Kowabunga or Cowabunga?

Alrighty folks! We’re off! Thanks for being my guinea pigs in this “blog-takes-the-place-of-website-design” assignment. “Did we have a choice in the matter?" you may ask. Well, no, not really. But hey, the website assignment was old news. Plus, you have tons of freedom of choice in other course content areas! (Here, I’m trying to assuage my guilt for not providing you the option between the two assignments). And…uh…also, just think, I don’t even own a standard-issue rubric for “Assignment # 3 – Blogging.” This is certain to ensure some grade inflation by me on all of your behalves.

So, Kirk, sorry - but as you can see from this site’s title, you’re going to have to share your modifying “Kowabunga, with a ‘K’” with this class site’s “Cowabunga with a ‘C.’” After our class’s little name game and my being pressured by the hands of time to select the inappropriate adjective “callous” to describe myself (by the way I’m neither lacking in emotion, nor is my skin covered with thickened, hardened areas), my curiosity was piqued. Was it “cowabunga” – allowing me to lay claim to it, or was it “kowabunga” – as Levy and others suggested – which gave Kirk the alliterative edge and left me being unfeeling and callous! I did a little research (alright, I looked on Wikipedia) on this “c(k)owabunga” business. For those of you still reading, here are my findings on the etymology on the word:

Its origins go way back to that land before time – the fifties…and the Howdy Doody show. Here, it was spelled “kawabunga” – with a “k” and an “a,” and used by the character Chief Thunderthud (Remember him? Me neither.) Anyway, it was a nonsensical, fun word. Later, it was altered to "cowabunga" by Australian surfers and subsequently, popularized by Bart Simpson of The Simpsons and Michelangelo of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic, TV, and movie series. Ultimately, however you choose to spell it (Do you identify yourself as a throwback or an ultra-throwback?), it is a slang term used when amazed or surprised, and is often followed by the word man. Example: Cowabunga, man! Look at that crazy house!

So, the moral of the story is…I guess we can all be somewhat correct in this instance. As long as we can reference some evidence and backing to support our case. As a personal aside, however, the more important message here is I don’t have to be Callous Carissa any longer! Oh--the other idea that I wanted to highlight is that voicing a multiplicity of opinions can promote thoughtful, academic(?) inquiry and informed conclusions. This expression of various perspectives and its ensuing broadening of worldviews is exactly what I hope happens throughout the second half of the semester with this blogging assignment. From skimming everyone’s initial postings, it seems that we definitely are off to an auspicious start with regards to diversity of topics and voices. So, continue on my fellow 105ers! And… keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming posts dealing with areas of inquiry such as: Where was Michael Moore really born and what does it matter to us?; Stories of a four foot woman who grappled with scrapple, and “Stories from the Marital Frontline” – My Upcoming Wedding and the Real Romance it Could Wreck.

P.S. Apologies in advance for any gratuitous alliterative references and usage in this post. It’s the literary device du jour (Look! I’m even doing it with quasi-foreign phrases.) that I’ve been focusing on at Mount Elden Middle School lately!