TELECOM Digest Mon, 10 Jan 94 01:12:00 CST Volume 14 : Issue 22 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson List of Country Codes (David Leibold) Bizarre Cordless Behavior (Linc Madison) Dr. Vint Cerf Joins MCI (Dan L. Dale) Old Telephones Wanted (Jay Hennigan) Radio Modem Help Wanted (John Michael Pierobon) Re: Connecting Two Phone Lines to One Phone Jack (Carl Oppedahl) Re: Dialing 1 First Prohibited in Dallas (Richard Masoner) Re: Best Remote Software? (Richard A. De Castro) Re: Landlines Pay Airtime To Call Some Cellular Phones (John R. Levine) Re: ITU Method For Writing Telephone Numbers (Erik Thomas Mueller) Re: Rate of Change (Michael Jacobs) Re: SW-56 and ISDN Questions (Bill Halverson) Re: "Dynamic" SLIP (John R. Levine) One Way of Dealing With Obscene Calls (alt.shenanigans via Elana Beach) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 9 Jan 94 18:56:49 -0500 From: djcl@io.org Subject: List of Country Codes Here is an updated list of country codes used in international dialing; errors/additions/corrections can be sent to: dleibold1@attmail.com or djcl@io.org. Notes indicated by bracketed numbers are found after the code listings. Country Codes Summary 8 January 1994 0 - (no country codes begin with '0') 1 - North America (Canada, USA including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Barbados, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Bahamas, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Christopher and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Bequia, Mustique, Prune (Palm) Island, Union Island) (Trinidad and Tobago [1]) 20 - Egypt 210 - (reserved Morocco) 211 - (reserved Morocco) 212 - Morocco 213 - Algeria 214 - (reserved Algeria) 215 - (reserved Algeria) 216 - Tunisia 217 - (reserved Tunisia) 218 - Libya 219 - (reserved Libya) 220 - Gambia 221 - Senegal 222 - Mauritania 223 - Mali 224 - Guinea 225 - Cote d'Ivoire 226 - Burkina Faso 227 - Niger 228 - Togolese Republic 229 - Benin 230 - Mauritius 231 - Liberia 232 - Sierra Leone 233 - Ghana 234 - Nigeria 235 - Chad 236 - Central African Rep 237 - Cameroon 238 - Cape Verde 239 - Sao Tome & Principe 240 - Equatorial Guinea 241 - Gabonese Republic 242 - Congo 243 - Zaire 244 - Angola 245 - Guinea-Bissau 246 - Diego-Garcia 247 - Ascension 248 - Seychelles 249 - Sudan 250 - Rwandese Republic 251 - Ethiopia 252 - Somalia 253 - Djibouti 254 - Kenya 255 - Tanzania [2] 256 - Uganda 257 - Burundi 258 - Mozambique 259 - Zanzibar [2] 260 - Zambia 261 - Madagascar 262 - Reunion (France) 263 - Zimbabwe 264 - Namibia 265 - Malawi 266 - Lesotho 267 - Botswana 268 - Swaziland 269 - Comoros & Mayotte 27 - South Africa 290 - St Helena [3] 291 - Eritrea [4] 295 - San Marino [5] 296 - Trinidad/Tobago [6] 297 - Aruba [7] 298 - Faroe Islands [8] 299 - Greenland [9] 30 - Greece 31 - Netherlands 32 - Belgium 33 - Andorra, France, Monaco [10] 34 - Spain 350 - Gibraltar 351 - Portugal 352 - Luxembourg 353 - Eire (Irish Rep) 354 - Iceland 355 - Albania 356 - Malta 357 - Cyprus 358 - Finland 359 - Bulgaria 36 - Hungary 37 - East Germany [11] 370 - Lithuania [12] 371 - Latvia [12] 372 - Estonia [12] 373 - Moldova [12] 38 - Yugoslavia [13] 381 - Serbia and Montenegro (former Yugoslav areas not otherwise assigned) [13] 385 - Croatia [13] 386 - Slovenia [13] 387 - Bosnia [13] 389 - Macedonia [13] 39 - Italy, San Marino, Vatican City [14] 40 - Romania 41 - Switzerland, Liechtenstein [15] 42 - Czech & Slovak Republics 43 - Austria 44 - United Kingdom 45 - Denmark 46 - Sweden 47 - Norway 48 - Poland 49 - Germany 500 - Falkland Islands 501 - Belize 502 - Guatemala 503 - El Salvador 504 - Honduras 505 - Nicaragua 506 - Costa Rica 507 - Panama 508 - St Pierre & Miquelon 509 - Haiti 51 - Peru 52 - Mexico 53 - Cuba [16] 54 - Argentina 55 - Brazil 56 - Chile 57 - Colombia 58 - Venezuela 590 - Guadeloupe [17] 591 - Bolivia 592 - Guyana 593 - Ecuador 594 - Guiana (French) 595 - Paraguay 596 - Martinique [18] 597 - Suriname 598 - Uruguay 599 - Netherlands Antilles [19] 60 - Malaysia 61 - Australia 62 - Indonesia 63 - Philippines 64 - New Zealand 65 - Singapore 66 - Thailand 670 - Marianna Isl. [20] 671 - Guam 672 - Australian Territories: Antartica, Christmas, Cocos, Norfolk Islands 673 - Brunei Darussalm 674 - Nauru 675 - Papua New Guinea 676 - Tonga 677 - Solomon Islands 678 - Vanuatu [21] 679 - Fiji Islands 680 - Palau 681 - Wallis & Fortuna 682 - Cook Islands 683 - Niue Island 684 - American Samoa 685 - Western Samoa 686 - Kiribati, Gilbert Is 687 - New Caldonia 688 - Tuvalu, Ellice Is (Saipan?) 689 - French Polynesia 690 - Tokelan 691 - F.S. of Micronesia 692 - Marshall Islands 7 - CIS nations, Baltic Republics, otherwise former USSR countries 800 - (see note [25]) 81 - Japan 82 - South Korea 84 - Vietnam 850 - North Korea 852 - Hong Kong 853 - Macao 855 - Cambodia 856 - Laos 86 - China 870 - (apparently unassigned, reserved for Maritime Mobile service) 871 - Inmarsat (Atl E) [22] 872 - Inmarsat (Pacific) 873 - Inmarsat (Indian) 874 - Inmarsat (Atl. W) [22] 875 - (apparently unassigned, reserved for Maritime Mobile service) 876 - (apparently unassigned, reserved for Maritime Mobile service) 877 - (apparently unassigned, reserved for Maritime Mobile service) 878 - reserved [23] 879 - reserved [23] 880 - Bangladesh [24] 886 - Taiwan [24] 90 - Turkey 91 - India 92 - Pakistan 93 - Afghanistan 94 - Sri Lanka 95 - Myanmar (Burma) 960 - Maldives 961 - Lebanon 962 - Jordan 963 - Syria 964 - Iraq 965 - Kuwait 966 - Saudi Arabia 967 - Yemen Arab Rep 968 - Oman 969 - Yemen Dem Rep [26] 971 - United Arab Emirates 972 - Israel 973 - Bahrain 974 - Qatar 976 - Mongolia 977 - Nepal 98 - Iran 994 - Azerbaijan [12] Notes: [1] Trinidad and Tobago has been assigned code 296. The date when this country code will take effect is unknown. [2] Zanzibar is routed via Tanzania as + 255 54, though the country code 259 is assigned for Zanzibar. [3] St Helena is a code found in service under British Telecom. It may not be an official assignment much as it would be a hack used by BT to provide overseas service to that point. [4] Eritrea separated from Ethiopia in 1993 to become a new nation; until +291 code is in effect, use Ethiopia +251 4. [5] San Marino will be split from Italy's country code (was 39). [6] Trinidad and Tobago are new with country code 296, moving out of North American area code 809 (ie. + 1 809). The date when this country code takes effect is unknown. [7] Aruba got its own country code when it formally became independent of the Netherlands Antilles 1st January 1986. [8] was under Norway [9] Greenland (country code 299) is supposed to be in the part of the world where country codes begin with 3 or 4 (Europe). However, since all those codes are used up, 299 is as close to 3 or 4 as possible. Country codes beginning with 5 are also all gone. [10] Andorra: + 33 628, Monaco: + 33 93 [11] Removed from service as Germany is now one country. New city codes beginning with 3 under country code 49 are now in use for those former east German regions. [12] These are new assignments breaking away from country code 7 (former USSR). Other countries from the CIS or those republics formerly with the Soviet Union, could have new country codes of the form 37x or 9xx soon. [13] Effective 1st October 1993 former Yugoslavia country code 38 was split up into country codes of the form 38x representing the various nations formed from the breakup of Yugoslavia. (Information courtesy teletext of German TV ARD and ZDF as relayed by Thomas Diessel (diessel@informatik.unibw-muenchen.de)). [14] San Marino: + 39 549 (formerly +39 541), but moving to country code 295 at some unknown date. Vatican City: + 39 66982 [15] Liechtenstein: + 41 75 [16] Guantanamo Bay US Naval Base: + 53 99, a special hack dialable from USA [17] includes French Antilles: St Barthelemy, St Martin, Guadeloupe [18] should now be onlyu Martinique; was all of French Antilles [19] includes Saint Maarten, Saba, Statia, Curacao, Bonaire [20] that is, Northern Mariana Islands, or Saipan [21] or New Hebrides [22] 874 is a new assignment as INMARSAT is putting a fourth satellite region into service, and adjusting its zones accordingly. This is to allow for new land-based services on the INMARSAT network, particularly in North America. 874 will become Atlantic Ocean Region West, while 871 will be for Atlantic Ocean Region East. [23] Reserved for national mobile/maritime uses in various countries [24] By CCITT policy, no more country codes of the 880-889 series are supposed to be assigned until all other country codes beginning with 8 have been taken. 886 for Taiwan is an unofficial code used for access to Taiwan. The "People's Republic of China", on the other hand, has assigned Taiwan access via country code 866 (presumably + 86 6, through China). [25] There is some discussion in CCITT circles that the 800 country code could be established as an international-access toll free service. This is subject to a formal proposal and CCITT approval, however. [26] with the unification of the Yemen republics, it appears that this country code will no longer be needed, as 967 Yemen Arab Republic code will likely take over. In the meantime, the dialing procedures remain as if Yemen were still separate countries, at least until the telephone system can be unified. ------------------------------ From: lincmad@netcom.com (Linc Madison) Subject: Bizarre cordless behavior Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Sun, 9 Jan 1994 09:41:51 GMT I have for about four or five months now had a cordless phone, a Southwestern Bell Freedom Fone Model FF1185, ten channels, two lines, "digital security code," etc. I'm mostly happy with it, but there are a couple of problems. (1) There is excessive bounce in the keypad. I had to take the first unit back because I misdialed at least 75% of all attempts. The new unit is not so bad, but still has bad problems with the '2' key. (2) It has ten channels, but doesn't do any sort of "automatic channel selection" or anything like that. By far worst of all, though: (3) Sometimes, when I press the "change channel" button, if my neighbor (in the same apartment building) happens to be using her cordless phone, *she* gets connected to my call while *my* handset is frozen out. I don't know what happens to any call she is on or is attempting. This has happened three times so far. What usually happens is that I hear a click on the line (the other person usually assumes it's my call-waiting) and then the static gets progressively worse. I press "channel" to try to get a better connection, and get dumped. This is EXTREMELY annoying. Linc Madison * Oakland, California * LincMad@Netcom.com ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jan 94 16:36 EST From: Dan L. Dale <0005517538@mcimail.com> Subject: Dr. Vint Cerf Joins MCI WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ via First! -- MCI today announced Vinton Cerf, well-known in telecommunications and academic circles as a data visionary, has rejoined the company to serve as senior vice president of data architecture for the Data Services Division. Cerf, who was with the company in the early 80's, will be responsible for developing the network architecture of MCI's future data services, as well as the development of a common framework in which data, voice and video services can be delivered to businesses and consumers with equal ease. Cerf, 50, co-developed the computer networking protocol, TCP/IP, widely used in the industry and for communications between the diverse university, government and commercial data networks, known collectively as the Internet. He also has served as president of the Internet Society since 1992. "As we further develop networkMCI, the company's recently announced strategic vision, and the new generation of services that businesses, consumers and governments will want, we need the best minds available to help lead these efforts," said Richard T. Liebhaber, MCI's chief strategy and technology officer. "Vint is one of the leading architects of what we know as public data networking today, as well as a major contributor to the development of technologies needed for a national information infrastructure." "We're very pleased someone like Vint will help MCI drive a new generation of data services as we move into the 21st century," said Liebhaber. Cerf joins MCI from the Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI) where he has served as vice president since 1986, conducting national research efforts on information infrastructure technologies with CNRI's president, Robert E. Kahn (also co-inventor of TCP/IP). Prior to this, Cerf was vice president of MCI Digital Information Services and served as the chief engineer of MCI Mail from 1982 to 1986, working with MCI's J. Robert Harcharik, creator of MCI Mail and currently general manager of MCI's Data Services Division. Cerf also has played a major role in sponsoring the development of Internet-related data packet technologies during his stint with the Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) from 1976 to 1982. He served on the Stanford University faculty in the computer science and electrical engineering departments and worked on the ARPA network development at UCLA during the late 60s and early 70s. At MCI, Cerf will again team with Harcharik under the recently formed Data Services Division based in Dallas. The division is charged with the development, engineering, operations and marketing of all MCI data services and is part of MCI's organization devoted to harnessing emerging technologies into applicable services under Liebhaber. These include MCI's virtual data services called HyperStream, which will include asychronous transfer mode (ATM) technology-based services MCI plans to deliver under networkMCI in the future. MCI, headquartered in Washington, offers a full range of domestic and global telecommunications services through one of the world's largest state- of-the-art networks. With 1992 revenue of more than $10 billion, the company is the second largest long distance provider in the United States and has more than 65 offices in 55 countries and places. ------------------------------ From: jay@coyote.rain.org (Jay Hennigan) Subject: Old Telephones Wanted Date: 8 Jan 1994 10:01:46 -0800 Organization: Regional Access Information Network I'm looking for repair parts or collectors groups of old telephones. In particular, I have a brass Western Electric candlestick phone which is missing the steel diaphragm from the receiver. The phone has patent dates of Jan 26, 15 - Jan 1, 18 - May 7, 18 - Sept 21, 20 on the base and 329W on the transmitter. Also have a Kellogg candlestick in need of a baseplate. A source of the woven jacket cordage used in the old days would be nice as well. Reply here or e-mail jay@rain.org. I will summarize all responses. Jay Hennigan jay@rain.org Santa Barbara CA ------------------------------ From: pierobon@gate.net (John Michael Pierobon) Subject: Radio Modem Help Wanted Date: 8 Jan 1994 14:15:58 -0500 Organization: Cybergate, Inc. Hello, I am trying to set up a communication link to a hub from a remote part of South America. Here is the problem. My computer, or home base, is located in a place where telephones do not reach. Neither celullar nor wire can be strung to reach this place. Therefore, my only option to transfer data is via a "radio modem". A friend of mine suggested I look into this, but he was not able to provide me with more information. Where can I get additional information on "radio modems"? Thank you. ------------------------------ From: oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) Subject: Re: Connecting Two Phone Lines to One Phone Jack Date: 9 Jan 1994 17:34:49 -0500 Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and Unix, NYC In V2ENA81%OWEGO@zeta.eecs.nwu.edu writes: > oppedahl@panix.com (Carl Oppedahl) wrote: >> In some states the steps the moderator describes are exactly right. In >> New York, things are a little different. Telco is obligated to provide >> a network interface jack (if that is what you want) *in your apartment*, >> for a price that is fixed -- unaffected by how long it takes to do. >> This is the case regardless of whether their records show a previous >> second line in your apartment; all that changes is the amount of the >> fixed price. Last I checked the cost for your situation (where they >> claim there was never a second line) is $88. > It's $88, but if there aren't any more terminals on the pole they will > charge you an extra $30 to $50 (depending on the work needed) to add > that extra line terminal to the pole. This is information from the > technicians and the business office here in Binghamton, NY. I find this very interesting, since it goes against what I understood the New York State PSC policy to be. I was under the impression that if you order a Network Interface Jack (you have to be sure not to call it a "regular phone jack") the cost is fixed. In particular, that no matter what work turned out to be necessary between the NIJ and the phone company central office, that work was being done for the same fixed $88. If you can describe this a little more fully (in the newsgroup or via email) I would find it most interesting. And if others in New York have been through this exercise and been charged something other than the fixed-price $88 for the NIJ I would be delighted to hear about it. Carl Oppedahl AA2KW Oppedahl & Larson (patent lawyers) Yorktown Heights, NY voice 212-777-1330 ------------------------------ From: cendata!richardm@uunet.UU.NET (Richard Masoner) Subject: Re: Dialing 1 First Prohibited in Dallas Organization: Central Data Corp., Champaign, IL Date: Sun, 9 Jan 1994 21:24:36 GMT In article kindred@telesciences.com (David L Kindred) writes: > My parents lived in the SWB part of the Dallas area a few years ago. > During the time they lived there, the dialing requirements not only > varied due to area code and "localness", but also by whether the > "other" phone company was involved. I don't remember the particulars, > but dialing a local SWB-SWB call was different than dialing a local > SWB-GTE call. As I recall, you needed at least ten, if not eleven > digits, to call a GTE 214xxxxxxx number from a SWB 214xxxxxxx number, > even if the call was to the next exchange (or next house...). > Has any of this changed recently? I just moved from the D/Ft. Worth area last month. I worked in Irving, which is GTE land (214 area code), and lived in SWB-serviced Euless (817 area code). To call from home to work, I would dial 214-xxx-xxxx. To call home from work, I dialed 817-xxx-xxxx. To call from work to my friends in SWB serviced Watauga (about 20 miles away), I dialed 1-817-xxx-xxxx. I never encountered any difficulty in accessing phones serviced by different providers. So I guess things have changed. Richard F. Masoner Central Data Corporation 1602 Newton Dr., Champaign, IL 61821 ------------------------------ From: decastro@netcom.com (Richard A. De Castro) Subject: Re: Best Remote Software? Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 1994 03:10:59 GMT Joseph Ferguson writes: > I need a reliable remote software program that will actually run > Windows. I use an Intel 400 at home and at work. Haven't had any luck > trying PcTools Commute. Do any of these remote programs run Windows? > Thanks for any suggestions. Carbon Copy windows -kinda- works. good luck. decastro@netcom.com Richard A. De Castro California, North America, Sol-3 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jan 94 22:33 EST From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: Landlines Pay Airtime To Call Some Cellular Phones Organization: I.E.C.C., Cambridge, Mass. > There already is blocking for 1-579, and 1-976 blocking, ... > [the leading ``1'' tells you it's toll] If that theory were correct, nobody would ever complain about 1-900 bills. I think we've found that's not the case. The problem is that cellular airtime costs a lot more than an in-state toll call, the former being on the order of 50 cents per minute, the latter more like 15 cents per minute. > This would have prevented -- or at least lessened -- the New York pager > scam, and can reduce the problems with 976 numbers. Hardly. I know I can call any place in the country for 25 cents per minute or less, except for surcharged numbers. Some of the 212-540 numbers cost $40 for the first minute. The problem isn't free calls vs. non-free calls, it's cheap normal calls vs. expensive abnormal calls. (In New York, for example, no calls are free, since you are charged at least one message unit for every local call.) The 579 prefix costs significantly more to call than any normal Colorado prefix and callers are going to find that out the hard way and complain. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, jlevine@delphi.com, 1037498@mcimail.com [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I don't think the complaint people make about 1-900 is that there is a charge; I think it is because a lot of 900 numbers charge *so much*. PAT] ------------------------------ From: etm@email.teaser.com (Erik Thomas Mueller) Date: Sun, 9 Jan 1994 17:46:00 GMT Subject: Re: ITU Method For Writing Telephone Numbers In article mzmijews@mgzcs.demon.co.uk writes: >> But then some French idiots came up with a stupid numbering system... By the way, note that the current numbering plan in France is scheduled to be replaced in 1995 by the uniform NPA + 8D where NPA = 1 Ile-de-France (Paris, ...) 2 Northeast France 3 Southeast France 4 Southwest France 5 Northwest France Dialing instructions: Within an area code: 8D. To another area code: 0+NPA+8D. To another country: 00+. (Information is from "numero s'il vous plait" by Claude Perardel, a history of French numbering plans available from the huge Musee de Telecommunications, Pleumeur-Bodou, Cote-d'Armor, France). By the way, I'm posting this message from a Minitel. Everyone in France now has USENET and Internet mail access via 3617 EMAIL on the Minitel. A Minitel costs about $3.50/month. ISDN is available everywhere. Plus we also have Bibop! Erik Thomas Mueller Internet: etm@email.teaser.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 10 Jan 94 00:04:09 EDT From: Michael Jacobs Subject: Re: Rate of Change Gordon Palameta's comments regarding the complex interactions of technological change and society are right on the mark. Too often we forget that the history of our civilization is a history of technological progress. Triggering factors result in widespread and substantial change. Mr. Palameta described several such factors in his article. To understand the significance of events occurring today, and their potential significance as triggering factors for tomorrow's progress, we must understand the significance of past events that catalyzed the progress that resulted in today's world. Historically, incremental developments in the communication arts have resulted in revolutionary changes in our society. The invention of language is credited with being a causal factor for the development of society. Paper resulted in a the first indirect communications medium, and allowed the development of modern religions. Medieval church mail services offered the first reliable widespread communications services and Guttenburg's invention of movable type certainly caused revolution- ary change as did the Morse telegraph, Bell's telephone, Marconi's radio, etc. So too, will the changes in computer/telephone/video communications result in changes which we can only speculate about, with the near- certainty that our speculations will be wrong. James Burke's excellent series "Connections", shown occaisionaly on the Learning Channel and the companion book illustrate this point exquisitely, and is reccommended highly to anyone interested in understanding how progress really affects society. ------------------------------ From: wjhalv1@pacbell.com Subject: Re: SW-56 and ISDN Questions Date: 9 Jan 94 18:56:44 GMT Organization: Pacific * Bell In article , writes: > Sirs: I'm a tech with Brown University in Providence RI. My question > is basic, yet important to our work here at Brown, perhaps you may be > able to give me some direction to obtain the answers. > 1. Which countries/provinces have SW-56 service and are ISDN capable? Within the USA, these two services are considered to be "complementary", in the sense they can coexist within a network. > 2. Here in the US what cities have been converted to ISDN, and who are > still operating at SW-56? In California, Pacific Bell is offering both ISDN and SW-56. Since the service is hardware dependent, the prefix you get from the phone company will determine whether the switch you receive dialtone from provides either or both service. Here is an 800 number you can call to find out what is available in our service territory: 800-995-0346 You need a touch-tone phone. You will be able to find out what kind of service is available based on the NPANXX combination you enter. Hope this helps! Bill Halverson Pacific Bell ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 9 Jan 94 12:54 EST From: johnl@iecc.com (John R Levine) Subject: Re: "Dynamic" SLIP Organization: I.E.C.C., Cambridge, Mass. SLIP is simply a way of passing packets back and forth betweeen two IP network nodes. It doesn't make much sense to talk about multiplexing it, since IP already does all of the multiplexing you need. With a SLIP link, at a particular moment either you're connected or you aren't. You may be thinking about the distinction between hard-wired and dial-up SLIP. In the latter case, you typically dial into a terminal server, enter the password, then give a SLIP command. The server assigns you an IP address from a pool it has for SLIP users, tells you what it is, and away you go. The better PC TCP/IP SLIP implementations recognize the message with the IP address and automatically update their tables, so it's all pretty much automatic. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, jlevine@delphi.com, 1037498@mcimail.com ------------------------------ From: elana@netcom.com (Elana Beach) Subject: A Good Way to Deal With Obscene Calls Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest) Date: Sun, 9 Jan 1994 07:13:17 GMT Sorry I took so long to send this to you, Pat! It's funny as hell in any case... =8) -Elana Newsgroups: alt.shenanigans Subject: An Obscene Phone Callers Worst Nightmare! Message-ID: <4839@heimdall.sdrc.com> Date: 11 Nov 93 18:53:38 GMT Reply-To: tracy.schuhwerk@sdrc.com Organization: Structural Dynamics Research Corporation I don't know if this qualifies as a "shenanigan" or not, but last I night had some fun with an obscene phone caller! Before reading this, I have to tell you that I am a male. Having the first name Tracy leads to stuff like this happening from time to time... [ Some names have been changed to protect the ignorant. ] The Scene: 3:30 in the morning, my bedroom... last night. I'm dead asleep! You hear the ringing of a the phone right behind my head on the head board. [RING] Tracy: "Huh?" [RING] Tracy (picking up the phone): "Hello?" Mysterious Caller: (In a deep raspy voice) "I want to lick your [fill in the blanks here]"... Tracy (mind still fogged with sleep): [Silence] [Click] The phone hangs up... Tracy (looking at his caller ID system): "Cool..." I get up and jot down the phone number... This is where the fun begins! Since I am now awake and will need a few minutes to get my blood pressure back down to somewhat near normal, I decided to have fun with the obscene caller! I went down to my PC and fired it up... tossed the US Residential Phone Book CD ROM for the mid-west into the drive and did a quick search on the phone number I jotted down from the caller ID. Within seconds, I had the name and address attached to the number! Michael Smith, 837 Appletree Lane... Got it... This is going to be fun! After jotting down the information, I grab the phone... [RING] (A familiar voice answers the phone... it is the person who called me just minutes before) Michael: "Hello??" Tracy (In a well practiced "Voice of Pure Evil"(tm)): "Hello Michael, remember me? You wanted to lick me..." [CLICK] (The "VoPE" is best described as James Earl Jones having a "Bad Voice Day"...) I waited about 5 minutes... and picked the phone up again... [RING] [RING] Michael: "Uh, Hello??" Tracy (using the "VoPE" again): "837 Appletree Lane, Michael... I know where you live!" [CLICK] One more time... waiting about 5 minutes... I pick up the phone... [RING] [RING] [RING] Michael (voice a bit shaky): "He... Hello???" Tracy (once again, the "VoPE"): "I'm coming for you Michael!" I went back to bed... :-) I think Michael might have had trouble doing that himself! Isn't technology GRAND! :-) -- Tracy Schuhwerk ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #22 *****************************