Forrester Research today reports that U.S. online retail sales this holiday season will hit $18 billion, a 25 percent increase over last year. The researcher estimates that 2.5 million new households will shop online in 2005, enticed by offers of free shipping and other bonuses.

Lately we've been noticing the increasing amount of original programming on the Web. Of course "original content" can mean anything from entertainment fare to news, user-generated blogs and animated shorts. In some circles, it also means comprehensive Web programs that complement episodic TV shows relying heavily on participation from viewers.

It seems that Web users are going to far greater lengths than anticipated to protect their privacy online. Now, joining the year's barrage of reports stating that users are deleting their cookies, comes a study finding that 30 percent have curtailed their Internet use due to fears of identity theft.

So many news events, so little time. What comes to mind today? A variety of things, starting with Google's news that it will launch an online classified business. We assume this means that all other classified ad businesses are doomed.

This week, yet another loose-lipped blogger was shown the door by a large company that was unhappy with having its dirty laundry aired in public.

AOL is no slouch when it comes to marketing. The company continues to spend at a good clip to get the word out on its products and services. We think this is particularly important, as it's backed off the walled garden approach to content and as suitors make their moves. It's certainly no time to back off of marketing.

Consider "BlackBerry thumb," an affliction suffered by devotees of the (oh-so-addictive) CrackBerry, Treo, and other handheld gadgets that have tiny keyboards. Oh, my aching thumbs!

Marketing professionals still talk about "branding" and "direct" campaigns, but it's becoming clear that those categories can't capture the myriad types of ads in use--especially online.

Yahoo!'s third quarter earnings report, showing a 42 percent net revenue increase, provided yet more evidence that the resurgence in online advertising continues going strong. But more than the Internet ad comeback, Yahoo!'s numbers also show that the company benefits from its vast trove of entertainment-related offerings, including, surprisingly, paid content.

Based on last night's "Vending Machine Challenge," we are revising everything we ever thought about ballerinas. Namely, that they take life very seriously, they aren't funny, and they don't ever eat much, let alone allow something like a Snickers bar to touch their lips.