Telephone Tales

The big advantage of living in a solidly blue state is that my telephone is not ringing off the hook with robocalls or pollsters or live campaign calls. McCain would never have the cash to try and put my state into play and the Wingnut fucktards who normally would be funding the 527 groups have seen their investment/trust fund balances crater within the last month, so they aren't ponying up the cash.

I've got friends in a "battleground" state, who are registered Democrats. They've received personal invitations to McCain rallies. One asked the last caller if he was smoking crack.

I make heavy use of caller ID, anyway. I also list my phone under the first name of one of my cats. When a call comes in for the cat, I know it's a bloody telephone solicitor.

So the other day, a call came in and I was by a phone that doesn't have a caller ID display (have to fix that). I picked it up and I could hear the "boiler room" sounds of a phone bank. (Shit, shit, shit.) The guy asked for my cat.

I said "hold on," put the phone down and went into the kitchen. Three minutes later, I picked it up and said "I can't find him."

"Can I talk to Mrs. (cat's last name)?"

"Hold on." Three minutes later: "She wants to know who's calling."

"I'm (first name) from the State Police Benevolent Association." I've heard of those guys; there has been no shortage of newspaper stories about how they turn over 3% or 5% of their fundraising to the charities and take the rest as expenses.

"Hold on." Three minutes later: "She said she can't talk to you right now, call back later." I hung up on the guy.