Ag Jo

[Mr Sharma @sharma_views]

THIS 18-YEAR-OLD DID NOT BLINK 🔥

RAJDEEP: CBSE says TCS quoted around ₹951 crore, Coempt Edutech around ₹384 crore. Lowest bidder wins, so rules were followed.

SARTHAK 🎯: My question is not whether CBSE followed the rules. My question is why CBSE changed the rules.

RAJDEEP: People say you are batting for the opposition.

SARTHAK 🔥: In a democracy, opposition parties are pressure groups. If someone supports me, I am thankful. If someone ignores me, I do not care.

[Ag Jo @AngelMisspelled]

💔

[Malay Krishna @Malay4Product]

You probably have no idea who Salim Kumar is, but every Indian should read all about him today.

Salim Kumar was a Malayalam actor who passed away on Saturday night in Kochi at the age of 56. If you don't watch Malayalam cinema, strap in because his story is one of the most remarkable careers Indian cinema has produced, and it deserves to travel beyond Kerala.

He came from nothing. Born in North Paravur, a small town in Ernakulam, into a family that struggled with money. Government school. Graduated from Maharajas College.

So, no film connections, no family wealth, no shortcuts.

He started as a mimicry artist with Kalabhavan, a performance troupe in Kochi that has been the launchpad for dozens of Malayalam actors. Stage shows, comedy routines, television spots.

He was funny in a way that was impossible to ignore, the kind of performer who could make a room laugh in an instant.

His first film was Ishtamanu Nooru Vattam in 1997, a small role nobody remembers. For years he played supporting parts & background comedy.

Then the 2000s happened. His role as Mattancherry Mammathu in Satyameva Jayathe gave him his first real recognition, and after that the comedy roles started coming fast.

Pulival Kalyanam. Thuruppugulan. Kunjikkoonan. Marykkundoru Kunjaadu. If you grew up in Kerala in the 2000s, his face was in half the films you watched. He became the comedian audiences showed up for, the one whose scenes people replayed and quoted at family gatherings.

What separated him from most comedians was precision. He did not rely on volume or slapstick. He used his face, his body, his pauses.

He could get a laugh from the way he blinked. Directors started writing characters specifically for him, because they knew he would take whatever was on the page and make it three times funnier than they imagined.

For over a decade, he was the biggest comic face in Malayalam cinema.

Then came 2010 and a film called Adaminte Makan Abu.

A quiet, small-budget film directed by Salim Ahamed. The story follows an aging Muslim couple in a Kerala village whose only dream in life is to go on Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.

They save every rupee. Things keep falling apart. The film is about their dignity, their patience, and their faith through one disappointment after another.

Salim Kumar played Abu. The man who owns nothing except his wife and his belief, and holds onto both with everything he has.

There is no comedy in the role. No punchlines, no funny faces, no playing to the gallery. It is the complete opposite of everything audiences had ever seen him do.

The entire performance is built on stillness, restraint, and pain carried quietly behind the eyes.

He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for it. That is the highest acting honour in Indian cinema. The film was also selected as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards (Oscars) that year.

In one role, Salim Kumar went from "the funny guy from Malayalam films" to one of the most respected actors in Indian cinema.

He simply disappeared so completely into a character that you forgot you were watching a comedian at all.

He followed it with more serious work. Achanurangatha Veedu, which won him the Kerala State Award. Traffic, still considered one of the finest ensemble films in Malayalam cinema. Perumazhakkalam.

Each time, he proved the National Award was not a fluke. The man had range that most actors who only do drama cannot match.

Unfortunately, Salim Kumar suffered from liver cirrhosis, a condition he said was hereditary in his family and not related to alcohol. His brother had the same illness. He underwent a liver transplant a few years ago. He tried naturopathy. He talked about all of it openly, without shame, without self-pity.

He kept working between treatments. He kept being funny. He kept showing up, even when his body was failing him.

He was also fearlessly outspoken about politics and social issues, which in any film industry can cost you work. He did not care. He said what he believed and lived with the consequences.

He passed away Saturday night at a hospital in Kochi. He was 56. The Kerala government bore the funeral expenses and gave him police honours.

The Chief Minister paid homage personally. Mammootty, one of the biggest names in Indian cinema, mourned him publicly. Thousands of people lined up at the North Paravur Town Hall on Sunday to say goodbye.

350 films in three decades. A National Award for Best Actor. An Oscar entry. A career that started from mimicry stages and ended at the very top of Indian cinema.

The reason most of India does not know his name is because Malayalam cinema, despite being one of the best film industries in the country, still does not get the national attention it deserves.

Actors like Salim Kumar live and work in a language bubble, and their stories rarely cross over the way a Bollywood career would.

This is a loss for everyone who never got to watch him. A man who came from poverty, made millions laugh, then proved he could make them cry just as hard, and fought his own hardest battle with utmost dignity.

If you watch one film after reading this, make it Adaminte Makan Abu. It is a masterpiece.

[Historic Vids @historyinmemes]

The universal restroom symbols were created for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics to help international visitors navigate facilities without needing to read Japanese, using simple, color-coded male and female silhouettes that quickly became a global standard.

A 2009 study by Shinji Kitagami found that Japanese participants were uniquely likely to misinterpret restroom signs when the standard color coding was flipped, such as a blue female figure or a pink male figure. Because Japanese signage strongly depends on established color conventions, many participants unconsciously used color as a key cue alongside the shapes themselves.

In contrast, participants from other countries showed little confusion, suggesting they relied more on the pictograms’ forms rather than their colors. The findings highlight how even widely recognized “universal” symbols can be interpreted differently depending on cultural experience and visual expectations.

[Soutik Biswas @soutikBBC]

Raghu Rai's unforgettable 1989 picture of Kurrkutt, a rescued sarus crane living with its adopted family in Khajuraho, India. #photography

[South Korea Elects @KoreaElect69833]

Perhaps the most shocking result of the night: Andong Mayor.

With 67% of the vote counted:

🔵 Lee Sam-geol (DPK): 49.2%
🔴 Kwon Ki-chang (PPP): 50.8%

The Democratic Party has never won the Andong mayoralty, and in the previous local election its candidate received just 17% of the vote.

Now, one of the most conservative cities in North Gyeongsang is witnessing a genuinely competitive race. Pride in being the hometown of the current president appears to be persuading many voters to consider supporting the Democratic Party for the first time.

[LTI Korea @ltikorea]

🌊 #KLN 2026년 여름호 발행 소식!

뜨거운 태양 아래, 지친 마음에 시원한 그늘이 되어줄 다채로운 문장들. 🌊📖
더욱 풍성해진 매거진과 웹진으로 곧 여러분을 찾아갑니다.

곧 만나요! ✨

🌊 Announcing the Release of #KLN Summer 2026!

A vibrant collection of stories to offer a cool shade for your weary mind under the hot sun. 🌊📖
We are coming to you soon with a richer, more abundant print magazine and webzine.

See you very soon! ✨

[Dan Qayyum @DanQayyum]

https://t.co/3K5ZzOAYjp

[Mr Sharma @sharma_views]

THIS IS PEAK WHATABOUTERY 🔥

REPORTER: Why should Norway trust India when fundamental rights are being violated?

MEA: We have Gandhi, ancient civilisation, and a Constitution that guarantees fundamental rights.

REPORTER 🎯: Exactly. I know India has fundamental rights. That is why I asked about violations.

MEA: If rights are violated, people can go to court. 😐

REPORTER: That’s the point. Why are people forced to go to court for basic rights?

MEA: It’s my press conference. I will decide.

REPORTER: When will PM take free questions from the press?

MEA: Next question.

[Nidheesh M K @mknid]

Travancore sent 81,300 soldiers and donated ₹28,51,050 for World War II, in the same years when an estimated 90,000 of its own people were dying of starvation, and a Shankar cartoon showed a Travancore child asking her mother why no one was crying for them.

[Ag Jo @AngelMisspelled]

@Reashiee @uditgupta_ca Good on you!

[Will I Am - e/acc @SouthernWintrs]

The only reason we have Vivaldi's music (of 4 seasons fame) is because some guy in the early 1900s found it in the basement of a monastary. Before that it was lost for 200 years!

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

A stunning photo of dark clouds topped with a bright rainbow, a rare event called cloud iridescence

[Ag Jo @AngelMisspelled]

@IndoKatholic Looks tacky imho

[AJAC @AJA_Cortes]

One of the oldest Christian communities in the world is in India

The St. Thomas Christians of Kerala trace their founding to 52 AD, when the Apostle Thomas is said to have landed on the Malabar Coast

When the Portuguese showed up in 1498, they found a Church already 1,400 years old, worshipping in Aramaic

[Merriam-Webster @MerriamWebster]

You may have noticed that the word for ‘night’ in many languages appears to be that language’s word for ‘eight’ with an ‘N' in front of it.

English: N + eight = Night
German: N + acht = Nacht
French: N + huit = Nuit
Spanish: N + ocho = Noche
Italian: N + otto = Notte
Portuguese: N + oito = Noite

⬇️

[DaVinci @BiancoDavinci]

How the ruins are displayed in Serbia.

[LTI Korea @ltikorea]

📢 접수 마감 연장 안내

「2026 한국문학 번역가 역량강화 프로그램」의 접수 마감이 5월 10일(일) 23:59 (KST)까지 연장되었습니다.

특히 아래 트랙의 지원자를 추가로 모집 중입니다 👇
✔ 신진 번역가 트랙 (프랑스어·독일어권)
✔ 중견 번역가 트랙 (영어·프랑스어·독일어권)

자세한 사항 및 신청서는 아래 링크에서 확인하세요.
🔗 https://t.co/HMfKy4PDQR
📩 신청·문의: [email protected]

📢 The application deadline for the 2026 Korean Literature Translators Career Pathways Program has been extended to May 10, 2026 — additional applicants are especially welcome for the Emerging (FR/DE) and Mid-Career (EN/FR/DE) tracks.
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#한국문학번역원 #번역가역량강화 #한국문학번역 #번역가모집 #신진번역가 #중견번역가 #시니어번역가 #문학번역 #번역연수 #한국문학 #번역워크숍 #translation #KoreanLiterature #ltikorea #emerging #earlycareer #midcareer #established

[Harinarayanan p c @harinarayananpc]

Flipkart's new ad for its SASA LELE Sale features Kodinhi, a town in Kerala's Malappuram district.

Known as India's "Twin Town", it has a high twin birth rate, about 400 pairs among 2000 families.

Very creative, with genuinely good jokes. They hit a home run with this concept.

[M.K.Stalin @mkstalin]

மக்கள் தீர்ப்பைத் தலைவணங்கி ஏற்கிறோம். வெற்றி பெற்றவர்களுக்கு வாழ்த்துகள்!

கடந்த ஐந்தாண்டு காலத்தில் ஏராளமான திட்டங்களை உருவாக்கி, தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்களுக்கு நல்லாட்சியை வழங்கினோம். தமிழ்நாட்டை அனைத்து வகையிலும் உயர்த்தினோம். தேர்தல் களத்தில் எங்களது சாதனைகளைச் சொல்லியே வாக்குகளைக் கேட்டோம்.

மக்களுக்குச் செய்து கொடுத்த நலத்திட்டங்கள் தொடருவதற்கு வாக்கு கேட்டு நாங்கள் பரப்புரை செய்தோம்.

திராவிட முன்னேற்றக் கழகத்தின் தலைமையிலான மதச்சார்பற்ற முற்போக்குக் கூட்டணியை ஆதரித்து வாக்களித்த தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்கள் அனைவருக்கும் நான் எனது மனமார்ந்த நன்றியைத் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன்.

வாக்களித்தவர்களுக்கு மட்டுமல்ல, வாக்களிக்க மறந்தவர்களுக்கும் சேர்த்தே ஆட்சி நடத்தினேன்.

அனைத்து மக்களுக்கும் உண்மையாக இருந்தேன். நான் எனது மனச்சாட்சிப்படியே செயல்பட்டேன்.

நான் எனது சக்தியை மீறி உழைத்தேன். என்னைப் போன்றே களத்தில் உழைத்த என் உயிரோடு கலந்திருக்கும் தலைவர் கலைஞரின் அன்பு உடன்பிறப்புகள் அனைவருக்கும் எனது நெஞ்சார்ந்த நன்றி!

எங்களோடு தோளோடு தோள் நின்ற தோழமை இயக்கத் தலைவர்கள், நிர்வாகிகள், தொண்டர்கள்
அனைவருக்கும் நன்றி !

எனது அரசியல் பொதுவாழ்வில் அதிகப்படியான வெற்றியையும் பார்த்துள்ளேன்; தோல்விகளையும் சந்தித்துள்ளேன்.

எனவே இலட்சியமும் கொள்கையும்தான் முக்கியமே தவிர, வெற்றி தோல்விகள் மட்டுமல்ல என்று செயல்படக் கூடியவன் நான்.

அதனால் திராவிட முன்னேற்றக் கழகத்தின் அரசியல் பயணம் தொய்வில்லாமல் தொடரும்.

இதுவரை மக்களுக்காகச் சிறப்பான ஆளும்கட்சியாகச் செயல்பட்ட தி.மு.க. - இனி சிறப்பான எதிர்க்கட்சியாகச் செயல்படும்.

[Fatima Menâl Akin 🍉 @FattumaMannul]

🎬 Gelin size Hollywood filmlerinde kamera ne zaman Meksika’ya, 'Ortadoğu’ya', Güney Asya’ya ya da Afrika’ya dönse ekranın neden aniden tozlu bir sarı tona büründüğünü anlatayım:

Sinema literatüründe "Yellow Filter" (Sarı Filtre) olarak bilinen bu uygulama, aslında sadece sanatsal bir tercih değil, modern bir oryantalizm ve sömürgeci bakış açısıdır. Breaking Bad ve Traffic’te Meksika’yı, Extraction ve Slumdog Millionaire’de Hindistan’ı, Black Hawk Down’da Afrika’yı ya da pek çok ajan filminde İstanbul’u ve “Ortadoğu’yu” sanki üzerine sarı bir sis çökmüş gibi görmemiz tesadüf değildir.

Bu görsel manipülasyon, Edward Said’in bahsettiği "Öteki"ni inşa etme sürecinin en kestirme yoludur: Batı dünyası parlak ve "soğuk mavi" tonlarla rasyonelliğin, ilerlemenin ve medeniyetin merkezi olarak sunulurken; "Küresel Güney" olarak adlandırılan ve tarih boyunca sömürgeciliğe maruz kalmış coğrafyalar sarı filtreyle boğularak "kaotik, tehlikeli ve durağan" birer suç mahalline indirgenir.

Bu durum, kolonyalizmin kurduğu o üstenci görsel hiyerarşiyi her karede yeniden üretir. Sarı ton; kuraklığı, fakirliği ve "eskiyi" sembolize ederek izleyiciye bu bölgelerin modern zamana ait olmadığı ve "ıslah edilmesi gereken, kirli bir geçmişte takılı kaldığı" mesajını bilinçaltından fısıldar.

Hikaye anlatma biçimi olarak bu filtreyi seçmek, o coğrafyanın gerçek renklerini ve modern dokusunu yok edip Batılı izleyicinin zihnindeki stereotipleri beslemektir. Sonuçta sinematografi, burada bir sanat dalı olmaktan çıkıp dünyayı "medeni merkez" ve "egzotik/vahşi çevre" olarak ikiye bölen politik bir araca, yani sömürgeci zihniyetin görsel bir mührüne dönüşür.