Wednesday, August 27, 2008

paper spam

I hate junk mail, and yes I know that hate is a really strong word but I stand by my use of it. I hate junk mail with a big red hot passion. I hate junk mail so much, thinking about it makes me want to go have sex with my husband, or knock down a wall or something. It inspires real emotion in me.

Hate is totally an emotion.

The thing is that junk mail is just so wasteful. I know that people have a right to do what they want with their own money, plus it's advertising, so I won't get into that aspect of it... but what about all that paper? Which is really all those trees and all that gas used to move the logs that were once the trees that got cut down.

If only I were that in tune with the environment... I frown upon waste, but mostly, it's just that it's one more thing I have to deal with. Do you have any idea how big my "to shred" pile currently is? It's huge. It's 2 bags full of things I need to shred. Likely 90% of the mail that comes into our house is junk mail.

I think I may be underestimating. Normally I tend to exaggerate a bit but in this case I really don't think I am.

So in this huge intake of junk mail is it possible that there could be one particular type of junk mail that really gets to me? Really gets me upset? Credit card offers? Coupons for fast food restaurants? Insurance come ons? No.

It's the newest selection of junk mail we're getting.

Gambling ads. Betting Catalogs. Entire "magazines" dedicated to making wagers.

In the last 10 days we have gotten 3 pieces of junk mail, 3 thick heavy magazines, catalogs, books if you will, full of information, advertisement and charts all dedicated to betting.

You should know that neither DrNormal or I gamble. We are not betters. There is no thrill in it for us, no allure. We have been known to buy a lottery ticket a few times a year on a lark but that's the extent of it...

So why 3 pieces of literature in 10 days with DrNormal's name on them dedicated to gambling.

Who the hell sold his name to them?

I hate junk mail... I'm gonna go shred something.

11 comments:

holly said...

yes. you go. you shred that sucker!

the trick to staying off the junk mail round : move when you get the first piece. we have been here a year and a half and so far only get bills. woo hoo!!!

also, i have a shotgun visible when the postman comes around...

holly said...

(actually that's illegal in britain, just in case someone thought i was serious...ie someone who doesn't know me...)

holly said...

(i use lawn darts, actually)

holly said...

(don't mind me filling up your space with comments.)

(i am done now.)

Bubblewench said...

you shed! Go for it! heh heh...

I have never seen the gambling rags, and if I do.. right to the shedder!

Yes i purposely forgot the r's. Like you did.

Jo Beaufoix said...

I hate it too. My gerbil likes it though, she lives in the shredded paper. But not in the shredder, or the shedder. Though some people probably keep gerbils in sheds.

Anonymous said...

I'm sending you a giant pile of junk mail right now. Make sure you take it out on Mike ;)

-Stu

sybil law said...

You guys get those stupid gambling things, too?! I thought we only got them because Mr. Law and his stupid poker crap!
Huh.
That's weird.

NanaKaos said...

We only shred things with our names and address on them otherwise our shred pile would be 3X what it is now, it takes a few minutes to separate it, the non-shred goes in recycle,but still the waste of time is least important of the things wasted. Trees, energy, water for processing, air, chemical pollutants expelled into the air and water, and so on. Even if the paper is recycled you are still pollute getting it to the point where it is reusable.
They cut down the trees around the schools practice baseball diamond last week, that takes away my oxygen, a place for birds and shade for the players.
Sorry one of my pet peeves. Waste of any kind.

Anonymous said...

I happen to be one of the owners of MyJunkTree and as a new company I search the web to see if we are getting any visibility out there and I post on relevant blogs.

We launched the company because we were tired of all the junk mail we were receiving and we personally did not want to bounce all over the web to contact all the different companies to stop it all. First and foremost we wanted to let people choose what they wanted to let come to their home knowing that some people really do like some of the coupons and catalogs. So our clients choose what they want stopped.

We also had to provide a service that is different than the other services out there, so here is what we offer:

1. We have a database of over 1300 catalogs that you can choose to stop.
2. We have over a 2000 charities/Non-Profits that you can stop solicitations from.
3. Stop the delivery of the national phone directories.
4. Stop the delivery of the weekly coupons.
5. Stop the general credit card offers as well as the ones from your own major bank.
6. Stop the miscellaneous junk mail from the data brokers.
7. You can register on the National Do Not Call Registry from the website.
8. You can order your no strings attached free annual credit report right from the website.
9. We plant trees with every new membership.

And, yes we are a paid service and yes you can do everything that we do for free, if you want to do all the research and spend the time contacting the companies yourself it can easily be done. We have just done all of the legwork for our clients and feel there is value in the service we provide.

AngelConradie said...

i do love my shredder...
i'm no gmabler either. seeing my money literally disappear and getting nothing for it does nothing for me!