Some Housekeeping

I'm at home with a sick Son of Rouleur today and while he's sleeping I figured I'd do some administrative stuff. Like actual work.

I'm taking a break right now and wanted to discuss products a bit. From time to time, people send me stuff to review. Most of the time, I buy the kit I discuss. Once in a while it comes to me free from the Gam Jams network, or elsewhere. I don't get paid to review stuff though.

You need to know that I give my unvarnished opinion of any products I discuss here. I think that's pretty clear if you read my reviews. Given that the FTC thinks that my getting a free Aspen Cool Collar (MSRP: $ 14) is an actionable violation of some nebulous standard or something, I'll disclose from now on if I'm getting something from somebody for free. It does not happen often, but you'll know when it does.

Along those lines, I recently turned down an offer to host web ads for off shore gambling and an apparently legit business being flogged by the same ad agency. I asked about the legality of it, since I know off shore gambling is a sketchy enterprise from the U.S. Government's point of view. The ad guy pointed out that it's illegal to gamble via internet within the U.S. but it's not illegal to advertise off shore gambling.

He had a point there, but I wasn't really interested in tip toeing up to the edge of legality, and I wasn't really interested in making a profit, even a derivative one, on off shore gambling. This blog is a place where I can come to unwind a bit and unburden myself of what's on my mind, and to be a little bit creative after working 10+ hours in a job where my creativity and personality are almost completely submerged. A little profit from that would have felt pretty nice, but it's not why I do this. It seemed to me that all y'all might find that interesting.