Seems like there is a recent trend for advertising here....just curious.

Must be new policy.  It's rather like the advertising on the floor of supermarkets as one walks the aisles. [:)]

The joker doing the ads apparently thinks he's God's gift to the AR world (also the AK world since he does the same damn thing over on the AK47 web site).

No, I don't like it either, but until and unless the moderators or site owner decide to do something about it, we're stuck with it.  In the meantine, I just skip over any thread with his name on it, and avoid doing any business with him. He ain't peddling anything I can't get somewhere else.[:D]