Playful language alternation in an online discussion forum: the example of digital code plays

This paper explores the linguistic practice of digital code plays in an online discussion forum, used by the community of English-speaking Germans living in Britain. By adopting a qualitative approach of Computer-Mediated Discourse Analysis, the article examines the ways in which these bilinguals deploy linguistic and other semiotic resources on the forum to co-construct humorous code plays. These performances occur in the context of negotiating language norms and are based on conscious manipulations of both codes, English and German. They involve play with codes at three levels: play with forms, meanings, and frames. Although, at first sight, such alternations appear to be used mainly for a comic effect, there is more to this than just humour. By mixing both codes at all levels, the participants deliberately produce aberrant German ‘polluted’ with English and, in so doing, dismantle the ideology of language purity upheld by the purist movement. The deliberate character of this type of code alternation demonstrates heightened metalinguistic awareness as well as creativity and criticality. By exploring the practice of digital code plays, the current study contributes to the growing body of research on networked multilingualism as well as to practices associated with translanguaging, poly- and metrolingualism.

Fetishizing the Holocaust: comedy and transatlantic connections in Howard Jacobson's 'Kalooki Nights'

The British Jewish novelist Howard Jacobson has, from the start of his career, found himself saddled with the unenviable label of 'the English Philip Roth'. For many years, Jacobson bristled at the Roth comparisons, offering the alternative label 'the Jewish Jane Austen' and insisting that he had not read Roth at all, though more recently he has put on record his admiration for Roth's comic masterpiece, Sabbath's Theater.If Jacobson's early work was certainly imbued with a Rothian Jewish humour, its cultural reference points were almost invariably English. In contrast, Kalooki Nights is saturated with allusions to American culture, in particular Jewish American culture. This article traces some of the ways in which Kalooki Nights explores and exploits these transatlantic connections in a comic novel that both participates in and satirizes what will be called here the fetishization of the Holocaust. It is concluded that Kalooki Nights is Jacobson's audacious attempt to produce a piece of Holocaust literature that exploits the tension between the desire of some Jews of his generation to know all the 'gory details', and the necessity of recognizing that their own historical situation prevents them from ever doing so. The result is to make people laugh not at the events of the Holocaust itself but at the attempt to fetishize them.

Imagining multicultural London: containment and excess in snatch

Snatch (Guy Ritchie, 2000) is a comic-book gangster film that can be seen to represent the backlash against perceived notions of political correctness in what is effectively a public-schoolboy fantasy of working-class life in East London. However, the film also delineates the limits of this backlash in its depiction of minorities as either contained or excess. This is highlighted through the comic-book genre itself as well as the characterization. Thus this article explores the tension between the genre, representation and Jewish identity.

Long-term variations in the magnetic field of the Sun and possible implications for terrestrial climate

Recent studies of the variation of geomagnetic activity over the past 140 years have quantified the "coronal source" or "open" magnetic flux F-s that leaves the solar atmosphere and enters the heliosphere and have shown that it has risen, on average, by 34% since 1963 and by 140% since 1900. This variation is reflected in studies of the heliospheric field using isotopes deposited in ice sheets and meteorites by the action of galactic comic rays. The variation has also been reproduced using a model that demonstrates how the open flux accumulates and decays, depending on the rate of flux emergence in active regions and on the length of the solar cycle. The cosmic ray flux at energies > 3 GeV is found to have decayed by about 15% during the 20(th) century (and by about 4% at > 13 GeV). We show that the changes in the open flux do reflect changes in the photospheric and sub-surface field which offers an explanation of why open flux appears to be a good proxy for solar irradiance extrapolation. Correlations between F-s, solar cycle length, L, and 11-year smoothed sunspot number, R-11, explain why the various irradiance reconstructions for the last 150 years are similar in form. Possible implications of the inferred changes in cosmic ray flux and irradiance for global temperatures on Earth are discussed.

Girls talk: authorship and authenticity in the reception of Lena Dunham's Girls

By examining the discourse around Lena Dunham's HBO comedy Girls (2012– present), this article argues that the programme served as a space to think through female authorship, televisual representations and cultural tensions surrounding young womanhood. Central to this discourse was the narrative asserting Girls' and Dunham's 'authenticity', originality and universality, which sought to legitimate her gendered authorship and interest in the comedy of female intimacy within HBO' s masculine prestige channel identity. Charting three cycles of discourse surrounding the programme's debut, this article explores the paratextual framing by promotional concerns, television critics and women' s websites. It highlights how journalists and critics furthered HBO's paratextual framing of Dunham, which was later countered by the networked spaces of niche online media, which used the programme as a space to productively work through industrial and cultural tensions; particularly those surrounding female comic authorship, autobiography and intersectionality.

La picaresca en Mortadelo y Filemón

Mort and Phil (Mortadelo y Filemón) are one of the most famous Spanish comics in thehistory. As some of the characters of Spanish comic they have been sometimes described aspicaresque. The objective of our study is finding out if Mort and Phil play the role of thepicaro. Our study follows the hermeneutic method, taking into consideration the role of thecomic in Spanish society and the concept of picaresque novel. In order to carry out theanalysis, we will look for the characteristics of the picaresque in three stories of theadventures of Mort and Phil. Along the study we will notice the lack of consensus in order todecide what it can be considered a picaresque novel or what not besides showing allcharacteristics of picaresque are not present in this comic. Therefore, we conclude that Mortand Phil can not be considered a picaresque novel but it could be understood as a work ofpicaresque spirit.

From the Hill

Q&A: Lincoln Peirce '85 on his comic strip hero, Big Nate, life as a professional artist, his new book series, and inspiration from the Colby Art Department The Alchemist: Sculptor Stefanie Rocknak turns wood into captured moments of expression Trading Campfires for Barbecues: There's more to "cooking COOT" than mixing and masticating Empowered in Kabul: Sulaiman Nasseri helps Afghan women gain independence through embroidery At Home on the Range: Willard Wyman's latest novel explores the transitory ideal of the Old West (Review) Be Careful What You Wish For (Review) For This Rookie Cop, All the Streets Are Mean (Review) Recent Releases Economy Remains Cool? Colby Career Center looks to "warm market"

Interview with Leonard Hewell "Kip" Carter

In his February 10, 2012 interview with Robert Ryals, Leonard Hewell “Kip” Carter details growing up in the South during segregation and the Civil Rights Movement, as well as his life as political aide/campaign treasurer to Newt Gingrich. Included are details of his college education at UNC-Chapel Hill – classes, professor, and the Red Scare. Carter shares the history of his friendship and working relationship with Newt Gingrich, the scandals Gingrich faced, and the ultimate end of their relationship. This interview was conducted for inclusion into the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections Oral History Program.

As mudanças na cultura organizacional de uma instituição pública federal sob um olhar estético

A despeito do esforço despendido pelos pesquisadores e estudiosos organizacionais em compreender e acompanhar as mudanças e transformações ocorridas no cotidiano das organizações, sabe-se que ainda existem variáveis que a corrente racionalista positivista, hegemonicamente presente nos estudos realizados no século passado, ainda não conseguiram desvelar. Com o objetivo de avançar em estudos e pesquisas que admitam a subjetividade que permeia os integrantes das organizações, buscou-se identificar, sob a ótica da abordagem estética, como os servidores do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) apreenderam as mudanças na cultura organizacional ocorridas na instituição a partir da década de 90 do século passado. A partir da perspectiva fenomenológica hermenêutica, realizou-se pesquisa tipo etnográfica e, como a pesquisadora pertence ao quadro de servidores da organização estudada, a pesquisa possui também caráter autoetnográfico. A pesquisa de campo foi realizada em quatro órgãos singulares e a coleta dos dados ocorreu por meio da observação participante e em 57 entrevistas. As anotações de campo e as entrevistas foram transcritas e submetidas à análise de conteúdo. As revelações do campo foram apresentadas em 11 categorias que representam os juízos estéticos dos servidores, pertencentes ao grupo pesquisado, acerca das mudanças ocorridas na cultura organizacional nas últimas décadas: o belo, o sagrado, o pitoresco, o gracioso, o sublime o cômico, o feio, a tristeza, o trágico o ritmo, o indizível. O estudo concluiu que o conhecimento adquirido pelos integrantes da organização, a partir de suas experiências sensoriais e seus juízos estéticos, tanto é influenciado quanto possui influência sobre sua cultura.

No palco, os quadrinhos: a influência do teatro judaico no desenvolvimento das histórias em quadrinhos modernas

This dissertation has its main goal on signing the modern Comic Books` narrative development aspects. It goes from its relationship with performing arts, specifically with the Yiddish (Jewish theatre). The research was done from the Will Eisner´s work analysis. He is a cartoonist and has a wide and influent in his area. Moreover he clearly reflects the similarities between Comic Books and Theatre. In this study was adopted the qualitative methodology on historic-comparative procedure through bibliography. The study indicates that, although their media and distinct principles, the Comic Books and Yiddish Theatre have close influence relationship considering their narrative solutions

No palco, os quadrinhos: a influência do teatro judaico no desenvolvimento das histórias em quadrinhos modernas

This dissertation has its main goal on signing the modern Comic Books` narrative development aspects. It goes from its relationship with performing arts, specifically with the Yiddish (Jewish theatre). The research was done from the Will Eisner´s work analysis. He is a cartoonist and has a wide and influent in his area. Moreover he clearly reflects the similarities between Comic Books and Theatre. In this study was adopted the qualitative methodology on historic-comparative procedure through bibliography. The study indicates that, although their media and distinct principles, the Comic Books and Yiddish Theatre have close influence relationship considering their narrative solutions

A estética da Commedia dell Arte: contribuições para o ensino das Artes Cênicas

Theatrical phenomenon borned in the Italy the Comedy dell Art concerned to it climax in the XVI century and spreading itself by the word than can be sight like the theatre base modern. Lasting parallel the conventional theatre since the three hundred years, this gender influenced significativly the making theatrical in the Europe graces the popular character of its simulation turned for the improvise. In spite of treat a theatric manifestation no more existing in the present time, we understand that the Comedy dell Art was constituted in one artistic language whose esthetics centralized in the popular fanciful and in the improvise permitted a rich possibility of verbal and not-verbal communication that today can to be taken again in contemporary productions theatricals. Departing of an approach of esthetics, this work has with purpose concentrate the references esthetics that configure that one artistic manifestation such that one references can contribute for the Arts teaches in the present times. We appeal the text and image of Comedy dell Art, such this historical reference that in context, with fountain investigated that mean and if complementary in one esthetic reflection for the creation of meaning diverse and news interpretations for the purpose investigated if having with base some analysis categories such as: the actor s body, the actuations spaces and the esthetics categories such the ugly, the comic and the absurd. To investigate the Comedy dell Art esthetic in the ambit of the teach of Arts Scenics is a manner of be understand the artistic universe of three century behind that can be meant, revived, in the marking possibilities of an art teach able to incentive the critical, the appreciation, the discussion and the transgression of instituted true. Having investigated the exhibition Comedy dell Art esthetic we rebound four stich that we judge significative for we think the Arts Scenics teach, they are: the articulation between actor s body, the text and the space actuation in the play; statement what it is given between actor s body and the on-looker and the every gesture that did share of scene in a popular scenic space; a conception actor s body that transgress with the true duty socially that is capable the to admit its dimension Dionysian, creative and ambiguous in the to do theatrical; the text conception that get beyond the ambit the word writing by the dramatist and talked by actors, if spreading the other elements significance in the scene like gesture, the parody, the recent news, the gags and the word used in the day-to-day; the scenic space like a statement symbolic between actors and on-looker that make a quality of amusement pact supported by the scenic true of artist that actuate in not usual spaces bid at an auctioning degrees of participation in the building the scenic phenomenon; and the importance of esthetics categories such as the ugly, the comic and the absurd, those categories that foundation like a do scenic transgressor make a possible exchange mutual between actor and appreciator. The statement of esthetics categories in joint continuous between the body, the text and the scenic space evident themselves in doing theatrical and in the its appreciation. We believe that the reflection esthetic about the Comedy dell Art in the arts class, consider the stich detached, can favor possibilities of to share discovery, ideas, feelings and attitudes, and can permit the observation of different stich of view, establishing the statement of individual with the group in a participative and democratic form

Quadrinhos nas aulas de ciências: narrando uma história de formação continuada

Located at the intersection of Science Education, Teacher Training and use of didactic Comics (HQ), the text aims to discuss the problem which thus sets: - What is the contribution of the incorporation of comics in the continuing education of teachers Natural Sciences of the early years of elementary school? - May be the comics for enabling science teaching? - How to contribute to a reflexive training of teachers of the early years? - In order to answer these questions, there was a collaborative action research in a school located in the city of Natal / RN, with three teachers who teach natural science in the early years of elementary school. The study involved the conduct of 13 meetings of in-service, under the focus on reflective practice, with the purpose of discussing topics underlying the teaching of science and the use of comics as a methodological strategy. All meetings were recorded on audio and transcripts. The teachers finally recorded the meetings by writing a portfolio. The teachers made use of 10 sessions with reading comics in science classes, which were video recorded and later watched by the educators in autoscopy sessions followed by individual interviews. From the collected data, several aspects that have emerged can be grouped into three categories: The difficult concept of science, teachers' work and the obstacles and possibilities of comics as a teaching strategy. In this sense, are woven assessments taking as its founding, look for the reflective and dialogic practices exercised in the classroom. In the analysis of the data, we can see the conceptual difficulties, methodological and pistemological questions of teachers for teaching science, but also the limitations of comic books for teaching. Learning more relevant appointed by the teachers is related to the importance of collective work to mitigate the training needs of teaching. Finally, signals that the HQ has a great potential for use in science classes, provided that the teacher conduct a careful planning for this, but that the meetings of continuing education promote moments of reflection on teaching practices that are capable of giving rise to new attitudes before the difficulties they depict

A construção de modelos situacionais no padrão discursivo narrativa em quadrinhos

The object of this study is the construction of situation models in the discourse pattern comic book narrative, and sits in the field of Cognitive Linguistics. Its main foundations are the notions of embodied mind (LAKOFF; JOHNSON, 1999), mental simulation (BARSALOU, 1999), discourse pattern (DUQUE; COSTA, 2012) and situation models (ZWAAN, 1999). I stem from the hypothesis that the process of meaning construction in narratives is attached to the simulation of space, of time and of the characters goals and actions within the story world, dimensions which make up the situation models elaborated by the reader. The simulation of these experiences during discourse processing originates from the fact of it having an embodied and cultural basis, i.e., upon being confronted with the clues found in the narrative, the cognitive structures that make up the reader s personal and social memories are triggered and make it possible to activate information which in turn refer to his/her physical and social experiences, built up in the environment in which he/she lives. As regards comic book narratives, the construction of situation models is closely related to the recurring activation of certain cognitive structures originating from graphic resources that are typical of that discourse pattern. These conclusions were drawn from the data analysis taken from the work Palestina (SACCO, 2003; 2004; 2011)

A tirinha cômica em questão: atividades de leitura no livro didático de língua portuguesa

You can see nowadays a more constant questioning about the validity and effectiveness of the practices of teaching reading currently introduced in elementary school. The intelligibilities generated from many voices, and built on the border between many consciences, it can contribute to understand and to some extent, alleviate skewed or outdated understandings about the teaching of reading and its goals in the school environment. By understanding the dynamics of these practices, which always need to be modified because of new social demands, we recognize the validity of working with the prospect of reading in its historical, social and dialogic dimension (Bakhtin, 1981, 2003). The Portuguese language textbook (LDP), in turn, being one of the fundamental bases of reading in school, makes a justified and necessary active production of knowledge about the theoretical and methodological conceptions that underlie the work with reading and on how that work is effectively routed. Our aim in this essay is precisely analyze reading activities in four Portuguese textbooks (Teacher s Manuals) for the 6th grade of elementary school, focusing on the proposed activities from a specific discursive genre, in this case, the comic strip. Through this research, we retrieve and list the goals that guide the development of reading activities in the LDP, and then verify a compliance or not of these objectives in directing the activities. Finally, we describe how the reading practices that involve the strip in the textbook can legitimize or reject the reading as an area of construction and circulation of meanings between socio-historically located subjects. We take account of studies on the nature and constitution of language (BAKHTIN, 1981, 2003, 2010; BAKHTIN/ VOLOSHINOV, 2006; SOUZA, 2002; GERALDI, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2006; ROJO, 2008a, 2008b, among others), as well especific studies about the activities in Portuguese textbooks (MARCUSCHI, 2010; BELMIRO, 2006; MENDONÇA, 2006, among others)