Dead or alive, you cannot escape the reach of the gift guide, telling you in magazines, newspapers, and especially websites to spend, spend, spend your money on shiny, pretty things you can't afford. Why must they do this to you?

Remember the moment you knew MySpace was doomed? It came in the form of obnoxious ads. Which your Twitter stream is about to be. So: are you making that cash, or being cashed in on? Pay Per Post is back.

People managed to rush Natasha Richardson's skiing accident on the cover this week, but it also appears to have pulled a magazine no-no by promoting advertorial on the cover.