Tom Vadnais is taking over for Jim Zarely at ValueClick. Vadnais will now be running the show, while Zarley will remain at the company but in a role that wasn’t completely clear from the press release that was sent over the wire this afternoon. If you’re interested in knowing more, there is a conference call number at the end of the release that follows.

Both Shawn Collins and I will be streaming live during the taping of our Affiliate Thing podcast today. Check out the behind the behind the scenes look at the show. You can see mine here on RevenueToday.com or on Stickam. You can find Shawn’s live stream at Affiliate Tip.

Watch out. I’ve been to Radio Shack over the weekend and I’m now armed with a webcam and lots of enthusiasm. How 2001 of me! And if all goes well today and the technology gods shine on my typically high-tech challenged efforts then this Wednesday at Noon you’ll be able to come back to RevenueToday.com and see me live during the podcast of the Affiliate Thing.

This means you’ll have a “backstage” look at one-half of the show. Maybe you’ll spot something cool in my office. Check out my Lisa Simpson Beauty Queen doll, my monkey calendar courtesy of Shawn Collins and my ShareASale dart board.

Here’s some great news to kick off the long Memorial Day weekend. U.S. online advertising revenue hit a record high of $16.9 billion in 2006, up 35 percent from 2005, according to the “Internet Advertising Revenue Report” from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Check out all the figures at eMarketer.

Yesterday our Sales Director, Tobias Siegel blogged about American Idol. Tobias is hardly the only one in the online marketing space with a fascination for Idol.

Already the week for performance marketing is off to a busy start with Google, Microsoft and ValueClick grabbing lots of ink (virtual and real) - again.

So, it looks like The Next Internet Millionaire really wants me to be on the show. Check out the email they sent me practically begging me to audition. No one can possibly use so many exclamation marks unless they really want you.

Here’s the email I received:

There are so many things going on that it’s hard to focus when on writing this blog. So, here are a bunch of random, jumbled things that vying for my attention:

We’re heads down grinding out the next issue. There are many interesting stories in the works including ones on CRM, the ringtone market, the resurgence of email marketing, behavioral targeting, and what non-profits are doing in the performance marketing arena. Check here for full story descriptions and how to get your point of view included.

Our company had a very nice outing last Friday. We went sailing on the San Francisco Bay. It was a great break from work and time to enjoy the beautiful weather, a cool 54-foot sailboat and get reacquainted with co-workers (and use my lame and limited nautical jargon).

This little guy was rescued four years ago from a burning grove in Escondido, Calif. by Jim Forbes. Recently, however, there was some more bad luck for Ferro, who was attacked in his own back yard by a coyote. Jim scared off the wild beast with a few shots, but the nasty encounter left Ferro with 80 stitches, seven drains, an intestinal resection and three hours of doggy surgery. He’s recovering well and here’s a photo of him before the attack.