I prefer to run SMTP-server on my home machine and never let any ISP, Google or whomever to store copies of my mail any longer than it is needed for technical purposes of SMTP protocol.

With current broadband penetration everyone can do the same. Plug a USB-flash into your Wi-Fi acces point and run postfix on it.

... there was comp.unix.shell usenet group. And there was weekly award for "most useless use of cat(1)". Although it is about unix cat command, not about real furry creatures, this article deserves such award.