#indian idol voting time

[i-cant-sing]

just wanted to say Kashmir has always belonged to India

And you were saying why people of India is always about Pakistan is because Pakistan is always sending terrorist in India and we are not going to forget about the death of our indian army

And you were talking about BJP, BJP is the first political partie in India that has guy to ban the three times saying divorce means divorce many of female muslim in India support BJP for this

By your logic, Pakistan and Bangladesh also belong to India? Should they all just reverse their independence???

Personally, as someone with Kashmiri ancestors, I think yall should have Kashmir vote whether they wanna stay in India, join Pakistan or be independent altogether.

As far as the whole "announce divorce 3 times" goes, that's an Islamic thing okay? There's a way things are done in each religion, they don't have to provide u or the state reasons for that. I'm sure, whoever passed the ban probably thought he was helping Muslim women out or something but it wasnt BJPs problem to deal with. Besides... why... why are they banning hijab?? What good is that bringing to the world? Is it fair for the Indian Muslims to not be able to practice their religion freely, while Indian Hindus get to do it??? What about Muslims slaughtering animals on eid? Should we ban that too because the BJP, a majorly Hindu party, feels its uncomfortable, if not outright disrespectful because they worship cows??? Then, should Muslims be allowed to bash all the idols because they consider it disrespectful to have so many gods????

And look, Im mot saying Pakistan is completely innocent. I'm sure they've done terrible things too when minoritiesare considered (like blasphemyaccusations end up costing u your life there), but to consider the actions of few bad people and assume everyone of association is a terrorist is just downright stupid. Not even sad, pathetic, its stupid.

Should you be afraid of me because I'm a Muslim? Huh? Do you hate me now?

Thing is u are probably wondering why I'm being all Pro Muslims rn when every other community in the world is also suffering/had suffered through something bad... why I'm soooo "insensitive" to the Hindus pain?

Because you/whoever that anon was decided that the time to bring up the Hindu suffering is when I'm talking about Palestine. The fucking nerve. What you/that anon was trying to do was overshadow the Palestinian suffering, by bringing up Hindus. Not to mention, how they mentioned being afraid of Muslims now?? Idc how old u are, its not okay to be racist and its not my job to teach you right from wrong.

Now, you could say whatever you want about me- I give two shits. If you really care about Hindus suffering and what not, post about it on your blog. Raise awareness. But you can't guilt me into sympathising for your cause by making me stop talking about Palestine. I'm not forcing u to raise awareness about Palestine, am I?

[beardedmrbean]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a grand temple to Hindu god Ram in the flashpoint city of Ayodhya.

He said it heralded "a new era" for India - the temple replaces a 16th-Century mosque torn down by Hindu mobs in 1992, sparking riots in which nearly 2,000 people died.

Top film stars and cricketers were among guests at the event in Ayodhya.

But some Hindu seers and most of the opposition boycotted it, saying Mr Modi was using it for political gain.

General elections are due in India in the next few months and Mr Modi's political rivals say the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be seeking votes in the temple's name in a country where 80% of the population is Hindu.

Critics have also accused the government of exploiting a religious celebration in a country which - according to its constitution - is secular. For Muslims, India's biggest minority, the event evoked fear and painful memories, members of the community in Ayodhya told the BBC in the run-up to Monday's ceremony.

Televised live, it showed Mr Modi performing religious rituals inside the temple's sanctum along with priests and Mohan Bhagwat, head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - the ideological fountainhead of Hindu nationalist parties.

The complex history of India's Ayodhya holy site

Transforming a flashpoint holy city into the ‘Hindu Vatican’

"Today's date will go down in history," Mr Modi said after the event. "After years of struggle and countless sacrifices, Lord Ram has arrived [home]. I want to congratulate every citizen of the country on this historic occasion."

The temple has been constructed at a cost of $217m (£170m), funded from private donations. Only the ground floor was opened - the rest is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The construction work is part of a revamp for the city, estimated to cost more than $3bn.

The building of the Ram temple in Ayodhya fulfils a decades-long Hindu nationalist pledge. Many Hindus believe the Babri mosque was built by Muslim invaders on the ruins of a temple where the Hindu god was born.

The movement to build the temple helped propel the BJP into political prominence in the 1990s.

There was a festive atmosphere as tens of thousands of chanting Hindu devotees waved flags and beat drums - military helicopters showered flower petals on the temple. Saffron flags with pictures of Lord Ram line streets in the city festooned with marigolds, as do banners with the faces of Mr Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Some of India's biggest celebrities, including Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, attended.

Temple rises from ruins of one of India’s darkest days

Listen: The temple at the heart of Modi's India re-election bid

Transforming a flashpoint holy city into the ‘Hindu Vatican’

In many other northern cities Hindus lit lamps, and saffron flags carrying images of Ram are fluttering on rooftops, including in several parts of Delhi. Cinemas screened the event, and big screens relayed pictures from Ayodhya to town squares and residential neighbourhoods.

The ceremony, called Pran Pratishtha, which loosely translates from Sanskrit into "establishment of life force", lasted about an hour. Hindus believe that chanting mantras and performing rituals around a fire will infuse sacred life in an idol or a photograph of a deity.

Several domestic TV stations built huge sets by the side of the river Saryu, a tributary of the Ganges, just behind the temple, and provided wall-to-wall coverage of the event, some proclaiming the moment of consecration as the start of "Ram Rajya" (Lord Ram's rule) in India.

Hindus celebrated the inauguration in other countries too. Massive billboards of Lord Ram graced Times Square in New York, where a group of devotees braved the freezing weather to gather in the middle of the night.

Temples all across the United Kingdom - where Indians are one of the largest diaspora groups - marked the event. Colourful posters had been shared inviting devotees to honour the occasion and celebrations involved flowers, sweets and music. There were also some celebrations in Muslim-majority Dubai - where Indians are a significant population - but from Indian news reports these appeared more muted than elsewhere.

In 2019, the Supreme Court gave the disputed land to Hindus after a protracted legal battle followed the mosque's demolition. Muslims were given a plot outside the city for a mosque but have yet to build one.

One member of the community the BBC spoke to in Ayodhya ahead of Monday's inauguration agreed that Hindus have the right to build the temple after the Supreme Court gave them the site.

"We did not accept that decision happily, but what can we do," he said. Another man said he was happy Hindus are building the temple - "but we are also sad because it was built after destroying a mosque".

The new three-storey temple - made with pink sandstone and anchored by black granite - stretches across 7.2 acres in a 70-acre complex. A 51-inch (4.25-ft) statue of the deity, specially commissioned for the temple, was unveiled last week. The idol has been placed on a marble pedestal in the sanctum sanctorum.

Thousands of police were deployed for Monday's event, despite Mr Modi having appealed to pilgrims not to turn up and to watch the ceremony on television. In many states a full or half day holiday was called, with schools and colleges closed and stock markets shut.

The build-up to a demolition that shook India

The man who helped Lord Ram win the Ayodhya case

But a sour note was struck with some top religious seers saying that as the temple was not yet complete, it was against Hinduism to perform the rituals there, and many opposition leaders deciding to stay away.

Some opposition-ruled states also announced their own plans for the day - West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she would pray at the iconic temple to goddess Kali in Kolkata and then lead an all-faith rally. The eastern state of Odisha (Orissa) unveiled huge plans to bring pilgrims to the Jagannath temple in Puri, one of the holiest sites for Hindus.

Authorities say they expect more than 150,000 visitors per day once the temple in Ayodhya is fully ready.

To accommodate this expected rush, new hotels are being built and existing ones spruced up as part of a major makeover and in recent weeks, a new airport and railway station have opened.

Officials say they are building a "world-class city where people come as pilgrims and tourists", but many local people have told the BBC that their homes, shops and "structures of religious nature" have been either completely or partially demolished to expand roads and set up other facilities.

[rubberizer92]

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Now, let's talk about how your voice shapes this extraordinary season. Your votes on Instagram, Instagram Stories, Tumblr, and now Twitter (X) hold the power to determine the fate of our All-Star contestants. Every like, comment, save, or 'Yes' vote on Instagram Stories will push them closer to glory, while a 'No' vote will deduct from their positive votes. And yes, you heard it right – OBEY is now officially live on Twitter (X), responding to popular demand with even more exciting content! 🗳️📱🐦

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[shut-up-rabert]

Do you think that despite everything and despite the nature of Sanatanis as a majority being starkly different from any other majority in the world, we still have any priveleges as a majority? Of course we've already established that being a majority doesn't necessarily mean we cannot be oppressed but do you think we still exercise some degree of privelege that minorities don't? I'm looking for as many viewpoints as I can and you're the only hindutva blog I know.

Hmm, If I’m being honest the only “majority privilege” I can think of is of Sanatan being seen as an inseparable part of our culture in the media.

If you see India being portrayed in other countries, you have a highte chance of seeing a Sanatani person or an idol or a temple in the background than you have of seeing mosques or churches. But I guess the fact that this is the birthplace of one of the largest religions of one and virtually the only country with a sizeable population of us (Nepal, Bali, Mauritius, Fiji and Trinidad aren’t as known still sadly) , so I think half of the times it can be them showing Indians when they have to portray Hindus rather than them showing Hindus when they have to show Indians, though it is certainly the latter at just as many times.

Other than that, being a majority in democracy certainly pays. We have voted in a government we found benificial to ourselves, goes on to iterate that we hold a massive amount of power united. 80% is big afterall. This might sound problematic and it is pretty fucked up aswell, but Godhra and Delhi riots are a negative outcome of “hindus” deciding to unite for the wrong thing, even if for a reactionary reason. The Hindus all over the country uniting against them for righteousness such as in Bilkis Bano case, is a positive example of same. The dominance of Sanatani sentiment in states like Maharashtra,UP and Gujrat is also a result of us unitedly taking action to propagate the Hindu side.

Having 4/5th of power helps outside the political sphere aswell. The Ram Mandir Movement, Temple restoration movements and massive success of Kashmir Files has to show for that.

But our power as a majority is pretty harmless mostly because we don’t bear any ill will, and like you said it does not stop us from being oppressed because we rarely tend to take any fragmented attack on us seriously. So while yes, there are majority perks, it certainly is not half as decisive as media tries to portray it. This is for 2 reasons:

We aren’t inherently malicious. We have a live and let live philosophy which makes us totally harmless sans a few extreme right looney bin dropouts.

We tend to unite less. The examples I stated above are some of the few times we stand together and work as a majority. More often than not, like Bilkis or Kanhaiya case, we are all internally aware of right and wrong but lack the momentum to make things right or fight back against the injustice. And while 1 is totally great, 2 is something we need to change. We hold the power of majority and can get things done, but we waste it on things like a bikini colour and lose the heat instead of channeling it on right kind of stuff. I think people need to speak up more instead of all of us internally agreeing on what is wrong and what is right. so yeah, this is all I can think of, but I hope it helps. Thankyou!

[readersfusion]

Don't miss your chance to vote for your favorite Indian Idol 13 finalist! Learn how to vote on SonyLiv and FirstCry App, and know the exact timing for today only. Hurry, make your voice heard now!

[incorrectmahabharatquotes]

1. If you don't understand the concept of cognitive biases, then I encourage you to read up on the concept. Of course it matters that most of the politicians active are Hindus and upper caste Hindus, for that matter. It doesn't matter which party they belong to, either. It's not gibberish just because you refuse to comprehend reality.

2. Well, if you have done even the basic research about whenever the act is talked about in the parliament and the Supreme court, you will learn that the stated intention was to try to create a welfare measure to help poor muslims and encourage community building. Now, you may not find it particularly tasteful and that's your opinion. I, for one, dislike how the corruption in the board has systematically kept any financial aid from reaching the poor muslim community who actually need the support of the welfare scheme.

Acting like welfare politics is something new or something unique to Muslims is weird to me, though. Indian politics has always been played with welfare measures. Even our dear beloved Prime Minister Narendra Modi loves to use welfare schemes in politics to ensure votes. What else do you think the ration scheme, the housing scheme, electricity line connection etc schemes are? It's a way to ensure that the poor people vote for him. Like I said, you can't really act like this is a Congress-unique thing. Literally every political party does it. You have only an issue with this one specifically because you happen to dislike the people the scheme was for.

3. One, hindutva=hindu and it never has been. It's a religious nationalist movement. You can't just act like all hindus believe in hindutva. It would be a demonstrably false claim.

You clearly have a whole issue with the anti-caste movement and honestly nothing I could say will rid you of this. I personally don't think there's any issue with people who have been discriminated against by the Hindu supremacist nonsense speaking up about wanting to get rid of the source of their oppression.

4. Your entire fourth point is honestly so Islamophobic, I don't know how you didn't shrivel up with shame writing that. You should read what you wrote again. Mandirs and masjids are both buildings. They can both be extremely well made and serve their function well. Just because you happen to place an emphasis on one, doesn't make the other inferior. Maybe try taking off your hindutva glasses once in a while.

Hindus pray anywhere. There are many different forms of Hinduism and not all of them require having an idol in sight. Are you one of those people who thinks all other forms of Hinduism are invalid? There are even tiny temples made on the side of roads all the time and it's normal. Also I don't know why you're acting like people just sit on busy roads all the time. Do you not go outside on your own?

5. ...are you very young? Are you new to voting? This is just normal voter behaviour. People vote for whoever serves their needs. I'm sure you voted according to who you believe is the best for your hindutva interests. You're just okay when the parties are appeasing you and bothered when they're appeasing others. You have to start thinking that other people are actual fellow human beings or your brain will rot away, buddy.

You really don't understand the difference between relative and absolute in terms? Look it up, it'll make sense, I promise. "Second largest majority" as opposed to close to a BILLION Hindus? Kuch bhi mat bola karo na. Thoda soch liya karo.

- Mod S

Would you also have the same issue if the masjid was built instead of the mandir? then I agree with it otherwise not

Yes, if I lived in a Muslim majority country and masjid was being built and communal hatred was being incited against the country's minorities in the name of said building, I'd be saying the same thing. OBVIOUSLY. If something is wrong, it's wrong. Unlike some people, my stance on human rights doesn't change because they happen to belong to a different label.

On a different note, why are people always doing this strange what-aboutery? Do they think the situation changes just because you change the arbitrary labels? Or do people want a "gotcha!" moment for me?

-Mod S

[the-other-art-blog]

Some good things about Little Men 1998-9

Someone finally posted all the episodes of Little Men 1998-9 on YouTube (here’s the link). I know I destroyed Amy’s characterization in a recent post. But it’s the only adaptation that I’ve seen about the sequels, so I watched... most of it? I looked at the scenes that were about the sisters especially (I’m wasn’t interested in watching the scenes between Jo and Nick. They didn’t even give Jo time to grief the love of her life! 😡). Yet, turns out the series does have a few interesting topics. 

Laurie deals with toxic masculinity!

In Episode 1x08 “Bluffing” Laurie feels a bit intimidated? insecure? See, The Laurences are visiting Plumfield and talking to Jo about taking Bess to a recital of Mozart in Boston, and then they tell her about watching Giselle’s ballet 😊 . And he’s so excited! But then Nick comes and he’s talking about doing manual work, cleaning the chimney or something like that and it makes Laurie feel bad about himself. Cause of course, he doesn’t do any of that work. Yes, because he’s rich, but also because he’s just not that type of guy.

Regardless he wants to fix that (as if there was something to fix). Then, Jo is worried about Nick’s doings, he spent the night out and stuff. And Laurie thinks it’s a perfect opportunity to hang out with him to “check on him.” Turns out, Nick gambles. And so Laurie follows him and it causes a mess.

The point, and why I love this episode, is because in the end Laurie confesses to Nick that he only wanted to fit in with the men, you know the “manly” men who drink and smoke at the bar, who play cards, who are strong and carry things, bla bla bla.

Laurie: I wanted to be one of the guys.

Nick: Laurie, playing cards at the tavern might not be the right thing for you. But y’know what? Goin’ to the ballet is not the right the for me. But neither way makes you or me any more or less of a man.

I really love that. Cause I think one of the reasons Jo was more into “manly” men was because they get the job done. If Laurie gets a pass is because he’s rich. But Nat, for example, wasn’t rich, so Meg and Jo worried that he wouldn’t be able to give Daisy a good life. 

Suffragette movement

I like that they addressed the movement in episode 2x09. Jo and Nan are all excited about it. But I also liked that Amy and Laurie are a bit reluctant to help, not because they don’t support it wholeheartedly but because it can affect Laurie’s business greatly. Many of his clients have threatened him on ending business if he supports the women. So the have to be very careful. It just reminded me how Bronson Alcott took a black boy into his classroom and that was devastating for him and the family cause few people were okay with that. It’s very easy to order someone to risk it all but it comes at a cost.

Anyway, in the end Amy, Meg and Asia join Jo and they vote... and they get arrested 😂. I just love the image of Amy in a jail. Of course they know they did something great but it’s a bit funny. Don’t worry, Laurie paid the bail for all of them.

The kids at Plumfield

For some reason Demi and Daisy are not in this series. They exist but they don’t attend Plumfield. Which is a shame because they deprived us from DaisyxNat cuteness!

So Nan and Bess are the only girls. At first they fight because they are like oil and water but eventually they become besties (they’re about the same age in this adaptation). I really like that they accept their differences and care for each other a great deal. And they kept the plot of Nan wanting to be a doctor!

Also, because they kind of made BessxDan a bit more plausible in this one. They are also the same age in this one. The problem is not precisely the age difference in the book, but their incompatibility and the way Dan idolizes her. But here, they’re cute. Whatever. And they did establish Dan’s connection with the Indians.

Amy (they tried)

Episode 1x13 has Amy trying to impress a member of the Organization of American Women. She wants in but has to go to an interview. For some reason, she says she lives in Plumfield. I think everyone would know she’s lying. But anyway, she invites them to a dinner. Aunt March used to be in that organization and Amy wants to continue that legacy. So far, that was great. I was very happy to see that.

One of my headcanons is that Amy did belong to a organization of the sort, precisely following Aunt March’s legacy. And I really liked how she talked about everything her aunt did for her and how much she owns her. Cause a big part of who Amy is, it’s because of Aunt March. But guess what? They used it as an opportunity to imply that Amy was ashamed of her parents. So I’m going to leave it at that.

Then in episode 2x02, I love that they showed how good Amy is at organizing events. And we see her and Laurie dance 😊 . They do have a couple of cute moments in the whole series. But I’m still mad at most of it.

[chris-evans]

I don’t enjoy posting too many personal posts, but I haven’t been able to stop crying this past hour. This is the closest Indian-Americans have ever gotten to the Oval Office. I grew up with two immigrant parents, with a father who had a love for politics, even though he knew no one cared about the opinions of a poor working class immigrant. He always said he’d never get to see an Indian American President, but he always hoped it’d happen someday. He died in November 2011, so I’m very heartbroken today that he didn’t get to see a short nine years later, the first Indian American WOMAN Vice President. I’m so happy for all the immigrants and their children today. I cannot explain enough what this moment means to all of us and me. I spent my entire life wanting to go into politics and government work because of my father’s love for politics. I chose to go to law school so that I could hopefully someday be a public servant. The only politician I could idolize growing up was Hillary Clinton, who was at that time the senator of my home state. The 2016 election broke my heart, but today my heart is full. This is a huge win for all of us. We matter. We don’t have to just be grateful to be allowed to come into this country and get a piece of the American Dream. We can rise to the high ranks or the U.S. Government. Thank you to everyone who voted for making this possible. Thank you to all of the wonderful and beautiful black women who carried Joe Biden in Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. I cannot thank you all enough. I love this country with my whole heart and I’ve never been more proud to be an American.

[skiasurveys]

523

bold what applies

I like to consider the idea of getting a PhD.

It scares me to make commitments regarding my future.

Comparing myself to others is the #1 thing that makes me feel upset.

I get really annoying and chatty when I’m scared.

I enjoy memorizing things, be it poems, sequences of numbers, or whatever.

After it storms, it interests me to drive around and see all the downed trees and damage.

I imagine that ordinary things are magical and it makes life more fun.

Sometimes I say things in a stupid accent for no reason.

I love playing and usually win at trivia games.

I am eagerly anticipating receiving something in the mail.

I usually feel shitty after scrolling through my Facebook Newsfeed.

Sometimes after hearing a song in a movie scene, I gain a whole new appreciation for the song.

I don’t like it when rooms have walls that are not all the same color.

I hate when there’s a cute guy around and I want him to talk to me but he doesn’t.

I enjoy cleaning out and organizing my iTunes.

I prefer sociology over psychology.

I would describe myself as quite quiet but friendly.

I tend to have dreams where I’m intensely angry more often than I have dreams where I am scared.

I am terrified to ever have to write a college thesis.

Clothes rarely fit me right off the rack. It’s discouraging and annoying.

I will defend the things I love TO THE GRAVE.

I have played the game Skylanders and it’s absolutely adorable and fun.

As cheesy as it sounds, looking into the mirror and saying positive things really helps my self-esteem.

It’s easy for my imagination to get going and I spook myself easily.

It bothers me a bit when celebrities get to write and publish novels.

Bad writing inspires me to write most, because I think, “if people enjoy THAT, they’ll definitely enjoy what I can write.”

I really never want to get pregnant.

I have tried almond milk, rice milk, and soy milk.

Something that bothers me more than when someone says something offensive, is when someone else defends the offensive statement.

I never wanted to be a princess when I was little.

I adore old houses, especially if they’re “haunted.”

I’m terribly embarrassed of my past self.

I love the taste of garlic in food, but garlic breath grosses me out so much.

I really enjoy old horror movies.

I keep on remembering songs I haven’t listened to in years because of Songpop.

^ which is the first Facebook game I have ever enjoyed…

Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of my idols.

English is not my first language, but usually people can’t tell immediately.

I have a secret notebook which no one even knows exists and I would rather die than have anyone read it.

My current roommates are the best I’ve had so far.

Good posture really attracts me in someone of my preferred gender.

^ as do strong, maintained eyebrows.

I can’t really function with an Apple computer, lack of experience with those.

I don’t feel emotions the way ”normal” people do.

I don’t own a soft wallet, mine is plastic.

I tend to date men with power positions when it comes to their jobs.

No matter how hard I try, I seem to be unable to whistle.

Good manners are quite important to me.

I was once very involved in a certain sport.

I actually really enjoy cleaning my ears. hahahaha.

I refuse to eat ketchup on anything.

I often sigh really loudly by accident.

I much prefer the colder seasons to summer.

When I feel extra fancy, I fishtail my hair. It is incidentally the fanciest thing I can do with it.

I am a master at getting along with people when I try, because I am very good at figuring out how they want me to react and what they expect me to say, and if I don’t care about them and can’t be bothered to interact properly, I go into that mode.

I refuse to mow the grass, for some reason it terrifies me.

I get pretty bad season allergies.

I don’t eat pork.

My blood type is O positive.

I have ghostly pale skin.

Singlespeed bikes are my favourite.

I have never used shaving cream in my entire life. I never saw any repercussions.

I feel most people I have met in my life would do better if they toughened up.

I have a bigger problem with people who think that feminism has anything to do with hating or belittling men than with people who don’t identify to the feminist movement.

I have struggled with drug use in the past.

I have never used a credit card.

This year, I will vote for something on a national level.

There is absolutely no carpet in my flat.

Currently, I have no interest in learning how to drive.

The job I want to do after school is rather uncommon.

One of my favourite drinks is Kvass. :s :s :s

I cook a lot, and enjoy it very much.

I am a daddy’s girl, by far.

My longest relationship was a long-distance one.

One of my favourite bands is Iron Maiden.

I am unable to write in print, I actually have to stop and remember not to write in cursive after every letter.

When I was a child, I had the ”by myself” syndrome and refused any help from anyone to do whatever.

It still hasn’t changed much, haha.

My computer tends to overheat quite often.

Fiddler on the Roof is my favourite musical.

I have an incredibly high alcohol tolerance.

My phone is always dead.

Indian food is my favourite ethnic cuisine.

My mother works in psychology.

My father works in the cooking industry. He also works in the music industry.

I feel very hot at the moment, and I get anxiety when I’m too hot.

I’m pretty picky about things in general.

However, I refuse to pick a restaurant when asked.

I don’t bite my nails.

I have a piece of jewelry representing a flag on my body at all times.

I seldom shave my legs, my hair grows very slowly. :P

I used to be pretty active in the survey community, and only just recently came back.

Only one person in my family has had a serious disease such as cancer.

I have no idea how much I weigh.

Or how tall I

1. i am currently on facebook.

2. i like the band maroon 5.

3. I have hugged some of my best buddies today.

4. I have hugged someone I like today.

5. I think Bonzai waterslides are amazing.

6. i put hair clips in my hair almost everyday.

7. Hubba Bubba gum = yum.

8. I think 5 gum is disgusting.

9. I hate when I take a shower, my hair gets my back all wet.

10. It really hurts when someone hits you with a sock!

11. dachshunds are adorable.

12. I have never played chess before.

13. I don’t really care for instrumental songs.

14. i put my ipod on shuffle, but then i end up skipping half of the songs anyway.

15. i love brother/sister relationships.

16. ^I have one with someone.

17. i’m usually invisible on aim.

18. I feel like I repeat myself on every survey.

19. Today was really fun.

20. I am messaging someone through Facebook at this moment.

21. i hate when people become impatient when you are trying to do something.

22. ^Although I do.

23. All that I wanted to hear from you, something of value, something untrue.

24. People never seem to answer on AIM.

25. My cat always walk in front of my computer screen.

26. My cat is sitting on the desk right now.

27. i don’t like it when people come and watch what i’m doing on my computer.

28. i never publish any of my entries to facebook.

29. ^I don’t understand why you would.

30. I enjoy countdown surveys.

[dpr-lahore-division]

CM OFFERS EID PRAYER AT HIS OFFICE MOSQUE

With the compliments of, The Directorate General Public Relations,

Government of the Punjab, Lahore Ph: 99201390.

No.1171/QU/RANA

HANDOUT (A)

LAHORE, July 23:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar offered eid prayer at the office mosque and extended felicitations to the staff while observing social distancing. He especially prayed for the solidarity of the country and the protection of oppressed Kashmiris of Indian Occupied Kashmir from Indian tyranny. The CM also performed the ritual of animal sacrifice.

Qari Mehboob Ahmed Chisthi led the eid prayer.

** ** **

No.1172/QU/RANA

HANDOUT (A)

RS. 2 CRORE AID FOR AFFECTEES OF DG KHAN ACCIDENT

LAHORE, July 23:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has announced Rs.20 million as financial aid for the injured and heirs of passengers who died in the DG Khan road accident. He has also directed the CMIT to hold an inquiry to name those responsible for the negligence. In the light of the report, further action would be initiated against those responsible for the loss of more than 30 lives.

Meanwhile, DC Rajanpur and administrative officers gave away financial aid cheques among the affectees and condoled with them on behalf of the government.

In a statement, the CM repeated that the government will not leave the affectees alone and the government will extend every possible support to them. I am deeply saddened over the loss of lives and extend heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families, he added.

** ** **

No.1173/QU/RANA

HANDOUT (A)

CM VISITS CENTRAL CONTROL ROOM OF LG BOARD COMPLEX

LAHORE, July 23:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar visited the central control room of Local Government Board Complex Sandha on the day of eid to inspect the cleanliness arrangements across the province. Secretary Local Government Noor-ul-Amin Mangal briefed the CM about the arrangements.

CM Usman Buzdar also issued directions to the administration of different districts through video-link emphasizing that cleanliness is a collective responsibility. The district administration will be rewarded for immaculate arrangements while the poor performers will be held answerable, he informed. No system can progress without the option of reward and punishment; he maintained and reiterated to ensure best cleanliness arrangements adding that animals' waste should be timely removed for proper disposal. Streets and roads should be devoid of any garbage; he stressed and directed the line departments to ensure better cleanliness arrangements than before. The concerned officials should personally monitor arrangements while using every possible resource and citizens' complaints should be timely resolved, he added. I am monitoring the arrangements and action would be initiated in case of any remissness, he concluded.

Provincial Minister Mian Mehmood ur Rashid, commissioner and DC Lahore, DG LDA and CEO LWMC were also present.

** ** **

No.1174/QU/RANA

HANDOUT (A)

CM CONCOLDES DEATH OF SENIOR JOURNALIST ARIF NIZAMI

LAHORE, July 23:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has expressed a deep sense of sorrow over the death of senior journalist Arif Nizami and paid tributes to his contribution to the field of journalism. The CM also prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and grant courage to the heirs to bear the loss with equanimity. Arif Nizami was fully committed to the promotion of democracy and democratic norms in the society and the pain of his departure would always remain alive, he added.

** ** **

No.1175/QU/RANA

HANDOUT (A)

CM VISITS CITY TO INSPECT THE CLEANLINESS SITUATION

LAHORE, July 23:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar visited various parts of Lahore on the second day of eid sans protocol to review the cleanliness situation. He spoke with the sanitary workers and commended their role in the city’s cleanliness. The zero-waste operation should be ensured and solid waste be removed at the earliest, he said. The administration and LWMC should constantly monitor the cleanliness operations to further improve the arrangements. I will not tolerate any leniency about cleanliness arrangements and midnight oil should be burnt for the cleanliness of the city, the CM concluded.

** ** **

No.1176 /QU/RANA

HANDOUT (A)

CM FOR CONTINUING CLEANLINESS DRIVE ON THIRD EID DAY

LAHORE, July 23:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has directed to continue cleanliness operation on 3rd day of Eid Al-Adha adding that the animals' waste and other garbage should be properly disposed of. The line departments should make every effort to keep the cities clean as no compromise would be made on cleanliness, he stressed. Action will be initiated in case of any complaint as cities should give a clean look, he further said.

** ** **

No.1177/QU/RANA

HANDOUT (A)

CM APPEALS TO THE CITIZENS TO FOLLOW SOPs

LAHORE, July 23:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has appealed to the citizens to remain careful as the number of patients is increasing due to the fourth corona wave.

In a statement, the CM maintained the citizens can avoid this virus by following the SOPs as it is in their interests. Everyone should display responsible social behavior as the disease is spreading, he said. The people should vaccinate themselves and wear masks as the government could adopt steps for securing the lives of the people, the CM concluded.

** ** **

No.1178 /QU/RANA

HANDOUT (A)

PTI WILL WIN AJK ELECTIONS—USMAN BUZDAR

LAHORE, July 23:

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has said the sun will see the victory of PTI in the AJK elections on 25th July. The PTI will successfully form the government in AJK after Gilgit-Baltistan.

In a statement, the CM said the voters have totally rejected the narrative of the opposition in AJK. Defeat is the fate of opposition parties and they cannot together compete with PTI, he added. The Kashmiris are siding with honest and trustworthy leadership and they will vote for the trustworthy leadership, he stressed. The PTI will win the elections with the support of Kashmiris and blessings of Allah Almighty and the people will crush the idols of corruption with the power of their vote. PM Imran Khan has highlighted the Kashmir cause before the world and Kashmiris tremendously love him, concluded the CM.

** ** **

[deeeelightfuldee]

bold what applies I like to consider the idea of getting a PhD.

It scares me to make commitments regarding my future.

Comparing myself to others is the #1 thing that makes me feel upset.

I get really annoying and chatty when I’m scared.

I enjoy memorizing things, be it poems, sequences of numbers, or whatever.

After it storms, it interests me to drive around and see all the downed trees and damage.

I imagine that ordinary things are magical and it makes life more fun.

Sometimes I say things in a stupid accent for no reason.

I love playing and usually win at trivia games.

I am eagerly anticipating receiving something in the mail.

I usually feel shitty after scrolling through my Facebook Newsfeed.

Sometimes after hearing a song in a movie scene, I gain a whole new appreciation for the song.

I don’t like it when rooms have walls that are not all the same color.

I hate when there’s a cute guy around and I want him to talk to me but he doesn’t.

I enjoy cleaning out and organizing my iTunes.

I prefer sociology over psychology.

I would describe myself as quite quiet but friendly.

I tend to have dreams where I’m intensely angry more often than I have dreams where I am scared.

I am terrified to ever have to write a college thesis.

Clothes rarely fit me right off the rack. It’s discouraging and annoying.

I will defend the things I love TO THE GRAVE.

I have played the game Skylanders and it’s absolutely adorable and fun.

As cheesy as it sounds, looking into the mirror and saying positive things really helps my self-esteem.

It’s easy for my imagination to get going and I spook myself easily.

It bothers me a bit when celebrities get to write and publish novels.

Bad writing inspires me to write most, because I think, “if people enjoy THAT, they’ll definitely enjoy what I can write.”

I really never want to get pregnant.

I have tried almond milk, rice milk, and soy milk.

Something that bothers me more than when someone says something offensive, is when someone else defends the offensive statement.

I never wanted to be a princess when I was little.

I adore old houses, especially if they’re “haunted.”

I’m terribly embarrassed of my past self.

I love the taste of garlic in food, but garlic breath grosses me out so much.

I really enjoy old horror movies.

I keep on remembering songs I haven’t listened to in years because of Songpop.

^ which is the first Facebook game I have ever enjoyed…

Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of my idols.

English is not my first language, but usually people can’t tell immediately.

I have a secret notebook which no one even knows exists and I would rather die than have anyone read it.

My current roommates are the best I’ve had so far.

Good posture really attracts me in someone of my preferred gender.

^ as do strong, maintained eyebrows.

I can’t really function with an Apple computer, lack of experience with those.

I don’t feel emotions the way ”normal” people do.

I don’t own a soft wallet, mine is plastic.

I tend to date men with power positions when it comes to their jobs.

No matter how hard I try, I seem to be unable to whistle.

Good manners are quite important to me.

I was once very involved in a certain sport.

I actually really enjoy cleaning my ears. hahahaha.

I refuse to eat ketchup on anything.

I often sigh really loudly by accident.

I much prefer the colder seasons to summer.

When I feel extra fancy, I fishtail my hair. It is incidentally the fanciest thing I can do with it.

I am a master at getting along with people when I try, because I am very good at figuring out how they want me to react and what they expect me to say, and if I don’t care about them and can’t be bothered to interact properly, I go into that mode.

I refuse to mow the grass, for some reason it terrifies me.

I get pretty bad season allergies.

I don’t eat pork.

My blood type is O positive.

I have ghostly pale skin.

Singlespeed bikes are my favourite.

I have never used shaving cream in my entire life. I never saw any repercussions.

I feel most people I have met in my life would do better if they toughened up.

I have struggled with drug use in the past.

I have never used a credit card.

This year, I will vote for something on a national level.

There is absolutely no carpet in my flat.

Currently, I have no interest in learning how to drive.

The job I want to do after school is rather uncommon.

One of my favourite drinks is Kvass. :s :s :s

I cook a lot, and enjoy it very much.

I am a daddy’s girl, by far.

My longest relationship was a long-distance one.

One of my favourite bands is Iron Maiden.

I am unable to write in print, I actually have to stop and remember not to write in cursive after every letter.

When I was a child, I had the ”by myself” syndrome and refused any help from anyone to do whatever.

It still hasn’t changed much, haha.

My computer tends to overheat quite often.

Fiddler on the Roof is my favourite musical.

I have an incredibly high alcohol tolerance.

My phone is always dead.

Indian food is my favourite ethnic cuisine.

My mother works in psychology.

My father works in the cooking industry. He also works in the music industry.

I feel very hot at the moment, and I get anxiety when I’m too hot.

I’m pretty picky about things in general.

However, I refuse to pick a restaurant when asked.

I have a piece of jewelry representing a flag on my body at all times.

I used to be pretty active in the survey community, and only just recently came back.

Only one person in my family has had a serious disease such as cancer.

I have no idea how much I weigh.

Or how tall I

1. i am currently on facebook.

2. i like the band maroon 5.

3. I have hugged some of my best buddies today.

4. I have hugged someone I like today.

5. I think Bonzai waterslides are amazing.

6. i put hair clips in my hair almost everyday.

7. Hubba Bubba gum = yum.

8. I think 5 gum is disgusting.

9. I hate when I take a shower, my hair gets my back all wet.

10. It really hurts when someone hits you with a sock!

11. dachshunds are adorable.

12. I have never played chess before.

13. I don’t really care for instrumental songs.

14. i put my ipod on shuffle, but then i end up skipping half of the songs anyway.

15. i love brother/sister relationships.

16. ^I have one with someone.

17. i’m usually invisible on aim.

18. I feel like I repeat myself on every survey.

19. Today was really fun.

20. I am messaging someone through Facebook at this moment.

21. i hate when people become impatient when you are trying to do something.

22. ^Although I do.

23. All that I wanted to hear from you, something of value, something untrue.

24. People never seem to answer on AIM.

25. My cat always walk in front of my computer screen.

26. My cat is sitting on the desk right now.

27. i don’t like it when people come and watch what i’m doing on my computer.

28. i never publish any of my entries to facebook.

29. ^I don’t understand why you would.

30. I enjoy countdown surveys.

[clericbyers]

I’m sorry but the duffer brothers rlly just said caleb u should eat cereal and agree with mike !!! Like I’m sorry no? the other characters actually get to have their Own baggage but him like yeah Max’s brother and likely stepdad is racist but they didn’t even really let Lucas have a reaction or be like affected by it in anyway?. Ugh and DONT get me started on Erica the sassy big mouthed black girl. It was so stereotypical and I hated it. They should write ethnic characters better. It’s unfair

I often feel like I’m the only one who doesn’t like Erica so seeing someone else say that soothes my soul. To be honest this was something I felt in the kpop fandom too: I never know if I’m being too sensitive about race when it comes to certain things. In kpop, there’s a lot of idols who wear dreads and some do blackface and there’s all this other cultural appropriation shit not just with black people but other Asians (Indians and Japanese come to mind rn) too. After 5 years of heavy investment I started to grow numb to it so I had to leave the fandoms for the sake of myself, but point is, I used to be unsure if my anger about seeing black stereotypes displayed in the manner so many idols portrayed was valid. I used to tell myself I was being angry over nothing, that it didn’t matter, it’s just hair after all. But I used to wear dreads, and I had been called names and been seen as “exotic” for it and my anger was indeed valid and I shouldn’t have shut myself down over it.

I mention that because I’m more mature now as I watch Stranger Things and other media in general, and I know that I shouldn’t deny what I feel when I watch/read things (even if it’s still hard to accept my emotions but that’s another story lol). Seeing Erica as the stereotypical rude-mouth angry black girl pissed me off and I let it piss me off. I made a face once it struck that her attitude wasn’t just a one time thing; I was so annoyed I ranted with my folks about it and practically tuned out almost every time she had dialogue in ST3 lol it’s just...it’s so tiring and insulting seeing black girls always being portrayed as angry bitchy girls like?? Yeah, I don’t always identify as a ‘girl’ but I am seen by the world as a black girl and I proudly often present as so, so when I see black girl representation, I am always cheering for it!! Unless it’s stupid ass stereotypes like Erica. Erica as a person is fine, I don’t hate her, I hate that she’s basically POC trope quota. Same with Lucas, who was degraded to product placement.

The writing team obviously doesn’t know how to write black characters and that’s fine! If you’re not black how can you write about black experiences? (And if there is a black person on the ST writing team (but I don’t believe there is) I just wanna say, homie what in the hell are you letting slide by) There’s so many unique black experiences that aren’t just tropes and in the world of the 80s, in a world where black people only got to vote two decades prior and still face discrimination and racism as Billy and his dad have shown us, that’s some sensitive territory to step around. If you aren’t black, do you have permission to dive into a story like that? Do you have permission to tackle the anti-black racism in the Hargrove family head on via Lucas being Max’s boyfriend? Yes, it was lightly touched on in ST2, but it was still a sideline story to the sideline story of Dustin and Lucas liking Max. I think ST should explore the race aspects of the issues in the 80s, not just gender discrimination, homophobia, and political strifes, which are still segregated by race so it’s easy to focus on the white side of the struggles.

What’s the most angering is having black characters like Lucas, who is so smart and intelligent, very crafty and loyal, extremely funny and supportive, and seeing those characters tossed aside in terms of character development and character arcs. You have an amazing character and an amazing actor right there and you do nothing!! Even if they don’t tackle the racism aspects of the reality of being black in the 80s in Reagan territory, there’s still plenty to do with Lucas and his relationships with the Party other than being in shitty!Mike’s corner. I appreciate that they had him try to apologize to Will, because he was in the wrong being dismissive and rude, and I thought it was great that he had the idea that saved the day with the fireworks (fireball!!) because his smarts should be highlighted more. But that’s little to celebrate when at the end of the day, he’s still literally sidelined in scenes holding a box of Cocoa Puffs and spending two minutes straight promoting Coke.

tl;dr ST writers needs black people on their team and the show itself needs to be a bit more diverse (but wbk the latter). I understand that ST is not just media set in the 80s but is also 80s media in the 2010s, but diversity itself is a thing that never went away even if media tried to hide it. Let the black characters shine without being harmful stereotypes.

[bang-tan-bitches]

DISCLAIMER: Hey everyone! A&B here! Just a quick note to say that we DID NOT write this fic! It was written by one of our lovely followers for our writing contest. So please enjoy and remember to vote!

Title: What if? Pairing: Black!Reader x Namjoon

It was about six months ago when I decided to say YOLO and enter this competition to spend a day with someone from BigHit. An idol. I  thought it was going to be like a 1 in 1 million chance, but I wanted to try. It was more than that, and yet. Here I was, in an Amanti Seoul Deluxe room getting ready for the luncheon with all the other winners. Everyone had been assigned to one member of BTS, TXT, GFriend, and other BigHit adjacent groups. 

As for this lunch, I was in red sleeveless dress with a gold chain belt around the waist. Red heels and lips to match, of course. I had practiced the bit of Korean I did know and learned some more on the plane ride here, especially the phrase, “Please don’t touch my hair.” as a black girl, it was one of the phrases I felt like I was going to use a lot.

“Oh, what’s the costume you and your idol are going to dress up as?” asked Manoj, the Indian man who sat next to me today.

“I brought different outfits just in case I couldn’t make up my mind.” I replied and told him I had planned four different looks depending on what idol I’d be spending Halloween with.

In just two days, I was going to be either a maid, Morticia Adams, Domino from Deadpool, or Boo from Monster’s Inc. I remembered the online form I had filled out listing my potential costumes and the top five idols from the company I had wanted to spend the holiday with. The Korean girl in front of me named Minji was saying how Halloween had become more and more popular as she grew up, and she was glad for it because she loved dressing up.

As the bingsu dessert came out, everyone gasped at how beautifully decorated they were. Everyone got their own bowl unlike in the bedrooms where we each had a roommate. I had been paired up with another black girl like myself. Iris was her name, and her bias was Namjoon. We had began fangirling over him while eating the sweet shaved ice. Everyone soon returned to their bedrooms and change into pajamas.

It wasn’t until midnight that there was a knock and two purple enveloped came from underneath the door. Just slid in. One with Iris’s name on it and the other with mine, both in neat golden script.

I then smiled. They said we were going to find out who we were paired with, and I was sure this is what was going to tell us. Iris was nervous and yet excited at the thought. Both of us were in pajamas with hair in our own silk bonnets. She was gripping her letter tightly.

“O-open yours first.” She said.

“Alright, here we go.” I replied and opened the eggplant colored envelope.

Inside was a simple white notecard that said OPEN ME! With cute emojis on the front. Then Itook a deep breath, flipped open the card and saw the name written in purple ink. Kim Namjoon. I was gonna get to spend the day with him! But wait…

“I got Namjoon!” Isaid, showing her.

Iris pouted but then smiled, “Don’t feel bad. I’ll probably steal him away from you before the night ends.” and added a chuckle before opening hers which said she’d be pairing up with Jimin for Halloween.

She was just as excited, and I could see the genuine joy on her face as she jumped up and down saying that Aquarians and Libras were a good match. Iris must have been an Aquarius. Both of us quickly went through my luggage to get my costumes out. I had been here a week with the others looking around the city and exploring Seoul while also making sure everyone got here on time for the spooky holiday.

Then we both got texts which told us to choose our final costumes. I sent in my reply because I knew with all my heart what would fit Namjoon the best. James P. Sullivan. I also had to give the idea of it being a onesie. Ah! I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep. However, my stomach was so full that I went into a food coma.

~~~~~

I was nervously picking at my hair bobbles as I was dressed in my Boo costume. The lavender leggings and oversized pink shirt. White tennis shoes and socks on my feet. It was simple and cute, but most importantly, comfy. My phone said it was almost 10:30 in the morning. Breakfast had been eaten about two hours ago, but it threatened to come back up as I jumped due to a hand on my shoulder.

Dark brown eyes stared at me, surprised. It was just Iris.

“You good?” She asked.

I nodded with a smile, “Just nervous out of my mind.”

She nodded, “You and I both. What do you think about my costume?”

The woman stepped back and turned slowly, letting her blue dress flair around her body, showing off her dark blue flats. She had decided to let her hair stay a full afro and had clipped a blue bow into it.

“You look amazing! You’re Wendy Darling, aren’t you?” I asked.

Iris smiled, “Yep! Jimin is gonna be my Peter Pan since he has red hair right now. He was in my top five. I had brought this one just for him. For the others, I was either going to be Bumblebee from Teen Titans or Shuri from the Black Panther movie.”

She admitted to wanting to do Katara and for one of the boys to be Zuko, but we both agreed it was too dear to our hearts for something so sudden. We were happy to be together and share our similar thoughts of costumes. Then there was a knock.

But it wasn’t on the front door. It was in the closet. I told Iris to get behind me as I grabbed an umbrella. Then we both slowly approached the door leading to my closet and I knocked on it to see if it was real. I knocked five times.

Two knocks in return and then a huge blue figure jumped out. Lots of screaming followed by laugher. I covered my mouth and looked at the person in front of me. Kim Namjoon. Of course he was hiding in the closet. He was a monster, and I was Boo. So it made sense.

“Namjoon! You--” I didn’t want to curse. “You scared me.”

Another knock, but this time on the window? Iris’s eyes lit up and let Jimin in, dressed in green head to toe. Another cheesy in character intro.

“Let’s go celebrate, hmm?” He smiled, the hood on his head, slightly obstructing his dimples.

I nodded and then awkwardly bowed at him, “Um, 안녕하세요!.” I said.

Another smile and a polite bow back. Both of our heads turned to see Jimin and Iris laughing, already so friendly. Namjoon and I went out into the lobby and had pictures taken of us by who he introduced himself as his manager. We got to do some really cute poses together, and I made a joke about getting to see model Namjoon in person. It made him blush and thank me. He was so cute when embarrassed!

“So, what do you want to do? I’m all yours for the day.” He said, obviously putting on his fan service mask.

Part of me hoped I’d get to see his real self again, but I simply replied, “I want to go to Han River and eat some good food. It might take a while to get there, huh? Perfect time for lunch.” My eyes met his.

“That sounds fun. Then we can go to one of my favorite café’s.” He said, motioning for a car. “Do you like ice cream?”

It was a beautiful fall day. Maybe I should have brought a jacket since it was sort of chilly. Namjoon put his arm over me and said it’d be ok once we were in the rented tent. He was right and ordered a large pizza on the phone. Half with my favorite toppings, half with his and some soda. Both of us were able to talk while waiting for the food. He was really fun to talk to. I had always wanted to pick his brain, not just about answers to BTS theories or other things like that but also just hear his side of life.

He told me stories of tours and trainee days, of his friendships with other idols. I was so happy to listen and tell me a few stories of my own.

“I don’t know how much you hear this, but I am proud of you.” I said, letting myself be honest. “You have honestly grown so much as a person. Not only that, but ever since the beginning of BTS, of BigHit, you’ve been changing the definition of K-pop.”

“Ah, no. I just--”

“Hear me out.” I said softly.

Looking away shyly, he nodded.

I continued, “Every culture has love songs. Party songs. Songs rarely question the way things are on a grander scale. Going against the factory like ways of the school systems, that’s nothing small. That’s how things are. That’s how they’ve always been, but then seven guys from Korea turn around and say NO.”

Namjoon chuckled, “You just wanted to make a pun.”

“Maybe a little, but also. If I can be dramatic for a bit, you guys started a rebellion for inner peace. Your whole career. Learning how to love yourself, trusting yourself, accepting yourself. You lead all of it. You’re a great leader, Namjoon. I’m proud of what you and the guys turned into.”

Suddenly my cheeks got all warm out of embarrassment, closing my eyes and facing the ground, “Ah, I’m sorry. I’m just going on and on. It’s just that I always wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you in person.”

A hand went over the one the was supporting me, and I felt a presence near my cheek. However, his phone started buzzing. It was the pizza man looking for us. I went to go get it and thank the man who was dressed as a zombie. The idol and I then talked about lighter things. Pets, family, fun stuff like that until we finished the food. He enjoyed a lot of my high school stories.

The café was nice too. We got to share ujikintoki at a Japanese style café that he visited a lot. Sometimes, we were stopped by fans and some were in costumes. Others were not and were wondering who I was. I assured them I was just one of the fans that won the competition. He was so charming without even trying, and it wasn’t fair.

“I really wish we could spend the actual day of Halloween together, Y/N. I think it’d be really fun to have you around.” He said on the car ride home from noraebang with two other partnerships made by BigHit.

“I’m guessing you had a good time, then?” I asked shyly.

Namjoon nodded and held my hand, “I had a very good time. You quieted a lot of the thoughts that had been...rattling around in my head. I’m sure there are a lot of ARMY who have wanted to say what you have, but they never get the chance since we don’t really do hi-touch in the states.”

“Not like I can afford to go to a concert anyways,” I chuckled.

“I’m sure we can work something out.” He smiled at me, a real part of him coming out after a long day with a fan. “Anyways, did you have a good day, Y/N?”

I looked at him with a huge smile, “Are you kidding me? I had the best day ever, oppa. And it’s all thanks to you.”

Namjoon gave a bright smile and walked me back to my room, holding my hand the whole way there. The only time he stopped holding it was to unzip the top part of his onesie and tie it around his waist as he was getting overheated. I would be lying if I said I didn’t sneak a look at his muscles with a thin collection of sparkling sweat beads clinging onto those smooth hunks of sexy.

Until he caught me and gave me a chuckle.

In front of the door, he asked me a question, “Hey, Y/N. Would you still like me if I really was a monster?”

I furrowed my brows, “What do you mean? Your past doesn’t make you a monster, Namjoon.”

“You’re so thoughtful.” He said looking down. “But no, I meant a real monster.”

Although I was about to ask what he meant once more, he looked up at me, his eyes twinking in the light. However, they were glowing too strongly to just be a reflection. The opening of the elevator in an otherwise silent hallway made me look away.

“Nevermind,” The tall man said, eyes back to their regular brown coloring. “I hope I’ll see you again.”

“Me too, kitty.” I said, making him smiled.

Then he kissed my hand. As he walked away, I thought about his question and called after him.

“Kitty! Namjoon-oppa, the answer is yes! I’d love you no matter what you are.” I know he had said ‘like’, but my heart said more than I had meant it to.

He smiled and put his onesie back on. I was still staring at him when Jimin and Iris exited the elevator where Namjoon entered. I then took off my makeup and changed into pajamas after a quick shower. Iris was staring at something in her hands as I dried my hair while wearing a fresh bathrobe.

“What’s that?” I asked.

She showed off an acorn and smiled, “He gave me a kiss.” and giggled.

“Oh my gosh, that’s so cute~.” I swooned.

Iris nodded and then bit her lip. Oh. I sat next to her.

“Was it just an acorn kiss, or…?”

She smiled at me, “Whatever you’re thinking, the answer is yes. It was just him being sweet.”

I playfully hit her arm, “헐! Gurl! You’re so lucky!”

Iris smiled and laughed as I then shook her shoulders.

“What about you?” She asked.

I sighed, “It might just be wishful thinking, but part of me wants to believe that Namjoon was starting to fall for me.”

~~~~~

Today was Halloween, and I was just waiting for my flight. It had been delayed. I’d be spending the whole day on an airplane, but that was fine. I had a great yesterday with Namjoon that would be shown through vlogs and edited versions would be put on WeVerse and the official fansites that I now had a year long pass to. All of the winners did depending on which group their partner had been from.

Today’s mood was different. It seemed like idols had a special masquerade ball that they had to attend. There were posters for it everywhere. Anyways, I had dressed up as a skeleton for the flight home, wearing a knitted skeleton jumper, skeleton leggings, and black converse. I had decided to go with white lipstick because why not? I had been given a gift by Namjoon this morning.

Not in person, but there was a box with my name on it. Inside was a dark purple scarf decorated with tiny stars. I had been wearing it ever since I first touched it. He really was a moonchild. I looked up as my flight was finally called to be boarding soon. Did that mean I got ready to move now, or? I mean, I was right in front of the gate.

“Y/N!” a voice that would never leave my mind called.

I looked behind myself and saw Kim Namjoon in person. Bodyguards and his manager were close behind him and making way for the idol. What was he doing?

He rested his hands on his knees as he caught his breath, “Um, hi.”

“Hi. What are you doing, Namjoon?” I asked.

“You meant what you said last night, right? How you’d love me no matter what?” the boy was acting weird. Did he know how dangerous this was?

“Yeah. Of course. I’d love you even if you turned out to be a demon or something. Why?”

Namjoon smiled and got a rather large and old looking book out of his messenger bag and handed to me, his hand lingering on top of mine. He said that I forgot it in the hotel. I played it cool and thanked him, asking if my roommate found it. He said that she did and kissed my forehead and hugged me close before leaving.

I just stood there, bewildered and confused by it all. I didn’t bring a book like this on my trip. It was great that he felt the same, but like what the fuck? I opened the bound pages on the plane once my carryon was shoved in the above head compartments. There was a page with a bookmark made out of blank sheet music folded up to fit properly. I turned to that page, and it was a chapter on...werewolves?

With my voice barely a whisper, I asked to no one, “Namjoon’s a werewolf?”

[alexsmitposts]

Who Benefits from the Current Mass Demonstrations in the United States? Today America and Europe in its wake are experiencing nationwide hysteria organized by “liberal political strategists.” The spark for this conflagration was racial hostility, which has been actively used by individual American puppet masters in the US, first to bring about general disorganization in the country, and has then been “skillfully” channeled towards organizing a campaign to prevent a second term for President Donald Trump. Another objective is also evident in the explicit orchestration of these events: to achieve – in the wake of a near civil war and the complete collapse of current statehood – a change in the ruling elite, not only at the national level in the US but also in Europe. And this has been confirmed by “solidarity demonstrations” similar to those in America and under the same slogans, not only in European capitals such as Paris, London, Madrid, Brussels and Berlin, but also in many other European cities and even in Melbourne, Australia. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the tragic death of the black man George Floyd at the hands of the police was chosen as the emblem for the current wave of anti-racial demonstrations, while at the same time other displays of racism in the very same US did not generate such a mass reaction. Meanwhile, it is appropriate to recall that it is African Americans themselves who have suffered the most from the lack of proper efforts by the US authorities in the fight against coronavirus. and that white supremacists (that is, proponents of the idea of ​​“white race” superiority) have recently even been actively discussing the idea of ​​using coronavirus as a biological weapon in the racial struggle. The appeals of today’s demonstrators are noteworthy in that they are not calling for the authorities to correct social policies due to which millions of people in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia are now suffering, not calling for a fight against unemployment and the financial crisis which has become entrenched after the coronavirus pandemic, and not calling for improvements in health care systems in the affected countries. Rather, they are calling for a world without borders, where all races and religions are mixed and in which “gender freedom” flourishes. The Black Lives Matter movement has already taken the path of deification: the BLM activist, former pastor Sean King, has called for demolition of statues of Christ, and for the destruction of frescoes, stained glass windows and icons, because there Jesus is “white” and these images are supposedly a sign of superiority over blacks. Under the influence of demonstrations, the white population of Western countries are already sprinkling ashes on their heads and some of their brethren even kneel so that everyone believes in their sincerity. There is an ongoing desecration and demolition of monuments to the former heroes of society, thereby vacating pedestals for the new “idols” of the future. Statues of Columbus, Washington, Roosevelt, along with dozens of other leading figures in the War of Independence, the Confederation, or even those who have nothing at all to do with politics, have already been desecrated. And sometimes we are not even talking about specific accusations of racism – but rather the motive is self-apparent: they say, he supported slavery, he promoted exploitation, and indeed he was “racist”. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, protesters in Wisconsin even threw into the lake a statue of Colonel Hans Christian Hag, a fighter against racism. Or here’s another noteworthy fact – a monument to the 26th US President Theodore Roosevelt. Nothing in terms of anti-racism could be laid at his door as the winner of the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize, so the reason for the desecration was the shape of the monument: a white Roosevelt on a horse, with a black man and an Indian next to him on foot. Today’s protest movement blends very neatly with the modern liberal world doctrine actively promoted by the Rockefeller, Soros, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations, which control significant cross-border cash flows through closed elite funds and organizations. George Soros outlined all these ideas in his book “The Age of Fallibility.” But today, the clear thrust of demonstrations against Trump is governed not only by political considerations as the Democrats struggle to regain the levers of control over the US and the world which have been lost since 2017, but is also driven by the fact that Trump is by nature a traditionalist, an opponent of the ultra-liberal doctrine promoted by Soros, the Rockefellers and the Gates. Trump’s 2016 election campaign featured the slogan, “Make America Great [Again]” with its family values and traditionalist roots, with freedom of religion. That is exactly what “single-storey America” voted for in 2016, and it is they who led Trump to the White House. There is one further and not insignificant detail in the orchestration of the current sentiments of protest both in the US itself and abroad. It boils down to reducing protest sentiments to anti-racist slogans and an ultra-liberal doctrine, which at the present time is very beneficial for many political forces in the West, as it enables the creation of a certain controlled channel for “letting off the steam” of public discontent. After all, such a controlled protest movement distracts attention from other problems, especially social inequality, the need to give society intelligible answers about the reasons behind the excess death rate and the guilt of particular individuals who should have prevented these consequences of the pandemic. Furthermore, it eliminates the need to answer such unpleasant questions as: who has made money out of the coronavirus pandemic and why didn’t everyone get help and in sufficient quantities? Therefore, one cannot but agree with the claim by Fox News columnist Tucker Carlson that the current protest movement is ideological. The current forces of destruction are harboring grandiose designs. And it’s not simply the matter of the Roosevelt monument – they are preparing to rule the country. The fact that they will advocate for candidate Biden, who is experiencing senile dementia, does not trouble anyone today. Because, even in the event of victory, it is not he who will “rule”, but the neoliberals with their pocket political strategists who have already cut their teeth in the “color revolutions” along with various NGOs, including those controlled by George Soros. Well, the millions of firearms in the hands of Americans may turn out to be a significant springboard for “accomplishments” like these. In these conditions the only question is: will it happen in November or earlier?

[decadeslife]

10 Most Popular Indian Reality Shows Of All Time You Cannot Miss

Most people from the television era have fond memories of watching reality shows with the whole family. Who can forget the first season of the iconic quiz reality show KaunBanegaCrorepati where all of the family members sat together and the younger generation tried to answer before the participants gives. We voted for the contestant we love in shows like Indian Idol and vouched for them to win. The advent of OTT changed the way we Indians watch shows but still reality shows are in vogue here is the list of 10 most popular Indian reality shows of all time we can’t miss.

Kaun Banega Crorepati 

Amitabh Bachchan in the movie Kalia said the iconic line, ‘hum jahakhadehotehai, line wohi se suruhotihai’ and it can’t be truer as in any list about reality television shows, KaunBanegaCrorepati hosted by Amitabh Bachchan will always top the list. It was the Indian version of the popular show ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’. When it was broadcasted on a tv show it created history as one of the most popular reality shows in India forever.

Indian Idol

We Indians love music and music has been always an integral part of our culture. So when the music reality show Indian Idol was telecasted on TV and its format was the same as that of American Idol. Aspirant singers from all over the country participated in the show to show their singing talent in front of the judges. Well-known personalities like Javed Akhtar, Farah Khan, Sonu Nigam, AnuMalik, ShreyaGhoshal, KailashKher were judges of the show in different seasons.

MTV Roadies

Roadies which was broadcasted on MTV was a reality show that targeted the youth both as the participants and the audience. It became a very famous and successful reality show because of the adventure; thriller, mind games, and physical capacity of the contestants were challenged. The format of the show includes participants being given tasks that they need to complete for barring themselves from getting eliminated and the contestants also have to play mind games to win the show. Now famous Rannvijay Singha, Ayushman Khurana, and Bani J made their foray into the entertainment industry with this show.

Splitsvilla 

Splitsvilla is a dating reality show that broadcasts on MTV. The format of the show includes contestants being coupled up and they are required to complete their tasks to find her/his partner. Then each couple is provided with an array of tasks that they need to complete, and by the ending of the season, one couple is declared the winner. It’s now in its 13th season.

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 

 Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is one of the earliest music reality shows that was broadcasted on television in the year 1995 and was hosted by Sonu Nigam. It has been made into quite a few regional languages as well. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is the oldest running music-based reality show on Indian television with formats that were altered many times to suit the sensibility of changing times. Famous singer Shreya Ghoshal got a chance to do playback singing for Devdas after being noticed by Sanjay LeelaBhansali who recognized her talent when he watched her performance on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa on Zee TV.

Dance India Dance 

Dance India Dance also known as DID, is a danced based reality show where dancers from across the country take part and compete with each other to win the show. To get a chance, first, they are auditioned and only the bests are selected to take part in the show. The diversity of dance forms is shown at DID and it’s one of the reasons for it being a big success among dance enthusiasts. It has been judged by well-known dance directors of Bollywood like Remo D’Souza, Gita Kapoor, and Terrence Lewis, and “Grandmaster” Mithun Chakraborty was associated with DID for the longest period.

Bigg Boss

Bigg Boss is the rehash of the popular Dutch Show Big Brother and its first season was aired in 2007 and hosted by Arshad Warsi. ShilpaShetty participated in the Dutch Show Big Brother and became quite famous as she won that show and replaced ArshadWarsi as the host for the second season. The third season was hosted by Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan continued as a host from the fourth season till now.

Nach Baliye 

NachBaliye is a popular celebrity dance reality show where celebrity couples participate and tries to win by competing against each other to win. The late actor Sushant Singh and his then girlfriend Ankita Lokhande also took part as the contestants in one of the seasons. The format of the show is quite interesting as each week; different themes were given to the contestants.

Fear Factor: KhatronKeKhiladi

Fear Factor: KhatronKeKhiladi is an official Indian version of the popular American TV show “Fear Factor”. The contestants of the show are mostly celebrities who are given dangerous and risky tasks that sometimes include dealing with wild animals also. It challenges the physical and mental power of the participants to the extreme. It was first hosted by Akshay Kumar for three seasons followed by Priyanka Chopra, Rohit Shetty, and ArjunKapoor who hosted the next seasons.

Great Indian Laughter Challenge

 It was probably India’s first stand-up comedy competitive show where comedians from across the country come and perform to impress the judges and audiences alike to win the show. The judges for the first season were Shekhar Suman and Navjot Singh Siddhu and Sunil Paul won the first season. Kapil Sharma who at present is the most famous comedian in India participated in the third season and emerged as the winner.

Source: https://www.decadeslife.com/10-most-popular-indian-reality-shows-of-all-time-you-cannot-miss/