Mmm...chipwiches
Showing posts with label Self call. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Self call. Show all posts
Waka Waka: The Origins
**When I first heard the term waka a few years back in my college days, I naturally immediately thought of the World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA). In fact, I was mistaken.
The evolution of the term, as best I can research it, is as follows:
Around the turn of the century --this century-- the fine young men and women of Dartmouth College began to use the term self call. This phrase was shouted out in response to another's self-aggrandizing statement. Back then such a comment may have been: So, ahh, then we golden shrubbed the other guys, and I hooked up with her later.
These days a self call sounds more like: My portfolio is still strong to quite strong.
Either way, you get the point. What's interesting, fascinating in fact, is that somewhere between then and now there was a radical change in our common parlance. After AMDAL's very own The BMar beat "self call" into the ground, he single-handedly delivered the term "waka" to the lexicon. Whether it was an alcohol induced moment of genius or an incomprehensible dyspraxic utteration, we may well never know. The parties present at the time --Spring Break on South Padre Island-- are either currently incarcerated or have since gone missing.
What we do know is that things haven't been the same since. Waka is no longer just a genre of Japanese poetry; it's a Dartmouth language phenomenon that has spread to the very internets you're currently reading.
But alas, there are always two sides to every coin, and sometimes even the victor's don't write history.
On my archeologically-focused summer abroad in Peru, I discovered the following ancient Incan scripture (self call! waka waka!):
And so it is that waka is neither a new phrase nor a particularly appropriate one in the context in which we've grown accustomed to using it.
Five hundred years ago, as the Spanish conquistadores ruthlessly invaded Peru for it's yellow gold (not Inca Kola. That was to come in 1910), the Incan Empire began its precipitous fall. It receded from its peripheral territories across the Andes, gathering last at its most sacred spot, its most important waka, Machu Picchu.
It wasn't until 1911 when Yale archeologist and US Senator Hiram Bingham rediscovered Machu Picchu (was he looking for Peru's other --and just released-- gold?!), that the true secret of the waka was ultimately revealed.
**Apologies, this photo is completely unrelated to the content here presented, but was the first hit on a Google Image Search of the term "waka."
Wicked Smaht AND Rich
As if you didn't know, Dartmouth grads are the shit. After all, half this blog is devoted to patting ourselves on the back*.
The Payscale study described by the NYTimes (here) found that if you planned to stick to having only** a bachelor's degree post-college and it says Dartmouth, you probably should be buying the rounds. Bad news (or good news if you're reading this at Ulysses or 21st Amendment right now) is you might have to wait a while. Because while you and your friends will be richer than your other BA recipient friends, it won't happen for another 10-15 years. In the meantime, have your MIT or Harvey Mudd(?) buddies get this one.
Better news yet, engineers and even pretengineers (me - quackquack): looks like we cleaned up, taking home 7 of the top 10 spots in the Majors Leading To Most $crilla category. Suck on that econ majors***.
I read most of the article until they got to "but there's a catch." Something about sample sizes, apples to oranges and median something something. Like any well-educated person, I stopped when I heard what I wanted to hear. I imagine you'll do the same. Besides, it's from the NY Times, so it's got to be credible right? I mean, check out the formatting on the chart.
*The other 50% breaks down as follows: 30% self dep; 20% embarrassing pictures of [Apple symbol] / Austin; 15% shitty math, speling erors and bad grammar and punctuation
**I tried to word this so it doesn't sound obnoxious but it was the best I could do. Cut me some slack, I'm only an engineering grad.
***Sorry Scos - one more cheap shot for the road. Thanks for the kind shout out earlier - I repay you only in verbal nut kicks.
Hat tip: Thanks Sars and Paul S for the find.
Self-dep is the new black
Lately it seems that the new "in" form of humor is self-deprecation. While it would make sense that arrogance and opulence aren't welcomed in the economic crisis today, I think that people have begun belittling themselves to extremes, and telling the world about it. Misery loves company right?
Two cases in point: textsfromlastnight and fmylife. The first invites viewers to somewhat anonymously (you see an area code) post text messages they have sent or received usually based on ridiculous stories from the previous night. A majority of the texts are from bad nights:
(308): I just walked in on my mom and dad......It wasn't my dad
...while a few shine in their awesomeness:
(703): Just woke up wearing a top hat and simpsons boxers. i also found more money in my wallet then what i had before going out, about $1000 more
The second website is all about self-dep. Viewers post and read anonymous stories about how bad others' lives are. If you're ever feeling like you're having a bad day, please check this website out first. There's even an iPhone app! A couple gems are below:
Today, my boyfriend told me he couldn't hang out with me because he felt really sick. I went to his house anyway to surprise him with homemade soup. I walk in to his room only to find him hooking up with my sister.She can't drive, our mom drove her there. FML
Today, my friend had to take my cat who has a tumor to be put down when I wasn't home since I couldn't bare to take him myself. I have two cats. He took the wrong one. FML
To AMDAL's credit, I think our viewers have been keenly aware of this development even before the "great recession" began. From our appreciation of the Foggy Monocle to the use (and abuse) of the self-call at Dartmouth, we've been laughing it up while putting each other down for a long time now. Nice job.
