Rene,

That was a good letter.

You had written:

“I guess the only way they are kept from watching you - is if you actually unplug the set from the wall.”

30 years ago, one of the times that I worked in the old Soviet Union, the phones always had a live relay.

Even when it was hung up, there was still this relay, at least where us foreigners lived.

One guy that I worked with, out of frustration, unplugged the phone from the wall.

A few minutes later, this very large, muscular, angry woman, burst into to where he lived.

She went straight to the phone, plugged it back in, turned to him & angrily said, “Nyet!”, and stormed out.