Saturday, March 08, 2008

Weekend Update

The Tomato Fairy
The tooth is out! Corey lost it the other day and as expected, he insisted his vegetables be delivered as he slept. His moms convinced him that the tooth fairy preferred to bring cash and he seemed pleased with the silver dollar the next morning.

Stop or Yield
Some of my classes have been frustrating, but after two weeks, I still have no idea what I'm doing in Managerial Finance. My head has never been one for forward yields & interest rates or bonds & securities, so this class is just killing me. I am struggling to grasp such concepts as why the consumer price index helps measure inflation and the growth rate of dividends.

This is one of our problems for the week:
Determine both the yield-to-maturity and the yield-to-call for an 11.75% (payable semi-annual) US Treasury bond that matures in seven years, callable in two, and is priced at 115.17 per $100 par. Which yields should an investor expect and why? WTF?

I told Larry my answer was $500.

"How did you get that?" he asked.
"That's how much we pay our financial advisor a year to figure those things out."

Luckily, the class has four open-book/open-note tests. Maybe I'll be able to pass that way.

What's in a Name?
A sales person called the other day. "Can I speak with Steven Washington ____?"
ME: "I am Steven _____ but my middle name isn't Washington."
HIM: "Really? The phone directory lists your middle name as Washington."
ME: "Don't you think it would be weird for me to live in Washington if that was my middle name?
HIM: "Hey, I just make the calls. I didn't name you."

Tone Deaf
I renewed my phone contract this week and got a new cell. For the first time, I am able to download ring tones. Damn, is that cool...and making my cell phone bill slightly more expensive. I've wasted a good couple hours surfing through various songs in search of my perfect ring tone.

Do you realize how personal a ring tone is? This reflects who you are to the world every time the phone rings. I'm struggling to find a song that works well and won't humiliate me if it rings on the Metro or accidentally in class. It would be awkward to be in a room with our CEO and have my pocket scream out "Will the real slim Shady please stand up, please stand up, please stand up?" or "Is my body too bootylicious for ya?"

Contest time!
More (cheap ass, custom-violating) shit from Vietnam. Help me pick a ring tone.

A couple thoughts to keep in mind:

1. I've picked four individual rings already so don't choose one of them.
2. I love 80's, pop, rock, and alternative music. PLEASE don't choose opera, industrial heavy metal (sorry Sarah), blues, hip-hop, new age, etc.

3. I'm gay and I love my life but let's try to avoid the stereotypical stuff: ABBA, Barbra, Celine, Pet Shop Boys, Ricky Martin (yeah, dude, you're gay) and the Village People. And as much as I enjoy Broadway tunes, those are out as well.

4. You can suggest as many songs as you want.

My life is in your hands people. Be kind.
By March 30, I will announce the winner.

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18 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Push It" always makes me laugh.

I'm not sure why.

7:32 PM  
Blogger Amie Adams said...

This seems so obvious...

Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi

"I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride. I'm wanted (wanted) dead. or. alive."

Oh yeah baby!!

9:11 PM  
Blogger Mrs. Chili said...

GREAT stories!

Ringtones ARE hard. I've been trying to think them up for all my friends (I can make my own on the computer and upload them to the iPhone - it's pretty cool) and it's HARD.

Um... how about Cool for Cats by Squeeze? Runnin' Down a Dream by Tom Petty? I wish I knew you better - I'd have a more solid sense of what song you are...

9:15 PM  
Blogger Lola and Ava said...

In no particular order:
Girls on Film (because I have a sense of humor and so do you), Wild Boys, Electric Barbarella, Hungry Like the Wolf (I'll move away from Duran Duran), She Bop, Sweet Child of Mine, 8675309/Jenny . . . and I'll stop now.

Can I save you a little cash? Go to phonezoo.com and make your own damn ring tones out of songs you already own. I'll have the girls walk you through it . . . just like they did their mamma. Otherwise, how do you think I would have found "Ring of Fire" for my mom's ring tone.

9:24 AM  
Blogger Lola and Ava said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

9:46 AM  
Blogger Lola and Ava said...

And I would like to amend my previous comment to include anything by Tiffany and Roxette as well as Poison since, and I didn't realize this until my better half walked in the door, there may be any number of videos floating around with you singing the lead in popular songs by said groups. Tiffany? Really, Steven Washington, you should know better.

9:56 AM  
Blogger Yondalla said...

Ages ago I had the Sesame Street theme, and I loved it. I can't get it on my phone now -- at least not an instrumental-version only.

I like themes. There are very distinctive so I know it is my phone. Of course it might not pass your test for non-embarrassment.

11:21 AM  
Blogger Darren said...

The Pet Shop Boys are gay?

I can't think of anything right now, but I'd go with something not too well known. Then it's less likely to be embarrassing and when someone does recognize it you know they're as cool as you are.

Congrats to Corey on the lost tooth.

10:12 PM  
Blogger Rich | Championable said...

I have nearly no use for ringtones, since I keep my phone on vibrate 99.5% of the time. But if I got one, it would likely be the guitar riff from Mouthbreather by the Jesus Lizard.

It would have been so, so great if the Managerial Finance question actually included the "WTF?" at the end.

Howdy.

7:19 AM  
Blogger georgia said...

Peter Bjorn and John's "Young Folks"

Great ringtone sound and great song.

Congrats to Corey

9:16 AM  
Blogger Bacchus said...

what no showtunes! that's 1/3 of my itunes list.

I have about 3 eartha kitt ringtones. I had to have "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" for the Hubby.

My vote goes for Punk Rock Girl by Dead Milkmen

or "I Know There's Something Going On" by Friday

11:36 AM  
Blogger Daddy L said...

I can't DL ringtones onto my phone, because I have a very old grandfathered plan that costs like $10 a month, so I have to live vicariously through you.

- Just like Honey, Jesus and Mary Chain

- Bela Lugosi's Dead, Bauhaus (I always thought the open few bars would me a great ringtone).

- Lust for Life, Iggy Pop (from the 70s though)

And some phone related tones:

- Call Me, Blondie (too obvious?)

- London's Calling, The Clash

- Hangin' on the Telephone, The Nerves (most popular version is by Blondie)

- Operator, Jim Croce (just kidding, that would be a terrible ringtone).

12:38 PM  
Blogger Papa Bradstein said...

Dude, congrats to Corey on the tooth.

And dude, is Metallica really out? Because For Whom the Bell Tolls is perfect, and freakin' awesome. Every time your phone rings, you'll be bangin' your head.

9:46 PM  
Blogger Daddy Cool said...

"Don't Leave Me Hanging on the Telephone" - Blondie

Oh and you forgot to forbid ONJ so

Xanadu! HA!

3:02 PM  
Blogger MyThreeBlogs said...

I had "We are Family" for any time any member of my family called -- until my boyfriends (cool) daughter told me she wouldn't be seen with me anymore...

I have Ripple, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Brick (by Ben Folds Five) for ex-husband, Rappers Delight and We Love you Conrad.

11:56 AM  
Blogger Crazy Computer Dad said...

Well,

Psycho Killer by Talking Heads (just the chorus)

Pretty in Pink by Psychedelic Furs

99 red balloons (have a trance version if you like) by Nena

I Ran by Flock of Seagulls

Kiss me Kiss me Kiss me by the Cure (just the line "get your f*cking voice out of my head") but seriously only for a joke...I wouldn't let that ring at work or anything....

One More Time - the Cure (just a pretty song)

Anything by Erasure?

The Pet Shop Boys are gay? You could still do "In the Night"

Peter Gabrielle's "In your Eyes" from Say Anything.

OMD "If you Leave"

People are People - Depeche Mode

Master and Servant - Depeche Mode

But Not Tonight - Depeche Mode

Silence - Depeche Mode

World in Motion - New Order

It's a sin - Electronic

True Faith New Order

Round and Round - New Order

Vanishing point - New Order

Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo

I want a new drug - Huey Lewis

Your Love - The Outfield

Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne

Don't stand so close to me - The police

De do do do de da da da - The Police

Working for the weekend - Loverboy

Jesse's Girl - Rick Springfield

Love Shack - B52's

Walk Like an Egyptian - I forget

Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2

Absolute Reality - The Alarm

Ok...I gotta go....I think I got carried away...sorry

7:38 PM  
Blogger Crazy Computer Dad said...

sounds of silence - simon & garfunkel

I'm done. seriously. well there is ...

7:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think "Anything, Anything (I'll Give You" by Dramarama would be an awesome ringtone. It would just make me smile every time.

(We played "I Melt With You" at my wedding. Classic!)

12:44 AM  

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