"The government wants to make it a little harder for bloggers to shill products online for fun and profit."
From an article in today's (oops, actually yesterday's--'news' is a relative term around here) Wall Street Journal about the FTC's attempt to restrict gifts to bloggers who then write favorable things about the products on their blogs. Apparently the FTC thinks we poor little lamb blog readers need the government to protect us from bloggers who try, for example, to get us to drink more Crystal Light without expressly telling us that they are getting some sort of compensation from Crystal Light. Good grief. Am I the only cynic who automatically assumes that someone is ALWAYS getting paid? And I don't care! Good for them. They also want to make celebrity endorsements more transparent. So, for example, if Brooke Shields goes on the Oprah show and raves about how Crest toothpaste is to thank for her gleaming white teeth, she will be required to look at the camera and say something like, "The good folks at Procter and Gamble just paid me a cool 2 million dollars to say that, y'all!" When I read stuff like this it just confirms my Libertarian leanings. I think that people who buy things just because some celebrity (or mommy blogger) tells them to deserve all the Cindy Crawford furniture they can stand. I did want to add a caveat about my book list over there. I am going to put an asterisk by the books that I would actually recommend until I can develop a better system. Right now, I just wanted a central place to keep a record. **I am receiving NO monies (or gold) from the Ayn Rand Institute. Or the estate of Ezra Jack Keats.**
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I'm surprised you have no comments yet on this post. Frankly, you've inspired me to post about products I can't live without, and when I do I'll overtly state that I'm being paid NADA to endorse them. Thing is, my list to date is composed of merely two items. Seems I can live without almost everything. But perhaps my slender list will inspire a reader to purchase a pleather couch.
I would like a review of The God of Small Things. I gave my copy away without ever having read it.
Also, we are big fans of Arnold Lobel, and Giant John in particular. We are on our third or fourth check out of the book since May. Don't know about his Frog and Toad series, but am glad for the rec. I would like to list our library books, but am a little embarrassed by how many princess books would make the list. I let the girls pick out their choices, and those keep coming home. BUT they love me to read them, and at this point, I'm pressing books as much as possible, so can't complain too much.
When's your mirtday? I'll send a box of Raisinets as a gift.
Good grief is right!
Who sits around and thinks of this stuff that the public needs "protected" from? How about protection from more government regulations?
I picked up The God of Small Things on a table in the library foyer, remembering a review I'd read of it several years ago. I've only read the first chapter. I'm really enjoying Peace Like a River, and unless something untoward happens in the last 30 pages, I will give it an enthusiastic recommendation.
The Pleather Industry would like to purchase an ad on your blog.
Yes, I had to qualify our library list. While I like mostly to provide books that don't feature characters who have their own tv shows, I also realize that sometimes an Elmo book from the dollar spot at Target will become a cherished favorite, even if I find the writing inane. I pretty much feel this way about the Berenstain Bears series (the older ones are better than the newer ones), but both Harper and Hudson LOVE them. It's why I'd rather check them out from the library--the built-in limit to the number of times I'll have to read the mind-numbing narrative.
October 13 is my mirtday.
I came back to find this post so I could link to it, and am surprised to find that you read Peace Like a River. (Or should I say that I forgot? My memory is nil. And getting worse.) I really enjoyed it, by the way, and loaned it to Mom and Dad, who liked it, too. Fascinating little story.
I also had to laugh about my comment about Frog and Toad. We've read them all now, multiple times.
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