"TheStreet is a leader in high-quality, professionally-produced financial content, and their coverage in the technology, communications, and cleantech sectors and the attractive audience that content attracts makes them an ideal partner for GigaOM," said Paul Walborsky, CEO of GigaOM. 

"We look forward to working hand-in-hand with the editorial, analyst, and business teams at TheStreet to share content across our joint network of sites, to co-author research reports that deliver critical insights into the technology-driven industries we jointly cover and to introduce our respective audiences to each other’s brands and service offerings," added Walborsky.

"Our partnership with GigaOM builds on TheStreet’s recent content and audience-sharing arrangements with other best-in-class partners from Newsweek to Nightly Business Report to the personal finance site Bundle – all organizations that understand the distinct value of TheStreet’s quality, action-oriented content in the financial vertical," said Daryl Otte, CEO of TheStreet. 

"As a well-followed brand in the leading areas of technology with a highly-engaged audience and deep roots into the vibrant West Coast technology community, GigaOM delivers to TheStreet great incremental distribution while lending significant new resources and insight to our already strong offerings in the technology sector. We are pleased to be teaming with such an influential partner," said Otte.

GigaOm and TheStreet have already released a co-branded report available through GigOm Pro, the publication’s paid service.

 Thomas J. Clarke Jr.

This number isn’t quite equal to the 19 percent decline in net income TheStreet experienced, so perhaps the company’s leaders should feel lucky.  On the other hand, Jon C. Ogg notes, "The initial drop in earnings is so far being tied to the launch of MainStreet.com and other online sites for finance," so it’s not (although MainStreet’s content is quite questionable) as if TheStreet just dropped money down a sewer.

Also, in terms of total revenue, TheStreet did nicely.  It brought in a full $18.9 million, which represents a 31 percent rise.

"We began 2008 delivering on key strategic initiatives . . . to strengthen our position as the leading destination for ‘all things money,’" explained Thomas J. Clarke Jr., TheStreet’s chairman and CEO, in a statement.

He continued, "While the initiatives had a short-term effect on our quarterly earnings, we are encouraged by the strong demand from advertisers across TheStreet.com’s network of sites and services."

Finally, recent development in TheStreet’s life is its acquisition of a stake in Geezeo.  The $1.2 million price was paid after March 31st, so it didn’t affect first-quarter earnings, but it’s bound to have an impact on the company’s bottom line sooner or later.

 Peter Glyman

About $1.2 million was traded for a 13 percent interest in Geezeo, according to a corporate statement.  Finance tools and social features seem to be the main things at stake, and if TheStreet likes where this leads, it’s allowed to buy up the rest of the company within the next year.

Thomas J. Clarke, Jr., TheStreet’s chairman and CEO, acknowledged, "Geezeo is a natural place for visitors to the individual Web sites within TheStreet.com network to connect. . . .  Geezeo brings our audience together in an interactive arena that facilitates educated financial decision making."

Peter Glyman, Geezeo’s cofounder, took a more lively approach by writing "Booyah!" on the corporate blog.  He later continued, "We are totally confident that we are now partnered with the absolute best company to help us gain exposure, enhance content, and make Geezeo the very best free personal finance management site on the web."

And neither Jim Cramer nor the connotations of "Geezeo" were mentioned at all.

An initial blog post states, "We watched – along with the rest of the world – as the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s baby, Danielyn, was decided by a controversial DNA test and we asked ourselves, ‘Are our final wishes completely clear if we were no longer around to raise our children?’"

That’s a valid question.  But mentioning a drug-addicted (and now dead) stripper may not be the best way to bring it up.  Likewise with funeral arrangements and Heath Ledger, long-term medical leaves and Amy Winehouse, and just about everything on MainStreet, really.

Mixing celebrity gossip and financial advice seems downright strange, and perhaps completely laughable.  Portfolio.com’s Jeff Bercovici asks in an article’s title if it’s the worst idea ever, then later adds, "[I]f it really is a premature April Fools Day prank, all I can say is: Bravo.  Well played."

MainStreet is an offshoot of TheStreet, however, and it doesn’t seem likely that the more traditional site would kid around in this fashion.  So we’re faced with two possibilities: (1) MainStreet will fail, or (2) MainStreet will succeed, and your humble author will seriously consider manning a corner while wearing a "The End Is Near" sandwich board.