the magic of american marketing

I got a letter from Progressive Auto Insurance yesterday "thanking me for being a responsible driver" (and to save me "up to $400 in the process"). This is encouraging, considering I don't drive (which means I don't have a car, and hence car insurance). Of course, mathematically that makes me a really responsible driver. The envelope flap also had a rather cute message: "Dear Postman, We know your feet are tired from all that walking, but please deliver this letter promptly to the address indicated. What's inside is pretty cool)". Now postmen are rather prompt with junk mail, but are quite careless on important mail. I've missed bills and refund cheques in the past, forcing me to interact (ugh!) with customer service (aka: a lengthy introduction to muzak | aka: interaction with the longest chain of people you'd want to murder in person). This reminds me of the couple of occasions when some random American Driving Club signed me up as a member, charging my credit card in the process and forcing me to interact ... (you know the rest). Then there these technical magazines with high subscription rates, that seem to send you free issues without asking you to pay (cool, but scary).