Technology, that annoying little buzz in your ear

[jchrisobrien]

There's an amusing scene in The Fifth Element where Gary Oldman is talking about how technology and industry grows from destruction, and then chokes on something he eats.  Ian Holm wryly observes that all of his technology can't save him from choking, and smacks him on the back to save his life.  I'm reminded of this because sometime technology gives us new innovations, that are not improvements over the original.  As an example I give you cell phone ring tones.  People love to have songs as their ring tones, yet more often than  not are embarrassed when "When Doves Cry" or "Sweet Child of Mine" blasts out at high volume in the middle of a conversation, or meeting.  Why would you pick a song as a ring tone if it embarrasses you?  Your daughter singing "You are my sunshine" may be cute to you, but I assure you it's not cute to the rest of us.  Especially at that volume.

The closest I had to a singing ringtone was that generic salsa beat you get on Verizon phones.  If I were to get a song as my ringtone, it would be some thing like Queen's "Princes of the Universe".  Just to see people reaction when were talking about the weather or a computer problem, and they hear Freddie Mercury scream out "HEEEEEEEEEERE WE ARE.  BORN TO BE KINGS, WE'RE THE PRINCES OF THE UUUUUNIVERSE." 

That would be awesome.

Comments

[carta.livejournal.com]

My ringtone is Copacabana. I hate it when people talk on their cells in public (on the el, in line at the grocery store, etc.), so mine is generally on silent when I'm out of the house. I get the buzz and can see if it's urgent, but no one needs to hear me chatting to my BFF on the el.

Now, my mile walk home from the train station, through neighborhoods, is a different matter. :D

[silas7.livejournal.com]

I'm amused at people having heart to heart conversations on the bus or train, and then looking at you funny when you stare at them. "Hello, don't talk to your boyfriend about your hot date last night in public, ass!"

PS - love the Constantine!

[clayrobeson.livejournal.com]

For a while I had a clip from "Puttin on the Ritz" from Young Frankenstein as my ringtone... it made everyone around me either stare or giggle when it went off.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

I could also use the "mission impossible" or original "batman" sounds, glance at my phone quickly and say "I have to go!" then run out of the room.

[photiq.livejournal.com]

I use the Mission: Impossible theme for my work ring tone, as well as the multiple alarms I have to set for myself while at work, so I have lived that very scenario.

A few too many times, actually. :-)

[mrhavisham.livejournal.com]

I don’t like songs as ring tones! I think they sound stupid!
That’s why I have an screeching snarling and hissing cat on my phone.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Excellent!

I was using a machine gun blast as my ring tone. A night spent in the slammer quickly convinced me of the error of my ways.

Cops. No sense of humor.

[spriggan.livejournal.com]

I fucking hate ringtones.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

I say we do away with them. Cell phones too. All messages should go out via carrie pigeon!

[spriggan.livejournal.com]

Nah, we should just all have subcutaneous cell phones. That way the noise is _inside_ us.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Fat lot of good that did Aegis!

Still, a cool idea.

[spriggan.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it was very useful for him in all his previous campaigns.

[otis-nixon.livejournal.com]

I want a ringtone that sounds like an old-fashion telephone...
When that sucker goes off... people will FREAK OUT.

In a related story... when my daughter was 2, she picked up a play-phone and went "DEEDLE-EEDLE-EET! DEEDLE-EEDLE-EET!", and I said what is that? She says "a phone!" I said phones go "brrrrrrrrrring! brrrrrrrrrrrrring!" and she said "silly Dada!"

And she was right. Phones don't ring anymore.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

See, that's my idea of a cool ring tone.

[flutterby369.livejournal.com]

that scene is one of my most favs, and i still crack up when i see him choking and smacking the hell out of his desk trying to get something to help him. the look he gives that creature when it is all over is classic. as for ring tones, i hear so many that just make my skin crawl. especially when someone does a brittney spears song, or some such ick-ness. i am so nit-pickish when it comes to those that i can never seem to choose. one of my favs is the song they play every time Darth Vader comes onto the scene. seems to make everyone smile around me, while giving me the perfect mood music for when i am pmsing. one of my friends has a cow mooing as hers. cracks me up. makes me want to find sheep noises for mine, but i am too lazy as of late.

yes, i would love to hear Freddie screaming out that tune, would be very choice indeed.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

The cow ring tone would rule!

[flutterby369.livejournal.com]

the one that i think would rock is the cow noises they use in the beginning of many pixar flicks. the little cow noise followed by the thundering moos of a stampeed. that alone would make a few people stop in wonder.

[mrfph.livejournal.com]

My phone in Germany played the theme song of Murder, She Wrote. How I miss it!!

[silas7.livejournal.com]

Alas, our poor departed awesome TV shows (Buffy, Angel) some cut down in the prime of their life (Firefly, Millenium).