Gamethread: Twins @ White Sox, 6/28 @ 7:10pm CT

" Uff Da ".  Thought I trademarked that phrase.  Jeezzz. gotta call ol' J. Noble Dagget.....

We still get calls from these guys, and although I have played along a few times, nothing like this fella from Malwarebytes did.

Interesting to learn what their purpose is. $299 must be only the start, that seems like small potatoes considering how many calls they have to make to reel one person in.

 

I have never stayed on the line long enough to hear more than "Windows Support, may I speak to mister John..." *click*. It seems like a monumentally stupid idea to engage them, and try to convince them the error of their ways - the dialing software calls at random, but at that point do have my phone number, so why piss them off and perhaps get on their "special attention" list that involves phone calls at 3 am, say?

I take the time to give them a good, proper, berating. 

Then I add them to my "Blocked Caller" list.

I have to admit, as a computer guy, I love it when the "you've got a problem with your computer" guys call. 

If I'm in a good mood, I'll play along. It amuses me when they tell me to hit the "window" key to bring up the "run" box...mainly because I run Linux at home.

Mom always asks the scammers to tell her what the problem is so she can discuss it with her son, the IT guy. Those calls end quickly.

I have to admit, as a computer guy, I love it when the "you've got a problem with your computer" guys call. 

 

If I'm in a good mood, I'll play along. It amuses me when they tell me to hit the "window" key to bring up the "run" box...mainly because I run Linux at home.

 

Mom always asks the scammers to tell her what the problem is so she can discuss it with her son, the IT guy. Those calls end quickly.

Similarly, I'm a Mac-centric user. I enjoy it when they ask me to go to the Start menu and I innocently ask "What's that?"

...and there were books...books are a bunch of pieces of paper bound together with a front and back cover...anyway, there were these books with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of everyone in town in them!  They also had the phone numbers of pizza joints - yes, we had to call to order a pizza.  Yes, they did deliver.  No, not by horse and buggy.

Ah, books. Still have a good 5-6000 of those, although many are boxed up now.

I do not miss having to hunt through telephone books one iota.

I'm pretty sure I caught the bitter end of using telephone books. I do recall looking up friends' home numbers in the phone book, and getting frustrated because I didn't know their parents' first name(s). Then 411 came along in the mid-2000's to start eliminating the need for phone books... Now here we are, just a google search away from finding any phone number. 

If you call me in the middle of the night again your life is forfeit. I don't care if you really are Windows Technical Support.

If you call me in the middle of the night again your life is forfeit. I don't care if you really are Windows Technical Support.

huh. all this time i thought the voice was saying "... windows testicle support ..."

huh. all this time i thought the voice was saying "... windows testicle support ..."

Turn your head sideways and cough.

So, word on the street is ... and, literally, I heard it on the street as a couple of people in front of me were talking about going to the Sox game tonight ... that it's Polish Night at the Cell tonight ... they'll be serving perogis and potato pancakes!!! Now ... if I weren't working tonight, knowing that might have changed my mind about going to the game. I didn't bother to switch my work schedule around because, well, it's miserable enough watching these games on TV, I didn't really want to be surrounded by chiding Sox fans and be more miserable in person. But man ... a night with perogis????? That might have been a draw for me.

I knew people who used to call in "sick" when they found a better way to spend their time than working. Just sayin'...

As I age gracefully, I find myself being more and more disrespectful to telemarketers.  I have not tried the "testicle support" line yet, but I imagine it going something like this:

 

gocgo - "Hello"

telemarketer (in appropriate accent) - "I am calling you from Windows technical support, are you near your computer?"

gocgo - "Testicle support!  Why would I need testicle support?  I'll have you know that my testicles are just fine as they are!  Honey! (calls to wife in background)  This guy on the phone wants to support my testicles."

Honey - "Tell him I've got it covered babe."

gocgo - "What kind of a sick human being are you and what do my testicles have to do with the window?  Your not some sick stalker wanting me to press them up against the window so you can take some tabloid picture are you?....say...that's feels kind of good"

CLICK

 

Generally, I use the Publishers Clearing House line and start screaming with excitement that I've won a million dollars every year for life.  I get the whole family around the phone and they all scream at the guy until they hang up....(usually takes about 2 minutes).  It's become a family bonding thing.

You have opened brand new vistas of ways to deal with telemarketers.

" Donald Trump says he can control the country but he also said that he could control his hair, so I’m still a little skeptical. According to medical professionals… the stress of being the President will take ten years off your life. This is why Trump has received enough votes to be the Republican nominee."

That was wonderful.

I college I actually found some time to drink beer with friends, actually, lots of beer.  When a telemarketer called during these drinking sessions, we usually would say, "I am watching a porno, this better be good."  The silence on the phone was golden before the click! 

I can't wait til I get the next call!  Anyone want my number?