h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

On the subject of how to deal with junk mail:

Often, when you get a junk mail the junk mailer will send you a pre-paid envelop to send back to them. Which is great, as you don't even have to spend money on an envelope to tell them where to stick their offer.

But sending your name and address back to them saying 'take me off your list' only goes so far. Despite the fact that these envelopes are pre-paid, they are only pre-paid for certain purposes, such as sending a thin, light letter through the post.

If the letter weighs more than 100g, or is an inch or more think, it is classed as a packet, even if it's obviously just a bulked-up letter. So what you do is send this letter back, with your name and address from the letter they'll have sent you marked 'take me off...', and you bulk up the letter.

How you do this depends on what you have to hand, but my favourite are stones, hence the title, Stenmail. Rail bedding stones are particularly good for this, as they are the perfect size and weight for sending in these. Put it in the envelope with the name/address, tape it up with some sellotape and send it back.

Guaranteed to put any junk mailer off sending to you - I've not been contacted by any company I've done it to since.