I find it unbelievable that cold callers can telephone you and then insult you in your own home. I know this is a pet hate of mine and something I have mentioned before but these people's cheek is mind numbing. It happened again today.
It was another call from India and yet another survey. I have had loads of these calls. On this occasion I tried to find out what was going on. So I asked the person at the other end why I have received numerous calls from his company over the past few weeks.He replied that his company had never phoned me before. "Well there must be a lot of companies based in India doing this," I said. "Maybe," he replied. "Well either there are or you have phoned me before," I answered. Then I told him that I wouldn't take part in his survey because it would result in my being swamped by companies trying to sell me things I didn't want. Whatever company he was representing would sell on my replies to other companies along with my telephone number.
"Why would I do that?" he said
"Because that's what you are paid to do," I replied. To which his answer was:
"You are mad."
Now please excuse me for being a bit rude here but what the effing right does this interloper into my life have to call me mad in my own lounge on my own phone and did I invite him to intrude on my life? The answer is an emphatic no. I think from now on when I see the word "unavailable" on my phone as the number calling I will not answer it. If it is a "proper" call the caller will leave a message on my answermachine anyway.
You know how many people use the phrase "you know" or "I mean" in virtually every sentence. Well I tend to say OK a lot without really knowing where the phrase comes from. So I decided to look it up. Sadly I am no closer to knowing. It could be of Choctaw derivation or West African or any other number. One suggestion is it was used by the Boston Morning Post newspaper as a joke culled from putting various combination of letters together. So I'm no wiser. Perhaps I should leave off using it until I find out its true history!
On a similar theme, today is St George's Day but just who was St George and why do the patron saints of Wales, Scotland and Ireland seem to mean more than George does to the English? Does this also mean that the English have less pride in their country than the other home countries? The answer to the last question is possibly yes although the Irish may just use St Patrick's Day for a giant p--s up.
Anyway St George was in fact a Roman soldier and Christian martyr. Of course the story of him slaying a dragon is a legend and fabrication. There's loads of stuff on Wikipedia if you want to know more - I'm not sure I can be bothered.
Sad news filtered through over the weekend with the death of Hethersett businessman Nick Fulcher. Nick was a lovely man who had an international reputation as a coachtrimmer. He worked from a business in New Road, Hethersett, but was known nationally for his thoroughness in restoring the fabric of some very valuable and famous cars. Think of James Bond here and you will be on the right track. I wrote a number of features on Nick's business for the local press and my village web site and was particularly interested when he called me down on one occasion to look at a DeLorean car he was working on. I was allowed to sit in it but not allowed to drive it. I was also subject to Nick's generosity on a number of occasions and he was a big supporter of the village and sport (football in particular). I will always remember his appearances in the audience for the annual village panto and the fun that was generated when good natured abuse was hurled back and forth from the audience (Nick) and the actors/actresses on stage. Nick will be greatly missed. Again there is plenty about his business on the Internet - just do a Google search.
When he visits us our eldest son always laughs at the local news and the mediocrity of some of its context. I couldn't help thinking about him today when a trailer featured a story about a dog that sits on a roof!!! Mind you last time I went to visit him in Eastbourne the news level wasn't much better - "Pensioner's Prize Parrot Stolen" stated a billboard.
Having put together a quiz at the weekend I am always interested in possible questions for the future. Can't say I will be using one that was featured on All Star Family Fortunes. It was for a viewers' competition and was so complex that I spent all night trying to work out the answer. The question was along the lines of: Which of the following do you add to food to sweeten it? And the answers to chose from were: Vinegar, Salt or Sugar. Hell that's a tough one. If I was cynical I would say they want to get in as much dosh in as possible with a call costing over £1.
There was a much more difficult conundrum on Pointless (yes I've mentioned it again). The legend that is Richard Osman was doing a round on Cockney rhyming slang when he asked why £15 was know as a Commodore. This is a bit contrived but brilliant: The pop group The Commodores had a big hit with Three Times a Lady. Lady Godiva is Cockney rhyming slang for a fiver and three fivers or three ladies is £15 - simples.
Finally today I have just watched the item about the dog on the roof. It became laugh out loud when the thatcher climbed down the ladder with a big black dog draped round his shoulder. Well it beats a fox fur coat and that reminds me of a joke about Prince Charles but perhaps I will keep that for another time.
It was another call from India and yet another survey. I have had loads of these calls. On this occasion I tried to find out what was going on. So I asked the person at the other end why I have received numerous calls from his company over the past few weeks.He replied that his company had never phoned me before. "Well there must be a lot of companies based in India doing this," I said. "Maybe," he replied. "Well either there are or you have phoned me before," I answered. Then I told him that I wouldn't take part in his survey because it would result in my being swamped by companies trying to sell me things I didn't want. Whatever company he was representing would sell on my replies to other companies along with my telephone number.
"Why would I do that?" he said
"Because that's what you are paid to do," I replied. To which his answer was:
"You are mad."
Now please excuse me for being a bit rude here but what the effing right does this interloper into my life have to call me mad in my own lounge on my own phone and did I invite him to intrude on my life? The answer is an emphatic no. I think from now on when I see the word "unavailable" on my phone as the number calling I will not answer it. If it is a "proper" call the caller will leave a message on my answermachine anyway.
You know how many people use the phrase "you know" or "I mean" in virtually every sentence. Well I tend to say OK a lot without really knowing where the phrase comes from. So I decided to look it up. Sadly I am no closer to knowing. It could be of Choctaw derivation or West African or any other number. One suggestion is it was used by the Boston Morning Post newspaper as a joke culled from putting various combination of letters together. So I'm no wiser. Perhaps I should leave off using it until I find out its true history!
On a similar theme, today is St George's Day but just who was St George and why do the patron saints of Wales, Scotland and Ireland seem to mean more than George does to the English? Does this also mean that the English have less pride in their country than the other home countries? The answer to the last question is possibly yes although the Irish may just use St Patrick's Day for a giant p--s up.
Anyway St George was in fact a Roman soldier and Christian martyr. Of course the story of him slaying a dragon is a legend and fabrication. There's loads of stuff on Wikipedia if you want to know more - I'm not sure I can be bothered.
Sad news filtered through over the weekend with the death of Hethersett businessman Nick Fulcher. Nick was a lovely man who had an international reputation as a coachtrimmer. He worked from a business in New Road, Hethersett, but was known nationally for his thoroughness in restoring the fabric of some very valuable and famous cars. Think of James Bond here and you will be on the right track. I wrote a number of features on Nick's business for the local press and my village web site and was particularly interested when he called me down on one occasion to look at a DeLorean car he was working on. I was allowed to sit in it but not allowed to drive it. I was also subject to Nick's generosity on a number of occasions and he was a big supporter of the village and sport (football in particular). I will always remember his appearances in the audience for the annual village panto and the fun that was generated when good natured abuse was hurled back and forth from the audience (Nick) and the actors/actresses on stage. Nick will be greatly missed. Again there is plenty about his business on the Internet - just do a Google search.
When he visits us our eldest son always laughs at the local news and the mediocrity of some of its context. I couldn't help thinking about him today when a trailer featured a story about a dog that sits on a roof!!! Mind you last time I went to visit him in Eastbourne the news level wasn't much better - "Pensioner's Prize Parrot Stolen" stated a billboard.
Having put together a quiz at the weekend I am always interested in possible questions for the future. Can't say I will be using one that was featured on All Star Family Fortunes. It was for a viewers' competition and was so complex that I spent all night trying to work out the answer. The question was along the lines of: Which of the following do you add to food to sweeten it? And the answers to chose from were: Vinegar, Salt or Sugar. Hell that's a tough one. If I was cynical I would say they want to get in as much dosh in as possible with a call costing over £1.
There was a much more difficult conundrum on Pointless (yes I've mentioned it again). The legend that is Richard Osman was doing a round on Cockney rhyming slang when he asked why £15 was know as a Commodore. This is a bit contrived but brilliant: The pop group The Commodores had a big hit with Three Times a Lady. Lady Godiva is Cockney rhyming slang for a fiver and three fivers or three ladies is £15 - simples.
Finally today I have just watched the item about the dog on the roof. It became laugh out loud when the thatcher climbed down the ladder with a big black dog draped round his shoulder. Well it beats a fox fur coat and that reminds me of a joke about Prince Charles but perhaps I will keep that for another time.
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