The purpose of this blog was (and still is) to share products/items that I've found helpful - and hopefully to earn a buck (or two) if you choose to buy from my Amazon store. My little slice of the internet angle on the free market. Our Creator (Jesus) designed us to live in freedom, and that is one reason why the USA has prospered - because (until recently) this has been one of the most free places in the world. The beauty of the free market (of both things and ideas) is that it unleashes the brainpower and dollars of free people. As such, in general, products and ideas that are good tend to do well as a result of consumer demand. This is why it is so destructive when governments get in the way with regulations that stifle commerce or free speech. Products and ideas that do well represent the collective expression of individual economic choices and/or acceptance of a concept.
So I try to remember to be transparent about when a link is to my store, or when a post is free of affiliate links. You, valued reader, are free to digest the content of my posts and if you want to try (ie: purchase) a product based on my evaluation you may do so through my store, or not! You can make your purchase where ever you want to!
With that as background I encourage you to consider the dust-up (and perhaps cover-up or false flag event) regarding Angie's List (ahem, that's a non-affiliate link, for the record!) and Indiana. Angie's List is a subscription site - you pay to play, pay to have access to other member's reviews of local services of various types. Like most businesses, it started small and has grown rather large - indicating they are providing a service or product that many people have wanted. More power to them!
The state of Indiana recently passed a Relgious Freedom Restoration Act. Some believe this would enable discrimination though there is not a spec of evidence to support that allegation. Angie's List has been in negotiations with the state of Indiana regarding a planned expansion there that would bring big bucks and about 1,000 jobs to the state. In a fit of liberal pique, Angie's List is now threatening to withdraw the planned expansion because they are "open to all and discriminate against none" ... except perhaps, people of faith ... and states that protect people of faith from discrimination by the state (see The Constitution, Amendment 1)! Increasingly, the only group of people who are discriminated against are people who love and follow Jesus and who conduct their lives (and their businesses) accordingly. Additionally, the goodies financed by the citizens of Indianapolis as a carrot to attract Angie's List's business were not so certain.
BUT! Angie's List is also in the midst of a class action lawsuit regarding how it conducts its business - alleging that the business model it advertises (ie: consumer driven reviews of local businesses) may not be how things are actually getting done. How kind of the state of Indiana (and its Governor) to provide cover for Angie's List and give them an excuse to pull out of the deal - the 10's of millions of tax-payer subsidies that were being dangled in front of them may not have been enough to cover the losses or costs of the lawsuit - time will tell. It's unknown which of these two factors (the lawsuit and the uncertainty about the city of Indianapolis' taxpayer-funded bennies for Angie's List) may have played a role in their decision to abandon the expansion plans ... but it doesn't seem like there's much transparency in their decision making.
In the meantime, check back here ... I'll continue to post about what I find helpful, what I like in the hopes that you will benefit from this as well. You may not have the same tastes as I do in products that we do, or don't like - and that's another reason a free market is so much better than a controlled one. This blog is not yet (nor may it ever be) as big as "Angie's List" - but any and all "eklektikos" are welcome to follow along and join me in this journey - even if we don't always agree. You can pay to join Angie's List if you like - but word of mouth is free, and for the moment, so is the blog-o-sphere!
