how you can support the AAUGH Blog
- By : Nat
- Category : Administrative
Folks who have been reading the AAUGH Blog for a while will recognize the basic shape of this post. I run something like this most years. If it seems to be coming a little early this year, that’s because the holidays actually start early this year. That’s right, Chanukah actually starts the night before Thanksgiving (so, coincidentally, do Hannukah and the Festival Of Lights.)
First of all, gifts are wonderful, on a good day quite fun to give and even more fun to git. But they are just the symbol of what they express: care, interest, and generosity. There are other ways to express these things, to give of one’s self and one’s time, to reflect one’s love. If you feel that you are buying gifts out of demand or expectation, if it becomes competition with other givers, with the giftee, and with the world around you, stop, pause, and rethink. You may be able to do more for yourself and for those you care for in a less material fashion.
But if you are going to get some of those fine material goods, buying through Amazon is often quite a good way to go. Prices are generally quite good and the selection is huge. You won’t have the parking problem you may have at the local mall.
The simplicity of Amazon becomes a lot greater when your buying something for someone not in your neighborhood. You can buy something, have it gift-wrapped by Amazon, and shipped right off… no having to find the right box and standing in line at the post office. Many things are available with free shipping. This can work out well even if you’re going to be visiting these folks for Christmas. I can tell you that in the past, when we’ve done Christmas at the in-laws house many states away, we’ve ordered presents for the in-laws and for our kids shipped directly there. If we tried to take everything out on the plane, we’d get hit with the huge baggage charges, and because of luggage inspection, you’re not supposed to be wrapping things before taking them on.
And if you’re going to be ordering from Amazon, let me ask you a favor: instead of going directly to Amazon, come to AAUGH.com and click on any of the product listings there, or just about anything mentioned in the blog (say, this Joe Cool motorcycling salt and pepper set), to reach Amazon. Even if you’re not ordering the thing you clicked on, just using it to reach the Amazon site, Amazon will reward me if you order anything. This doesn’t add to your costs, but it helps justify this website. Running AAUGH.com has some very real costs: web-related costs, the cost of books for review (I only get about 4 free Peanuts review copies a year, everything else is paid for). There is also considerable time spent on it, not just on researching and writing the posts, but answering the questions that come in via email. Now, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t enjoy it, but it is also part of my business, part of the odd collection of activities that I use to financially justify my existence. And frankly, blog business has been slipping lately. There are some reasons for that (Google seems to think that because I link to products, the site is spammy, and it lowers my place in search results; as a convenience to readers, I’ve been posting the posts on Facebook, which doesn’t encourage clicking through to Amazon to the same degree as reading the material in email or on the blog), but it is what it is. If you do click through, I thank you.
And if you enjoy reading the AAUGH Blog but don’t want to click through to Amazon, that’s fine as well. I’m glad to have you as a reader. Consider another year of this blog as my gift to you.
Happy holidays, everyone.
