Lately, if he is curious enough to pick up, he hears a recorded voice from someone named Rachel offering help with credit card interest rates.
The N.B.A. and the players union have agreed on contract lengths and luxury-tax rates, trade rules and cap exceptions, and a host of oddly named provisions offering "amnesty" and "stretch payments" and less onerous "base-year" rules.
This announcement also comes five months after Sony's launch of a streaming 4K movie service named Ultra, offering a range of films for purchase over broadband – it is not yet clear whether PS4 Pro will support the Ultra package.
Two government agencies that asked not to be named are offering internships to winners, and networking giant Cisco is considering signing on as well.
Also on tap from the ever evolving fest are "Evenings With" actors/directors, revivals of classics, a Spotlight on Documentary, and the newly named Projections offering cutting-edge fare.
After about a half-dozen of these -- including phone calls from a mysterious cat named "Jason" offering to let me start and end the "trip to nowhere," then give me the max.
"I cannot remember, once in two decades, the committee chairman saying, 'Let's look at the platform,'" said the former aide, who declined to be named after offering the anecdote.
Shopping There's a decent mix of independent shops dotted between the high-street names, offering some inspired Christmas shopping.
Their ads are full of fluffy snow falling on small, cosy shops, with shopkeepers who know our names offering friendly service and perfect gift-wrapping.
But their next big-name offering is going to make the Boogie Nights-esque glass ceiling drip and the cheetah print (yes, really) decor melt.
