barbara

And on another topic - we knew this was being considered, but I think this has more detail and makes it look like a real thing in the works. This owul dbe the first time the Vegas concerts will be available. And I always love behind the scene stuff. I'm guessing a cost of $50 easily -

You would be the exception to the rule. I know no one personally who found giving up smoking anything but extraordinarily difficult. I don't know how long you smoked and that may have something to do with it. I'm glad you have done it and happy you haven't had common withdrawal symptoms. Like you, the "action" of smoking was one of the tricky parts of quitting. I used atomic fireballs (a strong cinnamon hard ball) because 1) they really are a powerful taste and 2) I had to put it in and take it out of mouth repeatedly, kind of mimicking the action of smoking. I know other people who used fireballs. It is a strong cinnamon and I think that helps. Just something that mimicks the smoking action might work - this is if you wanted to quit and were having trouble. And I thought of myself as a "smoker between cigarettes" for months before becoming a former smoker. It was hard but also the best thing I could have ever done for myself. Also, both my parents died from lung cancer directly related to cigarette smoking. [Anecdote - I didn't smoke when pregnant or nursing. And gave up within days of my mother going in to have part of a lung removedm which coincided with my son saying "well, if you don't care if you die, then neither am I. That hurt,] I'm not trying to be judgmental - especially towards young people who truly are so prone to peer pressure and not capable of grasping the health consequences down the line. I just hate the smell and know it kills (and causes other yucky diseases like COPD - and honestly, I was more afraid of having to give up hiking and being attached to an oxygen machine than I was of lung cancer, until I found out more about it. Almost never survivable.) And I know that smoking will not be good for any of the members health, in the present and in the future. And will, if they continue, affect their singing voices. I'm glad you aren't smoking.

Are you guys talking about Tae (who we have seen smoke)? Or Jungkook? I hate that any of them would smoke. It's so unhealthy and so stinky. And will ultimately impact their voices and definitely their stamina. I know there is a lot of peer pressure, as is the case with teenagers picking up this nasty habit, and Tae's squad more likely to smoke. And Yoongi did use cigarettes as props in Haegeum, but didn't seem to be actually smoking. FYI: smoking does not relieve stress - until you are a smoker and need some nicotine. It's the cigarettes that create the stress. (Former smoker here talking from experience). There is absolutely no upside to smoking. None. And there are chemicals in cigarettes put in there to create addiction. It is a rare rare person who can smoke a cigarette only now and then. Any of you smoke? If not a smoker and you inhale, it hurts. It makes you cough. And choke. You have to really want to smoke to get past your bodies efforts to prevent you from inhaling this toxic substance, And it is a stunningly difficult habit (and it is an addictive habit) to get over. Hardest thing I've ever done. End of anti-smoking rant. Smoking is bad. Period.

And we thought we couldn't love him more. I should think his mom was the one who had to work out the logistics on the food truck. Hobi wouldn't have been able to from camp. I think she's also involved in helping this shelter (no doubt, with Hobi's financial support). And he kept it under his hat. I sometimes wonder how many different organizations the members help that we never hear about. Every now and then, we hear about a big donation, but I bet there are a lot more than we hear about. I wish I could get one of them, one of the dog lovers (and I think they all are except maybe Jin) would, to set up a rescue operation on Jeju. There is almost nothing there, but lots of dogs that need rescuing and re-homing. The only truly viable rescue group is American based and arranges for dogs to get adopted, usually out of the country. The general attitude towards dogs on Jeju is similar to most of rural Korea. I just love Hobi.

i just checked Instagram and in their stories, it really is down to Seven versus Do it Like That. I cannot believe the Swifties didn;t come through but pleased with that (she'll win plenty of other categories and I don't care anyway). I would have pushed ARMY to go with TXT is JK hadn't made it to the final round, but, hey - they say this is the final round. It's in "stories" but the "tap to vote" works differently than yesterday and takes you to a different page where it says your vots has been counted and thank you .... No way to know what percentage of the vote belongs to who (but I think it has to be JK - MOA is not yet organized enough for a campaign like this.) Happy for TXT that they get to perform at the "who cares about them anyway" awards. It will definitely increase their exposure and probably will increase their fan base in the states. Stationhead seems to be connected to Spotify Premium (or Apple). I didn't know that - but will start listening to the Stationhead stuff when it's the members. Running Man doesn't seem to have subs, at least for the bits posted on YouTube, but I suspect they will eventually.

They can't, I hope. It's literally (almost) down to the two. MTV did a head-to-head elimination thing, where they started out with lots of artists. Todays elimination is the last day of anyone else being in it - and I suppose the Swifties can still wreck it - but right now TXT has 64% of the votes to olivia Rodrigo's 36%. JK has 66% to TS 34%. So, I hope the Insta voting is done by a set time during today. Tomorrow will be head to head = and God, I hope its isn't TXT and TS. Still - it's great that they both got this far. From what I can tell, voting on any particular round ends at 11am EDT, so maybe that means todays end at 11am tomorrow - and the final at 11am on the 11th. Fingers crossed.

OK - we know he has to be in NYC in less than two weeks. Therefore, I re-up my estimate of Yoongi going in on the 12th (even though it's Namjoon's birthday). He didn't spend very much time in the states - what? four days?. Lots of travel for such a short visit; he hardly could have adjusted to the time zone changes. Even if not this week, maybe next for Yoongi (though I love the idea that he got in under the radar - he wouldn't have been able to go until a month after he announced it). There is something that calls him back to Seoul. And !!!!! It is now down to JK versus TXT for Song of Summer. No question who will win this - but I am happy that the boys got this far in the voting.

That's a dog, for sure. He really loves his Tannie.

So if I download to my iPhone, I can still use Apple Music and have it count?

I'd go with Apple, too, but since I will buy songs on iTunes, the only way the streams of those specific songs would count is if I delete them. I know there are plenty of ARMY who would do that, and maybe buy many copies of a song to help the numbers and then delete them. Not me. I do buy actual CD's but also digital -only once each, though. And like to listen to them on my phone when I walk. I also have Amazon Prime so have a playlist there, too. But I had Prime anyway. Having the premier level of Spotify and YouTube does cost me but I rarely use YouTube for anything other than BTS and only use Spotify for them. Just the cost of being ARMY, I guess. (And less expensive than buying multiple digital copies of the same song and then deleting them,) Oh, the things we do.

How any accounts do you have? I've never been able to figure out if I need to set up a YouTube or Spotify account with my other email. I have premium on both and I'm not going to pay to have premium twice. I guess I wouldn't have to, especially of I don't actually watch or listen most of the time (I have Amazon music playing on Alexa all day)= and only watch when a new MV comes out)

Recommended ways to stream for maximum effect :

Eagle eye Sel

It is possible to see really well and still be clothed. Just sayin'. But this does sound good. And she, I believe, is the other headliner at the Global Fest, though I've never heard of her.

MTV awards - I thought I wasn't having votes count (and I think it's only a single vote and not ten, as it was before) - but now realize that you have to follow MTV on Instagram in order to get to the voting post (and it's a "story", not a post). I can't seem to pull up the voting for group of the year - they are currently offering ip song of the summer. It seems random to catch the IG "story" you want to vote on. Really seem squirrelly.

They did? How did you find that out? (Totally not surprised, of course - and also certain that Hybe was not involved at all in this one.) I love that Tae is being talked about as the "visual" in BTS - when that is what was initially behind Jin becoming a member. Ah, so many visuals. Seven of them.

I kind of hope so, for his sake. No circus, no cameras. And no one would know which camp he is at, either (at least not yet - )

That's going to be a zoo - think of him at GMA but the crowd multiplied. I guess he'll be in the states for three weeks? (Will Jimin show up?) I'm a little surprised because this means, almost assuredly, that OT7 won't be sending Yoongi off. And speaking of Yoongi -

They abandoned their original mission. Now they are basically trash programming. "Unplugged" was the only show worth watching for decades.

Seven is kind of nominated for "Song of Summer" - but so is Taylor and we know how the Swifties are. There are 16 nominees and you can't even start voting until the 7th. TXT (with Jonas Bros) and Fifty/Fifty are among the 16. Weird that it's the Jonas Bros collab that TXT got nominated for, when it Sugar Rush Ride that is nominated in two other categories. Not that JK doesn't have a chance, but if they aren't looking at sales and streams and Billboard placement (and they aren't) then I don't think ARMY can overcome the Swifties (). I think the timing of his trip to the states is coincidental to the VMAs. Maybe he would go to support the little brothers, but I'd be surprised (and I also think he'll go back to Korea by then, depending on what he's up to.) MTV sucks anyway.

That would be amazing!!! The "K-pop heartthrob really sounds like a star." Duh. There has been talk for a while about Take Two and I hope it is nominated, but one of the solos ......wow (I love the catchy-ness of Seven, but think Jimin's two major releases are as good or better musically. And what are the dates for consideration? The Astronaut - yes.)

It made me think they are sharing clothes, still. What do they mean by a JK schedule? There is no news (or even rumor, that I've seen) on what he'll be doing in the states. I suspect recording - though he spent a lot of time here before Seven. But I'd hardly call it a "schedule". And his absence makes me re-think the Yoongi date. Not today, obviously, and I don't think he'd go in on Namjoon's birthday (though that may not be a choice). I realize I obsess about this a bit too much - but hoping that OT7 can do a send off as they did with Jin and Hobi. They likely will be unable to get all 7 together at some point, and if military members are not supposed to be photographed, even three or four of them, in uniform, will have to stay off camera. Anyway - JK is in the states and I don't believe he'd not be in Korea when Yoongi has to leave. [Maybe we'll have a more accurate idea if we find out that the Tae Suchwita is the last one - wouod he have bamnked a bunch of content for later? Maybe...]

She's not.

Tae likes old things - that would be me! I love that there is mention or allusion to a Bon Voyage together when everyone is out. It's what we thought would be good, though without cameras, at least for the first part. And mentioning the aurora - Iceland! That would be someplace they could go and not be swamped with people following them around. Ot the northern parts of Scandenavia. Or one of the islands off the northern coast of Scotland. (I can't believe I'm already planning a trip for them - but I will write Hybe and suggest it.) And Tae being on this week is making me give Yoongi one more week before he enters the military, unless this is being used as both a Tae promotion and a salve for our sad hearts (when he is gone...) EDIT: but then next Tuesday is Namjoon's birthday - would be enter on that day? For those of us who purchased all of his concerts: I'll check it later, after I do stuff outside, before it gets too f-ing hot!