Uncle Monster wrote in
:

Why don't you try talking to them as though you're a stroke
victim with severe aphasia. I do it sometimes when I need a good
laugh. ^_^

Sort of along those lines... having worked for a number of years with a deaf man, I managed to
learn sign language fairly well -- which enabled me to get rid of a panhandler quickly and
easily by signing to him, I'm sorry, I can't hear you, I'm deaf (which involves, among other
things, pointing at one's ear). My deaf friend thought it was hilarious when I told him about it.

Per Don Y:
If I could fake a convincing chinese/swahili/polish/etc.
accent, I'd be tempted to f*ck with their heads ("No speaka
de inglish")

Standup comic I heard once said "When a telephone solicitor calls, I
tell them that I have lost my job, my wife left me, the dog died, the
house is being foreclosed, my 13-year-old son is on drugs, my
12-year-old daughter is pregnant...... and *they* hang up on *me*....
--
Pete Cresswell

On 2/28/2016 2:13 PM, Doug Miller wrote:
Sort of along those lines... having worked for a number of years with a deaf
man, I managed to learn sign language fairly well -- which enabled me to get
rid of a panhandler quickly and easily by signing to him, I'm sorry, I can't
hear you, I'm deaf (which involves, among other things, pointing at one's
ear). My deaf friend thought it was hilarious when I told him about it.

Do you carry a white cane to make it easier to cross streets
in a leisurely fashion? :

We had a deaf couple across the street some years ago. Very
"disturbing" to engage in conversation -- having to talk to
someone *else* ("interpreter") to communicate with the
actual party of interest. It's *hard* not to look at the
person that *seems* to be responding to you and look at
someone else, instead -- who has their attention fixed on that
other person!

But, I learned (quickly!) that it's almost an affront to NOT
look at the deaf party and learn to ignore the "voice in your
ear" -- unless you need to converse with that person, directly.

[I can finger-spell, grade 1 braille, etc. but never invested the
effort to truly learn ASL -- or G2 braille. "Just enough" to let me
convey short messages...]

On 2/28/2016 2:46 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Don Y:
If I could fake a convincing chinese/swahili/polish/etc.
accent, I'd be tempted to f*ck with their heads ("No speaka
de inglish")

Standup comic I heard once said "When a telephone solicitor calls, I
tell them that I have lost my job, my wife left me, the dog died, the
house is being foreclosed, my 13-year-old son is on drugs, my
12-year-old daughter is pregnant...... and *they* hang up on *me*....

Start into a spiel as if *you* were calling them:
"Hi, I'd like to tell you about an exciting new offer
that you've been specially selected to receive -- but,
only if you act promptly! Get out your credit card
and be ready to provide me with the card number when
I ask. OK? Here we go..."

On 2/28/2016 1:36 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 11:27:50 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

[snip]


I have a friend who likes to talk to these people when he is stoned
and that is a lot. ;-)
He tries to see how long he can string one along before they get
frustrated and hang up on him. He keeps saying things like. "could you
repeat that, I didn't understand the something part".

I usually just tell them to perform some unnatural act on themselves
and hang up if I am tricked by the caller ID. Usually I just pick and
drop the phone.

I love to mess with them as well when they call my cell phone while I'm
driving somewhere. I figure that I'm winning when, as they disconnect,
they swear at me!

Had one of the credit card consolidation goofs call the other day while
I was driving and managed to play with him for five minutes.

I loved the fact that I told him I was over $20K down and maxed out on
five cards, wasn't able to make the the minimum monthly payment and
"just had to do something because I need to be able to charge more
stuff, RIGHT NOW!"

He never missed a beat as he tried to get more details before sending me
on to somebody who was going to schedule my "free consultation"

When he asked for my name, I just told him "Do NOT call this number
again, A**hole!" and disconnected and then placed the number on the
blocked list.

I was happy to have wasted about 6 minutes of his time, time that he
wouldn't spend screwing with somebody else.

I that there is a special place in hell for telemarketers where the
phone never stops ringing and there's never anyone on the other end when
they pick up.

Don Y wrote:
On 2/28/2016 2:46 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Don Y:
If I could fake a convincing chinese/swahili/polish/etc.
accent, I'd be tempted to f*ck with their heads ("No speaka
de inglish")

Standup comic I heard once said "When a telephone solicitor calls, I
tell them that I have lost my job, my wife left me, the dog died, the
house is being foreclosed, my 13-year-old son is on drugs, my
12-year-old daughter is pregnant...... and *they* hang up on *me*....

Start into a spiel as if *you* were calling them:
"Hi, I'd like to tell you about an exciting new offer
that you've been specially selected to receive -- but,
only if you act promptly! Get out your credit card
and be ready to provide me with the card number when
I ask. OK? Here we go..."

PhoneTray lets you record anything you want such as the above message into a
..WAV file and it will play when the phone rings. You can also record different
WAV files and play them to individual incoming calls depending on the calling
number.

On 2/28/2016 7:21 PM, Arnie Goetchius wrote:
Don Y wrote:
On 2/28/2016 2:46 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Don Y:
If I could fake a convincing chinese/swahili/polish/etc.
accent, I'd be tempted to f*ck with their heads ("No speaka
de inglish")

Standup comic I heard once said "When a telephone solicitor calls, I
tell them that I have lost my job, my wife left me, the dog died, the
house is being foreclosed, my 13-year-old son is on drugs, my
12-year-old daughter is pregnant...... and *they* hang up on *me*....

Start into a spiel as if *you* were calling them:
"Hi, I'd like to tell you about an exciting new offer
that you've been specially selected to receive -- but,
only if you act promptly! Get out your credit card
and be ready to provide me with the card number when
I ask. OK? Here we go..."

PhoneTray lets you record anything you want such as the above message into a
..WAV file and it will play when the phone rings. You can also record different
WAV files and play them to individual incoming calls depending on the calling
number.

The above needs to be interactive. When the telemarketer stumbles,
you need to be able to *push* hard with your spiel -- put him back
on his heels, on the defensive. By being aggressive and ACTING
like you truly ARE the "caller" -- so he's left confused when he
hangs up on YOU, The Telemarketer.

E.g., when he tries to assert that he's the caller, you can reply:
"Huh? What number have I reached?? Isn't this 555-1324?"
...
"Oh, gee, I'm sorry. But, hey, would *you* like to take us
up on this exciting offer...?"

On 2/28/2016 1:27 PM, Don Y wrote:
It would be amusing to design a semi-intelligent "time waster"
that answers the phone in a *toddler's* voice:
"Hellooooooooo?"
"Yada yada yada yada?"
"Um, I saw a dinosawwer on tha tee vee! Yeah, it was big and
purple..."
"Yada yada yada yada..."
"Um, and he danced and, um I danced with him! Yeah!"
...
And see how long it takes for the caller to get infuriated and hang up!

It's one thing if you have to make 1000 calls and get voice mail 999.5
of the time -- no "real people" need be involved.

OTOH, some little tike that you're trying to convince to "give the
phone to mommy" would eat up actual "paid" time!


Need to press 1 to get to a real person, most
of the time. Please be sure to beep number 1
in there near the beginning.
--
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
..
..

On 2/28/2016 4:46 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Don Y:
If I could fake a convincing chinese/swahili/polish/etc.
accent, I'd be tempted to f*ck with their heads ("No speaka
de inglish")

Standup comic I heard once said "When a telephone solicitor calls, I
tell them that I have lost my job, my wife left me, the dog died, the
house is being foreclosed, my 13-year-old son is on drugs, my
12-year-old daughter is pregnant...... and *they* hang up on *me*....


When people call and ask to talk to
Christopher, I usually tell them he
was fired for theft, and we've not
found a replacement. I'm Bob from
the temp agency. Either that, or
he died in a plane crash over Brazil.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
..
..

On 2/28/2016 6:18 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
I was happy to have wasted about 6 minutes of his time, time that he
wouldn't spend screwing with somebody else.

I that there is a special place in hell for telemarketers where the
phone never stops ringing and there's never anyone on the other end when
they pick up.


Sure would be nice if there was a super hot
place in Hell for those pests who waste hours
of our lives.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
..
..

On Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 3:16:39 PM UTC-6, Doug Miller wrote:
Uncle Monster wrote in
:

Why don't you try talking to them as though you're a stroke
victim with severe aphasia. I do it sometimes when I need a good
laugh. ^_^

Sort of along those lines... having worked for a number of years with a deaf man, I managed to
learn sign language fairly well -- which enabled me to get rid of a panhandler quickly and
easily by signing to him, I'm sorry, I can't hear you, I'm deaf (which involves, among other
things, pointing at one's ear). My deaf friend thought it was hilarious when I told him about it.

Me and my brothers have done the same thing to panhandlers but what really got them is when I looked at them like a crazy man and walked toward them with my arms outstretched like Frankenstein all the while loudly keening "EEEEEEEEEEE! EEEEEEEEEE!" They run from crazy people. I've also spoken to them in something like the Furbish language spoken by a Furby. I did it to one Negro panhandler and the guy said,"I know y'all speak English, y'all ain't foolin me." Of course I kept up the Furbish until he finally gave up and walked away. Another thing I did to them was tell them upon approach,"That will be $100.00 now." The response was always,"Fo wat?!" I answered,"For my time. I charge $50.00 an hour for my time with a 2 hour minimum. You must pay me $100.00 right now if you want to take up my time." They say,"No man, ahm axin you fo money." Me,"No, anyone who takes up my time must pay for it.. Are you trying to rob me?" As I took out my cellphone,"Should I call the police and tell them you are robbing me?" The panhandler would wander off mumbling,"Crazy mutha fuker axin me fo money." One can make repelling panhandlers quite entertaining. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Repellent Monster

On Monday, February 29, 2016 at 12:07:24 AM UTC-6, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 2/28/2016 4:46 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Don Y:
If I could fake a convincing chinese/swahili/polish/etc.
accent, I'd be tempted to f*ck with their heads ("No speaka
de inglish")

Standup comic I heard once said "When a telephone solicitor calls, I
tell them that I have lost my job, my wife left me, the dog died, the
house is being foreclosed, my 13-year-old son is on drugs, my
12-year-old daughter is pregnant...... and *they* hang up on *me*....


When people call and ask to talk to
Christopher, I usually tell them he
was fired for theft, and we've not
found a replacement. I'm Bob from
the temp agency. Either that, or
he died in a plane crash over Brazil.
--
.
I actually had a housemate pass away in 2012 and bill collectors were calling for him. I told them he had died and was no longer there. The collector was asking me to provide paperwork and other information until I interrupted and loudly said,"The SOB is dead! If you want information or verification, check the Social Security Death Index! I have no other information on him except that he's in an urn in his sister's closet! No, I don't have contact information! Call someplace else! He's not here anymore! Don't call here again or I'll contact law enforcement!"

Years ago, I know a guy who was getting demand letters from The IRS so he wrote "Deceased" on the envelope and sent it back. He was never bothered again but he had to stay under the radar which wasn't hard in the days before all the anti terrorism real ID laws took effect. ^_^

[8~{} Uncle Live Monster

Rocinante wrote in
:

On 26 Feb 2016 16:38:21 GMT, KenK wrote:

What do you do about these pests? I get a series of calls every night
between 8 and 9. My answering machine announces the numbers and they
are always the same. The answering machine answers, they hang up. Why
call over and over and ... Obviously I'm never going to pick up. They
just enjoy harassing people? Why do the phone companies let them get
away wuth this? Should be easy for the companies to spot them. I get
other calls in the mornings. All my friends that I asked have the
same problems. Mine is an unlisted number.

I tried a Pro Call Blocker through Amazon but the instructions were
terrible and it made several obvious errors. Returned it the next
day. Anyone find a blocker that works?

There must be a better, more polite way to sell to (and cheat)
people.

I just bought several of the Panasonic cordless phones that let you
block a single number or a range of numbers. No more robo calls.


Is this like the Panasonic answering machine phone (phones?) combination
I've seen in Walmart for about $130?


--
You know it's time to clean the refrigerator
when something closes the door from the inside.

Lane wrote in
:

KenK wrote:


I tried a Pro Call Blocker through Amazon but the instructions were
terrible and it made several obvious errors. Returned it the next day.
Anyone find a blocker that works?

CPR Callblocker. Simple, easy to set up, and it works. Well worth the
price for the peace and quiet.

Sounds good! Anyone else try this one?


--
You know it's time to clean the refrigerator
when something closes the door from the inside.

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 12:33:37 -0500, wrote:


I just got an invitation to join a class action suit against a company
that abuses DNC. I sent back the card. Lets see.
I don't expect anything but who knows.

Not as good as shooting them, but it's something. Let us know.

I really expect I will get a check for a few bucks and the lawyers
will make millions but if it happened often enough the phone whores
might start paying attention to the DNC list.
I really wonder how many calls they have to make per sale but it has
to be thousands to one.
I know I see the number pop up on the tv (Dish supports caller ID), I
lift the receiver and drop it.

This morning around 10, I called a 79 y.o. friend, who was looking bad
yesterday and got sent to the hospital. Left a message on his cell.

Then 20 minutes later, I got a call, but no one there. 3 minutes
after that, another one. 5 minutes later, another. !0 minutes after
that, I hear noises like someone's trying to get his hands on the
phone, and eventually my friend comes on. He sounded terrible, but I
think he was the one who called the other 3 or 4 times.

The possibility of this is why I always answer the phone or listen to
the machine.

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 11:27:50 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 2/28/2016 10:33 AM, wrote:
I really expect I will get a check for a few bucks and the lawyers
will make millions but if it happened often enough the phone whores
might start paying attention to the DNC list.
I really wonder how many calls they have to make per sale but it has
to be thousands to one.
I know I see the number pop up on the tv (Dish supports caller ID), I
lift the receiver and drop it.

It would be amusing to design a semi-intelligent "time waster"
that answers the phone in a *toddler's* voice:
"Hellooooooooo?"
"Yada yada yada yada?"
"Um, I saw a dinosawwer on tha tee vee! Yeah, it was big and purple..."
"Yada yada yada yada..."
"Um, and he danced and, um I danced with him! Yeah!"
...
And see how long it takes for the caller to get infuriated and hang up!

Your wish is my command.

You have to have 3-way calling or whatever it's called.

http://jollyrogertelephone.com/how-t...to-this-robot/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/30285...lever-bot.html


It's one thing if you have to make 1000 calls and get voice mail 999.5
of the time -- no "real people" need be involved.

OTOH, some little tike that you're trying to convince to "give the
phone to mommy" would eat up actual "paid" time!

On Mon, 29 Feb 2016 16:37:24 -0500, Micky
wrote:

On Sun, 28 Feb 2016 12:33:37 -0500, wrote:


I just got an invitation to join a class action suit against a company
that abuses DNC. I sent back the card. Lets see.
I don't expect anything but who knows.

Not as good as shooting them, but it's something. Let us know.

I really expect I will get a check for a few bucks and the lawyers
will make millions but if it happened often enough the phone whores
might start paying attention to the DNC list.
I really wonder how many calls they have to make per sale but it has
to be thousands to one.
I know I see the number pop up on the tv (Dish supports caller ID), I
lift the receiver and drop it.

This morning around 10, I called a 79 y.o. friend, who was looking bad
yesterday and got sent to the hospital. Left a message on his cell.

Then 20 minutes later, I got a call, but no one there. 3 minutes
after that, another one. 5 minutes later, another. !0 minutes after
that, I hear noises like someone's trying to get his hands on the
phone, and eventually my friend comes on. He sounded terrible, but I
think he was the one who called the other 3 or 4 times.

The possibility of this is why I always answer the phone or listen to
the machine.

I just pull up the caller ID if I have a question. Everyone I really
care about comes up on the ID normally. The others come up blank, out
of area, unknown or even MY NAME.

On 02/29/2016 04:55 PM, wrote:

I just got an invitation to join a class action suit against a company
that abuses DNC. I sent back the card. Lets see.
I don't expect anything but who knows.

Not as good as shooting them, but it's something. Let us know.

I really expect I will get a check for a few bucks and the lawyers
will make millions but if it happened often enough the phone whores
might start paying attention to the DNC list.
I really wonder how many calls they have to make per sale but it has
to be thousands to one.
I know I see the number pop up on the tv (Dish supports caller ID), I
lift the receiver and drop it.

This morning around 10, I called a 79 y.o. friend, who was looking bad
yesterday and got sent to the hospital. Left a message on his cell.

Then 20 minutes later, I got a call, but no one there. 3 minutes
after that, another one. 5 minutes later, another. !0 minutes after
that, I hear noises like someone's trying to get his hands on the
phone, and eventually my friend comes on. He sounded terrible, but I
think he was the one who called the other 3 or 4 times.

The possibility of this is why I always answer the phone or listen to
the machine.

I just pull up the caller ID if I have a question. Everyone I really
care about comes up on the ID normally. The others come up blank, out
of area, unknown or even MY NAME.

When I was a volunteer for a hospice, we were instructed to suppress our
Caller ID information if calling a client from home to arrange a visit,
so that they would not have our personal number and would have to
contact us via the office.

Perce

wrote in :

I just pull up the caller ID if I have a question. Everyone I really
care about comes up on the ID normally. The others come up blank, out
of area, unknown or even MY NAME.


How do you do that? You need a special phone? My answering machine
announces the caller ID after the first ring, but if they hang up without
leaving a message the caller ID is then gone. The answering machine is the
only way I know to get the ID. Up until a few years ago I never got
telemarketing calls so there was no need. Even now, I only get three or
four calls a day I'm aware of.

--
You know it's time to clean the refrigerator
when something closes the door from the inside.

On 1 Mar 2016 17:48:18 GMT, KenK wrote:

wrote in :

I just pull up the caller ID if I have a question. Everyone I really
care about comes up on the ID normally. The others come up blank, out
of area, unknown or even MY NAME.


How do you do that? You need a special phone? My answering machine
announces the caller ID after the first ring, but if they hang up without
leaving a message the caller ID is then gone. The answering machine is the
only way I know to get the ID. Up until a few years ago I never got
telemarketing calls so there was no need. Even now, I only get three or
four calls a day I'm aware of.
I have a "caller ID" box that saves the numbers but so does my Dish
box and that is the one I use.

On 3/1/2016 10:51 AM, KenK wrote:
Muggles wrote in
:

On 2/27/2016 11:51 AM, KenK wrote:

How do you do that? I've not gotten those calls on my cell but who
knows what will happen in the future? They seem to be getting
everywhere. I never looked on the cell but I've gone though the menus
often for other stuff and I can't recall seeing anything about
blocking calls. Or maybe it depends on the phone? Or cell service?

TIA




I go to my call history, find the number in the list that I want to
block, hold down on that number 'til a pop up menu comes up with a
list of options. On that pop up menu near the bottom of the list is
the option "block contact". I click that and that number is blocked to
my cell phone.

You may have a similar list on your phone call history.

I can't get to a menu when I go to a number on my list. Will have to play
with it some more. Unfortunately, I suspect my carrier (Tracfone) or cell
(LG) do not support this. If I start getting these calls I'll probably
have to do some Googling or emailing concerning blocking.


Ok. Well, I guess you can only do what your phone allows.

--
Maggie

KenK wrote:
Muggles wrote in
:

On 2/27/2016 11:51 AM, KenK wrote:
Muggles wrote in
:

On 2/26/2016 12:36 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per KenK:
What do you do about these pests? I get a series of calls every
night between 8 and 9. My answering machine announces the numbers
and they are always the same. The answering machine answers, they
hang up. Why call over and over and ... Obviously I'm never going
to pick up. They just enjoy harassing people? Why do the phone
companies let them get away wuth this?


=========snipped=======================
I can't get to a menu when I go to a number on my list. Will have to play
with it some more. Unfortunately, I suspect my carrier (Tracfone) or cell
(LG) do not support this. If I start getting these calls I'll probably
have to do some Googling or emailing concerning blocking.


I have TracFone and LG34 and use Advanced Call Blocker for that phone. It is
$1.99 but some times on sale for $.99

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d....blocker&hl=en

On 2/29/2016 12:09 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 2/28/2016 6:18 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
I was happy to have wasted about 6 minutes of his time, time that he
wouldn't spend screwing with somebody else.

I that there is a special place in hell for telemarketers where the
phone never stops ringing and there's never anyone on the other end
when
they pick up.


Sure would be nice if there was a super hot
place in Hell for those pests who waste hours
of our lives.


They don't waste any of my time because when I don't recognize the
number, I don't pick up the phone. It's as simple as that. I don't get
why people complain so much. The phone is your servant, not your
master. You don't _have_ to pay attention to it.

On 2/26/2016 11:28 AM, Percival P. Cassidy wrote:
On 02/26/2016 11:38 AM, KenK wrote:

As for telling telemarketers to put you on their "do not call" list or
that you are already on the official list, I read recently that one
such replied, "We'll call whoever we damn well please."

So he identified himself as a crook, not a reputable businessperson.
The DNC works with reputable businesses. The fact that they are
breaking the law will tell you all you need to know about them.

God, this never-ending bitchfest about crooks ignoring the DNC is
exactly like people whining that they posted No Trespassing signs on
their property and some people trespassed anyway.

Moe DeLoughan writes:

On 2/29/2016 12:09 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 2/28/2016 6:18 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
I was happy to have wasted about 6 minutes of his time, time that he
wouldn't spend screwing with somebody else.

I that there is a special place in hell for telemarketers where the
phone never stops ringing and there's never anyone on the other end
when they pick up.

Sure would be nice if there was a super hot place in Hell for those
pests who waste hours of our lives.

They don't waste any of my time because when I don't recognize the
number, I don't pick up the phone. It's as simple as that. I don't get
why people complain so much. The phone is your servant, not your
master. You don't _have_ to pay attention to it.

You can just ignore a ringing phone and it doesn't bother you? Sure
annoys the hell out of me. I can't carry on a conversation or hear TV
dialog until it stops ringing.

Most of the people I know using this tactic turn off the ringer and
check the answering machine.

Besides that, just thinking about the temerity of the calling company
aggravates me.

--
Dan Espen

On 3/1/2016 1:30 PM, Moe DeLoughan wrote:
On 2/29/2016 12:09 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 2/28/2016 6:18 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
I was happy to have wasted about 6 minutes of his time, time that he
wouldn't spend screwing with somebody else.

I that there is a special place in hell for telemarketers where the
phone never stops ringing and there's never anyone on the other end
when
they pick up.


Sure would be nice if there was a super hot
place in Hell for those pests who waste hours
of our lives.


They don't waste any of my time because when I don't recognize the number, I
don't pick up the phone. It's as simple as that.

Yet, they pulled your chain and got you to interrupt what you
were doing to *check* the number!

I don't get why people
complain so much. The phone is your servant, not your master. You don't _have_
to pay attention to it.

Exactly. So, why do you bother to check the number?

On 1 Mar 2016 17:48:18 GMT, KenK wrote:

wrote in :

I just pull up the caller ID if I have a question. Everyone I really
care about comes up on the ID normally. The others come up blank, out
of area, unknown or even MY NAME.


How do you do that? You need a special phone? My answering machine
announces the caller ID after the first ring, but if they hang up without
leaving a message the caller ID is then gone.

It may not be displayed anymore, but there are many devices that keep
a list of every caller-id that has called, message or not. Some have
a limit of 50, or 100.

This one is new for only $7.50. It requires batteries and it doesn't
say much about it. Don't buy this one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/3909884...chn=ps&lpid=82

This one has a lot more buttons, 18 instead of 6, for only $15. That's
less than a dollar a button. BELLSOUTH CALLER ID CALL WAITING
DELUXE,VOICE MAIL, & MORE FUNCTIONS CI-7112 NEW
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/3909884...chn=ps&lpid=82


Emerson EM60 Jumbo Talking Caller ID with Red Ringer Light
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Emerson-EM60...3D390988424703
Only 4 or 5 buttons (the pictures don't agree) but it does have
review.

The answering machine is the
only way I know to get the ID. Up until a few years ago I never got
telemarketing calls so there was no need. Even now, I only get three or
four calls a day I'm aware of.

On 3/1/2016 3:01 PM, Dan Espen wrote:
Moe DeLoughan writes:


They don't waste any of my time because when I don't recognize the
number, I don't pick up the phone. It's as simple as that. I don't get
why people complain so much. The phone is your servant, not your
master. You don't _have_ to pay attention to it.

You can just ignore a ringing phone and it doesn't bother you? Sure
annoys the hell out of me. I can't carry on a conversation or hear TV
dialog until it stops ringing.

It's the sound from the tv that drive me nuts. Seems like almost
everyone has the sound up a lot louder than I can tolerate. Most
people seem to like having it on in the background even when they're
not watching. Not me.

After four rings, the machine picks it up. I don't have the ringer set
too loud because if I'm not in the vicinity of one of the phones, I'm
not going to bust my heinie trying to get it before it goes to the
machine. They can either hang up or leave a message. I can check
caller ID and call them back if I feel so inclined.

Besides that, just thinking about the temerity of the calling company
aggravates me.

Did you raise kids? Remember how you learned to cope with the crying
and screaming. The sound of a ringing phone isn't nearly as bad.

On 3/1/2016 3:06 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 3/1/2016 1:30 PM, Moe DeLoughan wrote:
On 2/29/2016 12:09 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 2/28/2016 6:18 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
I was happy to have wasted about 6 minutes of his time, time that he
wouldn't spend screwing with somebody else.

I that there is a special place in hell for telemarketers where the
phone never stops ringing and there's never anyone on the other end
when
they pick up.


Sure would be nice if there was a super hot
place in Hell for those pests who waste hours
of our lives.


They don't waste any of my time because when I don't recognize the
number, I
don't pick up the phone. It's as simple as that.

Yet, they pulled your chain and got you to interrupt what you
were doing to *check* the number!

Nope. If I'm not close enough to pick up a phone, I ignore it. It can
go to the machine or I can check the caller ID later, whenever I get
around to it. Which can be _days_ later, frankly.

Same goes for my mobile phone. 90% of the calls come from unknown
numbers. I just swipe Dismiss. I do the same with the known numbers,
unless it's a good time for me to take the call.

On Thu, 03 Mar 2016 15:09:22 -0600, Moe DeLoughan
wrote:

On 3/1/2016 3:01 PM, Dan Espen wrote:
Moe DeLoughan writes:


They don't waste any of my time because when I don't recognize the
number, I don't pick up the phone. It's as simple as that. I don't get
why people complain so much. The phone is your servant, not your
master. You don't _have_ to pay attention to it.

You can just ignore a ringing phone and it doesn't bother you? Sure
annoys the hell out of me. I can't carry on a conversation or hear TV
dialog until it stops ringing.

It's the sound from the tv that drive me nuts. Seems like almost
everyone has the sound up a lot louder than I can tolerate. Most
people seem to like having it on in the background even when they're
not watching. Not me.

After four rings, the machine picks it up. I don't have the ringer set
too loud because if I'm not in the vicinity of one of the phones, I'm
not going to bust my heinie trying to get it before it goes to the
machine. They can either hang up or leave a message. I can check
caller ID and call them back if I feel so inclined.

There is only one of the 6 or 7 phones in this house that actually
rings. (a legacy of the "illegal" phone days) Usually the first thing
I notice is my outgoing message.

On Thu, 03 Mar 2016 15:11:43 -0600, Moe DeLoughan
wrote:

On 3/1/2016 3:06 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 3/1/2016 1:30 PM, Moe DeLoughan wrote:
On 2/29/2016 12:09 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 2/28/2016 6:18 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
I was happy to have wasted about 6 minutes of his time, time that he
wouldn't spend screwing with somebody else.

I that there is a special place in hell for telemarketers where the
phone never stops ringing and there's never anyone on the other end
when
they pick up.


Sure would be nice if there was a super hot
place in Hell for those pests who waste hours
of our lives.


They don't waste any of my time because when I don't recognize the
number, I
don't pick up the phone. It's as simple as that.

Yet, they pulled your chain and got you to interrupt what you
were doing to *check* the number!

Nope. If I'm not close enough to pick up a phone, I ignore it. It can
go to the machine or I can check the caller ID later, whenever I get
around to it. Which can be _days_ later, frankly.

Same goes for my mobile phone. 90% of the calls come from unknown
numbers. I just swipe Dismiss. I do the same with the known numbers,
unless it's a good time for me to take the call.

I pick up all calls. Could be a family member in distress. But I
don't get many telemarketing calls. Easy enough to just hang up.
Mostly just calls from "Brigette". I could probably stop her, but I'm
afraid I'd miss her.
I don't why some people are getting a lot of calls. Since I put my
number of the DNC list years ago, they stopped. If "Brigette" didn't
call every third day or so, it's probably less than one a month.
I wonder if it's a regional thing.

On Thu, 03 Mar 2016 15:52:44 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Thu, 03 Mar 2016 15:11:43 -0600, Moe DeLoughan
wrote:

On 3/1/2016 3:06 PM, Don Y wrote:
On 3/1/2016 1:30 PM, Moe DeLoughan wrote:
On 2/29/2016 12:09 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 2/28/2016 6:18 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
I was happy to have wasted about 6 minutes of his time, time that he
wouldn't spend screwing with somebody else.

I that there is a special place in hell for telemarketers where the
phone never stops ringing and there's never anyone on the other end
when
they pick up.


Sure would be nice if there was a super hot
place in Hell for those pests who waste hours
of our lives.


They don't waste any of my time because when I don't recognize the
number, I
don't pick up the phone. It's as simple as that.

Yet, they pulled your chain and got you to interrupt what you
were doing to *check* the number!

Nope. If I'm not close enough to pick up a phone, I ignore it. It can
go to the machine or I can check the caller ID later, whenever I get
around to it. Which can be _days_ later, frankly.

Same goes for my mobile phone. 90% of the calls come from unknown
numbers. I just swipe Dismiss. I do the same with the known numbers,
unless it's a good time for me to take the call.

I pick up all calls. Could be a family member in distress. But I
don't get many telemarketing calls. Easy enough to just hang up.
Mostly just calls from "Brigette". I could probably stop her, but I'm
afraid I'd miss her.
I don't why some people are getting a lot of calls. Since I put my
number of the DNC list years ago, they stopped. If "Brigette" didn't
call every third day or so, it's probably less than one a month.
I wonder if it's a regional thing.

I think a lot depends on who you give your number to. It seems that
every time you buy something on the internet or look for tech support,
they want your number. I am sure some people are selling them

Per Moe DeLoughan:
It's the sound from the tv that drive me nuts. Seems like almost
everyone has the sound up a lot louder than I can tolerate. Most
people seem to like having it on in the background even when they're
not watching. Not me.

Go out and clear brush with a chain saw and no hearing protection all
day every day for about 3 weeks.

Worked for me.

Of course now the constant ringing in my ears is the PITA..... -)
--
Pete Cresswell

On 3/3/2016 5:47 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Moe DeLoughan:
It's the sound from the tv that drive me nuts. Seems like almost
everyone has the sound up a lot louder than I can tolerate. Most
people seem to like having it on in the background even when they're
not watching. Not me.

Go out and clear brush with a chain saw and no hearing protection all
day every day for about 3 weeks.

Worked for me.

Of course now the constant ringing in my ears is the PITA..... -)

grin Had a comparable experience the first time I used a breaker
hammer... didn't think anything of it while *using* it. Then,
wondered why my hands and arms TINGLED afterwards! :-/

[Good luck with the ears; tingling arms DO get better... ears can
suffer permanent damage!]

Per Don Y:
[Good luck with the ears; tingling arms DO get better... ears can
suffer permanent damage!]

Not going away.... and a hearing test shows a big gap in the mid ranges.

But, all things considered, I'll take it: *much* better than being
tormented by sounds much of the day almost every day. When you are
being driven nuts by an ultrasonic burglar alarm emitter that nobody
else can even hear, you've got a problem.... and when the sound of a
running refrigerator drives you up the wall, you've got a problem... -)

As long as I can hear approaching motor vehicles.... And I can...
--
Pete Cresswell

On 3/4/2016 9:23 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Don Y:
[Good luck with the ears; tingling arms DO get better... ears can
suffer permanent damage!]

Not going away.... and a hearing test shows a big gap in the mid ranges.

(sigh) Bummer. You only get to make that mistake *once*. frown

But, all things considered, I'll take it: *much* better than being
tormented by sounds much of the day almost every day. When you are
being driven nuts by an ultrasonic burglar alarm emitter that nobody

Yup. Lots of people go bat-sh*t crazy in "silent" houses -- unable
to avoid that "tinnitis" (sp). Instead, relying on some sort of
masking sound to push the ringing out of their conscious mind.

else can even hear, you've got a problem.... and when the sound of a
running refrigerator drives you up the wall, you've got a problem... -)

I used to be bothered by the high-pitched whine of TV sets. Glad
to have "lost" that capability! :

As long as I can hear approaching motor vehicles.... And I can...

And, the wife...

http://www.gilliamhearingcenter.com/Wife_hearing_aid.jpg

[amusing to see a commercial establishment engage in such misogyny! : ]

Ken I have CPR Callblocker also from Amazon. It's great. It was easy to install, I got it right the first try. It's easy to block calls and unblock them also.

Per Don Y:
http://www.gilliamhearingcenter.com/Wife_hearing_aid.jpg

That's right up there with my neighbor-the-lawyer's phrase "Male pattern
deafness".
--
Pete Cresswell

Per Don Y:
Yup. Lots of people go bat-sh*t crazy in "silent" houses -- unable
to avoid that "tinnitis" (sp). Instead, relying on some sort of
masking sound to push the ringing out of their conscious mind.

Thankfully I am not one of those.

But I had a windsurfing acquaintance that killed himself over it. Had
a string of firecrackers go off basically in one of his ears... lived
with the tinnitus for a year or two and the did himself in. Super
tragic because he was such a decent, intelligent guy.
--
Pete Cresswell

On 03/04/2016 01:07 PM, Don Y wrote:

[snip]

Yup. Lots of people go bat-sh*t crazy in "silent" houses -- unable
to avoid that "tinnitis" (sp). Instead, relying on some sort of
masking sound to push the ringing out of their conscious mind.

The high-pitched "sound of silence". There's also the physical 50Hz/60Hz
hum from all the electrical equipment.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"It isn't that they can't see the solution. It is that they can't see
the problem." -- G. K. Chesterton