Imagethief is a registered Democrat. I am such both because I feel it is my civic duty to vote, and because I was hectored relentlessly by a large woman with a clipboard when I went to go visit my old grad school in San Francisco a year and a half ago.

Never sign any clipboard being waved by a loud, angry woman. I can't stress that strongly enough as a general guideline for serene living. In short order I was summoned for jury duty in San Francisco (really; I had to send documents proving I lived abroad) and I started receiving spam e-mails from the Democratic Party.

The Democratic Party sends tedious spam, mostly under the name of Howard Dean (although yesterday in the name of Michelle Obama). In this it is, I am sure, no different from the Republican Party or any other species of electronic marketer. However, the Democratic Party does two things that really piss me off.

First, they didn't ubsubscribe me from the mailing after I requested such. Let me make it simple: Yes, I'll vote. No, I won't donate. Stop asking.

Second, and trivial as it seems at first glance this is the thing that really annoys me, they insist on putting my name in single quotes (and they use my rather unusual legal first name):

Dear 'Diccon',

When Barack Obama delivered his breakout speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, the energy in the hall was amazing. He made thousands of people, including me, feel extremely proud to be Democrats.

This year is going to be even better.

PR people believe that everything sends a message. Even the small things. At first glance it looks like just a pair of single quotes, but here is how my brain processes that salutation:

Dear 'Diccon', if that is your real name (and from where I'm sitting that looks unlikely),

When Barack Obama etc...

It doesn't endear you to me. So two constructive suggestions: Get a mail merge system that loses the quotes, and unsubscribe me.