I HATE SPAM!

No,  I’m not talking about the mystery meat called Spam that comes in a brick shaped can!  I don’t like that much either, but I’m referring to the one hundred plus unwanted and unsolicited electronic messages that I receive every single day.  In fact, I dislike spammers almost as much as I dislike telemarkers, and I can probably rant about them all day! I understand that people need to make a living, but constantly interrupting people’s lives and work in a rude and obnoxious way has to stop! I need to make a living too!

What makes spammers and telemarketers l think that they are entitled to a minute of my time or a single cent that is mine?

Companies use spam because it  remains economically viable and it works. As long as people continue to buy products and services from spammers, they will continue to create ways around anti-spam software.

Are you as sick and tired of unsolicited and undesired electronic messages and illegal email as I am? If you are, you should follow this advice from American Express.com:

1. Sign up for Gmail. Gmail reduces unwanted email that appears in your inbox by identifying prolific producers of spam and sending messages from those producers directly to your spam folder.

2. Press “Unsubscribe” buttons. When you follow the unsubscribe link, make sure that you unsubscribe from all the emails you wish to block. It’s not uncommon for folks to click on the link and then have to take an additional step or two to actually fully unsubscribe.

3. Blacklist obvious spammers. Blacklists permanently block emails from selected senders or servers. Some email programs use blacklists already, but you can find lists (like the DNS Blacklist) that will help you identify additional domains that are known to generate spam. Once you blacklist a domain, server or sender, those senders simply can’t contact you.

4. Use a spam filter. Seriously, I’m shocked at how few people actually use software that’s designed to specifically solve the problem that so many of us complain about. For less than $30, you can get the highest rated spam filters like SPAMfighter Pro and MailWasher Pro. These programs are designed to offer both flexibility and comprehensive protection.

5. Report spam. If you have Gmail and spend the few seconds that it takes to report a spam message, Gmail will work to address the problem behind the scenes. Consider it community service—you’re spending a little bit of time to make the world a better place.

Last Resorts

These five tips will resolve the vast majority of issues that the average user will encounter, but there are times when that’s not good enough and you still find yourself inundated with spam that inhibits your productivity. In that case, here are two final tips to use when every other action has failed. These measures should only be taken as last resorts, because they’re likely to have some problematic side effects.

6. Use your own filters. If you’re plagued by spam that’s preventing you from efficiently accessing the messages that you really need, then you can create your own spam filters. You can create a key list of addresses and send every message that doesn’t come from one of those addresses to your spam folder. The drawback here is that you’re eventually going to miss messages you may actually want or need. The solution is to regularly look through your spam folder and make sure there aren’t any messages that need your attention. It’s also important to keep that key address list updated so new contacts get sent to your regular email inbox.

7. Change your email. This measure is another drastic one, but sometimes it’s the only way to absolutely ensure that your email address is secure and won’t be flooded with spam. I recommend this measure for folks whose email has been repeatedly hacked or is hopelessly inundated with junk mail. You’ll want to notify your regular correspondents of the change and ensure that any support staff has your updated contact information. You want to be accessible, but only to the right folks.

As technology develops, we’ve transitioned from telemarketers who always seemed to call at dinnertime to emails that offer free cruises to the Bahamas or herbal male enhancement products. And while spam is slightly less intrusive than a ringing home phone, it’s still no less a problem. The bright side is that with just a little effort, we can clean house and eliminate nearly all the unwanted email that clogs our inbox.

Most importantly: Refuse to ever purchase anything from companies that use these intrusive practices. Buy from a competitor instead!

Interesting Facts About New Year’s Resolutions

• About 45% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions.
• One out of every three people ditch their vows by the end of January.
• By the end of the year, over 90% of resolutions will have failed.
• Only 38% of Americans say they never make New Year’s resolutions.
• In spite of these statistics, resolutions are worth setting and keeping.
• Success may be easier if we change the way that we think about resolutions. Read more to learn how.

If 2016 is like most years, the top resolutions will be:

1. Lose Weight
2. Get & Stay Organized
3. Spend Less and  Save More
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
5. Get Fit and Stay Healthy
6. Learn Something New
7. Stop Smoking
8. Help Others Make Their Dreams Come True
9. Fall in Love
10. Spend More Time with Loved Ones

All of these New Year’s resolution are worth the effort, but there is a better way to think about them.

• Make daily resolutions and take things one day at a time. Think about these words of wisdom: “…do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
• If you lose a battle, don’t surrender, keep fighting! One dessert too many or one missed workout will not make you obese. Treating yourself to an expensive indulgence will usually not bankrupt you. Only giving up will surely lose the war!
• Choose to really love yourself and others every day. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud…read more.”
• Be honest with yourself, but focus on the positive: “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (read in context).
• Be patient. You can’t plant a seed this morning and pick fruit from the tree that it may eventually become this evening. Any resolution worth keeping takes time, patience, care, focus…love.

Your friends at Dry Solutions hope that 2016 is the year that all of your resolutions succeed, one day, one hour… one moment at a time.

Happy New Year!

When I was a child, no one dreaded answering the telephone. In fact, it usually put a smile on our faces. Phone calls meant that friends and family members were thinking about us and wanted to hear our voices. We felt happy and flattered. More often than not, we wanted to hear their voices too.

No one in my family rolled their eyes, sighed with irritation or got angry when the phone rang. We didn’t have caller ID nor did we feel that we needed it. Unwanted phone calls were usually wrong numbers: They apologized politely for disturbing us and promptly hung up. Crank calls were rare and often funny. No one called claiming that we had won a phony contest or to sell us something or to shame us into giving money to charity whether we could afford to or not. When, why, and how did telephones become just another necessary evil?

Why did we let answering phone calls become something we dread?

When I first started my business in 1990, reaching customers on the phone was usually easy. People answered their phones and no one seemed to mind a confirmation call. Clients thanked me for letting them know that I was on my way over and for making sure that they are ready for me.

I still insist on talking to a client before I drive to their home or business.  My secretary has been instructed to tell every customer that I must confirm their appointment before I head over. I believe this is the right thing to do before I knock on someone’s door. Thank God that most of the time this isn’t a problem. But, occasionally I’ll reach a client who has gotten one too many phone calls from telemarketers and takes it out me because he or she mistakes me for one of them.  I don’t allow myself to take offense. I just let it go, because I understand how they feel. Telemarketing is rude and intrusive: Two things that I never want to be. Here are a few interesting facts:

• Telemarketers place 148 million phone calls a day
• Americans lose $40 billion a year to fraudulent telemarketers according to the National Fraud Information Center.
• The average American gets at least 3 phone calls per day from telemarketer.
• Small businesses like mine can get over 100 telemarketing calls a day!
• The National Association of Attorneys General estimates about 5,000,000 Americans are defrauded by telemarketers every year and one of five of them do not report the fraud, usually because they are embarrassed.
• The FBI estimates that there are 14,000 illegal sales operations bilking consumers in the United States every day.

What can we do to stop unwanted phone calls? How can we start enjoying our phones again?

My simple solution is to avoid doing business with any and all companies that use telemarketing or robocalls.  Here’s how:

1. Politely ask for the name of the company.
2. Get the  telephone number and the address of the caller.
3. Then inform the caller that you are entering this information in a database of businesses to avoid ever doing business with.
4. Share your lists with others and encourage them to do the same.

If we all did this, eventually, they’ll get the message and stop telemarketing!

What if the caller is selling something that you actually want or need?  Find a competitor to buy it from!

If  telemarketers are driving you crazy, consider using these resources:

• FCC Consumer Help Center
• FCC Do Not Call Lists
• How to Report Illegal Telemarketing

Share your thoughts on this subject. Better yet, share your list of businesses to avoid.

I am a real language geek. I love learning foreign languages and helping others to learn English.  My friends from other countries often ask me what common sayings and idioms mean.  Helping them to understand the way we speak has helped me see that many American proverbs are gems of practical wisdom that when followed can help to make all of our lives better.

So here’s a little practical wisdom from American proverbs:

“If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.”

Be suspicious of people or situations that offer a large benefit for very little in return. This is similar to, “You can’t get something for nothing” and “You get what you pay for.”

It’s worth remembering that…

“A fool and his money are soon parted.”

Don’t be a fool and spend your money on products and services that don’t deliver what they promise.

“Forewarned is forearmed.”

Prior knowledge of possible dangers or problems gives one a tactical advantage. So, Always hire professionals who know that...

“If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”

Anything worth doing, really is worth doing well. Anything else would be a waste of time and of effort.

“Practice makes perfect.”

We’ve been in the specialty cleaning business since 1990.

“It’s better to give than to receive.”

You feel better about yourself when you help and give charitably to others.  I believe this with all of my heart and enjoy every second that I spend volunteering and giving. Wouldn’t life be a little more pleasant for everyone if we all believed this?

“Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today.”

“There’s no place like home.”

If you need our services, call to make your appointment today.

Please let me know if you enjoyed this post on practical wisdom  and would like to see more like it.

By J.C. Bryant