Admins and receptionists have been known to forward annoying callers to non-existent numbers, or ones that aren't currently in use. Generally, annoying salespeople, or known scammers.
I supposed that could be done with T. (Though what repercussions might he cause?) I also suppose one might forward him to an outside number, and there are so many, many ...interesting... numbers that could be used. Preferably something that's initially automated, so no one has to deal with him directly.
Off topic, but when I was young, I worked for a law firm. For anonymity's sake, we will call it Drudgnik & Flynn. Now, neither Drudgnik nor Flynn were actually still alive. Like many law firms, their names survived only as the firm name. Periodically, a person would call in, wanting to speak with "Mr. Flynn." This told us immediately that they were (a) not a current client and (b) trying to make themselves sound like a client by choosing a specific name to ask for. Depending on how the receptionist was feeling on any given day, she was known to occasionally tell the caller to "please hold, and Mr. Flynn will be with you as soon as he can." And then just ignore that line until they hung up.
This firm also taught me that, when speaking to a caller that you want to hang up on, the best way is to do it while you yourself are speaking. Nobody thinks that you would deliberately hang up while you are talking. They just attribute it to a technical glitch.
Admins and receptionists have been known to forward annoying callers to non-existent numbers, or ones that aren't currently in use. Generally, annoying salespeople, or known scammers.
I supposed that could be done with T. (Though what repercussions might he cause?) I also suppose one might forward him to an outside number, and there are so many, many ...interesting... numbers that could be used. Preferably something that's initially automated, so no one has to deal with him directly.
Off topic, but when I was young, I worked for a law firm. For anonymity's sake, we will call it Drudgnik & Flynn. Now, neither Drudgnik nor Flynn were actually still alive. Like many law firms, their names survived only as the firm name. Periodically, a person would call in, wanting to speak with "Mr. Flynn." This told us immediately that they were (a) not a current client and (b) trying to make themselves sound like a client by choosing a specific name to ask for. Depending on how the receptionist was feeling on any given day, she was known to occasionally tell the caller to "please hold, and Mr. Flynn will be with you as soon as he can." And then just ignore that line until they hung up.
This firm also taught me that, when speaking to a caller that you want to hang up on, the best way is to do it while you yourself are speaking. Nobody thinks that you would deliberately hang up while you are talking. They just attribute it to a technical glitch.
That's precisely the technique I use when stuck in a phone conversation with certain pains in the ass from church! Oh dear... But then do leave the phone "off the hook" long enough that, when they call back, they get neither you nor a voicemail. That way they're doubly convinced it was a glitch.
As for Flynn, when we lived in a Lutheran vicarage in one wing of the church building, scammers would inevitably come to the front door addressing me as Sister, asking for "the father" and claiming to have had a close relationship with him/worked for him in the past. All right, I suppose Lutherans look a lot like Catholics from a distance.
Heard on NPR just now: chaos in the US Capitol building, due to protestors getting inside the building. The joint session of Congress for certifying the electoral votes has been cleared out, AIUI. There was mention of hundreds of protestors going up the steps, shouting. Don't know if they're all getting inside. But there are questions about security.
Heard on NPR just now: chaos in the US Capitol building, due to protestors getting inside the building. The joint session of Congress for certifying the electoral votes has been cleared out, AIUI. There was mention of hundreds of protestors going up the steps, shouting. Don't know if they're all getting inside. But there are questions about security.
I hope someone has set a security detail up for messrs Pence and Romney.
Pence and Nancy Pelosi (both in the line of presidential succession) have reportedly both been evacuated from the building by the Secret Service.
As the Senate was being evacuated Mitt Romney allegedly yelled "See, this is what you asked for!" at his Republican colleagues. Romney is also blaming Trump.
Are you sure it has failed, Bishops Finger? This is terrifying, and I hope there is some way to hold all the terrorists (because that's what they are) accountable, especially their Dear Leader.
Biden is on TV right now, trying to calm and encourage people. And (approx.) "I call on this mob to draw back, and let the work of democracy happen". He just called on T to publicly call a halt to it.
Also to the effect of "things got messed up, we can and will fix them, we can do it together, we can take care of each other". Reminding America of who we are. (Ok, ok, of the better aspects of who America is supposed to be!)
Just saw a video of an older guy encouraging the mob to march up the steps of what I assume was the Capitol Building. At one point, he called a female byststander a "suckbag".
That's gotta be a serious violation of some federal laws. And he wasn't wearing a mask of any sort.
T reportedly posted a Twitter video (?), several minutes ago. The PBS News Hour had problems presenting it; but T reportedly reasserted that the election was stolen, and people need to calm down.
Yes, I watched it. He said over and over that the election was stolen, an unprecedent act of injustice, blah blah, but we must have peace, so "go home". He said "go home" three times. I'm thinking this is not what he wanted to say and somebody told him to.
Yes, I watched it. He said over and over that the election was stolen, an unprecedent act of injustice, blah blah, but we must have peace, so "go home". He said "go home" three times. I'm thinking this is not what he wanted to say and somebody told him to.
"Nothing before us proves illegality near the massive scale that would have tipped the entire election," McConnell said. "The Constitution gives us here in Congress a limited role. We cannot simply declare ourselves a national board of elections on steroids."
He continued: "The voters, the courts, the states — they've all spoken. They've all spoken. If we overrule them, it would damage our republic forever. This election was actually not unusually close. Just in recent history, 1976, 2000 and 2004 were all closer."
In perhaps his most stern warning to fellow Republicans objecting to vote counts, he said democracy risked entering a "death spiral" if the election were overturned.
“If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral," he said. “We’d never see the whole nation accept an election again. Every four years would bring a scramble for power at any cost."
Too little, too late from him, I'm afraid, but that he finally said it at all came as a surprise to me.
Yes. From the little bit that Judy Woodruff quoted, and the little bit of the video they were finally able to show, I think someone else probably wrote the saner parts.
--BF--
Melania can't control him. Back in 2016, after the election, the family was interviewed on our "60 Minutes" news magazine show. (Entire show, IIRC.) Interestingly, there were a couple points where T seemed normal. One was when the interviewer asked if he ever to advice from Melania. IIRC, he kind of hemmed and hawed. Then Melania was asked if she ever tried to get him to change. She said "I try, but...". Then there was one of those moments that couples sometimes have: T looked frustrated and rolled his eyes; M looked frustrated; then they looked at each other with affection: kind of like "I love you, you old *&?$%%!, and by the way, it's your turn to do the dishes".
This gave me hope that there are healthier aspects to him, however buried. But he's not going to let his wife control him, unless a) he gets into another moment like that, and really listens and lets his guard down; and/or b) he's unable to function.
--There was mention on the radio that some respected conservative/Republican organization has called on Pence to work with the Cabinet and put the 25th amendment into effect. I didn't catch which organization.
Some other state capitols have been attacked and evacuated. Two ieds have been found in and around the capitol in Washington. Some of the Congress people have said they are drawing up articles of impeachment.
Maryland and at least one other states have dispatched troopers to Washington. FBI have also attended the capitol.
At least one person has been shot in the chest, and a number of leos injured.
Twitter have placed a warning on Trump’s video statement saying it can’t be retweeted because of the risk of violence.
Nicola Sturgeon and Keir Starmer have issued statements condemning the attack on democracy, so far I don’t think the prime ministerial haystack has said anything.
Nicola Sturgeon and Keir Starmer have issued statements condemning the attack on democracy, so far I don’t think the prime ministerial haystack has said anything.
Before the report of the ieds, I was going to comment on the non-barking dogs around in the footage. By comparison with, for example, our Poll tax demos. The people's flags were on poles which mostly were too flimsy to be used as weapons (I saw one as thick as a broom handle). No-one tried to pull down and use the scaffold poles as weapons. And, given that this is the States, and not Trafalgar Square, I didn't see any of the Trumpists with guns.
The whole thing was shocking, but it wasn't as shocking as it might have been.
The law enforcement officers seem to be standing down and standing by for the most part. Perhaps it's unfair because they are different circumstances, but I can't help comparing the vigour of police actions at Black Lives Matter demonstrations to the gentle handling of this one. Many of the demonstrators seem to be getting bored finally and wandering off.
Half the CNN phone callers are wondering the same.
The other half, seem to be alternating between trying to pin the bad stuff on BLM (famed for their confederacy flags) and 'but bidens a communist'.
Nicola Sturgeon and Keir Starmer have issued statements condemning the attack on democracy, so far I don’t think the prime ministerial haystack has said anything.
I was just thinking the same thing about identification. Given facial recognition technology, cross reference with driver's licenses, criminal records, etc., and anyone identified is charged with sedition, conspiracy, and anything else - arms offences, double parking, anything. Consecutive sentences for the lot.
Apologies, missed that, I note Nicola Sturgeon got there first as usual, shortly followed by Starmer and then he noticed.
I'm no fan of the Prime Minister, but I'm also not a particular fan of speed of response as a metric for anything in these kinds of cases. Johnson beat Micheál Martin to the keyboard by 10 minutes, but I don't think that implies anything about the relative competence of the Prime Minister and an Taoiseach.
Comments
This firm also taught me that, when speaking to a caller that you want to hang up on, the best way is to do it while you yourself are speaking. Nobody thinks that you would deliberately hang up while you are talking. They just attribute it to a technical glitch.
That's precisely the technique I use when stuck in a phone conversation with certain pains in the ass from church! Oh dear... But then do leave the phone "off the hook" long enough that, when they call back, they get neither you nor a voicemail. That way they're doubly convinced it was a glitch.
As for Flynn, when we lived in a Lutheran vicarage in one wing of the church building, scammers would inevitably come to the front door addressing me as Sister, asking for "the father" and claiming to have had a close relationship with him/worked for him in the past. All right, I suppose Lutherans look a lot like Catholics from a distance.
:votive:
They're inside.
There's a Colorado NPR reporter *in the building*, and they just interviewed her.
If I ever find out who uttered the "may you live in interesting times!" curse over the US and the world for the last many decades...
Pence and Nancy Pelosi (both in the line of presidential succession) have reportedly both been evacuated from the building by the Secret Service.
As the Senate was being evacuated Mitt Romney allegedly yelled "See, this is what you asked for!" at his Republican colleagues. Romney is also blaming Trump.
https://theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/jan/06/georgia-election-latest-news-senate-ossoff-warnock-democrats-republicans-trump-biden
Some dramatic images...
It sounds as though Trump has tried to instigate a coup d'état, and has failed. Surely he should now be arrested?
As for Trump, shame on him, cess take him, shite choke him.
Also to the effect of "things got messed up, we can and will fix them, we can do it together, we can take care of each other". Reminding America of who we are. (Ok, ok, of the better aspects of who America is supposed to be!)
That's gotta be a serious violation of some federal laws. And he wasn't wearing a mask of any sort.
Is there no-one handy, who could at least try to control him? Where's Melania?
'sorry if you chose to be offended'
Too little, too late from him, I'm afraid, but that he finally said it at all came as a surprise to me.
--mt--
Yes. From the little bit that Judy Woodruff quoted, and the little bit of the video they were finally able to show, I think someone else probably wrote the saner parts.
--BF--
Melania can't control him. Back in 2016, after the election, the family was interviewed on our "60 Minutes" news magazine show. (Entire show, IIRC.) Interestingly, there were a couple points where T seemed normal. One was when the interviewer asked if he ever to advice from Melania. IIRC, he kind of hemmed and hawed. Then Melania was asked if she ever tried to get him to change. She said "I try, but...". Then there was one of those moments that couples sometimes have: T looked frustrated and rolled his eyes; M looked frustrated; then they looked at each other with affection: kind of like "I love you, you old *&?$%%!, and by the way, it's your turn to do the dishes".
This gave me hope that there are healthier aspects to him, however buried. But he's not going to let his wife control him, unless a) he gets into another moment like that, and really listens and lets his guard down; and/or b) he's unable to function.
--There was mention on the radio that some respected conservative/Republican organization has called on Pence to work with the Cabinet and put the 25th amendment into effect. I didn't catch which organization.
Maryland and at least one other states have dispatched troopers to Washington. FBI have also attended the capitol.
At least one person has been shot in the chest, and a number of leos injured.
Twitter have placed a warning on Trump’s video statement saying it can’t be retweeted because of the risk of violence.
Nicola Sturgeon and Keir Starmer have issued statements condemning the attack on democracy, so far I don’t think the prime ministerial haystack has said anything.
I think it was the American Manufacturers' Association(or whatever that group is called) who issued that statement you mention.
*ieds* = ?
Improvised Explosive Devices. Homemade bombs.
https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1346926138057220103
The whole thing was shocking, but it wasn't as shocking as it might have been.
(Congrats: you're a shipmate!)
The idiot Trumpians who *forgot* to put on a face-mask should be easy to identify.
The other half, seem to be alternating between trying to pin the bad stuff on BLM (famed for their confederacy flags) and 'but bidens a communist'.
Apologies, missed that, I note Nicola Sturgeon got there first as usual, shortly followed by Starmer and then he noticed.
I'm no fan of the Prime Minister, but I'm also not a particular fan of speed of response as a metric for anything in these kinds of cases. Johnson beat Micheál Martin to the keyboard by 10 minutes, but I don't think that implies anything about the relative competence of the Prime Minister and an Taoiseach.