CAIRO - Many people decided to boycott the three cell phone companies we have in this country on 28th January. In fact, there were a couple of campaigns asking people to switch their mobiles off on that day for 24 hours. But why do this and why on that day in particular? It's because a year ago on that very same day all three companies suspended their services for 24 hours. January 28, 2011, referred to as the ‘Friday of Anger', was the very violent day on which many lost their lives and even more were injured. One of those who supported the boycott wrote, “I'm boycotting those who isolated us a year ago... the three mobile companies. I am switching my phone off for 24 hours. On 28th January I will neither make nor receive calls. We were desperate and they didn't support us. I know they were ordered to do it, but we all break the rules sometimes, especially when it comes to saving the lives of innocent people.” Another person said, “This is in memory of all those who died without having the chance to call their loved ones before passing away. Please switch off your cell phones.” A third one commented, “I am doing this because I still remember every second of that day last year when I was dying to know where my son and daughter and all our friends in Tahreer Square were till almost midnight.” On the other hand, there were some who were against the boycott and one of them said, “This is not the right time to be isolated. We are the ones who are going to suffer if we have to make an urgent phone call.” On a brighter note, ‘note' is the appropriate word, because we are going to talk about music now. Of course music is related to communications and ‘Hold the Line' was a big hit for American rock band Toto. Blondie's lead singer, the gorgeous American Debbie Harry, was upset because she stayed by her phone for a long time and didn't hear from me. You see, she loves me so much but the problem is she is a bit too old for me. She only had one request and I couldn't grant her that wish she keeps telling me ‘Call Me'. Debbie baby, I have tried many times to call you but you are always out of coverage area. I think we first had cell phones in Egypt like 16 years ago or something. I remember back then calls were very expensive and paying a fortune to make a brief call was absurd. American singer Jevetta Steele was very considerate because she never asked me to call her. She used to say don't worry. You don't have to spend anything. I will be ‘Calling You'. These are the exact words I got later from Celine Dion, George Michael and Jeff Buckley… or is it just that each of them covered Jevetta's song? Backstreet Boys couldn't find any phone booth to make ‘The Call' they wanted to. Knowing that this American boy band consists of five guys, it is no wonder they couldn't find a single booth to fit them all together. Having to be fair I must say that they had cell phones but the song was about the battery being low and such stuff. That is something we all face sometimes the battery is almost dead and we still need to make important calls. New edition… no, it not the Egyptian Mail's new issue… it's the name of another American boy quintet that was big in the 1980s and then after it split the members worked on other projects and became very successful. The most famous of them all has to be Bobby Brown, also known as Mr Whitney Houston, because he is the man who married this incredible diva. When the boys were still together they had a problem with the line and of course whom did they have to call? ‘Mr Telephone Man'. I bet now Whitney regrets that Bobby's phone was fixed! ELO… can you hear me? No… what on earth were you thinking? I didn't say ‘hello', I said ‘ELO' which is short for Electric Light Orchestra, but you probably couldn't hear because of the bad ‘Telephone Line'. Wasn't that the title of an ELO song? Yes, it was. This is the very same band that took ‘The Call'… I mean ‘The Fall' but the ‘C” is right below the ‘F' on my keyboard. What about yours? If my phone was working I would have been ‘Calling America'. Ooops… this is also the name of a track by ELO. So the first British band we are talking about today is calling America! Just to balance things a little, we will switch to ‘London Calling' by The Clash, which is also a British band. In fact it was one of the pioneering acts in the punk rock genre. I was never a punk fan. You know what… even if the mobile companies hadn't suspended their services we still wouldn't have been able to contact some people. For instance, have you tried ‘Calling Elvis' lately? British rock band Dire Straits did, but I never got to know if they managed to get through! I have been thinking about you all of the time and I have even been ‘Calling out Your Name'. What's you name again dear? Anyway, many artist including James Blunt had a song with that name. Hey, since we have been friends for a while I guess ‘You Can Call Me Al'. OF COURSE YOU CAN'T! HOW DARE YOU THINK I'D ALLOW THIS? It wasn't me who came up with that suggestion… it was made by American legendary singer, songwriter and musician Paul Simon. He is free to choose whatever name he wants you to call him. Call me and if you can't get through my email is: [email protected]
