Happy Wednesday!
How is everyone doing!? Hopefully none of you have blown away in the Gale force winds we've been having around here lately...although it still remains quite gloomy outside, it looks like Sub-tropical storm "Andrea" is on its way down south and the weekend weather should turn out to be pretty pleasant! Take a look below:
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Wouldn't it be nice to open the mail box one day and not receive anymore credit card offers, flyer's, insurance offers, and just all around junk??
Well, according to the Today Show, you can "Opt-Out" of JUNK MAIL!!
Consumer expert Sid Kirchheimer's tips for ending unwanted mail:
Flyers, important looking envelopes, catalogs, glossy brochures, we've all had to dig through piles of them. Some call it "advertising" but a lot of people simply call it junk mail. So is there a way to stop it all? In part one of a special TODAY three part series called “Scam-Proof Your Life with Sid Kirchheimer,” the author who writes the Scam-Alert column for the A-A-R-P Bulletin has a few tips and tricks to make room in your mailbox.
Stop Unwanted Mail
The less access you provide to your name and address, the more secure you will be. Each year, more than three million Americans discover that false credit accounts have been opened in their name. Of these, at least 400,000 can be attributed to the theft of incoming mail. To reduce your risk of having your identity hijacked in this way—and to ease your loyal mail carrier’s back strain—try these tips to turn a tide of unwanted mail into a trickle.
*Pre-approved Credit Card and Insurance Offers: Call 888-567-8688 (888-5-OPT-OUT) from your home telephone; it will be checked against an address database. Or visit www.optoutprescreen.com/. Taking this simple step should halt what some experts believe is the most dangerous type of unwanted mail: pre-approved credit offers. Why dangerous? Because they can be easily pilfered from your mailbox—and almost as easily doctored to open new accounts in your name. To opt-out of these offers, you’ll be asked for your name, address, birth date, and Social Security number. Don’t worry; the source of these unsolicited mailings are lists sold to these marketers by the four credit-reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, and Innovis. You can opt out for five years or permanently, but you must follow the opt-out procedure for each adult member of your family.
If a child under age 13 is being mailed these offers, it could be a sign that identity theft has occurred, so you should immediately contact the credit-reporting bureaus listed below.
- Equifax, P.O. Box 740256, Atlanta, Georgia 30374
- Experian, P.O. Box 9532, Allen, Texas 75013
- Innovis Consumer Assistance, P.O. Box 725, Columbus, Ohio 43216-0725
- TransUnion, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, California 92834
*List Brokers: Pooling information effortlessly gleaned from phone books, public records—including real-estate transactions, tax files, and birth certificates—and other sources, these companies prepare and sell mailing lists to all kinds of businesses. Write to each listed below, requesting that your name be removed from all of their mailing and telemarketing lists. Preprinted mailing labels to ease the task are available at http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/junkmail_labels.html
Dun & Bradstreet
Customer Service
899 Eaton Avenue
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18025
Metromail Corporation
List Maintenance
901 West Bond
Lincoln, Nebraska 68521
R.L. Polk & Co. / Name Deletion File
List Compilation Development
26955 Northwestern Highway
Southfield, Michigan 48034-4716
Database America
Compilation Department
470 Chestnut Ridge Road
Woodcliff, New Jersey 07677
Acxiom U.S.
To request an opt-out form be mailed to you, call 877-774-2094 or complete the request at Acxiom U.S's website. You will then have to fill out another form and mail it back as well.
*Direct Marketing Association—The 5,200 member companies of this trade group use the telephone, mail, and the Internet to pitch their products directly to consumers, bypassing such intermediaries as traditional bricks-and-mortar retail outlets. The DMA regularly updates its list, but the companies it notifies to remove you may not be as prompt. Thus six months may pass before solicitations from all DMA members cease.
*To stop receiving mailings from DMA members, go to www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailing. Please note, “consumers” is plural in the address. Alternately, you can access their Mail Preference Service via www.the-dma.org and click on the orange box that reads “remove my name from mailing lists.” Opting out will take your name off the lists of those companies with whom you do not already do business with. You can opt out online or by mail; there’s a $1 charge either way to verify your credit card or checkbook identity.
Mail your request directly to:
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 643
Carmel, New York 10512
Alternatively, if you only want to stop mailings from a particular company, contact those companies directly. If you do that and continue to get mail from those DMA members, complete the complaint form at www.dmaconsumers.org/consumers/complaintform.doc and mail to:
Direct Marketing Association
c/o Remove My Name
1615 L St. NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20036
*To reduce e-mail solicitations from DMA members at up to three e-mail addresses, visit www.the-dma.org/consumers/optoutform_emps.shtml. The service is free of charge, but you’ll need to confirm within 30 days your receipt of a notice sent to each e-mail address you submit.
*To remove the names of deceased loved ones from commercial marketing lists, visit www.ims-dm.com/cgi/ddnc.php and complete the form. There’s a $1 charge.
*Catalogues: If you’re getting swamped with catalogues—including those from companies you’ve never patronized—chances are it’s because at some time you made some purchase from some catalogue…or perhaps simply requested one. When either of those actions occurs, your name and address are very likely handed over to Abacus, an alliance of catalogue and publishing companies. Abacus members routinely swap customer information. To stop individual catalogues from reaching your home, contact the specific company in question. To stop en masse mailings, send an e-mail to optout@abacus-us.com or write to:
Abacus, Inc.
P.O. Box 1478
Broomfield, Colorado 80038
*“Resident” and “Occupant” Mailings: To fend off flyers offering various goods and services, contact: ADVO, Inc. You can remove your name and address by:
- Call: 888-241-6760
- Complete the form at: www.advo.com/consumersupport.html
- Write to: ADVO, Inc. Customer Assistance P.O. Box 249 Windsor, Connecticut 06095
*Val-Pak: Packs arriving in a blue envelope can be stopped via a quick visit to www.coxtarget.com/mailsuppression/s/DisplayMailSuppressionForm. Other requests can be directed to the sender’s address printed on the envelope you receive. PennySaver and similar mailings can be stopped in much the same way by sending your request to the return address they list.
Here's a little look at some fun things this weekend for MOM!!
Thursday, May 10th
Each ticket holder will have a chance to win a framed, “Great Egret” print by Karen Gore.
. The tickets, which are a tax-deductible donation, are $15 for the lunch and $10 for the tour (save $5 by buying both). Public contact: 646-1992.
Friday, May 11th
. $7 each and will be available in a large variety of colors. Public contact: Jim Stasios, 509-0080, ext. 20.
. $7 each and will be available in a large variety of colors. Public contact: Jim Stasios, 509-0080, ext. 20.
Saturday, May 12th
. $7 each and will be available in a large variety of colors. Public contact: Jim Stasios, 509-0080, ext. 20.
. $7 each and will be available in a large variety of colors. Public contact: Jim Stasios, 509-0080, ext. 20.
. $7 each and will be available in a large variety of colors. Public contact: Jim Stasios, 509-0080, ext. 20.
Over the last two years, North Carolina municipalities and organizations advertised and held competitions for more than $5 million in public art commissions. Did you compete?
Join us and learn from experienced artists and public art administrators:
. How to make the leap from studio art to public art
• How to evaluate and compete for public art commission opportunities
• Stories and business advice from artists with pubic art experience
• The public art selection process and skills for getting selected
• Contracts, budgets and other nuts & bolts public art stuff resource guide
Workshop presenters: Janet Kagan – Vic Chair, National Public Art Network Governing Council & Board Member, Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission
Jeffrey York – Director of Public Art & Community Design, North Carolina Arts Council
Peggy Cleary – Ceramic artist, Wilmington
Leni Newell – Textile artist, Southport
Mike Roig, – Sculptor, Raleigh
$10.00 registration fee (includes lunch and workshop materials). Public contact: For more information or to register for the seminar, visit www.pedestrianart.com.
Sunday, May 13th (HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!)
. Public contact: 392-9021.
And now it's time for another edition of Wendy's Helpful Hint of the Week!
How to dress for your body type (Women)-
Large Hips: Draw attention away from childbearin' hips by wearing solid, deep colors on the bottom with light or bright colors on top. Instead of tapered leg jeans or pants, try relaxed fit bottoms with a bootcut leg. Stay away from garments that have excessive pockets or details at the hipline. Say no to straight skirts, opting instead for an A-line silhouette. Oh, and lest we forget, avoid pleats like the plague.
Small Bust: To appear a bit fuller on top, wear shirts that have details or pockets at the bustline. Layering is another strategy that works: Try a cute tank top under a cardigan or button-down shirt. Floaty, loose-fitting blouses are also an excellent choice, but be sure to avoid plunging necklines.
Large Bust: A little too well-endowed? Try open necklines like V-necks and U-necks. Super-clingy fabrics should be avoided, as should large patterns and prints. As far as sleeves go, opt for those that are long or elbow-length. Avoid short capped sleeves.
Broad Shoulders: If you have wide, strong shoulders, stay away from shoulder pads, boat necks, horizontal stripes and boxy sleeves. Try V-necks, which pull the eye down and away from the problem area.
Large Stomach/Waist: Avoid snug waistbands and the "tucked in" look if you're thick around the middle. Also stay away from straight skirts and fabrics that cling over the stomach. Dresses with empire waistlines are a good choice, as are graceful A-line skirts.
Too Short: Petite girls who wish to appear more elongated should try short skirts, clamdiggers and capri pants. Avoid busy prints and cuffed pants, and try not to chop up the body with contrasting bold colors. Stay away from garments that are bulky or oversized, such as puffy bubble jackets.
Too Tall: Don't hunch over! Tall women who want to de-emphasize their height can do so by wearing horizontal patterns, textured fabrics, and longer or flared skirts. Short skirts can work as well, especially when paired with knee-high boots.
Overall Heaviness: The hype is completely true: black is a very slenderizing color. Dark, solid colors tend to be quite slimming in general, but this certainly doesn't mean that larger girls should stay away from bright or light shades. Loud prints should be avoided at all costs, however, as should oversize "tentlike" clothes, which make it obvious that you're trying to hide something. Opt instead for well-fitting, tailored looks that cling in all the right places--but just not too tightly.
**Info. courtesy of www.soyouwanna.com**Thanks for tuning in and have a GREAT weekend!
Happy Mother's Day to all the lovely Mom's out there :)
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