Man, time flies when you're having fun, as in grading 121 law school exams. Here it is, the end of my winter break (alas), and the end of another week. It's time for me to earn my supper once again as a blogging shill for Marqui, the communications management software company that's paying a group of us to just mention it on a weekly basis and link to its demonstration site.

This week, I'm happy to report that Marqui's own blog is up and running, and it's got a couple of announcements of note. One is that they're going to get a "dabble mode" up soon, in which presumably we can all play with Marqui's product for a while. This would be particularly welcome for me, since I'm still unable to say much that is meaningful about a product I haven't used. More importantly, they've announced that the first blogger checks are in the mail. Just in time to help cover a piece of our quarterly income tax payments, due on Tuesday.

On a darker note, the blog also notes that one of Marqui's competitors is calling our proud sponsor "pond scum" on account of its blog-for-pay marketing scheme. I can understand that. Infernal money grubbers, they creep in everywhere. For example, I get riled when I turn on the "noncommercial" broadcast media and have to sit through 30-second announcements about this or that corporate sponsor. I remember in the old days when they'd limit these to 5 or 10 seconds: "This program is made possible by a grant from Powell's Books." Now they go on and on with the address, phone number, internet address, three slogans, this week's blue plate special, etc., etc. Dadgummit, it's something the FCC ought to do something about.

And yes, Virginia, there oughta be a law against blogging for pay. But there ain't. And so I wait with anticipation for the merry mailman or mailwoman who bears my filthy lucre.