said.

The band constantly communicates with its fans, speaking freely and openly about their feelings and the issues they are facing. They used hashtags like #youthtoday and #yourstories on social media when they were preparing their U.N. speech.

"Through this, we continue talking and we find out what the future generation and the young people are thinking about and as it goes on, things will improve," j-hope said.

What the band wants to do most post-pandemic, j-hope said, is a concert, expressing his hope that "many people get vaccinated, and it becomes possible for us to safely have a concert. That's what the fans want, and what we want."

"We sympathize with people who fear vaccines, because it's a change," said Jin. "It's understandable to be wary of something that didn't exist before. But I believe that if we're afraid of the past, we won't be able to make progress. We need to be more positive about the vaccine in order to create a better future."

South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed, saying, "I think it is very important to guarantee vaccine equity by supplying vaccines to poor and developing countries."

ABC News anchor Juju Chang sat down with BTS and Moon in an exclusive joint interview to talk about the band's new role as "special presidential envoys for future generations and culture" to promote global diplomacy and draw in younger generations.

"The first mission I aimed to accomplish with BTS was to raise awareness for the U.N.'s Sustainable Development event. We've accomplished that goal already," Moon said. "It was a huge success. It was much more effective than the UN Secretary General or myself delivering hundreds of speeches."

Over one million fans tuned in live to the General Assembly when BTS stepped up to the podium. More than 16 million people have since watched the taped U.N. performance.

"The venue was so meaningful and the weather was so nice that I didn't feel the exhaustion. We simply gave back the great energy we got from the audience, so we had a lot of fun performing," Jung Kook said.

Moon described the song as "very beautiful" and noted that the group's choreography also includes international sign language.

"It delivers a message of unity that overcomes our differences," Moon said.

Moon and BTS attended the U.N. General Assembly together to highlight climate action, the pandemic, the importance of vaccines and sustainable development.

With BTS' appointment, Moon chose to harness the "great power" of culture, which he said is gradually superseding economic or military power. He noted that the reach of Korean culture "shows national prestige" and expressed his gratitude to BTS and others representing Korean culture. "I receive a lot of help from them on the diplomatic stage," he said.

Source: ABC News

[negentropage]

Just skip if u dont like it

Just skip this post if you don’t like it.

Pertama, ini bakal panjang lebar dan mungkin kemana-mana. Kedua, ini tentang topik yang mungkin kalian nggak suka; Kpop dan mental issue. If you don’t mean it, okay. Selamat membaca and maybe you will know who is she better than before.

Here we go!

 Menikmati Kpop dari jaman SMP, mengenal lebih jauh pas SMA. Idol group pertama yang  dia hafal nama member-membernya adalah EXO. Sebelumnya, pas SMP dia tahu Super Junior karena racun dari 2 temannya di OSIS. Waktu itu dia belum begitu tertarik sama Kpop. Alhasil, suka nggak nyambung, planga-plongo dan iya-iya aja. Tapi, karena mereka satu-satunya—sebenernya dua—teman yang bikin nyaman dan bisa dia ajak ngobrol akhirnya dia terima aja diracunin Kdrama sama Kpop. Dan yah, ternyata nggak seburuk itu. Walaupun waktu itu tetep nggak bisa hafal nama ketiga belas member Suju.

Kemudian, pas SMA diracun lagi dan kali ini lebih ngefek. Gimana nggak lebih ngefek? Kali ini bukan cuma 2 orang, tapi banyak. Sering nobar drakor, nonton MV, dan sering denger lagu dan nonton dance practice pas ada lomba dance di sekolah. Bahkan, saat itu mulai cari tahu sendiri sampe akhirnya punya bias. Wallpaper hp dan bias pertamanya itu Chanyeol EXO. Setelah EXO, mulai dicekokin BTS, iKon dan grup yang lain. Hampir tiap hari denger obrolan tentang Taehyung, Jungkook, B.I, Bobby. Dahlah itu, makin terinfeksi. Bacaan di Wattpad mulai melebar ke fanfic.

Sejak Era “Fire”’ mulai ngestan BTS, tapi sayang pas awal masuk kuliah belum punya temen yang bisa buat ngehype Korea. Sampe akhirnya tahun kedua di himpunan nemu satu temen yang ternyata juga stan BTS dan bahkan lebih fanatik. She’s glad to know that. Salah satunya karena BTS akhirnya mereka bisa berteman dekat.

Dari awal terjun dunia fangirling dia nggak cuma ngestan satu grup. Ada banyak grup yang dia suka; EXO, BTS, iKON, GOT7, Day6, Stray Kids, NCT, Treasure, Seventeen—urutan sesuai waktu awal suka. Tapi, dari sekian banyak grup itu di kesempatan ini cuma bakal cerita tentang Day6; satu-satunya grup yang beneran dia stan dan ikutin semua-muanya.

EXO, dia cuma ngikutin Chanyeol, D.O, Kai dan nonton beberapa variety shownya. Kalau ditanya lagu favorit EXO? Dia bisa jawab, Overdose. Ditanya ult bias bisa jawab Chanyeol. Kalau BTS, GOT7 dia ngikutin tiap comeback, nonton variety shownya dan ada album yang dia dengerin lagunya full satu album. Kalau ditanya lagu favorit BTS sama GOT7? Daftarnya bakal lumayan panjang. Ditanya bias? Dia masih bisa jawab, BTS; Taehyung, GOT7; Mark, Bambam. Kalau iKON dia cuma ngikutin variety shownya dan dengerin cuma beberapa lagunya. Kalau ditanya lagu favorit? Jawabannya “Love Scenario”. Sebenernya, dibanding iKON dia lebih ke ngikutin B.I.

NCT, Seventeen cuma ngikutin variety shownya. Lagu favorit? Boss, Without You NCT U, Candle light, Fireflies NCT Dream, Don’t wanna cry, Home, Clap Seventeen. Bias? Mark, Taeyong, Winwin, Renjun. Bias di Seventeen? Gak punya, she’s love all of them sama besar.

Stray Kids, Treasure dia ngikutin dari awal survival dan dengerin semua albumnya. Ditanya lagu favorit Stray Kids? Daftarnya juga bakal lumayan panjang. Treasure? Mereka baru punya 2 album; 4 lagu jadi ofc dia dengerin semua. Kalau bias? Dia bisa nentuin ult biasnya; Stray Kids Han, Treasure Junkyu.

Lalu, Day6?

Day6 satu-satunya grup yang dia tonton variety shownya, dengerin semua albumnya dari awal debut sampe comeback terakhir. Kalau ditanya lagu favorit? Dia nggak bisa jawab karena daftarnya bakal panjang alias semua album favorit dia. Bias? Lima-limanya. Fleksibel dan sering oleng. Satu-satunya grup yang pengen dia datengin konsernya.

Tahu Day6 dari jaman Congratulations. Ngikutin Every Day6 project. Amaze sama kerja keras, time management Young K yang bisa rilis 2 lagu dan konser tiap bulan tanpa ninggalin kuliah. Masuk fandom dan nggak pernah keluar meski ngestan grup baru. Ngebucin Jae dari era Beautiful Feeling. Ya, sekarang dia udah nggak lagi ngestan EXO, BTS, iKON, GOT7. Cuma jadi casual fan aja.

Tahun 2017, Day6 ke Indo tapi nggak nonton karena nggak bisa. Tahun 2019, Day6 ke Indo lagi Gravity Tour dan lagi-lagi nggak nonton. Kali ini bukan karena nggak bisa, tapi karena dia nggak pengen. Nggak pengen? Bukannya nggak pernah keluar fandom meski ngestan grup baru?Katanya, satu-satunya konser yang pengen dia datengin?

Gimana bisa punya keinginan buat nonton konser? Kalau keinginan buat hidup aja dia nggak punya?

Tahun 2019, dia bener-bener struggle dengan dirinya sendiri. Dia nggak pengen apapun, semua hal terasa membosankan. Dia ngerasa kosong. Breathing but die inside.Buku, Korea, fotografi, ngelukis, hubungan sosial? Semuanya terasa melelahkan dan nggak menarik.

Akhir November, hari H Day6 konser di Indo dia nangis kejer dan ngelakuin hal bodoh lagi. Nggak ada yang tahu hal ini selain dia dan Tuhan. Bukan karena dia nggak ada di Tendor, nggak bisa jingkrak-jingkrak ngonser. Bukan. Dia nangis kejer karena dia bahkan nggak bisa ngerasa iri pas liat hashtag Gravitty Tour Jakarta dan postingan twitter berseliweran video konser. Dia nangis karena nggak bisa ngerasain apapun. Dia nggak bisa ngerasain punya keinginan buat ketemu grup yang udah dia suka dan stan bertahun-tahun. And those things break her heart. Percayalah, rasanya lebih sakit dibanding pas nggak bisa nonton konser karena masalah materi atau apa.

Comeback terbaru Day6 awal Mei 2020. Dapet berita kalau mereka nggak bakal ngadain promosi karena beberapa member kena mental issue. Awalnya, sedih heartbreak, khawatir. Tapi, di sisi lain juga lega karena mereka bisa mengutamakan kesehatan mereka. Dan as usual, Day6 nggak pernah bikin lagu jelek. Title tracknya “Zombie” bener-bener bagus dan relate sama situasi saat itu.

Juni, perlahan Jae mulai aktif lagi di media sosial, terbuka, mau sharing soal kondisinya. Selain bikin Jae semakin keliatan manusiawi dan nyata, hal itu nyelamatin dia. Hari itu, 27 Juli 2020 dia bisa nangis kejer lagi setelah sekian lama. Her emotions remind her mind that she is alive. Sejak saat itu, dia makin respek sama Jae. Selama ngestan banyak idol baru kali ini dia ngerasa sesuka ini.

The timing was just insane. Waktu dia struggle sama mental issue, Zombie rilis, berita hiatus, Jae Sungjin mulai mucul, kayak yang pas gitu. To be honest, dia bersyukur bisa kuliah online satu semester full. Akhirnya, dia bisa bener-bener healing dan take slowly for everything. Put her self first.

Hampir tiap hari Young K live tiap berangkat dan pulang siaran radio cerita hal random, ngasih motivasi. Rela ngulang omongan dua kali; Korea sama Inggris biar fansnya paham. Jae juga sering tiba-tiba live instagram, tengah malem, pagi buta nemenin orang-orang di jam-jam overthinking. Pas anniv kelima DAY6 juga Sungjin rela dia berusaha buat muncul nyapa My Day. Nggak tanggung-tanggung Sungjin ngelive hampir 2 jam dan isinya motivasi sama kata-kata penenang. Sungjin once said, “It can be difficult to express your feelings, but it’d be harder if you don’t express them.”

Dia merasa beruntung bisa ngestan Day6. Nonton anak-anak Day6 ngelive bener-bener ngebantu dia healing. Sejak Jae Sungjin berani speak up soal mereka yang struggle sama mental issue ngebuat dia berhenti denial sama kondisinya. Dia mengakui kalo dia juga struggle. Sejak Jae dan Sungjin sharing soal kondisi mereka sekarang dia benar-benar ngerasa nggak sendirian. Seakan dia berhasil menemukan seseorang yang berada di sepatu yang sama dengannya. Apa ya? Dia merasa ditemani. Seseorang yang tahu apa yang dia rasakan, mengalami hal yang sama dan mengerti. Seseorang yang sayangnya belum bisa dia temukan di lingkungan sekitarnya.

Maka dari itu rasanya sakit hati kalau ada orang yang bahkan nggak tahu apapun soal idol Korea especially Jae, tapi membenci dan bahkan sampai menghina dengan kata-kata yang sangat tidak pantas keluar dari mulut sesama manusia. Padahal, sekali lagi, mereka tidak tahu apapun. Mereka tidak tahu bahwa manusia yang sering mereka katai plastik itu telah menyelamatkan nyawa seseorang. Membantu seseorang keluar dari masa-masa sulitnya.

Penutup, dia bukan tipe orang yang gampang suka dengan seseorang hanya karena tampang. She’s touched and moved cause well manner and how the way people thinking. She’s falling for their talents and personalities.

p.s.

Sungjin once said, “It’s okay. You’re not late. Your pace is just different.”

Jae once said, “For everyone that’s lost, afraid, hurt or confused, it’s okay. We all are. It’ll take time but we’ll be okay.”

Young K once said, “It’s okay to walk slowly. Sometimes you can be fast, or walking slowly, or you can be taking a rest.”

Wonpil once said, “This too, shall past.”

Dowoon once said, “You were born to be loved.”

12102020

[melitame]

21 Day Soul Cleansing Journey (Day 6: The Weight of the World) 1.6.18

Welcome back, beloveds. Today we are taking the next step in finding and following our Bliss Work to lead us in our Authentic destiny.

Today, we remove another layer of our FEAR (False Expression Appearing Real), and tapping into more of our truest, highest Self.

It’s day 6: The Weight of the World.  

How many of us tend to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders?

We see what’s happening on the news, and our hearts immediately sink with depression for the next two days.

We hear a tragedy occur with a friend, and we bend over backwards to fix it.

These are not bad reactions to have.

These are perfectly normal and compassionate reactions to have.

So why doesn’t it feel better after we fix it or fall into depression?

Because we are trying to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders….and we’re trying to do it alone.

I believe it’s part of human nature to do what we can to help others, especially in their times of trouble, and I think that is a trait of service that we all could still use a little more practice in.

Where I see a pull in this transaction is the obligation that comes behind its motive.

Where there’s weight, there’s Pressure.

Where there’s pressure, there’s stress.

And when we are stressed, we are not fully present in our actions.

The question then becomes “how do we carry the weight and remain stress free?” We must look at these areas:

1)      How we choose to see it.

2)      Responsibility that we believe we carry in the situation.

3)      The direct impact it makes on our lives.

 1) How we choose to see it.

What we see is what we get.

It’s important to see the truth as it is; that comes in the means of seeing the whole Truth as well.

Yes, there are tragic events that happen every day. Yes, we live in a world of pain and suffering. Yes, we live amongst people of greed and destruction. And that’s horrific to acknowledge and witness.

But there’s also a second Truth; this is actually the first and most important Truth:

This world is filled with some amazing and breathtaking beauties. We are blessed in unbelievable ways. Humankind is maturing into a species with higher consciousness than ever before.

When we look at the latter, doesn’t it feel so much lighter and empowering??

How we choose to see something makes a great influence on how we respond to it. 

2) Responsibility that we believe we carry in the situation.

If our world is revolved around being responsible for other people, then we can fall deeply into a world of martyring. It only takes a few times to believe that we are the main one responsible for the way the world turns out. The thought alone feels heavy and draining.

Where we have so much influence on how the world is impacted through our actions and behavior, it doesn’t make just a few people solely responsible.

“We are all equally responsibility for what we bring to the table, and over compensating for someone else’s slack doesn’t automatically make up for it.” – Melita Irie Muzik

Where that person doesn’t show up, the world doesn’t receive.

And if we make a mistake, that doesn’t mean that it’s our fault alone for the way that the world goes ‘round.

Take the pressure off, and just do your best. That’s all that is needed from you.

 3) The direct impact it makes on our lives.

This is not intended to promote selfish or narcissistic behavior, or to disregard the importance of indirect tragedies that take place in our lives.

I see it very important to understand that we are evolving into a multi-sensory living kind, and anything that goes out, will come back to us. That’s why it’s important to focus on doing our best and letting go of the rest.

But what about the countries on the other side of the world who need our attention because they are living in poverty and dying from filthy water and lack of food? How does their life have a direct impact on ours?

Well, let’s take a look: as our humankind becomes more developed in spiritual maturity, we are more able to feel what we don’t see. So, even though we may not physically see the families in other countries (unless we see a commercial or ad), I believe that we still sense the energetic frequencies that are passed along the wave fields across the globe.

“That heaviness we feel is accurate and crucial to our entire existence.”

But when we loath in bed all day – burdened with life’s problems, we are continuing the same energetic frequency of suffering back onto the other side of the world.

So, though we may be sensitive souls who feel every bit of sadness that the world feels, we are becoming less and less attuned with that very call that we feel when we are hit with that overbearing sensation of depression.

“The indirect impact that it has on us can be an opportunity to directly make a difference about it.” - Melita Irie Muzik

Based on my experience, I believe that depression comes from not acting where action is called. The guilt kicks in, and then the shame and then next thing you know, we’re numbing ourselves from feeling anything just to take some of that heaviness away.

What I think we should do in those situations is, as I like to say, “face it in the face.”

We must first ask ourselves, “what is the next wisest thing we can do that will lead us – and ALL of humanity – out of this cycle of suffering?”

It doesn’t have to be anything grand or extravagant. We don’t have to donate a million dollars or volunteer every weekend to a soup kitchen if that’s something we can’t afford.

What can we do?

Can we journal or blog about how we feel?

Can we coordinate an event that designates awareness on the problem we fret about?

Can we volunteer one weekend to a soup kitchen, or one dollar to the church or to a community organization?

I think the weight of the world that we carry is a weight of only thinking about what we can’t do, rather than what we can do.

Once again, all that we are asked and needed of is to just do our best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meditation/movement – Serenity

Obviously, the serenity prayer is an amazing reminder to let go and surrender to what is:

“Grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change. Grant me the courage to change what I can. And grant me the wisdom to know the difference.” – Serenity Prayer

I also like to breathe in this mediation:

“I release the need to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. I release. I release. I release.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, let’s connect – you and me. Your story matters just as much as the rest, and I wanna know:

“What weight have you been carrying, and what action step can you take to release it from your responsibility?”

Join us in the conversation over at the 21 Day Soul Cleansing Journey Facebook page with your gut-bubbling moment that resonated with you. Comment with the hashtag “GBM” (gut-bubbling moment).

“It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a globe to transform a generation. And we need YOU!”

Thanks so much for sharing your invaluable space.

Until next time…

Peace and Love,

Jae Tafari

[duaneodavila]

alt.legal: It’s Like Eight Posts In One Post! 

I will be mixing up the format of posts for this alt.legal column a bit, just to shake things up. Above The Law does a great job with Morning Dockets, Non Sequiturs, and Everybody Else Is Reading This posts, which are a combination of aggregation, curation, and some newsjacking. I don’t seek to achieve anything with that level of regularity, but if you will indulge me, I will look to curate what has now become a cacophony of voices in legal tech and innovation.

So don’t just read anything, just read this. I welcome your feedback, as always.

Recently, in the alt.legal world

ILTACON IS OVER — There were many panels. There were boats at sea. There might have been some karaoke. ILTACON 2018 feels like an era ago, but last week was the week for various outlets to put on the post-game show. I have a summary piece on Legal Executive Institute about how ILTACON reinforced the real progress being made in legal innovation, feeling more substantive than before. It’s a messy trail to get to the promised land, and we might lose some to dysentery along the way, but always onward we go.

For more on ILTACON18, check the hashtag on Twitter (#ILTACON18 or some variant) and check out Christian Lang’s podcast of ILTA voices.

I also got into it with Noah Waisberg and others on Twitter about whether old lawyers are the problem, covered here.

Talent and legal innovation — Jae Um, the newest opinionated writer to arrive on the legal innovation scene, has finished a three-part series on innovation. Her third post is on legal innovation talent. I’ll be honest, it is real long, but should you get all the way through it (odds are that you won’t but I challenge you to concentrate for a minute), you will find a comprehensive and insightful view on the talent pool for legal innovation. Jae is a veritable paladin of dataviz, but these posts fall far deeper in the territory of well-researched longform than quick-hit infographic, and her style makes a long read an easy one.

Lawyers and software coding — For some reason, the should-lawyers-code topic has reared its head again on social. Can someone tell me who sparked this? The opinions fell along the expectedly drawn lines — lawyers who don’t code think not coding is fine, while lawyers who do code think that coding is better, and lawyers in the middle expressed opinions in both directions. Confirmation bias much?

Also, for the record, Zach covered this years ago.

The Rebellion grows — the ABA Journal released the names of this year’s class of Legal Rebels. Congratulations to all of them for pushing things forward!

Geeking out for a minute

Dispute resolution in crypto — For people keeping up with blockchain and crypto, it’s worthwhile spending ten minutes catching up on what Amy Wan is doing for dispute resolution in crypto. There are people who say much and there are people who do much — what Amy is doing is the latter. Also, some other worthwhile blockchain advancements in legal noted here.

Law firms and software design — Nicole Bradick has a solid post about how law firm-built products often claim to do much and end up doing little, and how to make something that might possibly last. To quote her, “I can’t say this enough — when developing products that need to reflect well on your brand, more is not better. Better is better.” All her posts are witty and worth reading; there’s a real consciousness growing around software development practices specific to the legal market.

Quasi-ediscovery in real life news — As you may know from my previous posts, I like to sniff out areas of pseudo-discovery in real life, like the Hillary Clinton Benghazi emails and Tom Brady’s cell phone. Allow me to add two recent examples to the mix, both of which are worthy of their own posts sometime.

The question arose during the Kavanaugh confirmation proceedings as to whether it’s possible to review 42,000 pages in a day; see my response on Twitter to David Lat’s view on this. I mean, come on!??

It was recently discovered that Urban Meyer’s cell phone was set to delete all text messages older than a year. This includes some messages, forwarded by his wife, from the victim of domestic violence being perpetrated by Zach Smith, a member of his staff.  The Ohio State records retention policy has been called into question by some. (By the way, here’s how to change your iMessages retention period.)

But also, to be absolutely clear, if a text is informing you about the present suffering of a victim of domestic abuse, maybe take an ounce of responsibility and do a thing about it, instead of literally erasing it from existence. Hope that comes off as common freaking sense more than being preachy.

DIY text classification — I recently discovered Google’s AutoML dropped a beta of its text classifier. AutoML is a no-code solution that you can train on a set of labels and then predict labels for new text. Google can also detect sentiment (is the statement positive or negative) and salience (to what extent the text is related to the predicted topics). Underneath every technology-assisted review algorithm is something like what’s powering AutoML. This doesn’t mean that those ediscovery products don’t have value — they do, lots. But the same tech is at work every day in your Internet life, whether it’s your Google search results, Instagram ads, Netflix’s suggestions, anything.

It is prevalent, it is everywhere, and now you can mess around with it for free. Point some text at it and let me know what you find (@edsohn80)! I may share some of my own results shortly.

Heard recently

“Your best thinking is when you are alone. Very few people say their best thinking is at work, or in a conference room…. Thinking is a daring act.”

Taken from ILTACON keynote by Lisa Bodell, author, Kill the Company.

Hey, that was a really fun post to write! Let me know if you liked it.

Ed Sohn is VP, Product Management and Partnerships, for Thomson Reuters Legal Managed Services. After more than five years as a Biglaw litigation associate, Ed spent two years in New Delhi, India, overseeing and innovating legal process outsourcing services in litigation. Ed now focuses on delivering new e-discovery solutions with technology managed services. You can contact Ed about ediscovery, legal managed services, expat living in India, theology, chess, ST:TNG, or the Chicago Bulls at edward.sohn@thomsonreuters.com or via Twitter (@edsohn80). (The views expressed in his columns are his own and do not reflect those of his employer, Thomson Reuters.)

[signaturesoundsradio-blog]

2019’s Top Rap Albums, according to Capital K

10: Skyzoo & Pete Rock – Retropolitan

Very few dudes out there are rapping like Skyzoo is. He’s been dropping impeccable verses for years, running with legendary crews like Duck Down and Jamla records across his fifteen year career. Zoo has proven himself time and again as a dedicated wordsmith with his carefully crafted songs and projects, but for the first time in a long time we get a clear, concise album from him that is not bogged down by an extensive concept. Instead, Retropolitan is simply an homage to the streets of the Big Apple, told from two men who have watched the city and its culture lose some of their once seemingly indelible essence. Pete Rock brings the type of New York production that has been in season for almost three decades, and with Skyzoo it still feels fresh. Though the NY rap scene remains firmly in the ‘90s, what with old groups making repetitive returns and most new rappers unable to carve out any semblance of originality, the occasional retro album truly nails it, even in 2019. This is one of them.

9: Little Brother – May the Lord Watch

The return that very few people saw coming, May the Lord Watch is a short project (only 10 of the album’s 15 tracks contain beats and rhymes), but it easily silences any questions as to whether Rapper Big Pooh and Phonte might have lost a step since putting out two certified classics in the early 2000s. Picking up right where Phonte’s 2018 No News Is Good News left off, May the Lord Watch finds the two rappers comfortably claiming their place as kings in the ‘Grown Man Rap’ movement. They effortlessly trade bars as they craft narrative of nights in (“Sittin’ Alone”), the married life (“Goodmorning Sunshine”), and thankfulness for the blessings of God (“Work Through Me”). Without an ounce of bitterness, the men sketch their pleasures and pains across Little Brother’s tried-and-true canvas of radio skits and interludes (UBN – U Black N****s – network remains as funny as ever, situating everything the group does squarely in its context of blackness). Notably, the album features no production from original Little Brother member Ninth Wonder, but the rappers feel right at home over the lush, sample-heavy beats which maintain the aesthetic sensibilities of the group’s early classics.

8: Wiki – Oofie

Oofie finds New York rapper Wiki in a much more subdued place than his 2017 solo debut album No Mountains in Manhattan. It’s a definite change of pace from a man who went through plenty of transitions in the past two years, including the breakup of his super-group Secret Circle and a move to his own label Wikiset (under which Oofie was released). On this offering Wiki maintains his dedication to personal, biographic bars, though Oofie is much more focused on Wiki the man than on Wiki’s hometown New York City. The production is more modern but not trendy, making a concerted effort to leave space for Wiki’s bars to shine through. He rhymes with more confidence than ever, a little slower and more sure of himself than the more fun-loving Wiki of 2017. Slower paced but not monotonous, Oofie will not disappoint those looking for well-crafted lines that are at once playful and somewhat melancholy.

7: L’Orange & Jeremiah Jae – Complicate Your Life with Violence

L’Orange made a name for himself as one of Mello Music Group’s earliest virtuosos, crafting beautifully cinematic, dusty records to fit his guest emcees. The pairings solidified his place as one of the underground’s premiere sample-based producers and made for some dark, brilliant albums. This project is no different, with Jeremiah Jae along for the ride as a crook-turned-soldier in a dystopian world of violence and darkness. While the scenes are not particularly gruesome or gory, their psychological tension draws the listener along like a thriller movie, and Jae’s vivid rhymes and unaffected tone make the chilling subject matter all the more enticing. The two artists are at the top of their games here, building an album interspersed with vintage film samples and some spectacular features to create an engrossing, consistent mood in a way that very few other albums did this year. Complicate Your Life with Violence places itself in 2019’s catalog as a bleak assessment of the violent, at times seemingly unforgivable, world in which we live. It’s an album that is both a product of today and a warning of tomorrow.

6: Add-2 – Jim Crow The Musical

Probably the most unknown artist on this list, Chicago rapper Add-2 released his powerful Jim Crow the Musical in the twilight of 2019 and immediately slid himself right into the discussion for the year’s top rap albums. An album that is equal parts pride and sorrow, full of both fear and resolve, Jim Crow is an earnest look at the way in which America’s unabashed history of racism has manifested itself in the way it treats its black citizens in the present day. The versatile range of sounds and moods mesh together into a cohesive narrative of life lived in a skin that Add-2 sees as “both a gift and a curse” (“Hashtag”), linked through skits about blackness that give the album it’s ‘Musical’ feel. As a rapper, Add-2 falls somewhere in between Kendrick Lamar and Open Mike Eagle, as comfortable in a driving, breathless flow (“Git Your Hand Out of My Pocket”) as he is in a more reserved and conversational one (“The Secret Life of Blacks”), and that’s just in the album’s first two proper songs. The man can flat out rap, and on top of that, Add-2 does his own beats. Though he (like almost any underground artist) will likely tell you that he’s been grinding away, releasing quality content all along, this album feels like a coming-out party of sorts for the rapper, and it’s worth a listen from any fan of music in general.

5: Danny Brown – uknowhatimsayin¿

When word got out that the legendary Q-Tip would be executive producing Danny Brown’s newest album, expectations were naturally high. Following Danny’s critically acclaimed raw and ambitious Atrocity Exhibition in 2016, fans were eager to see how Tip would be able to elevate Brown’s game to new places. However, instead of trying to top Atrocity with another conceptual masterpiece, the two sent in a collection of straight up good to great songs from a newly refined Danny (complete with a new front tooth), who replaced the wildness of his previous work with a veteran’s swagger and confidence. Focused more on masterful bars than shock value, uknowhatimsayin¿ sees Danny primarily sticking to his ‘Old album Side A’ voice, while covering topics ranging from sex on a laundry machine (“Laundry”) to navigating life as a black man in the racist American system (“Shine”). The album is a flex from a man who has already made his masterpiece and now feels content to provide us with high quality, if not necessarily ambitious, reminders that he’s still a top lyricist and song-writer.

4: Brother Ali – Secrets & Escapes

If you felt that maybe Brother Ali had hit a period of creative coasting over the last decade, you’re in good company: so did he. And to remedy this, Ali made an album with the legendary Evidence that made it an explicit goal to throw out any songs that sounded like an Ali (or Evidence) joint. The result is a collection of songs that find Brother Ali at his hungriest, solemnest, and, in a way, most refreshed. Produced entirely by Evidence (and featuring verses from Evidence, Talib Kweli, and Pharoahe Monch), Secrets & Escapes treads familiar topics for Ali: spirituality, his own inner demons and struggles, and societal ills, but in this album he’s less preacher than teacher, an elder with a lot on his mind. Ali’s is a calming presence for today’s frenetic, confused society and he easily shows us that he’s still got the bars he once did. For his part, Evidence has crafted a sonically diverse, jazzy palette with some beautiful samples and dusty drums. If you forgot that he produced Kanye’s “Last Call,” consider this a reminder of Evidence’s status as a premiere double threat. Highlights include “Father Figures,” “Secrets & Escapes,” and “They Shot Ricky.”

3: billy woods & Kenny Segal – Hiding Places

For those that missed it, billy woods truly killed the year 2019. A new solo album, an updated re-release of a capstone essential, a grab bag megamix of new, unreleased, and well-known songs, and this absolutely relentless collaboration with LA producer Kenny Segal comprised woods’ voluminous 2019 output. Hiding Places finds woods rhyming over a more, for lack of a better word, listenable range of beats than many of his recent endeavors, and it works perfectly. Segal’s off-kilter but somehow entirely smooth production gives woods a canvas for some of his most personal and cathartic moments. There are very few rappers who make connections in the way billy woods does, and a vignette about how no one in the hood gets their mail forwarded when they move quickly turns from being a quirky anecdote to a grim depiction of reality as we realize it’s because many people are being chased by a never-ending stream of debt collectors and predatory lenders. The project’s dark humor puts a band-aid over some of its tragic, bleak content, making it an album that grows with each listen. If you’ve heard woods’s name thrown around a lot but never knew where to start, try this album on for size.

2: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Bandana

Following up a surprise classic is always a challenge. Fans and critics are easy to please the first time but once you’ve set a high bar for yourself there’s no turning back. Knowing this, and never ones to be rushed, Freddie “Gangster” Gibbs and super-producer Madlib made the world wait a whole five years before following up their essential 2014 release Piñata with this year’s Bandana. It was worth the wait. Where Piñata found Madlib inhabiting Gibbs’s realm in a Blaxploitation-inspired story of thuggin’ and dealing, their second album evens the playing field a bit, and Freddie is forced to rap over beats that at times sound like they came straight out of the Beat Konducta series. He proves himself more than capable, rapping on an entirely new level while he easily switches flows to match Madlib’s eclectic energy. Freddie’s content has changed, too, as the years since Piñata saw him spend time in an Austrian jail, lose his uncle and good friend, and split up with his fiance. Much of Bandana was written in that jail, and he’s more reflective, pacing between regret and pride of his dirty deeds and dark past. It’s a classic in its own right, with more depth than most of Freddie’s past work and a seamless marriage between one of the best producers ever to touch an iPad (Madlib’s tool of choice for Bandana) and a rapper eager to put his own name in the Hall of Fame conversation.

1: Maxo – LIL BIG MAN

Maxo raps with a depression born of hopelessness and uncertainty. He’s a man with more questions than answers, and a slow, straightforward flow that brings us into his world with toughness and ease. His are the problems of an entire generation of young men: How can you justify working for $10 an hour when you could make thousands by robbing one house? How can you bring your friends along when you make it, and will they still be your friends by the time you get there? And, most importantly, will you make it to see your next birthday? Maxo raps effortlessly over smooth, low fidelity beats that stand out from most of the lo-fi subgenre through their lushness and clean mixing. Though generally somber, the album does have its upbeat moments (“Kinfolk” and “Headphones”) to break up the darkness, and a beautiful feature from Lojji on “No Love” that adds some ethereal beauty. Maxo is open about his weaknesses and insecurities, yet positive reinforcement comes in the form of a phone call from his grandma reminding him that, as bad is gets, there’s always a place for him at her home. While other albums this year may have exhibited more ambition or technical reach, Maxo’s LIL BIG MAN stands out as one of 2019’s most listenable and emotional, a project with stunning production that bumps in the whip yet powerful lyrics that will hold your attention on the weakest of earbuds.

Honorable Mentions

Atmosphere – Whenever

Probably the best the group has sounded since 2010’s To All My Friends.

Blockhead – Free Sweatpants

Equal parts instrumental album and who’s who of Blockhead’s extensive circle of rap friends.

Damani Nkosi & iLL Camille – Harriett

A jazzy collaboration focused on black freedom and hope by two incredibly gifted emcees.

Medhane – Own Pace

A lo-fi album in the vein of Earl Sweatshirt’s Some Rap Songs but with more clarity and optimism.

People Under the Stairs – Sincerely, The P

The last album from the legendary west coast group, Sincerely, The P is nostalgic and celebratory.

Quelle Chris – Guns

An album that examines the way in which fear, race, and firearms are used to brutalize communities.

Rapsody – Eve

An epic tour de force, Eve is an homage to black women that have influenced the artist and the world.

Albums I didn’t get around to that sound like they might have made this list

Boogie – Everything’s For Sale

Grip – Snubnose

And that’s it. All in all, 2019 was not a bad year for rap. Stick around next year for more reviews and lists from the squad here at Signature Sounds. May 2020 bring you happiness and success. Love & Respect.

- Capital K

[wisetragedysalad-blog]

What advantages and disadvantages does social media present to the modern writer?

Social media is a platform that enables users to share their content for a wider audience as it increases the interconnectedness of people/organisations across the globe. According to Statista, in 2017 there were ‘2.46 billion users’[1] worldwide on social media and so ‘social networks are changing the world’[2]. In this essay, I will discuss how this may be a useful tool, but also how it may be a barricade to success for a writer.

 Social media is advantageous for a writer as it provides a large discovery platform for them. On Twitter, hashtags like “#AmWriting” and “#PitchMad” allow a writer’s work to be found easily. This will, therefore, help to grow a writer’s audience, ultimately growing their presence on the internet. With increased popularity, agents and publishers are more likely to discover them and recruit them, as there is already a solid base of people to sell their work to. By using these hashtags, publishers can also scroll through the many plot outlines and can find work that fits with their company’s brief. Therefore, a writer’s work will be prioritised by the publishing company as it’s what they’re looking for. This increases the chance of a writer being published, thus social media aided in their success. Similarly, apps such as Wattpad provide novice and advance writers the opportunity to share their work. This again grows a writer’s following and creates a social media presence. In the case of Regan Ure (who wrote and uploaded successful werewolf novels on this app), she gained over 250,000 followers and is now a successful self-published author, whose books can be found in stores like Waterstones and Amazon. So again, social media has allowed a writer to become published physically, as well as online.

 However, social media in itself is a form of publishing and once it is online, often there is no control over who uses it, therefore it is ‘easier than ever to find, copy and submit unoriginal work’[3]. Hence, plagiarism is a huge disadvantage of social media. This is because when an idea is stolen, the original author is discredited and receives no benefits for their own work. This is a problem amongst social media because it is so easy to do and ‘rarely comes with any consequences’[4]. The audience will be blinded of who the original writer was and so that writer loses readers and publicity, therefore, preventing their growth and success within the industry as they are overshadowed by more popular profiles.

 Nevertheless, readers and fellow writers can be very supportive on social media and can give constructive criticism on where a writer is striving and where one can improve. Jim Rohn says ‘it is better to give than to receive because giving starts the receiving process’[5]. This can be interpreted that giving feedback will help a writer to improve, which is much more useful to their craft as it helps them develop their skills. This feedback will make a writer’s manuscript more professional and so with a higher standard of work, a writer is more likely to be published, which would not have been possible without the opinions of others (given online). In this respect, social media is a very helpful tool as it provides new (and wide ranges of) perspectives on what a writer is doing well and what could be better. As perspective is unique and subjective, each critique will notice something different therefore creating a well-rounded piece of work. So, social media can be seen as a pilot test, as it establishes what a writer is doing well and where they are going wrong before it is published.

 On the other hand, the internet is a very unfiltered place with few restrictions and monitors on what people say and do. The anonymity of social media makes it a lot easier for people to say awful things to one another as there is no facial cue or body language that tells someone how the recipient is feeling at what someone is saying to them. This may cause a writer to withdraw from sharing their work out of fear of the negative opinions from others – ‘THIS is why I rarely share my pieces on Social Media’[6]. Because a writer isn’t sharing their work, they cannot establish a following and cannot build a portfolio which is a setback in their career. On social media, nobody knows what anyone else is going through, so one negative comment may mentally push a writer over the edge; permanently discouraging them from their craft. Here, social media is disadvantageous to a writer because it becomes filled with negative energy and can cause a writer to cease belief in their talent.

 In contrast, social media is an excellent place for a writer to market themselves and their work, ‘a lot of the responsibility to market your books is on you – the writer’[7], and social media platforms make this possible. A simple retweet on Twitter shares a writer’s work with a whole new following of people, therefore the free publicity helps a writer gain/reach a wider demographic. Through word of mouth and social buzz, people often conform to trends. So, if a Twitter user sees many of the people they follow talking about one writer’s book, the likelihood they will be interested (as they trust the opinions of the people they follow) is great, and so it may encourage them to buy the book and become a follower of the writer themselves. Social media is also a great way to establish a bond between reader and writer. If a reader can relate to a writer, they are more likely to trust what a writer says and be more supportive of the work they create. John Green, for example, has a YouTube channel, so with every video upload, he creates a stronger bond with his following. Because of this, his 2012 book “The Fault in Our Stars” reached ‘#1 on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists six months before the book was published’[8]. This success would not have been possible without his social media following, as it created excitement about the book’s release and intrigued those unfamiliar with his work. This platform also allowed John Green to stay relevant by consistently interacting and sharing work with his audience. Therefore, his fans engaged with not only his work but with the person behind the novel. This means social media enabled a writer to solidify their relationship with their audience, which is advantageous as ‘any dedicated community is a valuable community’[9]. Meaning a loyal fan base established online will consistently purchase and support the work of somebody they love, which will continue to drive a writer’s career forward. An opportunity that would not have been possible without social media connecting different people to one person.

 Social media has significantly impacted the idea of a “global village”. This theory suggests that the increased interconnectedness of the globe means we are all (theoretically) part of a single community. This is beneficial to a writer for two reasons. The first being that social media has exposed writers to new cultures, themes, and settings which will help them create a wider range of more realistic elements within their work as it expands their knowledge on the rest of the world. This, therefore, adds diversity within a writer’s content so that their audience experience a variety of plots within different pieces, rather than continuously reading similar content amongst writers. This means a writer will become more original and will stand out amongst others who are not exposed to the online communities, thus the audience will consistently return for more. The second reason this is advantageous is as it widens a writer’s platform by reaching new communities worldwide. This is beneficial as it has economic and social implications for a writer. If more people are aware of their work, more people will buy it, so a writer will potentially be nominated for awards as their work is being bought more often so their audience expands and so forth. This would not have been possible without the use of social media connecting countries together.

 Using social media as a writer does have both advantages and disadvantages. However, I believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages as ‘a creative use of social networking can turn the general public into your public’[10] which increases a writer’s analytics (for example audience engagement), thus rising popularity means publishers are more likely to work with the writer as they know people enjoy their content. Having this large audience allows a writer to interact with their readers and form a relationship with them. With this established trust, the audience will keep coming back for more. So, a writer’s upcoming/new projects will have higher amounts of “buzz” around them (creating a snowball effect on social platforms) which will further increase their popularity, so they can be discovered. Therefore, social media has created a positive multiplier effect for writers so, is essential for advancing their careers.

WORD COUNT: 1503

References:

[1] Statista.com - Unknown

[2] Powell, Juliette. 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking, London, Financial Times, 2009. (page 7)

[3] Bailey Jonathan, The Impact of Social Media on Plagiarism, Plagiarism Today, 2015

[4] Bailey Jonathan, The Impact of Social Media on Plagiarism, Plagiarism Today, 2015

[5] Jim Rohn – Give to receive, by Brainwash Yourself, 2017 (00:01:01)

[6] Hausauer Christina, When Constructive Criticism on Social Media Becomes Cyber Bullying, Medium – Writer’s Guild, 2018

[7] Jae Ava, Do Writer’s Need Social Media?, Blogspot, 2015

[8] Snyder, Brian. Authors, get thee to social media: explaining the rise and rise of YA books, The Conversation, 2016

[9] Powell, Juliette. 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking, London, Financial Times, 2009. (page 120)

[10] Trevleaven, Lou. “Meet Your Public: Creative Writing and Social Media”, In The Handbook of Creative Writing, 2014 (page 414-23)

Bibliography

Journals

Treleaven, Lou. "Meet Your Public: Creative Writing and Social Media." In The Handbook of Creative Writing, edited by Earnshaw Steven, 414-23. EDINBURGH: Edinburgh University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1g09x8s.48

Books

Powell, Juliette. 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking, London, Financial Times, 2009. (page 7, 120)

Websites

Statista, https://www.statista.com/topics/1164/social-networks/

https://www.reganure.com/about

Articles

Snyder, Brian. Authors, get thee to social media: explaining the rise and rise of YA books, The Conversation, 2016. http://theconversation.com/authors-get-thee-to-social-media-explaining-the-rise-and-rise-of-ya-books-57281

Hausauer, Christina. When Constructive Criticism on Social Media Becomes Cyber Bullying, Medium – Writer’s Guild, 2018. https://medium.com/writers-guild/when-constructive-criticism-on-social-media-becomes-blatant-bullying-73b25d338a3f

Jae, Ava. Do Writer’s Need Social Media?, Blogspot, 2015. http://avajae.blogspot.com/2015/09/do-writers-need-social-media.html

Bailey, Johnson. The Impact of Social Media on Plagiarism, Plagiarism Today, 2015. https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2015/06/04/the-impact-of-social-media-on-plagiarism/

Videos

Jim Rohn – Give to receive, Brainwash Yourself, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN4_hhh_LUQ

[popularchips-blog]

The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Social Media

New Post has been published on https://popularchips.com/dailies/the-2018-pyeongchang-winter-olympics-on-social-media/

The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics on Social Media

From the 9th to the 25th of February this year, the Winter Olympics were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Now that the events have come to a close, let us take a look at some of the highlights on social media, particularly some of those that do not involve the competing athletes themselves.

I. Soohorang (수호랑), the official mascot

What could be more popular on social media than the affable Soohorang, the official mascot for the 2018 Winter Olympics? This post, with several mascots gathered together to take a photograph backstage before making their final appearance in the closing ceremony, garnered 42914 likes and 685 comments as of the time of writing.

Time to say goodbye to our adorable #Soohorang 아쉽고 서운한 마음이 큰 이유.. 수고했어 수호랑, 안녕 수호랑! #폐회식_출격_직전 _____ #PyeongChang2018 #mascot #goodbye #2018평창 #동계올림픽 #마스코트 #백호🐯 #수호랑 #잘가_가지마..

A post shared by PyeongChang2018 (@pyeongchang2018) on Feb 25, 2018 at 7:09am PST

The marketing team of the Pyeongchang Olympics appears to have done their best to anthropomorphize the mascot. Thanks to their efforts, Soohorang has received much love over the Olympic season, with many posts on social media about its antics, such as the ones below.

. 피리어드끝나고 휴식시간에 애교부리는 #수호랑 . #PyeongChang2018 #soohorang #icehockey #🏒

A post shared by Kim Hyeonjin (@hihyeonjin) on Feb 21, 2018 at 4:45am PST

머리가 커서 수난 당하는 수호랑 pic.twitter.com/Yu42UdDVqS

— 라윰 (@xmfkdbap) February 9, 2018

You will be missed, #Soohorang! Bye bye! 😍#ClosingCeremony #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/GnUxhwm3qh

— Olympic Channel (@olympicchannel) February 25, 2018

A doll version of the mascot was even given to Olympic medalists in place of the flower wreaths that were handed to the medalists in the past.

Mikaela Shiffrin with her Soohorang doll [Image courtesy of The Independent]

Soohorang also made a final appearance in the closing ceremony in drone form.

#PyeongChang2018 #soohorang #수호랑 ❤

A post shared by IB (@iridescent_boy) on Feb 25, 2018 at 7:03am PST

It also appeared on stage, holding the hand of Hodori, the mascot of the 1988 Summer Olympics, which was held in South Korea.

Soohorang holding Hodori’s hand [Image courtesy of No Cut News]

II. EXO at the closing ceremony

The Korean boy band’s performance during the closing ceremony has been tweeted about so many times that the hashtag #Olympics_EXO continues to trend with several million tweets in various countries across the world.

Some of the tweets showed the boys backstage, waiting for their turn to perform.

The people I am always grateful for 💛 #Olympics_EXO #EXOL #BestFanArmy #iHeartAwards @weareoneEXO pic.twitter.com/Iguz4uicOV

— 나오꼼 🧚🏼‍♂️ (@choconini_) February 27, 2018

#Olympics_EXO trending at N°1 Worldwide Before and During the Bands performance at the #2018PyeongChangOlympics Closing Ceremony and still trending!👏1⃣🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺👑🌟https://t.co/exrPXDh5MJ pic.twitter.com/zzMoMGkyoR

— World Music Awards (@WORLDMUSICAWARD) February 25, 2018

Many of the tweets came from fans of EXO, who were glad that the band was being seen on an international platform and were even being mentioned in the news and on the radio.

I’ve been waiting for a moment like this for over two years~ ❤ I’m so glad EXO are finally getting the global recognition they deserve. Their performance was amazing! I’m so proud of them 💕💕 #Olympics_EXO @weareoneEXO pic.twitter.com/ATFQFROBAg

— Merit Leighton (@meritleighton) February 25, 2018

Exo take back their throne. #Olympics_EXO pic.twitter.com/LXIPeOmOfc

— KoKoBop (@YixuanU) February 26, 2018

THEY MENTIONED EXO AT THE SF CHRONICLE TODAY!!!! #Olympics_EXO pic.twitter.com/PUbiJ09oCa

— Annie Annie Bofanie (@ninjapirate902) February 26, 2018

They even received praise from some individuals who were not fans.

The South Korean boy band performing at the Olympic closing ceremonies would have been a better Super Bowl halftime show than Justin Timberlake. #ClosingCeremony

— Wes Smith (@wessmith1966) February 26, 2018

EXO showing the world that entertainment didn’t die, it just moved to Korea. #Olympics_EXO #Olympics #ClosingCeremony

— The S is Squared (@TheS_Squared) February 26, 2018

III. Politicians in the Winter Olympics

While the Olympics is in part a sporting competition, it is certainly also a large scale event of political interest. Many different news articles have been written about the brief unification of North and South Korea during the Olympics this year as well as about the unified Korean flag. But let’s take a look at what made it onto the social media accounts of regular people.

Here we see South Korean President, Moon Jae-In, with his wife along with American President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, Korean boy band EXO and Korean singer CL all posing for the camera. They can be seen very sportingly making mini hearts with their fingers, a sign that is often used by Korean celebrities to express their love towards their fans.

Masih sisa #pyeongchang2018 CL dan EXO bertemu Presiden Korea Selatan dan Ivanka Trump #exo #CL

A post shared by kpop_highlight (@kpop_highlight) on Feb 26, 2018 at 7:07pm PST

Here is Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s thank you to the athletes who had competed in the Olympics and encouragement message towards those participating in the Paralympics.

オリンピックの次は❣ パラリンピックですね(^-^)/❤ ガンバレニッポン‼💖✨ . #平昌オリンピック #平昌パラリンピック #ガンバレ日本 #pyeongchang2018 #pyongchangolympics #paralympics #fitting #japan

A post shared by 美馬怜子 (@mimaryoko) on Feb 26, 2018 at 6:36pm PST

Now that the Winter Olympics are over, it’s time for us to turn our eyes to the Paralympics. Will Bandabi be as well loved as Soohorang? Let’s find out!

[kpopgerapitico]

Song of the Week

We are back to our regularly scheduled large number of songs a week. And hopefully that means I will like something this week. Let’s just say I’m not looking forward to anything, but I’m up for some possibly nice surprises.

Honorable Mentions:

KBS has decided Mnet shouldn’t get all the money, and has used the fact that there are a shit ton of groups that have debuted and done pretty much nothing after that. So they are taking a bunch of people who have already been trained, and making them compete to debut. Sadly, My Type doesn’t have the power of Pick Me (either version), so as of right now, the reason to watch is Rain. I’m not saying its a bad reason, but it is my only one.

The chorus of DIA’s Good Night is cute and interesting. The rest is super the opposite of the style I like.

Gary has a really interesting style to his raps. He switches between rushed phrasing and more even phrasing, in the middle of a phrase. It adds almost a syncopation to what he does. And all of the verses of  고민 (Worry) have it spades.

There was a Chuseok show called Hyena on the Keyboard that took a bunch of producer and showed their different styles as they all composed a song. There were 4 songs, so here is each in a sentence:

Jung Jae Hyun has Jun Seung Hwan sing super emotionally for his song, in a style that feels almost like a musical.

Yooon Jong Shin made an MV for his, because he is extra.

Gray decided he should have all the artists on his song (Hoody, Loco, Sleepy and himself), and I really like the chorus with Hoody.

Hui impressed me by being so on trend, which I guess isn’t surprising based on his composing Energetic from Wanna One.

The best one is Hui’s, with Gray in a close second. Though I bet if I knew Korean, Yoon Jong Shin’s would have the best lyrics.

I have already listened to Got7′s You Are once before I listened to write this. And most of that listen involved me wanting a keychain of their necklace things. And loving Jinyoung’s voice. That is my whole opinion this listen too. Though props to Jaebum, who apparently composed this one, I have a feeling people will love this chorus.

Idk why all of 2pm is obsessed with doing ballads for their recent solos. I just wanted Wooyoung to rock my world :( I guess Still Here is decent. Just not special.

So, I think that the only cutesy stuff I like is the ones that are over a party track. Think Oh My Girl’s Coloring Book. Or from this week, thing Hashtag’s Hue. One part cute, one part club beat, and for some reason I’m hooked.

I really wanted to like MASC’s Do It. But I think it gets stuck in the retro vibe it is bringing when it doesn’t add anything from this century into the chorus. It is a perfectly decent throwback, and if that is your thing, you will like it. But I really like retro when it references the current as well. Or at least pulls from genres that normally wouldn’t be used together. Something to add interest would have been nice.

I’m not a huge fan of NU”EST’s Where You At, and for once, I have a musical reason (all that band class is finally come in). There is a chord progression in the background that hits this really weird resolution every time. Enough that it made my ear hear it literally every time. And it runs through the whole damn song. Oh, and I sort of hate the chorus. I didn’t expect this song to be so polarizing for me, but there you have it.

HA:FELT gets a mention this week for a pair of MV’s that are cyclical in the way they tell a story. Both inform the other. Both could be seen alone and the basic plot still understood. It is some really cool storytelling, even if I feel a little bit dense for not getting all of the connections between them. I Wander with Gaeko is my favorite of the songs, but it is so similar to Read Me that it isn’t much of a choice. Also, the lead actor’s locomotion in I Wander had me absolutely enthralled.

I’ve talked about the other two Seventeen units, so it felt like a disservice to not talk about the performance team. That being said, 13th Dance is perfectly fine. It’s no Highlight, in dance or song. Hopefully their next full comeback will be better than these team songs.

In a year where a whole of debuts haven’t sounded like debuts, it is nice for TS entertainment to be an absolute disappointment, with TRCNG’s Spectrum. The chorus is good, but the rest is a mess of a group that doesn’t have the charisma or tone to pull of this hardcore of a song. Also, TS is notorious for being crap to their idols, so they decided to add more?

I like the groove that Up10tion’s Going Crazy reaches in the chorus. I’m not sure why, because it is similar to their other stuff which I’ve been pretty indifferent to. Also, way to make a box set cool. The big graphic text that is also an optical illusion is pretty great.

I feel like if Despacito was made in Korea, it would be SF9′s O Sole Mio. And I am a little bit in love. The chorus is addicting, the flamenco guitar, the little EDM-y references. I really didn’t expect to like this song, but I’m glad that it turned out so good. Good enough that I’m gonna give it the win, if only because it is so different that any other kpop song I have ever heard.

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a returning citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                                  Park Jaehyung, who is also known as Jae;                                                 a 27 year old son of Amaterasu.                                            He is a student and street performer.

FC NAME/GROUP: Park Jaehyung /Day6 CHARACTER NAME: Park Jaehyung AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 27 / September 15th, 1992 PLACE OF BIRTH: Los Angeles, California OCCUPATION: Street Performer, YouTuber, and Student HEIGHT: 182 cm ~ 6'0" DEFINING FEATURES: He is often seen wearing any form of glasses, rain or shine. If the weather allows he’s usually wearing socks with sandals (for the meme). His hair is at the annoying length where it barely covers his eyes, except he never pushes it out of the way.

PERSONALITY: Jae has an outgoing personality and knows how to be a please a crowd. He enjoys the outdoors and is usually outside if the sun is shining. He is very energetic and is even more so if the sun is out. He loves dad humor and is the self-entitled pun and hashtag king. His personality can be seen as a little outlandish to some, and he is a bit of an acquired taste if you are just meeting him. He doesn’t get offended or annoyed very easily, and takes being teased well.

HISTORY: While growing up, Jae always wondered who he was. Born to a Korean father and a Japanese mother he never knew (though he wouldn’t learn this till much later in his life). His father remarried very early to an Argentinian woman, and Jae never questioned why they didn’t look alike. He was never sure what he identified with. The three names he was given gave him three different identities. Was he Mateo, Geoffrey, Jaehyung, or something more? His father obviously preferred Geoffrey for the family image, so that was the name he used for many years.

His father was a very sought after musical engineer. He had mixed songs for many famous singers and had clients in four different countries. Maybe his family wasn’t famous internationally, but they were definitely famous amongst the celebrity singers and musicians. While his father was busy making the money, Geoffrey was left in the care of his mother. Their relationship grew strong because of this, and he quickly became the biggest mama’s boy there was.

His father wanted Geoffrey to become a musician like him. He’d gotten the best teachers Los Angeles had to offer, and at a young age Geoffrey was taking piano lessons and listening to as much music as possible. He was no musical prodigy, but he wasn’t deaf, either. Over the years he’d learned how to play many instruments, music theory, and how to work sound equipment. At one point, he had a dream to become a famous musician himself, but his dad quickly shot that down.

Fortunately, his mother had convinced his father to let him go to public school instead of being homeschooled. They weren’t famous among the normal citizens so his father wouldn’t have to worry. Geoffrey was able to make many friends with his outgoing personality. In high school, his father took him to many of his workplaces, and Geoffrey decided to record meeting the different people in the music industry. His friends gave him the grand idea of putting them on YouTube. It was just for fun, but over his high school years and even into college, he had gained a lot of followers.

His second year into college was when he was at his happiest, but also his saddest. During a class, his father gave him a call. That never happened. He didn’t pick it up out of courtesy of his professor, but as soon as the call ended his phone rang again. Geoffrey knew something was wrong. Awkward as it was, he left the room and answered the call.

His mom was in the hospital in critical condition. A stroke was what the doctors had said. Geoffrey was distraught. He didn’t know what to say, what to do. His father showed no emotion, but Geoffrey knew better. He was just as worried, if not more than he was.

She didn’t make it to the next day. It was all over the media. Celebrities saying sorry for their loss, and that they wish the best for the Park family. Geoffrey knew better. It was out of concern for their reputation, not because they were sorry. Who would they be if they didn’t send their condolences to the very man who made them famous? As disconnected as his relationship with his father was, he now understood him better.

It wasn’t long after until his father told him the truth. His mom was really the Japanese goddess, Amaterasu. It sounded crazy, but whether he liked it or not, his father decided he would send Geoffrey off to Mount Phoenix. It was a city that the goddess had told his dad to take Geoffrey to if he wanted to really learn who he was. So off he went South Korea, dropping his English name for his Korean one, Park Jaehyung. It was time for Jae to figure out who he really was, and who he wanted to be.

~

Time has passed since Jae has first arrived. He’s met an array of different people, some more friendly than others, discovered his powers, and come and gone multiple times. Sometimes because of homesickness, other times because he felt he had to get away (also LA had this really good pizza place… an expensive flight back is worth it). Still, he couldn’t escape the charm of his second home. Once again, he lugs his guitar across the sea to the demigod island.

PANTHEON: Japanese CHILD OF: Amaterasu POWERS: Jae can harness the energy of the sun and help keep him energized throughout the day. His body temperature is higher than normal.

STRENGTHS: Jae is well versed in music. He can play instruments, pick music apart, and use different technology. His outgoing personality is easy to get along with, and he loves talking to others. He is most energetic during the day and loves waking up to watch the sunrise. He tries to make people comfortable around him.

WEAKNESSES: As soon as the sun is down, Jae usually feels really tired and has a hard time staying up late. He can be obnoxious if you don’t understand his humor or can’t stand his loudness. He has a hard time taking certain things seriously and is a bit oblivious.

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a new citizen in Mount Phoenix:

                               Park Jaehyung, who is known by no other name;                                                  a 25 year old son of Amaterasu.                                      He is a student, street performer and YouTuber.

FC NAME/GROUP: Park Jaehyung / Day6 CHARACTER NAME: Park Jaehyung AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 25 / September 15th, 1992 PLACE OF BIRTH: Los Angeles, California OCCUPATION: Street Performer, YouTuber, and Student DEFINING FEATURES: He is often seen wearing any form of glasses, rain or shine. If the weather allows he’s usually wearing socks with sandals (for the meme).

PERSONALITY: Being surrounded by many celebrities, Jae has an outgoing personality. He knows how to be a please a crowd. Jae enjoys the outdoors, and is usually outside if the sun is shining. He is very energetic, and is even more so if the sun is out. He loves dad humor, and is the self-entitled pun and hashtag king. His personality can be seen as a little outlandish to some, and he is a bit of an acquired taste if you are just meeting him.

HISTORY: While growing up, Jae always wondered who he was. Born to a Korean father and a Japanese mother he never knew (though he wouldn’t learn this till much later in his life). His father remarried very early to an Argentinian woman, and Jae never questioned why they didn’t look alike. He was never sure what he identified with. His three names he was given gave him three different identities. Was he Mateo, Geoffrey, Jaehyung, or something more? His father obviously preferred Geoffrey for the family image, so that was the name he used for many years.

His father was a very sought after musical engineer. He had mixed songs for many famous singers, and had clients in four different countries. Maybe his family wasn’t famous internationally, but they were definitely famous amongst the celebrity singers and musicians. While his father was busy making the money, Geoffrey was left in the care of his mother. Their relationship grew strong because of this, and he quickly became the biggest mama’s boy there was.

His father wanted Geoffrey to become a musician like him. He’d gotten the best teachers Los Angeles had to offer, and at a young age Geoffrey was taking piano lessons and listening to as much music as possible. He was no musical prodigy, but he wasn’t deaf, either. Over the years he’d learned how to play many instruments, music theory, and how to work sound equipment. At one point, he had a dream to become a famous musician himself, but his dad quickly shot that down.

Fortunately, his mother had convinced his father to let him go to public school instead of being homeschooled. They weren’t famous among the normal citizens, so his father wouldn’t have to worry. Geoffrey was able to make many friends with his outgoing personality. In high school, his father took him to many of his work places, and Geoffrey decided to record meeting the different people in the music industry. His friends gave him the grand idea of putting them on YouTube. It was just for fun, but over his high school years and even into college, he had gained a lot of followers.

His second year into college was when he was at his happiest, but also his saddest. During a class, his father gave him a call. That never happened. He didn’t pick it up out of courtesy of his professor, but as soon as the call ended his phone rang again. Geoffrey knew something was wrong. Awkward as it was, he left the room and answered the call.

His mom was in the hospital in critical condition. A stroke was what the doctors had said. Geoffrey was distraught. He didn’t know what to say, what to do. His father showed no emotion, but Geoffrey knew better. He was just as worried, if not more, than he was.

She didn’t make it to the next day. It was all over the media. Celebrities saying sorry for their loss, and that they wish the best for the Park family. Geoffrey knew better. It was out of concern for their reputation, not because they were sorry. Who would they be if they didn’t send their condolences to the very man who made them famous? As disconnected as his relationship with his father was, he now understood him better.

It wasn’t long after till his father told him the truth. His mom was really the Japanese goddess, Amaterasu. It sounded crazy, but whether he liked it or not, his father decided he would send Geoffrey off to Mount Phoenix. It was a city that the goddess had told his dad to take Geoffrey to if he wanted to really learn who he was. So off he went South Korea, dropping his english name for his Korean one, Park Jaehyung. It was time for Jae to figure out who he really was, and who he wanted to be. PANTHEON: Japanese CHILD OF: Amaterasu POWERS: Jae can harness the energy of the sun and help keep him energized throughout the day. His body temperature is higher than normal, but he doesn’t know the extent of his powers. STRENGTHS: Jae is well versed in music. He can play instruments, pick music apart, and use different technology. His outgoing personality is easy to get along with, and he loves talking to others. He is most energetic during the day and loves waking up to watch the sunrise. He tries to make people comfortable around him. WEAKNESSES: As soon as the sun is down, Jae usually feels really tired and has a hard time staying up late. He can be obnoxious if you don’t understand his humor or can’t stand his loudness. He has a hard time taking certain things seriously and is a bit oblivious.