Six reasons why Google Voice is cool

Published in Delta Airline's Sky magazine, I read the article below on my flight home from London. I agree with everything author, Bryan Gardiner, notes -- but for the fact that he fails to mention all the reasons that make Google Voice helpful, resourceful... and cool.
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6 reasons why Google Voice is cool
Ever dreamed of having your own personal switchboard operator? Google Voice, a new calling and voicemail service from the online search giant offers just that. While it’s available by invoite only, the service is already garnering a vocal and devoted following. Here’s a rundown of what you can do with Google Voice and why it’s a must-have for frequent travelers or anyone with multiple phones.

One phone number for everything.
At its core, Google Voice is a call-forwarding service. But don’t let that fool you. This is still one powerful online tool. While you can’t use any of your existing numbers for your main Google Voice number, Google will let you choose a number (in any U.S. area code) when signing up. After that, you just link it to all your other existing numbers.

High-IQ call forwarding.

Not only can you choose to forward calls to as many numbers as you like, you can even forward incoming calls to different phones based on who’s calling. Take those dreaded calls from your boss. If you’re feeling brave, you can choose to have them ring to your mobile number – not your home, where family could answer. Or you can have them sent straight to voicemail. Google Voice also lets you compile entire groups of callers to send either drectly to an online spam folder, voicemail or block altogether.

Find out who’s calling.
Everyone gets them: Strange alls from unfamiliar numbers. With Google Voice, you can have these callers stat their name before being patched through to you. If they don’t hang up, Google will tell you exactly who’s calling and give you the option to take the call or send it to voicemail.

Make free calls.
Google Voice lets you make free calls to anywhere in the United States. Best of all, these calls will appear to originate from your main Google number, even when you’re calling from your mobile phone or landline. It’s a great way to avoid divulging your personal numbers when shopping online.

Get voicemails via e-mail.
Perhaps the coolest feature in Google Voice’s arsenal is its ability to automatically transcribe all your voice messages. True, the transcription aren’t always spot on, but ti’s a great way to check messages online since that’s where many of us spend the day anyway. If that doesn’t suite you, Google Voice will also let you receive your voicemails as actual text messages or e-mails when they arrive. Not only is this faster than listening to those long-winded messages from friends, family and co-workers, but it also gives you a permanent written record that is easily stored for future reference.

Switch phones in a snap.
Worried about using up all your mobile minutes? Google Voice lets you transfer your calls to another phone with a push of a button – right in the middle of a call, if need be. When you’re on your mobile phone, simply press the “*” button, and all your other phones listed on the account will instantly ring. Simply pick one of them up and continue talking. Minutes saved!

My list does not end with the 6 reasons above; for example, when AT&T caves, and the app finally is available for the iPhone... And never forget the cool factor itself!

Full Disclosure: Long Google/GOOG.
-- David M Gordon / The Deipnosophist

Sounding a note of concern

The beauty of investing is its necessity to recognize and embrace change; change (volatility) is the fodder that creates investors' profits.

No question: the market environment today, internally and externally, is far different than during October, November, and December 2008 when I counseled readers to invest; to fear not the market's panic sell-off. I note the market indices now begin to labor, breathe hard, use up a lot of internal strength while making little upside price progress. A point of maximum change likely nears, although, as of this post, it still could be weeks or months away.

More anon, after more study. (And more health.)
-- David M Gordon / The Deipnosophist

Diagramming Won’t Help This Situation

The poem below is not only excellent, but clever as well. To conflate sentence diagramming to the poem's text, from its meta sub-text, delivers a whole new context and meaning. Of course, any poem that includes grammar and syntax (lessons) would hold extra appeal for me!

The author's meaning is direct, but read the poem again to get its subtle shadings. One clue: pay attention to verb tense. (Oh, and that sledgehammer clue in line 3!)
-- David M Gordon / The Deipnosophist

Diagramming Won’t Help This Situation
by Kevin Brown

Grammatical rules have always baffled
me, leaving me wondering whether my
life is transitive or intransitive, if I am the
subject or object of my life, and no one
has been able to provide words to describe
my actions, even if they do end in –ly.

But now the problem seems to be with
pronouns: I am unwilling to be him
and you are unable to be her, so we
will never be them ~ the ones talking
about what they need from the grocery

store because the Rogers are coming for
dinner tonight; the couple saving for a
vacation, perhaps a cruise to Alaska or a
museum tour of Europe; the two who meet
with a financial advisor to plan their children's

college fund while still managing to set enough
aside for their retirement ~ and so we will
continue to be nothing more than sentence
fragments, perfectly fine for effect,
but forever looking for the missing
part of speech we can never seem to find.

Bizarro, indeed!

Perhaps it is my mood, my generally twisted nature, or even my default personality setting, but I find the cartoon below very funny!

I hope you do as well.
-- David M Gordon / The Deipnosophist

Back home

I have returned from my holiday, and it was everything I hoped for, and more. I will create a slideshow soon to share some photos of the trek portion of my holiday.

Soon... or later. A horrible illness welcomes me home, which has felled me with one giant swoop. So I am WAY behind the eight ball.

Pending my recovery, please share (as a reply to this post) items that occurred during the past 3+ weeks I likely missed but should know: news re the markets, companies/stocks I should consider, geo-political issues, etc.

After all, nothing is as good as quality reading material while a person is laid up.
-- David M Gordon / The Deipnosophist