Comments for Something better to do

Comment on DMA’s Mail Preference Service: Once a fraud, always a fraud by Olav the Viking

Olav the Viking — Sun, 20 May 2012 19:23:24 +0000

Whenever I get junk mail with a return post paid envelope, I stuff it with all the crap they sent plus whatever other junk paper, food wrappers, etc. I can fit into the envelope so that it bulks up and the junk mailer gets hit with the increased postage. Helps reduce the federal debt and sends a message to the Sphincter ani externi.

Comment on “Nation of Change”, who are you and why are you spamming me? by USAJon

USAJon — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:41:28 +0000

it’s spam sent from teacher sites
or directly from teachers that have blogs when you post negitive there..
and they have ur email

Comment on UnbeatableSale.com: scam artists extraordinaire by John D

John D — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:20:30 +0000

I bought a 50 LED flashlight from Amazon.com who gave the sale to Unbeatable Sale, Inc. The Flashlight only would function with a maximum of 22 LEDs at the best switch setting. The advertisement and description said all 50 LEDs at one time.

I got an RMA and returned the flashlight. Unbeatable refunded $22.00 base price, but no shipping or return shipping. I am out $13.52 wasted expense, that is 61.45% of the $22 cost.

As a consolation they returned the falty flashlight to me which I threw away. This is the first absolute loser company that I have dealt with via Amazon.com, but it also shows that Amazon.com does not protect you when you order from them.

Comment on In support of the Boston Public Schools relocation plan by jik

jik — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:32:30 +0000

There are many reasons for the proposal, which involves a lot more than just moving students into the HPEC. You're right that one of the reasons is because the district wants to unfreeze the state DoE renovation funds for that building, but it's far from the only reason. To suggest that this extensive, well-researched, well-justified proposal with huge benefits across the board has only that one purpose is rather cynical. While I do tend to feel cynicism toward government by default, in this particular case, having looked at the proposal carefully, I think the cynicism is misplaced.

Comment on In support of the Boston Public Schools relocation plan by anon

anon — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:04:13 +0000

I think I read that the real reason for the move is that the city uses state money to renovate the Hyde Park building, but then didn’t bother to use the empty building for anything. The state said if the building remained empty, they’d have to pay back the grant. So the city has a huge financial incentive to put something in that building.

Comment on More on the DMAchoice.org debacle by jik

jik — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:34:18 +0000

I don’t understand why you would need to contact the DMA by phone. You can opt your mother out of receiving mailings from DMA members by registering her at http://www.dmachoice.org, which is certainly a lot easier than arguing with them on the telephone.

I’m also not sure why you say it’s difficult to find their mailing address. There is a link on the http://www.dmachoice.org home page to a form you can file on paper, and there’s a mailing address right on that form.

I don’t recall being asked for a social security number when I registered at http://www.dmachoice.org. There is no require for a social security number on the aforementioned paper form.

The DMA doesn’t charge anything if you register via http://www.dmachoice.org, and the fee for registering on paper is only $1, which seems quite reasonable given that it costs them more to process a paper registration than one submitted via the web site.

You need to remember that it’s not the DMA that’s sending you these mailings, it’s their member organizations, so blaming the DMA for the mailings is specious. You also need to remember that not every organization that sends junk mail belongs to the DMA and filters its mailings through their opt-out list. You also need to remember that the DMA opt-out list does not apply to any organization with which a person has done business before, so if your mother has bought products from a company / donated to a charity / whatever, they will send her mailings regardless of whether she is on the DMA list, until she asks them to stop.

If you want to stop junk mail, http://www.dmachoice.org is a good step to take. So is registering at http://www.catalogchoice.org and using it to ask specific junk mailers to stop. If all else fails, you may need to start asking individual mailers directly to remove you from their list, as I have been doing with much success for several years.

Comment on More on the DMAchoice.org debacle by rustyk

rustyk — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:21:33 +0000

These vultures prey on the elderly, who don’t understand why they are getting all this junk, or what it is, and who rarely have or understand internet access. My mother receives about 50 of these items every day, and all efforts to contact the dma by phone end up with dead air. The USPS appears actively complicit (I assume because of financial stress), and attempts to find an address for the dma have turned up no less than four (so far) different ones. Even if a valid address is found, the dma wants to be paid in order to cease activity, and in order to cancel mailings on the website, they require a social security number. Who in their right mind would give this info to these people?

Comment on What the Dell 3000cn toner refill instructions don’t tell you by Encre Cartouche

Encre Cartouche — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:47:46 +0000

Manufacturers will always prefer you buy directly from them brand new cartridges… Nevermind the planet :-/

Comment on Grammar Police on patrol by Christine

Christine — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:28:23 +0000

Sorry, I did!

Comment on Grammar Police on patrol by Christine

Christine — Sun, 13 May 2012 18:27:49 +0000

Being picky, how many times have you seen this?

Your welcome!

From my boss, a principal of a elementary school.

Enjoyed Staples story as I am enjoying my own Staples story.