Standing on my front porch Friday. I am recovering from surgery and I wasn't in a good mood. My cell phone -- not my home phone -- rang. Here was the conversation:

"Hello," I answered the phone.

"Hello this is Sylvia Somethingorother calling from the Census Bureau. May I ask you a few questions?"

"We filled out the form."

"May I ask you some questions?"

"Okay."

"Is this the Brown, Smith, Wright, or Simpson residence?"

"None of the above."

"Is your address 825 Maple Street?"

"No." (There is no Maple Street within 5 miles of where we live.)

"You are not Brown, Smith, Wright, or Simpson?"

"No, I am not."

"I have not reached the residence of 825 Maple Street?"

"No you haven't."

"Thank you for your time and for cooperating with the Census Bureau."

That was the entire conversation. Can you imagine UPS or FedEx making such calls to deliver a package? I can't.

Now we know why the Obama administration is spending billions and billions on the 2010 census. Randomly dialing every cell phone in America to find the Browns, Smiths, Wrights, or Simpsons (whoever they are) could take a while.

Just curious - are any other AT readers getting random calls from the Census Bureau like I got? (You may not want to answer if your name happens to be Brown, Smith, Wright, or Simpson and you live at 825 Maple Street.)