Vertical Scope, the Canadian-owned giant that touts a whopping 30 million unique monthly visitors amid its 300-plus web properties, according to its Google Analytics report March 2011, announced yesterday via Twitter that rumors of its acquisition of what is purportedly the largest off-road website upon the web, Pirate4X4.com, were in fact true, adding to its massive portfolio of automotive, powersports, power equipment, sports, action sports and technology websites.

Early in the year, Race-Dezert.com was approached for the purpose of initiating an advertising campaign. A fraction of the initiative was unconventional and something I had yet to see upon the web. I wanted to park a brand's Facebook and Twitter widget in the direct line of site and embed it above the fold of editorial and community-created forum content. The conventional banner ad was a no-brainer. But the direct engagement social widget advertising was a request that seemingly fell upon death ears.

Here's what we're browsing today. For those looking to hookup with some slick social applications, this post may not be the best of the best. I don't even think it ranks amid the top 100. There may be some nuggets of note. And it may even be worth a read. Or perhaps I'm burned out on the latest and greatest Twitter apps that don't own up to the fervor. Nevertheless, here's where I wasted my time today. Proceed at own risk. And enjoy.

It seems as if every time an industry convention or some business mixer emerges, my calendar shuns the event and any hope of mixing it up with forum friends and community colleagues. And when it comes to this year's inaugural Open Camp, which takes place this August 27-29 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Addison, Texas, there is no exception, as it conflicts with one of my favorite stateside desert off-road races, the 2010 Best In The Desert (BITD) Vegas To Reno on August 19-21.

It was inevitable. I called it out the day I left. I understood full well, as managing editor (or "Managing Partner" =), who was taking reigns and how little they understood the dynamics of the industry and the core lifestyle of its community. It may have taken two years longer than I and many others had anticipated but it's official. Advastar Communications gave up Off-Road.com, selling it to (perhaps) a more formidably savvy web publisher, which appears geared to make gains on its investment straight way after squeezing the trigger. Off-Road.com, the once off-road industry mega site that was rumored to shut down its doors and even its web servers, sold to VerticalScope.

Do I stream? Do Ustream? Well, if you're considering launching a web cast that seeks to stream a live audio or live video show, then Ustream is an excellent platform to place your web streaming efforts into. I love the social media channel for its compartmentalized embed options, which can be easily tailored to your website's design layout. If you're not familiar with Ustream, a decent place to begin delving into how the platform works is found within the embedded video upon this page.

I have long touted the principle of self-sufficiency and regularly integrate it into my work ethic as well as the work itself. From an editorial standpoint, this translated into articles that identified the lifestyle of self-reliance. This played well, as most of my life after newspapers has existed in the outdoors or automotive world, specifically the off-road and powersports industries. Therein, my passion was for the real life application and core lifestyle aspect of the industry and not the overplayed editorial advertising puff pieces orchestrated through the overzealous marketing department. I loved the down home how-to articles on the techniques and methods that would make one effectively self-sufficient when embarking upon adventure.

Today’s navigation throughout the web fringe takes me back to web advertising as well as overall off-road industry marketing. But let's at least stick to the web perspective for the time being. Now, from the publisher’s perspective, I have great disdain for a reliance upon ad networks, especially when it comes to fashioning a business model based solely upon advertising for its revenue stream. I have fought this venture with entrepreneurs greater than I but fought it nevertheless, basing my reasoning upon tangible principalities and subsequent results. Inevitably, the few whom I am speaking of have lost on such entrepreneurial web efforts time and again. Now let's get it straight. I have yet to make my own fortune but have managed to make a decent living making others their fortunes.

I am hereby breaking into the business of making news of someone else's hard work. I toss a quick quip and a sensational array of edgy words. It's artistry and engaging. I don't dictate onto the masses. I embrace them. I call it news aggregation. It's nothing more than a modified blog of slightly more important subject matter. Yet it's news. I am a news aggregator. It's word of mouth marketing. I merely regurgitate what I refer to as news and do unto it like a cow chews cud. The normal method of consumption is chew, swallow, stomach and dump. So goes the old ways of the news world. The newspaper is virtually dead. Now, we mouth off a bit, chew it, swallow it, and combine the final two stages into one, regurgitating facts and opinion amid social media outlets and thereby commence into the abyss of new age reporting until the fad fades into emptiness.

This morning began quite early. After an excruciatingly long day with a scant amount of sleep the evening previous, I slipped down down into a deep slumber by the time 2000 hours rolled around. It was a good day's work with formidable advances. I was convinced my body and mind was well deserving of the rest. After engaging in a dirt bike crash a few years back, which grenaded a Nikon D2X upon impact into my hip, it has proven quite difficult to work my way back into shape for the two- to five-mile runs I once performed on a regular basis. Even during that period of time, the calisthenics were difficult to maintain, as the hip was having nothing to do with it. It's amazing how a shin-high Yucca tree can be such a game changer. My entire back down to my upper leg was black and blue for months. Then, there after that crash, once I did pick up the pace on a weekly workout regiment, I was gleefully riding a Kawasaki KX110 one day with a few family members. And just when I was having the time of my life riding without goggles, I was roosted by my brother-in-law. An otherwise hilarious joke, which remained a hilarious joke, I was sent down tumbling into a ditch, where I assessed the damaged and quickly determined that I had at least broken a toe and sprained an ankle, the same ankle that kept me from a European club soccer tournament when I was younger and in the game. There were no apologies and quite simply no hard feelings. It's a man's world and the barbecue commenced right on time for yet another glorious occasion.