So did all the telephone calls I have had in the last two days come from telepathy? Did I send out a plea by telepathy to buy some services, or did the callers have some other means of obtaining my telephone number?
Having read many books on the psychic world, been on many courses to do with the human mind and human psychology, watched many people at work, studied many more, had many strange experiences, demonstrated certain powers, I have an open mind if there are psychic happenings.
For my telephone calls I received, the call centers must have a good search engine which looks at any entries made on the internet referencing certain criteria which they then can exploit, so no telepathy this time.
But are there psychic happenings?
I sometimes with the participants on my courses demonstrate mind reading, and not me doing the mind reading but the participants.
I have been with special people who are accredited with having certain psychic powers like Joe McMoneagle of the Us Army Stargate Project, and Remote Viewing, and mentioned in the book The Men Who Stare at Goats. I have been with and learned from Seka Nikolic a bio-energy healer, and many more.
Then, why on my day out in Exeter I was drawn into a bookstore just to get something to read on my long train journey home, out of all the books in there I picked up The Psychic Tourist by William Little.
In this well researched and written book, William Little sets out to discover the truth of whether there is proof of the existence of psychic powers, fortune tellers, mind-reading, after he gave his sister a birth chart by an astrologer, which changed the beliefs of his sister and niece thinking they would die in water.
His journey takes him into a dark haunted wood with a witches’ coven, having a fresh understanding of the thoughts of Richard Dawkins, talking to psychics such as Sylvia Brown and Sally Morgan, the psychological showman, hypnotist and magician Darren Brown, and the psychic spy Joe McMoneagle. He visits Dean Radin at the Noetic Institute of Sciences in Petaluma, California, looking into quantum physics and entanglement theory, plus many more well know psychics, all in his quest to discover if psychic powers can be proven.
He comes to a conclusion which he tries to sell to his sister. But is psychic behaviour and belief in every human being?
Perhaps we should be as he found, after interviewing Richard Dawkins, open minded, even in the light of evidence to the contrary.
Categories
A reply to my unwanted telephone calls
Yes, you are correct asking in your comment “why is the TPS not working?“, the possible reason is that the “cold” unwanted calls are being made from outside the UK.
Yes they are monitoring the internet, I know of organisations that other companies employ to search all the media, TV, radio, newspapers, courts, the internet, just to get information. It could be just to know what people are saying about their product or company, or like the companies who have been telephoning me, to make sales.
I have heard that there are people waiting in hospital emergency centers, waiting for accident victims to be carried in, and they sign them up saying that they will take the other party involved in the accident to court to get compensation on a “no win, no fee” basis.
Some of these companies even listen in on radio traffic of the emergency services, just to get to the victims before any one else so the victim can sue for damages.
TAKE IT EASY? ME?
I see it as a game, to have fun with the callers.
In my article Did I upset you? Unwanted telephone calls. I mention the fact that I said I wanted a conservatory, but when I said I was on the 2nd floor, the caller got upset for wasting their time.
Another example was when I lived on a boat, a rather large boat, a Dickens Class named Mr Toots, I had a call from a replacement window company who had been continually calling for days offering to replace the windows, so I went along with their conversation,
“Yes it would be good to reduce the heat loss and save money,”
“Yes it would be good lessen the noise, especially as the boat was moored under the flight path of Heathrow Airport.“
The call center just did not ask the right questions, they presupposed that I lived in a house, not a boat with small round portholes made of brass.
When the salesman turned up, he was very abusive to me for wasting his time, even giving threats to sue me in court for his lost time and income, until I said I would counter to sue his company for wasting my time.
Mr Toots, a boat I live on in Brentford, London for 6 years
As a small boy, I remember my father answering the door to a “door-to-door” salesman selling cleaning products and vacuum cleaners.
My father let the salesman make his sales pitch on all the virtues of his company’s’ vacuum cleaner, and when the salesman went for the kill, to close the sale, my father said he already had a better one, that offered even more things, and was cheaper to run.
The salesman was taken aback, and started arguing with my father, saying that was impossible as his product was first on the market, and no other company had anything else like it, and he demanded to see the cleaner.
At this point my father called my mother to the front door, and said
“Here is my cleaner, and it cleans, irons, cooks and keeps me warm at night.“
Like father, like son.
Categories
I am sorry to the young Indian girl
Over the last couple of days, I have been interrupted by “cold” sales calls on my telephone.
I object to having to receive them, especially in the evening when I just want to relax. As someone said to me, if they wanted a new mobile phone, a loan, replacement window, they would go out and buy them.
I have now have my answering machine switched off, as I could be away from home giving training for many days at a time, only to return with my answer machine full of sales calls or “silent” calls.
I have also stopped diverting calls to my mobile phone, why should I pay for unwanted calls? Why should I pay for calls to be diverted overseas when I am abroad with my mobile phone? Why should I be woken-up in the early hours with a diverted “cold” sales call I do not want when I am in a country 8 hours in front or behind UK time?
It is midday, and the telephone rings, and I look at the number received, “000000”, meaning it is a withheld caller or overseas caller number.
I am ready.
“Can I help you?“, I answer the phone.
“Can I speak to Mr Phillip?“, in a lovely young female Indian accent.
My state changes straight away, but I control myself, and why don’t the management of these Indian call centers teach their operators, that in the UK we do not use “Mr” in front of our given or Christian name, we only use “Mr” (or Mrs) in front of our family or surname.
Time for games for Phillip.
“Yes“.
“This is ——– company based in London. Do you get unwanted telephone calls?”
I will not give the company the satisfaction of giving their name, but obviously the Indian accent, the conversational delay and the clicking on the line means the call does not originate in the UK.
“Yes“.
“When do you get these calls?“, she thinks she has a potential foolish customer ready to sell too.
“Oh, I usually get them at about midday.” I gladly offer a reply.
“Does your services provider not stop them for you?“
“Obviously not.“
“Well our company can work on your behalf and stop all unwanted calls……..“, she replies, as I sense she feels she has a potential sale on her hands.
“How much does this service cost and how long do I have to sign a contract for?“.
“Only £1 a month and for a long 5 years.“.
A “long five years”, surely she needs to think about what she is saying.
I fire back, “So I pay you a large sum of money, so that you just go on the web site of the Telephone Preference Service, which is a FREE service, and you take two seconds to enter my telephone number in the little box, to stop calls like you are making now. Is that correct? Oh, what is the weather like in India today?“.
Silence.
I apologise to her, for tricking her into thinking I was a dumb potential customer, because the above is an abbreviated version of the conversation, and after all, it was not a waste of my time, I had had a conversation with someone, and I had fun, leading her down a road, carefully listening to the well rehearsed sales patter.
Oh no, another unwanted call, this time from EON, an electricity supplier, again the caller with an Indian accent, promising to cut my household electricity bill.
More fun for me to have.
I love my job.
see Did I upset you? Unwanted telephone calls.
Weatherseal Windows, do you think I am stupid?
Timeshare Advisory Service a Scam ,
I don’t believe it,
Is it a coincidence that I get more telephone calls.
In my previous articles of my blog, Timeshare Advisory Service a Scam and I don’t believe it, I write about how I instinctively know when I am getting a “cold”, unwanted call, which makes me mad.
I do not want cold calls.
After my first posting, Timeshare Advisory Service a Scam, I got a telephone call from the Indian sub continent, purporting to be an organisation, TPS, offering to register my telephone number to stop nuisance calls for a fee I expect of over £250, when TPS gives the service for free.
Spooky.
How did that person ring at that precise time to offer their service? I must have bee sending a message out through telepathy and picked up by the hard working call center worker.
Not long after, I had another telephone call from another nice sounding lady, with loads of noise in the background of people talking on telephones. Obviously another call center.
She politely led me through a spiel of how her company could help me resolve any problems with my timeshare. Firing well rehearsed questions and statements, “Was I satisfied with the high increases in management fees?“, “have I seen their advertisements on Chanel 5 (UK TV)?“, all to no avail, as I said I was extremely happy with my timeshare holiday week.
I asked for her company’s’ web address, just in case I needed help in the future, which was www.itra.net. I later find out that this is International Timeshare Refund Action, a “no win, no fee” service.
We ended the call in a pleasant way.
Spooky.
Why did at that moment I get a telephone call offering me a service, when clearly I had been thinking about the potential problems arising from owning timeshares?
Again, my telepathic powers must be working overtime.
This has to be more than coincidence.
I am reading a book at the moment The Psychic Tourist by William Little, is it a coincidence that I am getting more telephone calls on a subject I am working on, unwanted telephone calls, or is it some psychic force?
I must finish the book to find out.
Oh, just before I have finished this article, I have another call from a lovely Indian girl, offering me a five year contract to stop nuisance calls.
Categories
I don’t believe it
It has only been an hour since posting Timeshare Advisory Service a Scam , and the telephone rings.
Yes you have guessed it, “Mr Phillip?“, in and Indian accent, and a small time delay.
It is hard for me to understand him as I curtly reply “What do you want?“.
He purports (indicates) to be from the Telephone Preference Service, (UK 0800398893) and he started telling me how “cold calls”, wanted calls, would be stopped.
But I was already registered with the free Telephone Preference Service, and I told him that, but he was having non of me butting in, interrupting him, saying that by registering with him I would be protected for five years.
“I am already registered with you.” I said, thinking I was speaking to the TPS.
He would not listen, until I asked him what are the fees.
“Just a £1 a week.” was his reply, “and then you will stop getting calls like this.“
“Get lost.” was my reply as I cut the call.
I just don’t believe it.
The Telephone Preference Service is a free service, so if anyone in the UK wants to use it go the their web site http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/ and register for free. Do not fall for the webs sites when using the search engines that look as if they are the TPS and charge a fee. All they are doing is taking your money, then adding your name and telephone number to the free Telephone Preference Service.
As someone commented, I am “p—-d off”, or not very happy.
I am continually getting telephone calls from people wanting to sell me a new mobile phone, sort out my debt problems which I do not have, and buy my timeshare holiday week, even though I have used a service in the UK called The National Do-Not-Call List, or the Call Prevention Registry, which should prevent such calls or organisations making unwanted “cold” telephone calls to me.
As soon as I hear a foreign accent, sorry to say from the Indian sub continent, and they ask for “Mrs Mee Holt“, the hairs on my neck go up, I know that they will be trying to sell me something I do not want. She never uses the shortened name “Mee” from her name Mee Len.
“No you can’t. She does not live here any more.“, will only make them say, “Is that Mr Holt?“
Just thinking about it makes me mad, but then I expect they can get around UK laws by calling from outside the UK.
I apologise to those working in the call centers making these calls, I know I am rude to you and I cut you off. Sorry, I know you have a job to do and want to make money, earn a living, but I do not want to speak to you.
I also sometimes get telephone calls from people who want to buy the timeshare week. I wrote about one company Alpha Group Resales who sounded very convincing in their sales patter or talk. (see article).
They give a reference of the Timeshare Advisory Service and a telephone number. I wonder if when the number is called, it ends up in the same office as Alpha Group Resales or whatever name they are operating under now.
I still notice after a number of years, people are landing on my web site article after searching on Timeshare Advisory Service in a search engine, so the scam still seems to being used.
To operate this scam, taking a large sum of money at the outset by credit card, to register the sellers name and cover administration costs, the seller enters into a contract which contains a clause saying that if the seller ends or cancels the contract, the initial sum will be forfeited. Obviously, there are no buyers for the timeshare, and thus the buyer cancels the contract or arrangement with the company operating the scam, and looses their initial deposit.
I cannot understand how these people can sleep at night, knowing that the next day they are going to sell something to people that they do not want it, advertising space, search engine placement, listings in telephone books and directories, a name of a potential buyer who does not exist.
The credit card companies know that these scams exist, they must get hundreds of calls of complaints, yet they continue to let these companies trade and take money off unsuspecting people.
The banks must know about the scam emails, which promise untold wealth from a person who died in a plane crash, or from a military person who found a box of millions of dollars in the middle of the desert whilst fighting in Iraq and wants to share it. Why don’t they stop the unsuspecting public transferring money abroad to these people?
Worldwide government agencies know about these scams, why don’t they do something to stop it?
Oh Poo Poo, am I sounding like a grumpy old man?
Life is so hard and unfair.
Now read I don’t believe it
Categories
Beauty is only Skin Deep
Was today a waste of time?
For some time now, I had been asked to attend an exhibition at London’s ExCel Exhibition and Conference Center, and I could not make my mind up if the subject matter was appropriate for me.
In the end, I decided to go to Professional Beauty London, which is, quote, “the ideal place to meet therapists, nail technicians, hairdressing and beauty salon owners, tanning salons and freelance / mobile therapists looking to source new suppliers and benefit from great deals”.
Well I do therapy, so why not, I may learn something, and it was a chance to be with a colleague.
I should have known it was not for me as soon as I got on the DLR train, it was full of excited young girls, obviously from a college going to the exhibition. But, I had come this far, being delayed by slow trains and cold, I may as well continue, and anyway I had made arrangements to meet someone there.
As soon as I got inside the hall, my suspicions were confirmed, this was not for me, but I did stay long enough to fight my way around the crowded aisles, of eager young girls, some in their health and beauty uniforms, their name badges hanging around their necks, craning to see the latest hair extension stand, the many nail specialists, the waxing treatments, the spray bronzing equipment, and other painful looking treatments on show.
At 95 (ho ho, I am not really 95) years of age, I do not think makeup will help me become more attractive or look any younger. I did not see any hair extensions in gray, and I have enough hair on my head to keep me warm, so I do not need a wig. My nails would look rather strange with flowers or birds painted on the, and I do not like pain so I am happy with having hair on my legs and my other private parts, and would not like waxing.
My friend was totally absorbed by the experience and enjoying every minute, but all I could think of was each hair being pulled off my leg, oh the agony.
I made my excuses and left, leaving those others behind, buying, learning, absorbing information relative to them, and perhaps some of those attending could pick-up some tips on becoming beautiful, because they needed help in their make-up application.
Me I am happy on my journey, how I look, and what has been given to me, as people can take me as I am, and yes I did see some well made-up females, in English we say that they “looked the bees knees“, looked really great.
But then I thought, I wonder what they are really like, what is their personality like, would I get on with such a person?
How would they compare to the little tubby girl next to her, with no make-up, spots on the face, hair askew, and with hairy legs?
Um, beauty is only skin deep.
The exhibition was the same, on the surface and on paper it looked good, but when I got involved, it was not for me. For others it was the greatest adventure they had taken, it was for them.
Sometimes we take a road that keeps promising us the world, happiness, security, wealth, and we get taken in by promises and hold on with expectation, but we eventually find that road is not for us, no matter how it is made-up to look good, and then we have to change direction. If not, it will lead to heartbreak and unhappiness, be it a job, a relationship, a holiday or an exhibition.
I am happy on my journey, doing what I do, who I am and how I look. But that is my Cat on the Mat, my view of the world, and in my world I am warm and cuddly.
Categories
Phoenix Squadron, HMS Ark Royal
I have lived through many interesting times which have gone down in history, and it is only now, having time and the knowledge and ability of PhotoReading, (to absorb 20,000 – 30,000 WPM), that I can research and read so much more, to give me more insight into what has happened from the many books which continually get published to appear on book shelves.
A book is only as good as the author, and contains only what he or she wishes to write. So, I always try to stand back, to try and understand what is the author trying to tell me, what have they included in the book and what have they left out.
My fascination for aircraft, fast jets, fighter aircraft, airliners is ever strong, from the Hawker Hurricane of WWII, the Airbus A380 to Concorde, the one aircraft I wanted to fly but never made.
One book recently caught my eye, something I advise participants on my PhotoReading courses never to allow to happen. The picture on the dust cover of the hardback book Phoenix Squadron by Rowland White, showed two iconic fighter jets, the Blackburn Buccaneer, with HMS Arc Royal in the background.
In the bookshop, I quickly Previewed the book, and had the feeling that this book could help me understand more about the crisis between Britain and the South American country Guatemala, over one of the British Empire’s last territories British Honduras, soon to become the independent country Belize. (see map of Belize – click).
The book tells how the Guatemala President, Colonel Arana Osorio, and his powerful military leaders, saw British Honduras as part of their country, and how neighbouring countries also saw either the little territory as useful to them as a means of expansion, or as an opportunity to assert influence as I seem to understand the USA was trying to do.
It was understood that the military wanted to invade British Honduras as the British were moving away from “owning” countries, by giving independence to nations, to their own people, and it was the wishes of the British Hondurans that they had their independence, and not become part of Guatemala.
The British had a very small military presence in British Honduras, no aircraft, no ships, just a few solders, but news of an impending invasion, a build-up of military strength by Guatemala, summoned to last aircraft carrier in the British Navel Fleet, Ark Royal with it’s onboard aircraft the F-4 Phantoms and the Blackburn Buccaneers, to race over 2,000 miles across the Atlantic, to show the strength of the British military, and head off any plans Guatemala had.
The book itself gave a good account of the crisis from the British point of view, perhaps one day I can find a book written on the subject by an author from Guatemala to understand how they view their history of that time. It is well researched by other written material, newspaper and TV accounts, naval and government reports, and interviews with members of Arc Royal and the Royal Fleet Air Arm.
The book was at times difficult to read as it was full of acronyms or initialisms, for example, SPLOT, RAS, MADDL, CBALS, (hover pointer over to see meaning), which meant flow of reading was interrupted as I tried to workout and understand the meaning.
The first half of the book had little to do with the crisis and the part played by the Arc Royal and the Phoenix Squadron, but gave the background to the carrier and aircraft and their history. The author, Rowland White, built-up suspense, with stories of problems of the iconic and world beating Buccaneers taking off from the deck of Ark Royal, and I felt myself being let down when an accident did not happen, I was waiting for something to happen.
Personally I did not find it as “gripping as any Tom Clancy thriller“, as said on the cover by the BBC Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, but yes “riveting” because of my interest in that field of knowledge.
But now, should I research more to view things from others points of view, or move on to other learning?
Categories
Exeter, lifes journey
Feeling sorry for myself, having fulfilled my commitments for the day by 12 noon, I was at a loss for something to do with myself.
I know I am about to get a head cold, there is a strange sore feeling at the back of my nose, when that happens I know I will get a running nose, ending with my nasal tracts being stuffed up and blocked.
As I was a long walk from home, perhaps an hours walk which is good for me as it is exercise, my mind suddenly came up with an Idea. In the distance a fast train raced down the rail track to some far off destination, and I thought, why can’t I be on that train?
My mind raced through distant places, as my eyes caught a plane reaching for the sky having just taken off from Heathrow, Penang in Malaysia, Machu Picchu in Peru, Rome in Italy, Erzincan in Turkey, all places far far away, too far.
How about Brighton on the South Coast of England, Bognor Regis another seaside town on the South Coast? I love the seaside.
Then I had a Eureka moment, Exeter in Devon.
Exeter is a town I had never been to, but heard about. My school friend from many years ago, Ronald Rose, used to go on holiday there, and back at school would not stop talking about it. My mind was made up, Exeter here I come.
My local train service, South West Trains, had a train that went there. I would see the City of Exeter I had wondered about for all these years, and as a sea port, be able to see the sea.
By 12:20 midday, with a sandwich, with fillings I had never heard of, and orange drink in hand I joined the train, and soon we were racing through the countryside, visiting railway stations, picking-up and dropping-off passengers, my mind fantasizing what I might see at the other end of the line, nearly four hours away.
At Salisbury, the nine carriage train parted, the first six carriages of to Exeter, the last three off to Bristol. Although I knew I was sitting in the correct part of the dividing train, a slight panic raced through my mind, “was I on the correct train?“.
The speed of the train now reduced as we stopped at more frequent stations, some with platforms too small, so only the first three carriages of the six was actually in the station.
At one station we were held for five minutes. Why?
The rails was single track, with only limited places where trains could pass, so there could be only one train at a time on the track, one up train and one down train.
This did not bode well, small stations, single rail track, we must be leaving the hustle and bustle of suburbia, of London.
Eventually arriving in Exeter Central Station, one stop before the end of the line, I searched the city center map on the wall.
“Where’s the sea?“
No where to be seen, so I headed to the city center, from there I must find the sea.
With seagulls squawking overhead, that must be a good sign surely, I headed down a steep hill, leading to a valley which I reasoned must contain a river which will lead me to the sea, and sure enough, there was the river, but no sign of the sea.
Nearby, was an old ruin, was it an old church, or a castle, or just an old warehouse? Some one was working on the stones, obviously an archaeologist, but I could see no information to help me.
There were direction signs which pointed to the City Center from where I had just come, and another to the Quay, a six minute walk.
Now that is the direction for me to go.
I walked by the side of the River Exe, slow flowing and not very wide, sitting in a valley.
I followed the flow of the river to the Quay, which was now a collection of cafés and handicraft workshops and only four or five at that.
There were no ships in the port, and as I read the information plaque outside the public toilets, I found out that it had begun to close in about 1840 due to that single track rail track built by Brunel I had just traveled on, which could take the wool exports away quicker. The port continued into the 20th Century, but declined rapidly, eventually closing to only the pleasure boats, and not many of those either.
The old warehouses, as in many old ports of the UK, have been converted to offices, apartments and restaurants.
Still no sea.
Exeter Quay
Another information plaque in the small harbour showed a map, and I was about eight miles or twelve kilometers from the sea, connected not solely by the River Exe, but a canal built two hundred years ago, to bring the trade ships to the quay.
By this time, it was too late to visit the sea, even if there was a pathway for me to follow.
I returned to the city center, noticing how small Exeter was as it rose up from the River Exe’s valley.
I visited the Cathedral, St. Peters, an imposing building, but it was getting late, I was getting cold, my nose now running even more, and I contemplated the four hour train journey home.
St. Peter’s Exeter Cathedral
Thankfully, I passed a book shop selling books at a cut price. That is my answer, a good book to read on the way home.
With another sandwich, with again only understanding the ingredients cheese, the rest I had no idea of, plus an orange drink, I boarded the London bound train.
Totally absorbed in my book, the journey fled past.
I had built up in my mind a day out to remember. I had in my mind something out of this world, total satisfaction, wonderment, a fantasy of Exeter started in my school days by Ronald Rose.
I was disappointed, it was not what I expected.
Life is so cruel to me. Oh Poo Poo.
But hang on, yes life is like that. We build something up to something beyond what will happen, what is there and available and we go for it, only to find that our expectations may not be fulfilled.
Yes, sometimes our experiences far outreach our expectations.
I actually had a great time.
I had forgotten about my running nose, my head cold. I had learned some more things about Exeter. I had relaxed for once. I had read a book and learned something from that.
I had made the journey I had watched others had done and made the sames journey myself and can now relate it to you reading it here.
Life is a journey, sometimes it is not what we want, sometimes it is more that we expect, but we should take the journey and be happy what we experience, for to be sure the track we take could be a fast or a single slow track, but it has a start and an end.
Enjoy.
It was a cold, crisp evening as I stood near to Traitors Gate of the Tower of London, looking down the River Thames at a wonderful view of Tower Bridge.
Tower Bridge, London, seen from The Tower of London, Traitors Gate
As I stood there, I wondered how many times had the bascules had been opened, the central section which has two sections swinging up and down, to allow shipping to pass up and down stream.
I wondered how many people had left London on journeys to other parts of the world, sometimes never to return, sometimes to return to a different London they had left, as London is continually changing.
I wondered for how many people this was their last sight as they went to beheaded, but then realised that Tower Bridge was opened in 1894, and the last beheading at the Tower of London was nearly 300 years earlier in 1601, one Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, and the last execution being by firing squad in 1941 of a German spy Josef Jakobs.
I watched the flow if the River Thames, as the water was flowing back up stream from the Thames Estuary, flowing under the bridge as the tide was rising, just like the River Thames has always done bringing back travelers and people with memories of far off places and experiences.
I could not wait in the cold night air to see the water change direction to flow downstream, washing away the dirty water, the drift wood, the flotsam and jetsam. I had a warm home to get back to.
There is a saying “water under the bridge“, which means referring or looking back at past experiences, good or bad, which we have decided to or should have forgotten, to have left behind us.
Perhaps looking at way the flow of the River Thames under Tower Bridge is a better idiom or metaphor, for as past experiences are washed away, the tide brings them back once again, but there is even more fresh water from upstream which will eventually wash away the dirty water, the memories.