Yes, I've gone crazy...

...and it is not because of the light-jacket-and-an-umbrella-will-suffice, spring-like weather we have on this mid-WINTER day. It is because of the constant ringing of our telephone. We receive at least 10 calls everyday from 1-800/866 numbers. Most messages on our answering machine are either hang-ups from telemarketers or recorded messages from scams like icor. No kidding. I am seriously considering changing our answering machine message to this:

Dear Telemarketer,
noone is this household is interested in changing our windows and doors, switching credit cards, or buying whatever product it is you wish to sell to us. We are also not interested in partaking in your fraudulent sales of telephone numbers to other telemarketers. We have left bags of old clothes outside our door so often for charities, that we have nothing else to give. Please leave us alone. Have a nice day.

Why can there not be a law against unsolicited calls such as these? In Germany, a company cannot legally call you unless you have personally given them your number. I miss my relatively quiet house phone in Berlin...