Comment on advertising

I used to have Google Adsense ads in the header of this blog like this one:

I replaced those with the ads above and thought I’d share why. Aside from the fact that they don’t seem to be working at the moment. First for the weak-stomached among you, I am a capitalist and those ads do pay me money, if someone buys something (unlike the Google ads where I get paid if someone just clicks). But I chose the actual products for reasons beyond money – except for one.

The products come from Wal-Mart.com and Wal-Mart is a local business, headquartered 45 miles to my south and employing thousands of people in this area.

The Microtel PC is under $200 for a new PC (no monitor). That’s significant and worth sharing – maybe it will save somebody a few bucks. It does it by using a Linux operating system and I like supporting that system even in a small way.

I’m a sometime hunter and always supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Wal-Mart is the largest gun dealer in the US, but because Jack Ruby or Lee Harvey Oswald (I’m too lazy to look up which) ordered his rifle mail order, Wal-Mart doesn’t offer rifles on their website for regular order. They don’t even offer airguns. They do however bows, archery equipment and hunting supplies other than guns and ammunition and they have a program to order those for in-store pickup. So, I linked to a bow.

Pocket bikes are the current bane of the safety czars. They are clearly marked for ages 12 and up, in some cases 16 and up. They are clearly marked as not being toys. In spite of this, we get comments like this from “World Against Toys Causing Harm” (toysafety.org). “Pocket bikes are being marketed and sold to children as toys…” No, they are not. They put pocket bikes as number 2 on their “10 worst toys” of the year – in spite of the fact that they are not toys.

Ah, finally, the Hot Tub and Spa Package. Well, that one is just about the money, my friends, though as a capitalist I may be making a political statement even there. On the off chance one of my loyal readers needs to spend $3,000 on a hot-tub, why not buy it online and let me make $150 or so. 🙂

End rant.