An “06880” post last summer highlighted a perennial problem: the “distribution” of phone books by dumping them at mailboxes.
There were 20 comments. As you can imagine, Westporters do not love free (phone) books.
(Photo courtesy of Gizmodo)
Relief is at hand. The Yellow Pages Association (!) has introduced a “Consumer Choice & Opt-Out Site.” Ignore the extraneous and very defensive stuff (“directories make up the smallest portion of the waste stream when compared to other non-durable products”), and just decline delivery of yellow pages.
The white pages — no such luck.
The good news is: With all the snow we’ve had, the phone books we never picked up will be buried till May.
The bad news: When we finally try to throw them away, they’ll weigh 12 tons.
(To opt out of yellow pages delivery, click here.)
Really helpful link. Thanks Dan.
The only problem with the opt-out site is that one has to register. Gee, I wonder what that means….if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Progress. I doubt, however, if the Latino, who is making 8 bucks an hour delivering the books, is going to take time to make sure he/she is deleting the “opted” address. The rule of thumb at that job is just get rid of the damn things. I know, I did it in law school. A central pickup would be far more efficient and less wasteful.
Great idea for designating a central point to pick up a book if you want one. I will opt out of my phone book, but I am not sure my neighbors will. Their mailboxes are all located in front of my house. 🙁
Thanks for the info, Dan!
Good one… great replies.
Dan, can you wave your magic wand and stop the unwanted FAXES ?
Dude, the central pickup is the Town Refuse Center, AKA “The Dump.” It’s a yellow mountain 3 days after the books are delivered.
Unwanted faxes are incredibly obnoxious. I always thought they were illegal — but I’ve never known how to nail the senders, and make ’em pay (I have kept a collection of them, just in case). If any “06880” readers know the answer, please share with us!
is there an opt out for the ct post? i have called and tried to stop them as have my neighbors and we can’t stop them from throwing them in our driveways. any ideas?
Good point Betsy. They deliver to a vacant house under construction every Sunday. I guess the delivery person makes his runs in the dark of the a.m. But I bet the Post might be receptive to a call.
I called the Post and they stopped. Unfortuntely, the delivery person does so in the dark of the morning and delivered to vacant houses under construction for months. Then, at Christmas time, put an envelope in the mailbox awaiting a tip!!! Ouch!
the reference to ‘Latino’ delivery person only interested in making the $8/hr is really, totally obnoxious. now I know why my grandmother only spoke Spanish ‘by mistake’.
Oh, please. I worked, lived and played with the Latino population for 30 years in Texas. God Bless them. The reality of Westport is that Latinos are the service population because most of the students-working poor do not want to do such jobs like delivering yellow pages. It is a fact not a prejudice. Time to lower your nose from snooty political correctness and look around. Perhaps then we can actually have immigration reform.
The reality is that today most of the ‘$8/hour’ service jobs in Westport are not being done by ‘Latinos’.
That within a discussion your ‘go to’ guy for ‘$8/hr’ jobs is a ‘Latino’ smacks of – I’m guessing that you are enormously well educated and also intelligent – an intentional, willful ignorance on your part.
And, your reference to immigration reform doesn’t make your statement any less obnoxious; within your statement above it merely suggests that your participation in Immigration Reform is more about you than about the people hoping for the reforms.
Who do you think mows your lawn or works in the nurseries or frames the new construction or were actually out soliciting shoveling your driveway on North Avenue recently? I did pro bono legal work for LULAC and the Urban League for years. I am well aware of the issues that plague the Latino culture and their interaction into our society. My reference to the “Latino, who is making 8 bucks an hour,” is fact. It is not innuendo. I have worked for immigration reform since my time with Anne Richards in Texas in the 1990’s. Your supposition is without merit and misfocused because of your heritage. And those who carry that chip on their shoulder with great sensitivity are holding back the advances of the race rather than promoting it.
Maybe they could hire the ex-convicts that work at Goodwill.
I used the link, it works! I am going to be relieved not to be throwing away all of those “new” books in the spring. But who knows how many books might lurk beneath all of that snow! Thanks for the tip, Dan!
I’ve never before found a Latino reference offensive. Because I’m barely 20% Latino, don’t look it, name doesn’t reflect that aspect of my gene pool, etc., I’m exposed to Latino references as though I’m not any part Latino, i.e., I enjoy hearing it all ‘unedited’ for political correctness.
Until The Dud Abides reference I have never, ever been offended in this way.
I’m probably not so much offended as shocked because I would never have expected to be culturally-offended in/by a Westporter. I really think that this reference is an exception; most Westporters know that ‘$8/hour service job does not = Latino’.
Are you serious? The sadness of your enigmatic shock is that you are unaware of your environment and apparently your heritage. Blockbuster is currently looking for help at $8.65 an hour. How many Latinos do you think are applying for that job?? Head into Stop & Shop at 11:00 p.m. and see who is mobbing the floors while African Americans/Whites sit at the cashier tables. The Latino culture is being stagnated by lack of education (66% high school drop out rate) and until WE do something about that, whether it be in Westport or Wyoming, Latinos will be lucky to be getting eight bucks an hour. And if you are “culturally-offended” by said reference, head down to east Bridgeport some time and you will hear some choice words referring to the Hispanic culture. Time to grow up lady and get your head out of the burb bubble. Why don’t you volunteer to teach some of these Latinos in Bridgeport the English language so they can get a better job??? I do.
Holder is right; we are cowards, and I disagree with almsot every other one of his positions.
Flip-Flop Holder? Got in trouble when he hadn’t even read the Arizona immigration statute he was arguing. Was not aware of his comment regarding “cowards.” Thought that was Gramm??
It was Holder. Got him in hot water, As I posted, I am not a big fan, but he got this one right.
Context?
Context of cowards?
When discussing matters of race.
“Though the nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards,” Holder said.
“Though race-related issues continue to occupy a significant portion of our political discussion and though there remain many unresolved racial issues in this nation, we average Americans simply do not talk enough with each other about race.”
Thanks for the quote, A.
How can you be 20% anything??? The math doesn’t work.
I see that the Dude has gotten himself entangled with another nut. Is Jeffxs playing a spoof on the poor man? How does the statement: “. . . I doubt, however, that the Latino, who is making 8 bucks an hour delivering the books . . .” go to the “shock” and “never been offended this way” of anonymous? It would seem, also, that the Dude has done more for the Latino culture than his “obnoxious” objector. She is either pulling his leg or an idiot.
Senora, no sabe nada. Ocho dollares un hora muy bueno.
Thanks for the Holder quote. He is a spherical dolt (no matter how you look at him). His coward is in his mirror. Give him a uniform and a flight to Afghanistan. Then he can prove his mettle and chat about race with his soldiers in arms.
I disagree Vet and I spent a tour in Vietnam if we are playing the combat card. As noted above with the exchange regarding “Latino”, the sensitivity of race is many times near sited. If color is not in your presence, you tend to be all high and mighty regarding its issues. Obama’s speech on race may have been his finest hour and I believe there should be an honest dialogue regarding such. I am not a Holder fan and not sure “cowards” is the correct word but a more candid and open exchange on race needs to happen for anything to change.
I think on the issue of race, Holder makes a valid point, however, he is part of the problem and not the solution. Tom Sowell does a much better job of addressing the same issue and he has at least 50 IQ points on Holder. On many other issues, freeing convicted terrorists for example, Holder is a man without a clue.
Wow, the discussion on Attorney General gave me pause. When the hell did we last have a good one? Bobby?
Bobby used the job to further his brother’s political ambitions and punish those on his enemies list. The AG has became an obvious political operative about the time RFK took the job.
A long list it was too. Still liked him. Jeez, Reno, Ashcroft, Gonzales, Holder. Ug!
No combat card.
1st sentence: … nation of cowards?
2nd sentence: … don’t talk enough?
Therefore Afganistan: no cowards, plenty of race talk.
He should go and get enlightened.
Agree with your points, but his “cowards” includes me and you. He can speak for himself, and I agree. He was the terrorist trial coward. My remarks are strictly about Holder, not to anyone else. He’s the classic “Smart in school, dumb on the bus” appointee that gets us all into trouble. And then he blames us… what a guy.
I am not sure anyone can be enlightened by a visit to Afganistan. Check out “The Tillman Story” on DVD now. Holder is a product of the bureaucratic racism that he condemns. He is a dog chasing its tail.