After some more couch time (and the Oprah interview with Whitney Houston), I decided that perhaps some food would give me more energy.
Looking at the fridge, I decided on a Wrap-less Mexican Brown Rice burrito!
In a bowl went:
- Mexican Brown Rice
- Black beans
- shredded cheddar cheese
- cherry tomatoes
- Wholly Guacamole
As dippers, some Crispy Wheat crackers and Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato Chips.
And for dessert (and a Vitamin C boost)
One very tart Orange!
I cannot wait for the Biggest Loser tonight! My office mates and I are big fans!
September 15, 2009: STOP JUNK MAIL!
I found this great website with a lot of information about junk mail. Did you know:
- The average person gets only 1.5 personal letters each week, compared to 10.8 pieces of junk mail.
- Each person will receive almost 560 pieces of junk mail this year.
- That’s 4.5 million tons of junk mail produced each year!
- 44% of all junk mail is thrown in the trash, unopened and unread.
- Approximately 40% of the solid mass that makes up our landfills is paper and paperboard waste.
- By the year 2010, it is predicted to make up about 48%.
- 100 million trees are ground up each year to produce junk mail.
- Lists of names and addresses used in bulk mailings are in mass data-collection networks, compiled from phone books, warranty cards, and charity donations (to name a few).
- Your name is typically worth 3 to 20 cents each time it is sold.
According to the website, there are 5 simple (and free) ways to reduce junk mail:
1. Call 888-567-8688. This single automated phone line takes you off the lists of all major credit bureaus. You can also do this online at:
http://www.optoutprescreen.com.
2. The Direct Marketing Association represents many mail order sales companies, and estimates that listing your name with their mail preference service will stop 75% of all national mailings coming to your home. To do this, send a postcard with your name, address and signature to:
Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512 or download the online form at
http/www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglistdave.
3. Companies that do not participate in the D.M.A. program must be contacted directly. In addition, if you only want some of your junk mail stopped, contacting individual companies is the way to go. You can write to firms that send you unsolicited material and tell them firmly to stop. Be sure to use the enclosed Business Reply envelopes when replying through the mail, and address them to Customer Service. You can also call the firms’ toll free numbers and ask to speak with customer service
4. Buyers beware…you are covered under a manufacturer’s warranty whether a card is returned or not. These cards are primarily used to gather names for mailing lists. Write National Demographics & Lifestyles (a firm that collects this information) to have your name removed:
NDL List Order Services, 1621 18th Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202
5. To remove your name from major nationwide sweepstakes mailers, contact:
- Publishers Clearinghouse, 101 Channel Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050 Phone: (800) 645-9242
- Readers Digest, Readers Digest Road, Pleasantville, NY 10570 Phone: (800) 234-9000
- American Family Publishers, PO Box 62000, Tampa, FL 33662 Phone: (800) 237-2400
I have just completed #1 and #2 and will get them in the mail tomorrow. Fortunately I do not receive nationwide sweepstake mailers (although now that I have said that, I’m sure I will get one tomorrow). I also will stop mailing back product registration cards – I’m mad about those.
How much junk mail do you receive?
Calendar review – we are at the halfway point now!
Not bad – I need to be better about turning the water off when I wash my face and taking shorter showers (I kinda fell off that bandwagon). Tomorrow is another day though!
