Morocco’s naming criteria a hurdle for parents

Published on Feb 15, 2013
In Morocco, increasing numbers of parents are refusing to register their children’s names with the state under the pretext it it woudn’t be aproved. Civil servants used to insist on names approved by the interior ministry in 1996, though while that system was scrapped in 2002, ethnic Berber names are still a problem.

A Quick Lesson on Southern Linguistics

Kenyan news outlet grapples with the word “gubernatorial”

‘Gubernatorial’: A mouthful and complicated word

Published on Jan 27, 2013

http://www.ntv.co.ke

Gubernatorial has become synonymous with the prime time news in Kenya, newspaper headlines to name but a few. But just what is this humongous word gubernatorial? NTV’s Pamela Asigi explores its origin and why giant media houses are grappling with its use.

Comedy on White-Sounding Black Guys

Key & Peele: White-Sounding Black Guys

Uploaded by comedycentral on Jan 31, 2012
Jordan and Keegan find themselves having to adjust their blackness on a daily basis.

White Talking Black People (Jay Walker 2011 Standup)

Uploaded by Jay Walker on Apr 19, 2011

http://twitter.com/#!/jaywalkr

2011 National College Comedy Competition @ The House of Comedy in Minnesota

Zora Howard – Biracial Hair – poetry, spoken word, race

Poet Zora Howard

Uploaded on Oct 10, 2009
‘Slit my wrists, my blood does not excrete in black and white’ prophesizes 13-year old Zora in her poem entitled ‘Bi-Racial Hair’ which was performed live in front of 1500 of her peers and adult allies at the 2006 Urban Word NYC Teen Poetry Slam.

My short film of the same title, is a satirical look at the racial tension young African American’s experience who are of mixed ethnic backgrounds. Using Zora’s poem as the thread, the film follows her initial comedic rant about the challenges she faces in stylizing her hair to her personal frustrations of being teased about her ethnicity by her African American peers. The film weaves between fictional reanctments, archival footage of the civil rights movement and Zora’s infamous live spoken word performance, Illustrating the struggles youth of mixed color face with identity and social position. Zora’s resolution about proposing a ‘new race’ sheds light on the complexity and depth of the racist wounds our nation still faces 150 years after the abolishment of slavery.

‘Bi-Racial Hair’ was one of five short pitches chosen for WGBH Lab and the National Black Programming Consortium’s ‘Eviction Notice’ Open Call which gave production funding and online feedback to the chosen filmmakers. It was broadcasted on Independent Lens for Black History Month in February 2009 and won a Boston/New England Emmy Award for Outstanding Advanced Media Interactivity

Ethneezy raps about social issues – conscious hip-hop

Ethneezy – Hands of Time (2012)

Published on Dec 4, 2012 by orchardmusic
Music video by Ethneezy performing Hands of Time. (C) 2012 FOTO

Published on Aug 14, 2012 by KevinNgongo
Directed by Kevin Ngongo
Produced by Morfius

Why Do British Singers Sound American, Like Adele on “Skyfall”? – culture, language

Published on Nov 30, 2012 by slatester
For the newest James Bond movie, “Skyfall,” English singer Adele recorded the title song. Adele speaks with a strong English accent (her speaking?) but her singing voice sounds more American than British (her singing?). Why do British vocalists often sound American when they sing?

Because that’s the way everyone expects pop and rock musicians to sound. British pop singers have been imitating American pronunciations since the Beatles and the Rolling Stones began recording in the 1960s. These musicians were largely influenced by the African-American Vernacular English of American blues and rock and roll singers like Chuck Berry. Imitating an American accent involved both the adoption of American vowel sounds and “rhoticity”: the pronunciation of Rs wherever they appear in a word.

Linguist Peter Trudgill tracked rhoticity in British rock music over the years and found that the Beatles’ pronunciation of Rs decreased over the course of the 1960s. The trend also went in the opposite direction as new genres developed: American pop-punk vocalists like Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day took on a British-tinged accent to sound more like seminal artists such as Joe Strummer of the Clash.

Contemporary singers tend to adopt accents according to their genre: Keith Urban, who is Australian, sings country music with a marked Southern accent.

Even when singers aren’t trying to imitate a particular vocal style, regional dialects tend to get lost in song: Intonation gets overtaken by melody and vocal cadences by a song’s rhythm. Which makes the British Invasion seem a little more American.

George Carlin – Modern Man

From http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2005/Modern-Man-Carlin15nov05.htm:

I’m a modern man, digital and smoke-free; a man for the millennium.

A diversified, multi-cultural, post-modern deconstructionist; politically, anatomically and ecologically incorrect.

I’ve been uplinked and downloaded, I’ve been inputted and outsourced. I know the upside of downsizing, I know the downside of upgrading.

I’m a high-tech low-life. A cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, bi-coastal multi-tasker, and I can give you a gigabyte in a nanosecond.

I’m new-wave, but I’m old-school; and my inner child is outward-bound.

I’m a hot-wired, heat-seeking, warm-hearted cool customer; voice-activated and bio-degradable.

I interface with my database; my database is in cyberspace; so I’m interactive, I’m hyperactive, and from time to time I’m radioactive.

Behind the eight ball, ahead of the curve, ridin’ the wave, dodgin’ the bullet, pushin’ the envelope.

I’m on point, on task, on message, and off drugs.

I’ve got no need for coke and speed; I’ve got no urge to binge and purge.

I’m in the moment, on the edge, over the top, but under the radar.

A high-concept, low-profile, medium-range ballistic missionary.

A street-wise smart bomb. A top-gun bottom-feeder.

I wear power ties, I tell power lies, I take power naps, I run victory laps.

I’m a totally ongoing, big-foot, slam-dunk rainmaker with a pro-active outreach.

A raging workaholic, a working rageaholic; out of rehab and in denial.

I’ve got a personal trainer, a personal shopper, a personal assistant, and a personal agenda.

You can’t shut me up; you can’t dumb me down. ‘Cause I’m tireless, and I’m wireless. I’m an alpha-male on beta-blockers.

I’m a non-believer, I’m an over-achiever; Laid-back and fashion-forward. Up-front, down-home; low-rent, high-maintenance.

I’m super-sized, long-lasting, high-definition, fast-acting, oven-ready and built to last.

A hands-on, footloose, knee-jerk head case; prematurely post-traumatic, and I have a love child who sends me hate-mail.

But I’m feeling, I’m caring, I’m healing, I’m sharing. A supportive, bonding, nurturing primary-care giver.

My output is down, but my income is up. I take a short position on the long bond, and my revenue stream has its own cash flow.

I read junk mail, I eat junk food, I buy junk bonds, I watch trash sports.

I’m gender-specific, capital-intensive, user-friendly and lactose-intolerant.

I like rough sex; I like tough love. I use the F-word in my e-mail. And the software on my hard drive is hard-core—no soft porn.

I bought a microwave at a mini-mall. I bought a mini-van at a mega-store. I eat fast food in the slow lane. I’m toll-free, bite-size, ready-to-wear, and I come in all sizes.

A fully equipped, factory-authorized, hospital-tested, clinically-proven, scientifically-formulated medical miracle.

I’ve been pre-washed, pre-cooked, pre-heated, pre-screened, pre-approved, pre-packaged, post-dated, freeze-dried, double-wrapped and vacuum-packed.

And . . . I have unlimited broadband capacity.

I’m a rude dude, but I’m the real deal. Lean and mean. Cocked, locked and ready to rock; rough, tough and hard to bluff.

I take it slow, I go with the flow; I ride with the tide, I’ve got glide in my stride.

Drivin’ and movin’, sailin’ and spinnin’; jivin’ and groovin’, wailin’ and winnin’.

I don’t snooze, so I don’t lose. I keep the pedal to the metal and the rubber on the road. I party hearty, and lunchtime is crunch time.

I’m hangin’ in, there ain’t no doubt; and I’m hangin’ tough.

Over and out.

 

Robots: The Next Generation

Published on Nov 19, 2012 by linktv
They can dance, check your heart rate, vacuum your room, make dinner, or wash the dishes — all without complaining, or asking for a raise. A new generation of robots not only looks human, but is taking on human tasks. Constantino De Miguel reports from Europe’s largest robotics expedition in Lyon, France, where it’s clear that it’s only a matter of time before robots populate our homes, schools, hospitals, and cities. Earth Focus reports.

MEGAPOST: Sociology of Gangnam Style

Psy – Gangnam Style (2012)

Psy – Gangnam Style (2012) – English Subtitles

Published on Sep 10, 2012 by TheEllenShow
Korean pop star and YouTube sensation Psy gave Britney Spears a surprise visit on the show, and taught her his famous horse dance!

Teens React to Gangnam Style

Elders React to Gangnam Style

Bill O’Reilly and psychiatrist Steve Ablow provide a beautiful example of ethnocentrism. They’re interpreting a global phenomenon through a local filter, and it doesn’t quite fit.

Bill O’Reilly Dissects Gangnam Style. ‘He’s Doing The Pony’
‘Some Little Fat Guy From Yongyang’

Racialicious, however, did an excellent job dissecting the sociology of Gangnam Style.

Racialicious:

So, the song is a comic satire about people who bluff, pretending to be rich and trendy. “Oppan Gangnam style” can literally translate to “I’m a Gangnam style,” in which “oppa” is a Korean referring expression used by females to refer to older males such as older male friends or older brothers. However, the narrator in the song refers to himself in the third person. He keeps saying he lives or loves a Gangnam style life, but in reality, he’s far from it. READ MORE

Published on Nov 28, 2012 by VOAvideo
The South Korean pop song and music video “Gangnam Style” has gone viral worldwide. And now the South Korean tourism industry is hoping to cash in on the song’s international success. Reporter Jason Strother has more from Seoul.

Lyrics from KPop Lyrics:

A girl who is warm and humanle during the day
A classy girl who know how to enjoy the freedom of a cup of coffee
A girl whose heart gets hotter when night comes
A girl with that kind of twist

I’m a guy
A guy who is as warm as you during the day
A guy who one-shots his coffee before it even cools down
A guy whose heart bursts when night comes
That kind of guy

Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Now let’s go until the end

Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh

A girl who looks quiet but plays when she plays
A girl who puts her hair down when the right time comes
A girl who covers herself but is more sexy than a girl who bares it all
A sensable girl like that

I’m a guy
A guy who seems calm but plays when he plays
A guy who goes completely crazy when the right time comes
A guy who has bulging ideas rather than muscles
That kind of guy

Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Beautiful, loveable
Yes you, hey, yes you, hey
Now let’s go until the end

Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style, Gangnam style
Oppa is Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh

On top of the running man is the flying man, baby baby
I’m a man who knows a thing or two
On top of the running man is the flying man, baby baby
I’m a man who knows a thing or two

You know what I’m saying
Oppa is Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady, Oppa is Gangnam style
Eh- Sexy Lady oh oh oh oh

MEGAPOST: Handshakes

Chinese Migrant Worker’s Hilarious Petition Goes Viral

Published on Oct 10, 2012 by NTDTV
It’s an unbelievable piece of satire in a country known for iron-fisted censorship and harsh handling of petitioners. Miao Cuihua, most likely a pseudonym, is doing what countless other migrant workers have done in the past—protest against unpaid wages. But she’s skipped the queue at the petition office. Instead, Miao has created a video that not only demands she receives her quote, “blood and sweat money,” but also mocks the Chinese regime’s propaganda machine—and it’s gone viral.

Above her reads “Migrant Worker Unpaid Salary News Conference” Her rambling rhetoric that follows could be lifted from any of China’s scripted foreign ministry briefings.

[Miao Cuihua, Unpaid Wages News Agency]:
“We are regretted to hear that the official of the Bureau of Civil Affairs said ‘I represent the government. When I say not to give you money, you won’t get money. What can you do? We propose to peacefully, reasonably, and legally request payment. Harmony is precious. Society stability is the priority. So never appeal illegally.’”

The language she uses is typical of China’s well-educated elite, not a migrant worker who mixes concrete for a living.

Her video has been online since May, but in the past few days it’s exploded.

[Xie Liusheng, Shenzhen City Rights Activist for Migrant Workers]:
“It is very interesting. It satirizes the government’s corruption from another angle.”

[Chen Yongmiao, Beijing-based political commentator]:
“In China, if those migrant workers don’t use this kind of special, ironic, and mocking news reporting way to speak up. They would hardly get any public attention.”

Miao worked for the funeral administration department of Hangu district government in Tianjin City. She says a court ruled in 2009 that they owed workers almost $600,000 in unpaid wages, and has never paid up.

Her video is now making Hangu officials take notice, and they have been quick to respond. They’re not paying her though, instead, they say her video is full of distortions and she’s trying to extort more money from the state.

Lupe Fiasco – Bitch Bad (2012)

Yeah, I say
Bitch bad, woman good, lady better
Hey, hey
Hey, hey

[Verse 1]
Now imagine there’s a shorty, maybe five maybe four
Ridin’ ’round with his mama listening to the radio
And a song comes on and a not far off from being born
Doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong
Now I ain’t trying to make it too complex
But let’s just say shorty has an undeveloped context
About the perception of women these days
His mama sings along and this what she says
“Niggas, I’m a bad bitch, and I’m that bitch
Something that’s far above average”
And maybe other rhyming words like cabbage and savage
And baby carriage and other things that match it
Couple of things are happenin’ here
First he’s relatin’ the word “bitch” with his mama – comma
And because she’s relatin’ to herself, his most important source of help
And mental health, he may skew respect for dishonor

[Hook]
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
(I’m killin’ these bitches)
Uh, tell ‘em
Bitch bad, woman good
Lady better, they misunderstood
They misunderstood

Visit RapGenius for full lyrics and interpretations

Demolition Man – Language Violation

Collection of bad language from the Demolition Man.

Five year-old girl speaks seven languages

Focused on the official languages of the United Nations.

Five-year-old Mabou Loiseau’s parents spend $1,500 a week on tutors and lessons – and she spends seven hours a day in some type of instruction, with Sundays off.