Speaking of ringtones (and not about other stuff)

I want so badly to write a rant this morning, but I'm going to show some restraint. 

I won't write about bloggers who are scrupulous about publishing information that jives with their worldview (e.g. acid throwing settlers or beach shelling armies)... but who feel no sense of obligation to subsequently provide updates, corrections, retractions or (G-d forbid) apologies when that information turns out to be flawed or, ahem, incorrect... even within the very narrow context in which they reported it.

No, I won't write about the dangers of bloggers acting just like 'real' journalists... except without the dual safeguards of securing bonafide sources and editorial oversight.   

I want so badly to write/rant about these things today that I can actually taste it, but I won't...

...other than to ask a rhetorical question:

'Am I the only frier (sucker) who posts apologies and retractions after rushing to judgment or having included inaccurate, extraneous or simply biased information in one of my posts'?'

AM I???

OK, I'm glad I decided not to write about that topic!

[See, I'm occasionally capable of exercising restraint]

Moving on...

I want to talk about cellular ring-tones today.

Leaving aside students and other non-working indigents who are unfettered by the yoke of convention, I have always assumed that most people have fairly sound criteria for selecting the ringtone for their cell phones... or more correctly for changing the ringtone from the default setting it came with right out of the box... to something else.

For instance, the most obvious (to me, anyway) reason for changing the default setting is that if everyone used the same ringtone it would be difficult to tell who's phone is ringing when in a crowded public place.

However, once the decision has been made to change it, the questions remains; change it to what?

It seems that some people like to select ring tones that they feel closely match their self-image (which shouldn't be confused with, say, who they really are).  This might explain the thousands of middle-aged hausfraus walking around with the theme to 'Sex and the City'  blaring naughtily from their cell phones.

Still others seem to select their ringtone based on how easy it is to discern in a noisy environment. This requires that the ringtone have a wide harmonic range (lots of both low and high frequencies to compete with what's going on around you), as well as a supplemental vibrate mode for noisy outdoor environments.

But no matter what the primary rationale for one's ringtone choice, I have to imagine that every gainfully employed person also takes into consideration how their ringtone will sound to their coworkers, supervisors and customers if their phone should happen to ring during an important meeting, right?

I mention this because, based on my limited observations, this last consideration doesn't seem to have occurred to anyone I know. 

Or perhaps people here simply haven't considered the potential loss of face at being in a large conference room full of high-level colleagues / executives and having 'The Mexican Hat Dance' suddenly come blasting from their pocket.

Of course, there's also the possibility that things like embarrassment/shame are not part of the Israeli emotional palette.  Being a transplanted 'Anglo', I still possess a modicum of shame so if this is the case I may not be able to answer these questions due to a lack of sufficient local cultural knowledge.

I bring this up for two reasons:

1. Nobody here seems the least bit embarrassed when some foolish song blasts from their pocket during a business meeting.

~and~

2. Where I would instantly snatch my ringing phone from my pocket and stab at the off button (thoroughly embarrassed at not having put my phone on 'silent' before the meeting), most Israelis I know will leisurely remove their phones from their pocket and stare intently at the incoming number on the screen for 10 - 15 excruciating seconds while everyone in the room waits patiently through three or four choruses of the theme song to 'Fame' while the culprit mulls over the difficult decision of whether or not to take the call.

Incidentally, it seems to be about a 50/50 split as to whether or not a typical Israeli will actually answer their cellphone during a meeting... and then even odds again as to whether they will carry on the conversation right there in the conference room or walk casually out of the room while loudly explaining to the caller why he/she has to make it short because there is an important meeting going on.

[sigh]

Every time I think I'm starting to become a teensy tiny bit Israeli, an issue like this pops up to remind me what a total gringo Anglo I am.

[Full disclosure:  My current ringtone is 'La Valse D'Amelie' from the film Amélie]