Hilarious article (free registration required) about companies issuing press releases that contain “newsworthy” items like our PageRank has risen “from a solid ‘five’ to an even stronger ‘seven out of 10.’” Like the dot com days where a company’s stock could rise from a “partnership” with Amazon.com, this trend has the same feel.

Apparently, anything to do with Google is newsworthy these days. I’ll have to alert the AP that Google says I’m the coolest guy on the planet. Too bad there’s no stock in Brad Fallon, Inc. … hey wait a minu…hmmm… Anybody want to invest in BFI? — get in before the IPO (Hope you like wedding favors!)

Chris Sherman’s column today is a nice summary of the shopping search engines. If you sell products online, you need to be in these — and this traffic volume report from Hitwise will help you prioritize. Hint: Yahoo Shopping, then Shopping.com, then Froogle.

In the first such action, Google filed suit in California again a Texas-based company which created a site just to create AdSense revenue. The complaint doesn’t say how much they got away with.

Be sure to track your content ad clicks and conversions carefully.

I feel like Kramerica. (If you don’t know, no, there’s no link). I need an intern!

Keeping up a blog is hard work. (Even if you don’t count all the contributions from the blog spammers (a particularly low-level life form). If you thought email spammers were bad you have no idea.

Coming soon: China pictures (highlight: rock, paper, scissors, which it turns out, is an international game), Search predictions for 2005 (lookout for the contest), and generally more frequent postings.

Anyone interested in an internship opportunity, please apply asap.

Watching the John McEnroe show tonight (I know, I know) and his guest is explaining to millions what a Google Whack is. The best part was the comedian (Dave Gorman)’s clip of his show– using Powerpoint to explain “google whack” to a live audience.

Is Search getting to be mainstream or what?

Next thing you’ll know, everyone will want their own Google Bomb. (like paymentech or even the coolest guy on the planet)

Fun Stuff: The San Francisco Chronicle obtained an internal Google document discussing Google’s own forecasts for Search customers and revenue over the next several years.

Not surprisingly, the documents forecasts slowing growth in the number of advertisers as well as rising bid prices.