I think that the telemarketers have a team sitting down and brainstorming ways around the new rules.

I have gotten several phone calls from my local telephone company. It is a recorded message, but it tells me that there has been a VERY HIGH volume of long distance international calls on my phone. If I am concerned, please call them blah blah blah.

They made it sound as though someone was using my number illegally. So I called - and guess what - all they wanted to do is sell me a long distance package. The ONE international long distance call was placed by me to Slick in Canada.

The other call was from a financial services company. She was not selling me anything - but she was asking for my permission for this company to call me. I gave her a piece of my mind and told her to take my name off her list.

I now get a lot of faxes (with no return number) selling me a lot of different things - stock advice etc.

When I returned from vacation, I had 22 hang ups on my office (listed) telephone number. Everyone knew I was out of town that needed to know.

The only way we can stay one step ahead is to scream so laws are passed and enforced that stops this intrusion into our private lives.