How To Remove Yourself From A Mailing List

When writing something as public as a blog, you hope that your work will be easily found by others looking for the kinds of topics on which you write. For the most part, with time, this works well. Unfortunately, the downside of being "out there" is that sometimes you get mindlessly added to email groups to which you really don't belong. Several months ago, I started receiving email announcements from a public relations firm called JS Public Relations. Every now and again, I'd get an email telling me about their latest promotion or the hot new item that apparently I was supposed to "sell" to my readers. I was even addressed by the title of "editor," which technically I suppose is true, but gives me far more credibility than I deserve.

For the most part when I received these messages, I chuckled and simply deleted them. On Friday, however, I received an announcement that was so ludicrous that I knew it was time to break the silence. What follows is the correspondence between myself and JS Public Relations:

Initial Email:

June 24, 2011


Dear Editor:

New for this season, and perfectly timed for summer and fall cooking, entertaining and gifting is Rachael Ray's iconic Garbage Bowl in speckled Green, Orange, Red, Purple and Blue.*

Rachael is steadfast in her belief that cooking should be fun and easy. One of her best-known tips is to place a "garbage bowl" by your cutting board for handy and time saving disposal of vegetable peels and food scraps that accumulate during food prep.

Rachael's new Garbage Bowl has myriad advantages over other kitchen bowls for collecting food scraps. Constructed of durable yet lightweight melamine, the generously sized, 3-quart capacity Garbage Bowl is never too heavy to lift, and can be easily cleaned by hand or in the dishwasher. The retro speckled design hides unsightly peels and other scraps - always nice when guests are gathering in the kitchen - and a rubberized base keeps it from skidding off counters or tables. In the event the Garbage Bowl drops to the floor, it won't break.

Also, for cooks who are growing vegetables and composting this summer, the Garbage Bowl provides an aesthetically pleasing way to carry food scraps from the kitchen to the garden.

Available now at retail nationwide and at www.potsandpans.com, the new Rachael Ray Garbage Bowl is priced at $19.99 suggested retail. (*The Blue version will be arriving soon.)

Photos can be accessed at www.meyer.com, US Site, Press Desk. ID: press, Password: images, folder: Rachael Ray. Please contact us to request product sample for review or photography, and for assistance with any questions.

Best regards,

Julia Stambules
Principal
JS Public Relations

Keith Sivera
Account Executive
JS Public Relations


My Response:

Okay ...

I've been getting these annoying announcements from you for a while, but this one really does take the cake.

You honestly expect me to try and "sell" this?

It's a f------ bowl. Get real.


Interestingly, I got a response:

Thomas,

We’re removing your name from my mailing list. Sorry for the annoyance.

Julia

-----------------

In case you were wondering, I didn't censor the word "f------" in my email response. And it felt awfully good not to.