Then the phone rang

I've had three major posts on my mind for the last few weeks, which I'll tell you about later, but just as I was about to finally make a posting here my landline phone rang. Before I could say anything a recorded voice told me it was an SMS-to-voice service with a message for me. "We must speak to you today. Ring 0113-etc and quote this long reference number." Needless to say, that whomever the company is won't be called by me (I deleted the message anyway) as if they couldn't be bothered to actually *phone* the number, or even my mobile number, then clearly they are spamming or scamming.

Linkage

Some recent stories and articles which have grabbed my attention: · A great article in the New York Times about the creeping friendship nature of Web 2.0 social networking (cf. my post last week on the same subject ) · The Telegraph reports that some (very silly, imho) local Councils are banning the use of Latin phrases - such as ex officio, ad lib and pro rata because, according to Bournemouth Council — one of the offended — "Not everyone knows Latin. Many readers do not have English as their first language so using Latin can be particularly difficult.". · The Mail on Sunday leads with this week's data loss by HMG. Hands up anyone who thinks they have any information about themselves which is still private! · And finally, as one should always end on a note of levity, Sarah Palin demonstrates to an adoring world — or in this instance Marc Antoine Audette (one of the "Masked avengers") pretending to be French President Nicolas Sarkozy — that she has absolutely no idea. Johnny Hallyday as French ambassador to the United States, indeed! (Reported by the BBC )