allthingslinguistic:

A linguistic analysis of #PronouncingThingsIncorrectly 

Rachael Tatman has a really interesting linguistic analysis of the language game #PronuncingThingsIncorrectly at her blog. Excerpt: 

#PronouncingThingsIncorrectly is a language game invented by Chaz Smith. Smith is a Viner, Cinema Studies student at the University of Pennsylvania and advocate for sexual assault prevention. But right now, I’m mostly interested in his role as a linguistic innovator. In that role he’s invented a new type of language game, which you can see an example of [above]. […]

This is a great example of one of the big True Things linguists know about language: even in play, it tends to be structured. This particular game has three structures I noticed right away: vowel harmony, re-syllabification and new stress assignment.

Vowel Harmony

Vowel harmony is where all the vowels in a word tend to sound alike. It’s not really a big thing in English, but you may be familiar with it from the nursery rhyme “I like to eat Apples and Bananas“. Other languages, though, use it all the time: Finnish, Nez Perce, Turkish and Maasai all have vowel harmony.

It’s also part of this language game. For example, “tide” is pronounced so that it rhymes with “speedy” and “tomatoes” rhymes with “toe so toes”. Notice that both words have the same vowel sound throughout. Not all words have the same vowel all the way through, but there’s more vowel harmony in the  #PronouncingThingsIncorrectly words than there are in the original versions.

You can go read about the other two, re-syllabification and new stress assignment. It’s also reminding me a bit of the Key and Peele Substitute Teacher sketch.

(via allthingslinguistic)

allthecanadianpolitics:

The Trudeau government is finally getting around to creating a long-awaited special parliamentary committee on electoral reform.

A motion to create the committee was placed on the House of Commons order paper late Tuesday evening.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised during last fall’s election campaign that it would be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post electoral system

He promised to create a committee to examine alternatives and report back with recommendations within 18 months.

But as his fledgling government passed the six-month mark last week with no committee on the horizon, advocates of proportional representation worried that Trudeau was planning to rag the puck long enough that there wouldn’t be enough time to implement reforms by the next election in 2019.

The motion should help reassure them that Trudeau intends to stick to his promised timetable.

It specifies that the committee is to study “viable alternative voting systems, such as preferential ballots and proportional representation” as well as mandatory voting and online voting, and to present its final report no later than December, 2016.

However, the makeup of the committee could stoke other fears that the committee is geared to recommend an alternative voting system that would favour the ruling Liberal party.

The 10-member committee is to consist of six Liberal MPs, three Conservatives and one New Democrat. One member of the Bloc Quebecois and the Green party’s lone MP, Leader Elizabeth May, will be also be members but without the right to vote or move motions.

Continue Reading.

DANCE PARTY FOR ELECTORAL REFORM

(via allthecanadianpolitics)

buzzfeedgeeky:

(via buzzfeedau)

nekare:

unpretty:

mellydraws:

unpretty:

reallyohcrap:

unpretty:

unpretty:

i like to imagine that clark kent’s search history is mostly normal but then there’s stuff like “improved superman costume concept art” because he wanted ideas

#what would you even do as an artist #if one day superman is just wearing a costume that is clearly your design #like superman was clearly looking at your deviantart #there is a chance that superman saw that art you drew of him kissing batman #why is he wearing the costume you designed #is he trying to send a message #is he saying that he really does smooch batman #did superman see your kryptosona #how much does he know 

someone said they wanted to be able to reblog this with my horrible tags

no but like… do you sue him for using your designs? Do you politely ask him to stop using your designs? Do you ask him for license fees when the Superman merchandise adopts your design as well? 

i am absolutely sure that he would find one with an artist’s comment/description that included “hey superman if you’re reading this feel free to use this anytime ok ;3″ and he would say “oh man that’s so thoughtful, thank you weedhorse69, I think I will” and like how do you explain in court that you, weedhorse69, did not intend for your statement to be any kind of contractual offer because you did not think he would ever find your public internet post with his name all over it

#people are reblogging the version of this without my final addition#offended that i would suggest clark kent wouldn’t credit the artist#missing what i consider to be the obvious facts of the matter#it’s probably a costume designed out of pure thirst too like#weedhorse69 is gonna keep his mouth shut because this way he gets to watch superman#running around town in a costume that really shows off his biceps and abs#he thought it looked summery#the league holds an intervention asking him to please stop wearing it#he does not stop no one can stop him#batman v superman II: clark please put on a real shirt

tumblr is garbage and likes to resize everything and readmores don’t work on mobile anyway so you all will just have to click through if you want to read weedhorse69′s chatlog screenshots

THAT CHATLOG THO

(via charminglyantiquated)

allthecanadianpolitics:

There were cheers in the United Nations as Canada officially removed its objector status to the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples Tuesday, almost a decade after it was adopted by the General Assembly.

“We are now a full supporter of the declaration, without qualification,” Bennett said, as she addressed the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the United Nations in New York City on Tuesday.

“We intend nothing less than to adopt and implement the declaration in accordance with the Canadian Constitution.”

The declaration recognizes Indigenous people’s basic human rights, as well as rights to self-determination, language, equality and land, among others.

Bennett — who received a standing ovation for her statement — is leading a delegation that includes leaders from the Assembly of First Nations, Native Women’s Association of Canada, Métis National Council, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, as well as elders and youth.

Continue Reading.

YAYYYY

(via allthecanadianpolitics)

cracked:

11 Self-Defense Techniques (That Even A Child Could Use)

askfordoodles:

When you stop petting your cat and it does the thing.

(via thenerdybird)

nativenews:

One salmon taken from the river by Chilliwack chief leads to ‘sacrilegious’ charges by DFO

[IMAGE: A Sto:lo salmon ceremony on Tzeachten land in Chilliwack in 2014.]

Imagine, if you will, uniformed officers entering a Catholic church to arrest a priest for giving communion.

A frightening and sacrilegious act not to be tolerated.

Yet that’s the way outspoken local Sto:lo leader Ernie Crey compares what federal fisheries officers did to Shxwha:y Village Chief Robert Gladstone a year ago when they charged him for taking a single salmon from the Fraser River for ceremonial purposes.

“We only needed one spring salmon for the ceremony,” Crey told the Times about the incident that sees Gladstone in court in Chilliwack next Tuesday.

“I’m trying to make people understand what the DFO [Department of Fisheries and Oceeans] did in charging Robert. This is how grievous what they did to us is.”

The incident took place in March of 2015. That’s when Gladstone said DFO would not authorize a Pilalt ceremonial fishery. Pilalt is a group of local Fraser River First Nations bands.

The First Salmon Ceremony is traditional among local Sto:lo bands to honour the fish that are sacred to the people, and to usher in the return of the salmon to the Fraser.

Issues over commercial and First Nations fishing on the Fraser River have endured for decades and battles have raged over allowable catches, who gets to fish when and where, not to mention dwindling returns. Yet DFO frequently gives licences for what are known as food social and ceremonial (FSC) fisheries on the river. So the refusal of last spring’s permit is troubling and confusing, particularly because fish, as always, were coming out of water to the west where sport anglers already enjoyed their pastime.

“Fraser River chinook salmon at that time of the year were being caught out in the marine waters in sport and, I think, commercial fisheries,” Crey said. “Fish bound for the Fraser River.

“We only wanted to catch one fish.”

Robert Stanley Alexander Gladstone faces one charge of contravening Fisheries Act or regulations under it. His first appearance on the charge in connection with the incident from March 26, 2015 was Jan. 5, 2016. He is scheduled to be arraigned on May 10.

An increasingly growing group is banding together to protest on the steps of the Chilliwack Law Courts for Gladstone’s May 10 court appearance.

A number of Sto:lo Grand Chiefs have confirmed their attendance and dozens of other band members and supporters are expected.

(via fycanadianpolitics)

(via laureljupiter)