Walk Softly and Carry a Big Schtick

So if you tuned in late: I'm editing some custom ringtones for my phone. The idea is that I'll recognize the song, and therefore recognize who's calling. I haven't figured out how to download them directly from the web to my phone, but that's okay because I'm creating them and saving them to my laptop. From there I transfer them to my phone via Bluetooth.

If I hear Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue," I'll know that Ed Hooper has texted me. I've got the intro here, 18 sec and the chorus, 18 sec. Also if he calls me, I've got a longer one, 48 sec.

The lady who runs RV Awards, where I order my badge ribbons, is named Janet. I picked a Janet Jackson track, "Rhythm Nation," and snipped the intro to use for her texts. I also have the chorus and the ending, and I'll use one of those for when she calls me.

I was thinking of what would make me think of Tilly (Natalie) Williams. Natalie Imbruglia's song "Torn," or Natalie Cole's duet with her dad "Unforgettable?" I decided to go with "Unforgettable," but I'm actually using someone else's duet. But I'll know it's her, because I don't have anyone named Ani or Jackie texting me.

Karl Zéro's album "Songs For Cabriolets And Otros Tipos De Vehiculos" is a quirky thing that I'd recognize any time. So if I hear this bit from El Bodeguero, I'll know it's Karl Lembke calling me.

Assuming that I recognize Dean Martin singing "On An Evening In Roma," and seeing as I don't get any texts from anyone named Dean, I should be able to remember that it's Martin Young calling. In any event, I didn't have any good piratical or philosophical songs handy!

I find "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis instantly recognizable, and I'll know it's Lee Almodovar on the line.

The very first line of "Movin' Out" by Billy Joel mentions his name. So if I hear this ringtone, I know it's Anthony ("Moogle") Walker.

We get a lot of packages via UPS. Did you know they'll send you text messages when they're delivered? I cut three different ring tones from "Living in a Box" to use for those notifications. An instrumental intro, a chorus, and the ending which repeats the chorus a few times.

A lot of pieces of music might make great ringtones but don't necessarily evoke a particular person or name. But I can use them for alarm clocks! Fun Boy Three's “The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum” is suitable for reminding me of therapy appointments. Or conference calls for work. Or both. Phone ringtone, and I have a text ringtone (shorter version).

I use Cusco's "Land of the Midnight Sun" to tell me it's midnight.

Here's a ring tone for Thursdays. (I never could get the hang of Thursdays.) This is the music that they used for the theme music on the BBC radio program “Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.” ”Journey Of The Sorcerer.”

Made a few more snippets from some songs. My goal is to make it so that if one of my friends sends me a text, I can tell who it is. A bunch of them will be songs that use their name in the lyrics, or in the artist's name. Something from Ashley MacIsaac for Ashley Lanning; The Beatles' "Sexy Sadie" for Marcia Minsky who has a dog named Sadie; probably something from Janet Jackson for Janet, the lady who makes my ribbons; and so on. Here is one I'm going to use when my co-worker Mark texts me.

Here's another classic ring tone. It's Wil Wheaton's voice, so I'm going to use it for when my father (Wil Baden) calls me. Yes, both of them spell their name with one L.

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The first one is taken from the Tubes, "What do you want from life." The second one is from the webcomic User Friendly. They had a storyline that involved Wil Wheaton doing some voiceover work, and he was kind enough to send them a recording doing the same lines from the story