The problem with junk email or "spam" (the popular slang for unsolicited commercial email) only seems to get worse with each passing day.

Luckily, we can fight back in ways that will actually cut down significantly on amount of spam we receive on a daily basis.

Try these tips and see if they can't cut spam you receive down by at least half.

** Don't Respond

Much of spam you receive contains an "unsubscribe" link saying something like "To unsubscribe, click here." Do NOT click that link.

Clicking it lets spammers know they've got a live email address!

** Use Mailwahser

Get a program like "Mailwasher" from Mailwasher.net that allows you to view email you receive before you download it.

The program makes it simple to delete dozens of emails, including viruses, before they reach your computer.

** Use Your Filters

Your email program most likely contains filters you can use to weed out emails containing usual spam words like "opportunity, $$$, sex, viagra" and a host of others.

You can set filters to delete messages containing these words before ever downloading them to your computer.

** Use An "Assassin"

An Idaho farm boy stepped off an airplane in Central American country of Belize (then colonial British Honduras) as one of first Peace Corps volunteers. He carried little more than clothes on his back and his prized possession - a tennis racquet.

There he met a Missouri school teacher, fell in love, got married, and 5 years later yours truly appeared on scene.

Fast-forward a little over 4 decades and see just how much Internet has impacted entire planet. ** Last week my family took a cruise for our summer vacation.

Since itinerary included Belize, my parents planned to take opportunity to renew friendships and show us their old haunts.

On surface it seemed simple enough, but as week progressed I realized just how much Internet permeates our lives, no matter which part of world we call home.

Once a day for entire week I checked my email onboard ship. Despite $.50 a minute cost to use their satellite connection, it never ceased to amaze me that I could instantly communicate with business associates via email from middle of ocean.

But most amazing thing happened when my father got an email onboard ship from one of his old friends, who also happens to be first Prime Minister of Belize, Mr. George Price.

Before we left on our trip, my dad let Mr. Price's office know he would visit country briefly and wondered if we could stop by for a few minutes just to say hello.