We all know how well the AOL acquisition of Time Warner turned out. Last I checked, the company name had returned to Time Warner after a couple of years as AOL/Time Warner. And there was a best selling book or two about what pure folly this merger of giants represented. But, Brian Roberts hasn't read "Fools Rush In," I Suppose.

Has anyone else noticed there seems to be some buzz generated surrounding ad rates from publishers as of late? I have been in a number of new business meetings and client meetings lately where the question has come up of how the continued increase in ad spending is starting to effect inventory avails and prices, and I think its time to discuss the topic.

I thought long and hard about making a comment about the Breast Bowl 2004. After all, there is still plenty to be said about the role the Internet has played in turning a provocative dance move into a national media scandal.

These days, interests are so scattered across multiple media that an advertiser's need to connect with a particular audience involves so many channels that it becomes tough to reach a significant number of desirable prospects with any one of those channels. They're not the only ones having trouble managing the abundance of channels. Consumers are, too.

Seems like everywhere you look there are online ads for flowers, jewelry, electronics and a myriad of Valentine's Day gift suggestions. If you are reading this you may be an eTailer, an ad agency or sales person working with an eTailer. Or perhaps you are in love. If you are preparing for a posh Valentine's Day season, think again honey.

In the days following the Super Bowl, as what may have been either a prank or an accident or some of both turned into Boobgate, (Janetgate, Timbergate....), I was bombarded by emails and IMs from friends overseas. Of course, they all wanted to know what had actually happened and some asked me to send them links to the footage, et al. They also all wanted to know something else. None could figure out why there was such a huge uproar about it here.

This week I felt that it would be worthy of discussion to visit how the integration of video into the interactive advertising scheme will affect the process and accountability which we are so used to seeing.

I was the only ad guy at the Super Bowl party I attended. If you work in interactive at an agency, you've probably been talking around the water cooler about what $2.3 million could get an advertiser in alternative media. It's just one of those "what if?" conversations that we like to engage in.

The other night I moderated a panel for the Boston Interactive Media Association (BIMA) of which I'm a board member. The panel discussion was based on what's new, what's hot, what works, what doesn't, and what to watch out for in digital marketing today. It had somewhat of a "the future is now!" spin.