Joy Filled Freezing Wednesday

Joy at last yesterday late afternoon, Parcelforce collected my box a week late and took it in the right direction.  I expect it to arrive at the destination, a mere 400 miles away, sometime around March!  Joy also when the postman arrived today with a weeks supply of post.  One for someone who does not live here, one a charity, one money coming to me, one a Christmas card, the first so far, and a week late copy of 'Private Eye.'  Of course the parcel from Southampton, sent ages ago, has not arrived, nor has anyone else sent things to me.  I sit here, wearing those fingerless gloves to keep warm while surrounded by candles for the same purpose, looking for the parcel van to stop.  I await in vain.  

The temperature has indeed dropped this afternoon.  The cold from the north was not here last night, it will be here tonight however, and it has already begun to lower the temperature.  Up north snow may fall, here the freeze will be a pain, however, we will cope, as long as pipes do not burst, heaters fall over, and whisky coffee does not run out.  The simplest way to cut costs is to drink hot coffee/tea, place hot water bottle behind back, wrap something around rusting knees, and be happy.  This cuts running costs considerably, as long as you do not have to move about.  Also, as all women know, this is the time to do the ironing!    

Yes ironing, the woman's job not done by women here.  I keep asking for help but get rude answers.  Women I find are very susceptible to taking chocolate, receiving gifts and compliments but hesitate to actually do anything in return.  Tsk!

Last year British Gas sent me a form insuring my gas boiler for a year at no charge.  I found this unusual as I did not request this, nor do I require their insurance.  I ignored the letter, dumped it and moved on.  Today, I received an update asking for £92.76 for another years cover.  Now, I will dump this easily, but how many will be caught out thinking they always covered their boiler this way?  This is a British Gas scam and I wonder why this is allowed?  A free years cover you did not request, followed a year later with a chance to pay through the nose for another years cover?  With the vast profits these crooks are making I suggest they offer another free year to all those who already pay for such cover!

I certainly will not.

Bugged by Yahoo with a Beard?

As I headed for the land of Nod late last night I realised I had been bugged! One last item required checking so I highlighted the words and right clicked and was presented with a 'dialogue box'  which amongst other things offered me the chance to 'Search Yahoo for .....'  I stopped.  This was Google, why was I being asked about 'Yahoo?'  A baddie had infiltrated the Laptop.
I ran the Malawares, Spybot and Windows Defender this morning yet they claimed I was clean (and I have not yet had my Sunday bath). Something was still amiss.  However the query intrigued more as I discovered later.
You need to know, quite why I am not sure, that I use three Browsers.  Firefox, Chrome and a Commodo Chrome browser.  On each I place differing things as there are so many links they slow the brute down otherwise, or so I think anyway.  This bug did not affect Firefox of Commodo and only lay on Chrome. Nothing would reveal it yet when I clicked it led to what appeared to be a normal list of Yahoo listings.  I took it no further as I was not sure what was going on.
What to do?  I removed any links on the bad Chrome to the Commodo quite easily, uninstalled Chrome, and downloaded a new Chrome.  This worked and the baddie has gone away, not reappearing on Chrome.  

Earlier this week I received an email form a man claiming to be in Manilla airport, trapped there as his plane was leaving yet he had many problems.  For one his wallet, passport and money had been stolen. He had lost all but the Embassy had given him a replacement passport to allow him to travel he just needed cash to pay his bills so he could leave.
For a moment I was surprised and a wee bit worried.  Was this true?  
Some logic had to be used here.  For one thing I hardly know this man, I only met him through researching his invisible dad and it is unlikely he would contact me in such a situation.  He has a family somewhere who he surely would approach first, and on top of this he is well old, trapped in a wheelchair, and unlikely to be running around the Philippines as he can hardly get around this town! 
Clearly a scam using my address book.  Such a shame they used the wrong name eh?

What is it with footballers and beards?  All over the place there are beards everywhere, why?  Is it something to do with 'Movember?'  This being a charitable activity where men grow moustaches for the month in support of testicular Cancer.  These are beards, not moustaches, do they not know the difference?   Once upon a time a player with a beard was highly unusual, I doubt there were any in Scotland in the sixties.  Today however they are seen everywhere, possibly as a fashion statement from groovy young men puling the birds, surely not with the faces behind the beard I hear you say? What is worse are the guys who shave their heads and grow beards Taliban style.  Could they be terrorists, or just daft?  How daft is it to shave off the hair on the head and cover you chin with it instead, I ask you?  

It will end in tears, mark my words.

Phone Spam

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One of the most useful things in my miserable existence is my ansafone! This stopped people in the past claiming "I called you" when they were clearly lying, and enables me to avoid answering the phone when one you wish to avoid is calling.  At the present time there are a few of those going around. The beauty of the ansafone is the ability to ignore the call and just dial 1471 here in the UK and often, but not always, obtain the callers number. Some withhold this of course.  


Mostly these are marketing call centres offering a variety 'home improvements' of one sort or another. One such is 0845 1113111. This I know is a call centre as I checked on 'Phone Spam Filter' and 'Who Calls Me?'   Both give similar results from unhappy recipients of these unwanted calls.  'Who Calls Me? also identifies 01235884270 as being a scammer claiming to represent Microsoft. The story is they have identified a fault on your PC and can help fix this. Lies, all lies!  Both these callers attempt to calls several times a day, and as these calls are usually computer generated shouting as the plumb on the other end does little to stop it. Mind you that can please some folk. 
'Pipex' my ISP was recently taken over by 'Talk Talk.'  This did not please me as the latter company has already sent a 'questionaire' indicating they will change the price range. Then I will be off as I pay enough and this service was good enough until they took over. The recent change has seen the connection cut several times and slowed to a halt almost yesterday. Top this I ask, well they did. Three time in 15 minutes I received a call via a Text message. BT pass these on adding lots of useful info, and after the message add the same again, and again! All in all far too long for me. The message said "Call this number urgently." That will be right! You call me you speak or buzz off I say. Again 'Who Calls Me' identifies the caller number  08712226608 as being from Pipex. What a way to treat your customers I ask!


01614 777778 is an Asian attempting to scam insurance of one sort or another. Would anyone be daft enough to believe them? But I think the last number is the best one. They called and rang off as the ansafone message began, and I dialed 1471 and traced the number, which I think may be false! The number was :- 02538020308441235884270!




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