Category: Going Green

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Car of the Year

Does anyone else think that the annual North American International Auto Show is a little tainted this year with the boo-hoo of the Detroit 3 automakers saying they are broke? So when you are broke its supposed to be OK to party all week in Detroit and brag about how great everything is?

OK – I know that they made these plans – and probably already paid for most of it – months ago. It’s an annual thing. Maybe its the perfect confidence booster. Maybe they’ll be announcing some fantastic new cars that everyone will rush out to buy as soon as they hit the street. Let’s hope.

The interesting news in the Chicago Tribune from the Auto Show this morning is that they announced the “2009 Car of the Year” is the Hyundai Genesis. This is the first time Hyundai has won an award in the 15 years it has been producing automobiles. The Genesis is Hyundai’s top of the line sedan and maybe it’s worth considering if you are in the market for a new traditional car this year. Personally, I want to hold out for a new hybrid or total electric car. I’m hearing good things about plug in the car at night and go about 40 miles each day without having to buy gas. Now that’s what I’m talking about.

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Ending the Catalog Madness

Was your mailbox crammed full of mail order catalogs this Christmas season like mine was? It was unbelievable how many off the wall subjects and whacky products are covered in mail order catalogs. I received dozens of catalogs pimping everything from massage stones to bird feeders to health food supplements to plus sized lingerie.

After a little digging, I found out that when you do buy something from a catalog, the transaction is reported to a company called “Abacus,” which is owned by DoubleClick Digital Advertising – and if you surf the internet you KNOW who these guys are! They sell, rent, and pretty much whore your personal information to other catalog companies and junk mail publishers based on what you just ordered from any of their other catalog companies.Your name and address and the fact that you’ve bought from a catalog is worth money to these guys and you get put on their sucker list for a very long time.

We can all stop getting these junk mail catalogs by sending an email to the “Abacus Catalog Alliance” at this address: optout@abacus-direct.com. Tell these guys, in no uncertain terms, that you want off their lists and never want to hear from them again. Make sure the email includes your first, middle, and last name and the same for anyone else in your household who receives mail in names other than yours, include your current address, and if you’ve moved in the past year, include your previous address, too.This will stop the catalog madness and save a lot of trees, too.