Emails that don't really help me at all

We all get on a bunch of mailing lists--at least those of us too lazy to uncheck those boxes do--and some of what we get is useful, but some of it...not so much.

Last week I got a message from a certain major toy retailer titled "10 Ways to Make Your Spring Awesome." Surprise, surprise, all 10 involve buying really expensive things.

Awesome can be achieved by obtaining "Outdoor Essentials" such as swing sets, play houses, trampolines, bouncers, and pools. I don't doubt that those items do in fact contribute to the overall levels of awesome in one's spring, and I concede there are one or two items that don't require a co-signer (The link to "outdoor activities" shows some relatively basic sporting equipment), but I don't know how much awesome I can afford right now.

Can't blowing bubbles be awesome? How about bouncing a superball? Isn't jumping rope an awesome way to have a little springtime fun?

Later, a certain airline sent me one of its periodic "Hey, thanks for being in our club, but why don't you actually go fly somewhere?" emails. The title: "50% off your Bahamas vacay!"

Look, I haven't expressed any kind of interest in going to the Bahamas...until right now. That sounds pretty good! But I don't think I can drop everything and head to the Bahamas. At least, I can't book it for one of two windows by March 17.

And even if I could, I certainly wouldn't go there on a vacay.