Cell phone etiquette, or symptom of larger issue?

Don't get me wrong; I'm not sure that I agree with the actions of the policeman in this story, but had I actually been there, I might have applauded him slapping the cuffs on this woman. My uncertainty is the fact that I think the woman's rudeness displayed here isn't so much a problem in itself, but a symptom of a larger problem that needs addressing in modern society.

There is no doubt that cell phones (and other technology, but I will focus on cell phones here) are a great invention, and enhance many lives, if used judiciously. However, when they aren't used in this way, I wonder if it points to some sort of personal issue beyond a simple lack of manners. Both for the person using the cell phone, and the random observers who are offended by it.

Over the past few years, a lot has been said about the hazards of cell phones while driving. A lot of smart individuals asked "Why are cell phones being singled out, when talking to a passenger, eating behind the wheel, etc. are just as dangerous?" Of course, a straight answer to this question was never given. And cell phone bans while driving went into effect in many cities and states.

Some theorized that it was an issue of envy, as in "I wish I could be important enough to have to use a phone while driving, but since I'm not, I'll rain on everyone's parade." Of course, I think that a portion did have safety issues at heart, and were using the cell phone issue as a starting point to address the other unsafe things people do while driving. How much came from column A and how much from column B are up for debate.

Going on to the person actually talking on the cell phone, I have to wonder if that conversation really HAD to happen at that exact moment. Sometimes, I have to wonder if people talk loudly and rudely just to be seen with a cell phone, whether to satisfy some bizarre need to be thought of in as important by random observers, or to allow themselves feel better about themselves. Being thought of as rude by random strangers becomes a weird form of self-esteem or self-affirmation. People wouldn't be rude in public with cell phones if they didn't get some form of psychiatric reward for it.

fortunately, I have been blessed with the ability to tune out these folks, so I avoid feeding these egos whenever possible. I realize that not everyone can do this, but it can be done with practice, and possibly a willingness to temporarily relocate to another portion of the video store.

Cell phone talker's arrest stirs etiquette debate CNET News.com

Cell Phones Left Out -or- Old Ways Left Behind?

Something that most people don't notice (at least until you point it out) is how few telemarketing phone calls they get on their cell phones (For my purposes, any unsolicited phone call from an unknown individual is considered a telemarketing phone call). Sometimes, one might get through, especially if the marketer dials at random, or your cell phone number used to be a landline (more on that another day). Most of the time, though, your cell phone time is telemarketer free, for maximum enjoyment.

It seems, however, that other, more legitimate business are also affected by this trend; the example cited in the Wired article is political polling. Polling organizations are reluctant to call folks on their cell phone, with good reason. However, as more and more people ditch landlines altogether, they have no chance to be included in these polls; eventually, the validity of the sample goes all wonky, the poll is no longer statistically valid, and then society collapses, or something like that. I guess that's what happens when politicians have to trust their intuition or actually listen to their constituents to make a choice (maybe society actually will collapse if this occurs then). Oh well, I'm sure a way around this before that happens.

Wired News: Survey Says: Cell Phones Left Out

Losing the Signal

Many have have been lamenting the decline of FM radio into something bland for years now. Thanks to the major consolidation of the past few years, all radio stations in the land now share the same seven playlists, depending on which "format" the station caters too.

Past complaints have always been dismissed with the handy excuse "We're only giving people what they want. If they didn't want it, why are they still listening?" Of course, listening to it is not the same as liking it, except that there were no alternatives at the time. Of course, now that satellite radio is starting to take off, and enough people are now turning to their own alternatives, including Audio Books, iPods, or just plain old Compact Discs. It's finally starting to hit the bottom lines of Clear Channel Communications, and other large radio companies. I'm having a hard time feeling sympathetic for these companies after many years of taking abuse from their Boy Band proxies.

I remember a time not all that long ago when you could actually discover new music by listening to the radio. Some of my most beloved music was discovered on the radio, or on MTV back when they still played music. Nowadays, I can't listen to the radio for 5 minutes without being subjected to 15 minutes of ads that I couldn't care less about.

If I'm sounding grizzled for my 27 years, it's because I'm so passionate about discovering new music. Music is the stuff of life, and a good song can make life beautiful. The discovery makes for a special moment that cannot be captured on the bottom line of a balance sheet.

The Big Picture: Read it here first: Losing the Signal

Court rules "sampling" may violate piracy law

This story made me of the Metallica Hoax that came out in 2003. While I won't rehash the story here, I will say that in my opinion, the only reason it got any traction at all was because Lars Ulrich's previous courtroom adventures gave it just enough of a ring of truth that people (myself included) could believe it.

This article makes me wonder if we might see another story like this, only not a hoax. Rumors persist that Sean Combs/Puff Daddy/P Diddy/Whatever he's calling himself today has gone into hiding.

From MSNBC: MSNBC - Court rules "sampling" may violate piracy law

1,000,000 Things to Do Sometime before I Die

Sometimes when I'm bored, I think of things that I'd like to do that at some point; these are things that I could see myself doing. These are not listed in any particular order. Some of the better items from the list:

#42: Go to a another Six Flags theme park other than Six Flags Great America.

#732: Go to Europe (including Englad, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany if there's time).

#2438: Get my Novel published.

#8754: Learn at least a few key phrases of the European countries that I plan to visit. Because to not do this would fulfill all of the stereotypes of "Ugly" American tourists.

#12585: Clean my place up enough to be able to see the carpet, and remind myself what color it is.

#35483: Get through all of the DVD movies that I have bought but never watched. Some go back to 2002.

#35484: Watch some more of the 28 episodes of the Outer Limits (new series) that are taking up space on my TiVo.

#68758: Become an extra in a Hollywood Production. Maybe it would be a big break for me.

#85094: Play through and view the "good ending" in Silent Hill 2.

#85096: Begin Silent Hill 4: the Room.

#100483: Finish Silent Hill 4: the Room.

#384935: Travel to Australia/New Zealand.

#859495: Visit New York.

#897038: Learn an Instrument, even if its just a triangle.

Let's see how many I can cross off in the next 50-60 years.

My Australian Double

This is a picture from about two years ago. Nothing much has changed though.

I put this up for my Austrailian readers. I've recently been told that there is a guy in Australia somewhere who looks just like me, has similar mannerisms, and even has my same dry sense of humor. If you happen to meet him, tell him I'd like to take him out for a beer or something.

For the record, I've never been outside of the United States, much less to Australia (a few day trips to Canada aside). Its on my list of things to do before I die.

Something too cool to throw out...

A cool poster that points the way to my bedroom. I saw this laying out on the street one day, and I just though it was the coolest thing.

We are Go!

Bear with me, I'm new to this...

In the next few weeks, as I get going, I'll be putting stuff up about music, movies, and whatever else tickles my fancy at that particular fancy. We'll see how it goes...