Seriously, as we in PR are in the business of recognition, I cannot tell you how thrilled and honored I am to be recognized by my peers. I am deeply moved.

Of course, I've prepared a few words.

But before I begin, for those not in the business, let me give you a little background.

"Public Relations" as a name is really a misnomer. As I've said here many times before, "relations," from meaningful passion to naughty diddling, can be a lot of fun. Trust me; I love to fool around. Hey, we all want juicy kisses and that little man in the rowboat entertained. But intimacy also comes with the "C" word, i.e. commitment. In a nutshell, relationships are a lot of work. Frankly, in the end it's a hell of a lot easier to pay a strumpet or get a dog.

PR BUBBLE BURSTS

So... did you hear it? It happened about a week ago. A business bubble burst. As it was in PR, I would think you at least heard the subsequent rush of hot air. Here we look at what it all means, what were the telltale signs, what happened exactly, and what happens next.

First off, with all that's going on in the world right now, don't feel bad if you missed it. Actually, even if this were a tranquil peacetime, the event of a bubble breaking is rarely ever heard. It's more like the moment a doctor quietly, serenely, documents a patient's time-of-death. The sound that then resonates is a slow single exhale followed by a wail of the family coming to terms. After that it's just the raucous yelling over over what's left of the estate. Last week, with very little notice or elaboration, the bubble around all the corporate blogging hype broke quietly. Time of Death: Monday, July 17, 9:13 AM. God rest its soul.