Google (GOOG) just picked up another promising startup in its effort to gain some ground in the online visual advertising market. Teracent, which was formed three years ago, is becoming part of the search engine giant.

Yahoo! (YHOO) currently leads the market in display advertising sales, and Google has been trying push into the space. Last year, this led to its acquisition of online ad service DoubleClick, but that was a first step rather than a total solution to Google's display ad ambitions.

We wondered back in July how it would look once the Wall Street Journal started printing ads on the first page, a decision announced at the same time as parent Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (NYSE:DJ) released second quarter earnings. The front page of today's Wall Street Journal seems to have been designed by a master of satire, not one of those "elegant" copy editors for which the paper is known.

But, wouldn't you know it, starting off on a new venture ends up being an embarrasment. Below the fold on the right is an article on General Motors Corporation (NYSE:GM) entitled "Kerkorian Aims to Boost GM Stake In Bid to Add Pressure on Wagoner." Right below it, an ad for GM's new 100,000 mile warranty. The headline of the ad: "A New Level Of Confidence." Maybe they should send it to Kerkorian and tell him to keep his money.

As it happens, Toyota has also been a major early buyer of the front page space that runs on the WSJ front page. Maybe they can buy GM.

Douglas McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.

The headline everywhere 'round the blogosphere today: "beef is sexy." McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is making waves not only with its slap-the-forehead realization that its customers want to eat breakfast food after 10:30 a.m., but also with its ad campaign in China.

Evidently, these ads, they show how sexy McDonald's hamburgers are.

Even though the "Where's the beef?" ad campaign from the 80s was decidedly un-sexy, I think I can speak for all of America when I say: MCD, you are not the first one ever to make the connection between beef and sex. Isn't beef tenderloin the most oft-ordered entree on Valentine's Day? And correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't certain members of the male population equated their, um, male member with this favorite of all red meats?

McDonald's is, it seems, discovering the obvious. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'd say that any management team deserves adulation for giving the people what they want.

Especially when it's sex.