Learn this phone number, know it, and LOVE it.

(647) 288-7559.

That's the number. It's an important number. Putting the number in Google will show you why.

I just started getting calls from this number today. I thought at first maybe it was one of my parents, as they use a calling card whenever they dial a long-distance number, and calling card calls usually show weird numbers on CallerID. So I answered it, but heard nothing but three seconds of dead silence, followed by a disconnect.

"Hmmm...oh, well...chances are if it was one of them, there will be a second attempt."

Nope. Nothing for several minutes. So I looked up the number in Google and found that basically it's a telemarketing outfit in Canada. A couple of people on a discussion board went so far as to say that Comcast might be a culprit.

Well, it's a...funny thing...because....about 18 hours before I got this weird call, I signed up for new cable service with -- you guess it -- Comcast! Messages on that forum implied that I should expect more calls from that number. A lot more calls.

I went through the call log on my cell phone, saved the phone number to the address book, and labeled it "TELEMARKETER." Right after I did that (about three minutes after I did the research), the phone rang, and "TELEMARKETER" came up on the CallerID screen. The conversation went like this:

ME: "Go ahead with your order, please."

TELEMARKETER: (with thick Indian accent) "May I speak to.....Skan.....Country...please?"

ME: "You may place your order now."

TM: "Is....Mr. Country...there?"

ME: "Please give me your order."

[clik!]

heh heh heh!

While I typed this, two more calls came in from the number; unfortunately, I missed both. Here's what I'm going to say next time that telemarketing scam calls:

[very cheerily and radio-y]:
"Thank you for calling the Federal Bureau of Investigation! To continue in English, please press 3! Then 2! Then, 4! Followed by the asterisk! Then pound, pound, and pound again! Then zero! Para Espanol, marque numero nueve."

Come and get me, Canada.