When Those Annoying Telemarketers Call, It Helps to Be a Little Creative
I’m more than happy to pass along savvy ways of dealing with annoying telemarketers. Ann Rayner of Van Nuys said that when a friend received a call from a solicitor for a telephone company, he responded: “I’m sorry, I don’t own a phone.” Added Rayner: “The caller apologized and hung up.”
The wrong party: A while back, my son answered a call from a telemarketer and shouted, “Dad!” for me to take it. The solicitor, possibly appealing to the male ego, began this way: “May I speak to the decision-maker in your household?” I responded: “She’s not here.” And hung up.
Cheers! Having no doubt seen recent references in this column to such provocatively named beverages as Pocari Sweat and Calpis Water, Terry Simmons of Chino Hills sent along a snapshot “of an apple juice can I came across in Sao Paulo, Brazil” (see photo). Something was lost in the translation.
Hacking on: I’ve heard of the “sweet spot” on a golf club, but Glenn Heald of Culver City found a variation (see accompanying).
Said Heald: “If it’ll help my game, I’ll try it.” Not sure if this type of sweat has been bottled yet.
Speaking of drinking: Todd Schowalter alerted me to the case of an infant who may have to be weaned from more than one type of bottle (see accompanying).
You-Think-You-Have-Problems Dept.: The Aliso Viejo News reported that on a recent afternoon, “the clanging of the cables on a flagpole” upset a resident who phoned police “to report the disturbance.”
Town vs. Gown: Some local college towns take their lumps in the Princeton Review’s latest college guide. Here are some comments from wise-guy students at:
* Pepperdine: Malibu “shuts down at 10. You always think to rent a movie at 10:05, and Blockbuster closed down 5 minutes ago.”
* Pomona College: “Unfortunately, the city of Claremont is in denial of its being a college town.”
* UC Irvine: Irvine is “beautiful yet boring.”
* Occidental: Eagle Rock is “not the most exciting place.”
MiscelLAny: In case you’re wondering, Pomona College is in Claremont. And Claremont College? It’s in Claremont for some reason.
Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.