Archive for March, 2008
I Can’t Leave You People Alone for One Day…
Thursday, March 6th, 2008I’m working from home today in preparation for a quick trip to Philadelphia this evening, and this is what I wake up to:
Homeland Security Says No Sign of ‘Imminent Threat’ to U.S. in Times Square Blast
NEW YORK — The Homeland Security department said there was no sign of an “imminent threat” to the United States in the blast that tore through an empty military recruiting station in Times Square early Thursday morning, according to Reuters.But the agency also announced Thursday that the FBI would be joining the probe into what caused the explosion.
The blast occurred about 3:45 a.m. when an explosive device went off, causing minor damage to the recruiting station in Times Square — which is heavily populated with New York City tourists [during the day]. Hotel guests were shaken by the force in their rooms high above the scene.
Police blocked off the area to investigate the explosion, which shattered the station’s glass entryway. No one was injured.
Of note here: subway service under Times Square bypassed the station briefly, but then resumed normal service. The police blocked off the area at 3:45AM, but were letting normal traffic through when rush hour started (roughly four hours later).
Apparently, it takes more than a bomb in a public place to spook us nowadays. I mean, if the second most read story of the day were something like ‘Death Star’ Gamma-Ray Gun Pointed Straight at Earth, then there might be cause for concern, but what are the odds of that happening?
Ugh…
Categories: New York, New York | 2 Comments »
I don’t have a home right now, but if you leave a message…
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008Google’s latest cool thing isn’t even a piece of software. It’s persistent phone numbers and voicemail boxes for homeless people.
Folks can sign up for the numbers at shelters across the city. The numbers will be local and personal — i.e., each person will get a unique [San Francisco] area code number that will never expire. The number will ring a voice-mail box that will play a personalized greeting; homeless people can check their messages by dialing in from any phone.
Google announced the plan at an event with Mayor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday. The service, Newsom said, will help people who are filling out job applications or are awaiting medical test results. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Google has already handed out more than 4,000 numbers.
This is one of those rare win/win/win opportunities for everyone involved. The homeless win because they now have a significant lifeline out of the vicious cycle of homelessness – a tool to help get a job, medical services, etc.. The prospective employers, doctors, etc. win because they have ways of reaching people who ordinarily would be “off the grid.” And Google wins, because they can now build this service into their existing suite of tools, driving even more traffic to their properties, increasing and expanding the value of their advertising placements. Also, there’s the increase in good will with the general public that will likely result.
Now, if only their awesomeness would return to their stock price…
(full disclosure: I’m a shareholder)
Categories: Tech Talk | 1 Comment »
How People Found Me – February Edition
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008My monthly analysis and commentary on how people made their way to Familygreenberg.com:
Read the rest of this entry »
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Familygreenberg.com Health Check – February Edition
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008| Metric | January | February | % Change |
| Visits | 1,245 | 1,436 | +15.34% |
| Pageviews | 1,803 | 2,059 | +14.20% |
| Pages/Visit | 1.45 | 1.43 | -0.99% |
| Avg Time on Site | 0:49 | 0:45 | -9.31% |
| Bounce Rate | 81.77% | 83.36% | +1.94% |
| % New Visitors | 86.99% | 86.28% | -0.81% |
Well, after two months of down statistics, I guess it’s hardly an accomplishment to say you grew month over month. Then again, the trend could have continued, so I guess I shouldn’t look a gift pageview in the mouth.
Onwards & upwards…
Categories: Blogging about Blogs | Comments Off on Familygreenberg.com Health Check – February Edition