I just hunted down IE on my computer and loaded it up so I could see this ad invasion.
I don't get any on the sides, and the ones on top and bottom aren't that bad, but the pop-up one at the bottom is very very annoying.
NWR needs money, like most other sites, so they put up ads
People generally hate ads, not the ones specific to this site, but all over the internet in general, so they use adblockers
NWR realizes that lots of people are using adblockers, and not enough people are clicking ads, so they make more intrusive ads for those that aren't blocking the ads.
Those that weren't blocking ads before now start blocking ads
NWR makes even less ad money than they did before
(but they had to try something right?)
It's a circle of irony.