07 October 2007

Makalakapisei?


Makalakapisei?


As with stories, it becomes important for the author to reveal the answers to hanging questions to entice the reader.


So what's the deal with the web address of this journal? Makalakapisei?


From the cavalcade of 90s era commercials, from telephone companies in persistent one-upsmanship, came the "1-800-CALL-ATT" series. Ubiquitously present were actors whose faces were recognizable, but alas, names were not.


Fueling the "fire" that people were accustomed to poor long-distance service (which was nothing but psychological operations by the marketeers), a guy tried to place a long-distance call and reached some chubby guy with a Trinidad style straw hat who answered a remote pay phone and said, "Makalakapisei?" Obviously, the caller had no clue how to react and this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Poor guy!


Phew.


So my takeaways are:


1) Communications are complex, and;

2) It's nice to be able to reach out into the ether and on rare occasions, connect.



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