The embassy has nothing to do with visas. There are no IOs there. You might have better luck at the consulate in NY, though likely not. I'm curious, though, as to why you think you should be able to bend the rules?
OK, let's try this. If you earn money in the UK then you have to pay taxes on it. You say you want to contribute to the economy, and you don't want to break the law, so you've got no choice there. Since you won't have an employer, you'll have to register as self-employed. To do that, you'll need a national insurance number. To get a national insurance number, you have to be a legal resident with permission to work. You won't be. So how do you propose to handle that? If you don't pay taxes, you are breaking UK law, but you can't pay taxes because your status doesn't permit you to work. This is why you need a visa, and if you can't get a visa, then you can't come here and work. The laws are designed the way they are to prevent people from doing exactly what you propose. As I said before, you're not the first person to try this. It hasn't worked for anyone else, so why should you be different?
