From the Mailbox

W. BRUCE CAMERON

In an era where e-mail is synonymous with unsolicited offers for goods and services of no actual value, it’s nice to know you can still go to your physical mailbox for the same thing.

I have a collection of advertisements I’ve received through the mail that puzzle me, such as the one offering me “Free, pre-paid cremation services,” but “the offer ends soon!”

Let me parse this one. Am I the only person who sees a contradiction between the words “free” and “pre-paid?” And what’s the message in “offer ends soon?” Are they saying, in essence, “hurry up and die”?

Bottom line is tha...