| Return of the American bandit
The names may have changed, but the grand tradition of American bank robbers such as Machine Gun Kelly, John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson is alive and well and enjoying a revival. Now meet the Paparazzi Bandit, Panama Jack and the Harry Caray Bandit, who robs banks dressed as a much-loved American sports announcer. But the criminals are no laughing matter. New statistics reveal that the United States is seeing a wave of bank robberies, though many other crimes have fallen in number over the past decade. Many large cities reported a huge spike in bank robberies last year: Los Angeles has been dubbed the "bank-robbery capital of America", with 470 in 2006. Chicago had 284 heists, up from 2005's previous record of 240. One Chicago bank was robbed twice on the same day. Dallas and Washington, DC, both saw bank robberies double last year.The crime wave has left the FBI and city police departments baffled.
Stroller Weights (and an assortment of other accessories)
Stroller or "Buggy" weights might seem like old hat to our European readers, but where are they in the US? I perused many a US website for these innovative, simple devises, and... nothing. The New York Times publicized them in 1999. Our friend, Daddytypes, reviewed them in 2005, but the place he said sold them no longer does. I can accessorize with a strollometer (just what it sounds like) and even stroller skies (Hope they're not for downhill!!!!), but where are my weights? I mean, this seems like a no-brainer to me, because every time I take my son out of our umbrella stroller, it tips over. (Ok, I'm not dense, I have learned to take the diaper bag off it first, but it's a pain! I want to keep it stored there.) According to the New York Times tests, the weights counter balanced "a fully loaded diaper bag, three Barney videos, a wool sweater and two large bottles of San Pellegrino." Sounds great! UK parents are loving them, but, again, where are they in the US? Hey, US retailers, I repeat, where are they?! (For now, US readers, try these few UK sites in addition to the link above: Great Little Trading Co., or BabyGear.) .
After Agoura eruv dismantled, residents ask 'What's up with that?'
Construction of an eruv in the Conejo Valley was nearly complete last month when area residents began complaining to public officials about aesthetics and safety concerns as well as a lack of proper permits. Last week the eruv's organizers ordered all remaining portions along the enclosure's 5-mile perimeter be dismantled.
"We are sorry that mistakes were made and that the eruv was put up in an incorrect way," Eruv Committee spokesman Eli Eisenberg told a hostile crowd of about 60 Conejo residents during the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) meeting on Jan. 23.
The Agoura Eruv, a project conceived by a small group of local Chabad congregants, covered portions of Agoura Hills and Oak Park, as well as a small sliver of Westlake Village. The Oak Park segment of the eruv had been taken down prior to the Jan.
Targeting And Life Stages
Most current approaches to behavioral targeting put all or nearly all their emphasis on what people are looking at and for online. While that's an important first step, truly customized granular targeting involves going deeper, learning new ways of asking and answering the question of why and how specific consumer segments differ in their search behavior, as Susie Kang, senior vice president of WhitePages.com, explains below. Behavioral Insider: What distinguishes your approach to leveraging behavioral data? Susie Kang:The biggest misconception I see in the behavioral field right now is that if you have people who search for autos, all you need to know about them is that they're looking for a car. That only tells you so much. The more important question, once you know that, is why they are looking for a car.
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