@bung: He was addressing a gathering of people from the LGBT community on gay rights issues on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Stonewall was a watershed moment in the gay rights movement.
Cut the President some slack on wanting to do something to commemorate it while addressing (extremely valid) criticism of his own backsliding of key issues that got him elected.
This is the ringtone I have for most people on my contact list:
Trust me, as soon as I Hear "I want everybody to meet Burger and Fries", I know have about two seconds to answer the phone. I do get strange looks when walking through PetsMart and it goes off.
@Valnen: Some cats are just moody, and they may have caught this one after an exam. Some also HATE being near other animals, and when put in a kennel, show their true nature. Like Simon:
Here's a quarter; go out and buy yourself some decorum.
Folks, it's real simple. Turn your phone to "vibrate". Or turn it off. You're questioning the President; I'm fairly certain that asking the President questions as part of your work duties takes precedence over anyone who may be calling you.
If you don't know how to turn the phone to vibrate or how to turn it off, remove the battery.
@blash: As for the iPhone "I can't remove the battery" crowd. No, you can't remove the battery; you have a dedicated physical toggle switch that switches to vibrate.
In the decade that has passed since the Motorola StarTAC, there is no excuse for a cellphone to go off at such an inopportune time.
@OMG! Ponies!: because it is unfathomable for, lets say your keys, to hit dedicated physical toggle switch while in your pocket.
In the decade that has passed that has gone from IRC to forums to blogs, there is so excuse for making retarded comments and not expecting someone to call you out.
@treymen: There is a judge in New York County who really handles it the best:
She has posted 2 signs per wall and one on the door entering her courtroom that read that if a cell-phone rings audibly in her courtroom, the person will be held in contempt of court and fined $500. And she regularly fines attorneys for violating it.
As to your contention that keys can flip it from vibrate to aubible, I don't carry keys in the same pocket as my iPhone. I doubt many people do.
Secondly, and more importantly, the phone can be turned OFF. Even the iPhone can be turned off.
It is tremendously disrespectful to the office of the President. The message it sends is that the owner of the phone does not think enough of meeting with the President of the United States to turn off his/her cellphone for 20 minutes while the President delivers a brief address to the public to commemorate a major milestone in modern American history.
Do accidents happen? Yes. Is that an accident that could have been easily avoided had the person evinced even a modicum of respect and consideration? Easily.
If the phone can be turned off or silenced, then there is no excuse. So here is my challenge to you. Answer me one question:
Why could this person not turn off the phone before the event or even be bothered to turn it to vibrate?
I like the awkward stares that I get when Closer by Nine Nails rings for me and I tell them it's my grandma calling, I never get a room full of lulz though.
@kremlin-king: Just remember that in like 40 years, that will be a classic oldie.
"Grandpa, do we have to listen to this old folk music? All they do is say the same thing over and over again. Why doesn't he just fuck her like an animal? How did you listen to music before auto-tuning?"
The nicest part of this episode is, for the first time, there is an American president who can use the term "ringtone" and not either sound fake or like total douche.
"Am I going to walk around and rip your **** notepad out, in the middle of press conference? Then why the **** are you quacking right through my speech? Quack-quack-quack-quack - like this in the background.
What the **** is it with you? What don't you **** understand? You got any **** idea about - "Hey, it's **** distracting having somebody's phone start Quacking behind Chuck Todd in the middle of the **** speech? Give me a **** answer! What don't you get about it?"
06/29/09
06/30/09
Cut the President some slack on wanting to do something to commemorate it while addressing (extremely valid) criticism of his own backsliding of key issues that got him elected.
06/29/09
Trust me, as soon as I Hear "I want everybody to meet Burger and Fries", I know have about two seconds to answer the phone. I do get strange looks when walking through PetsMart and it goes off.
06/29/09
06/30/09
06/30/09
@Imtheredude: My name is Pinky, damnit!
@Valnen: Some cats are just moody, and they may have caught this one after an exam. Some also HATE being near other animals, and when put in a kennel, show their true nature. Like Simon:
06/29/09
Folks, it's real simple. Turn your phone to "vibrate". Or turn it off. You're questioning the President; I'm fairly certain that asking the President questions as part of your work duties takes precedence over anyone who may be calling you.
If you don't know how to turn the phone to vibrate or how to turn it off, remove the battery.
06/29/09
06/30/09
In the decade that has passed since the Motorola StarTAC, there is no excuse for a cellphone to go off at such an inopportune time.
06/30/09
In the decade that has passed that has gone from IRC to forums to blogs, there is so excuse for making retarded comments and not expecting someone to call you out.
lol... accidents happen
06/30/09
She has posted 2 signs per wall and one on the door entering her courtroom that read that if a cell-phone rings audibly in her courtroom, the person will be held in contempt of court and fined $500. And she regularly fines attorneys for violating it.
As to your contention that keys can flip it from vibrate to aubible, I don't carry keys in the same pocket as my iPhone. I doubt many people do.
Secondly, and more importantly, the phone can be turned OFF. Even the iPhone can be turned off.
It is tremendously disrespectful to the office of the President. The message it sends is that the owner of the phone does not think enough of meeting with the President of the United States to turn off his/her cellphone for 20 minutes while the President delivers a brief address to the public to commemorate a major milestone in modern American history.
Do accidents happen? Yes. Is that an accident that could have been easily avoided had the person evinced even a modicum of respect and consideration? Easily.
If the phone can be turned off or silenced, then there is no excuse. So here is my challenge to you. Answer me one question:
06/29/09
06/30/09
"Grandpa, do we have to listen to this old folk music? All they do is say the same thing over and over again. Why doesn't he just fuck her like an animal? How did you listen to music before auto-tuning?"
06/29/09
06/29/09
I didn't get your comment, but I used the Google and figured it out.
06/30/09
06/29/09
I'd have loved to see him go ballistic though.
06/29/09
"Am I going to walk around and rip your **** notepad out, in the middle of press conference? Then why the **** are you quacking right through my speech? Quack-quack-quack-quack - like this in the background.
What the **** is it with you? What don't you **** understand? You got any **** idea about - "Hey, it's **** distracting having somebody's phone start Quacking behind Chuck Todd in the middle of the **** speech? Give me a **** answer! What don't you get about it?"
06/30/09
06/29/09
06/29/09
06/21/09
06/21/09
Uh, no shit?
It's much easier to have higher household penetration percentage when you have less households.
06/20/09
06/20/09
06/20/09
But the President always attends the correspondents' dinners.
06/20/09
06/20/09
06/20/09
06/20/09
If I have offended anyone at all I sincerely apologize.
06/20/09
06/20/09
06/20/09