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Articles by Jeff Kramer
The Sunset of Call Ads: Preparing for Google’s Move to Call Assets
For more than a decade, Google Ads has allowed advertisers to create Call-Only Ads, now called Call Ads. This format was designed to generate phone calls rather than website visits. When someone clicked the ad, their phone dialer opened, allowing them to contact the business directly. In October 2025, Google announced that it would begin phasing out Call Ads in favor of Responsive Search Ads with Call Assets. That transition has begun.
A Guide to the Analytics Section in Google Merchant Center
Google Merchant Center has expanded beyond basic product feed management to include built-in analytics that help merchants better understand how their products perform across Google surfaces, including Shopping ads and free listings. The Analytics section provides insights into product visibility, pricing competitiveness, and shopper behavior on your website.
Offline Conversion Tracking for Google & Microsoft Ads: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Set It Up
When someone clicks your ad, fills out a form, or picks up the phone, that’s often just the start. Maybe the real sale happens later – after a follow-up call, a signed contract, or an in-store visit. The challenge is getting credit for those offline wins. That’s where Offline Conversion Tracking (OCT) comes in. It connects your online ads to the real-world results that happen afterward, giving you a clearer picture of what’s driving revenue.
Pot Roast Lovers, Meet Swiss Steak: The Fork-Tender, Gravy-Smothered American Classic Original
Pounding the eye of round steaks aggressively physically breaks down tough muscle fibers so the meat stays intact but yields fork-tender results. Caramelizing tomato paste before braising builds depth and sweetness, while a splash of soy sauce layers in umami. I can’t speak for the Swiss as a whole, but my Swiss German ancestors—Portmanns who dropped the second "n" during World War I, after immigrating to the US—were thrifty people.
My Deviled Egg Potato Salad Is the Best of Both Worlds
Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu Why Make This This salad blends deviled eggs and potato salad into one flavorful backyard side dish. You can easily make it ahead for gatherings, saving time on the day you serve it. I recently learned via an Instagram video that adding hard-boiled eggs to potato salad is controversial. To me, there’s no controversy, only a superior way of making the classic cookout side dish—with the eggs, thank you—and I’d never consider doing it another way.
Unlocking Success: Free Resources Every Small Business Needs
Running a small business is easy. You get to set your own hours, make the rules, and be the boss—says the person who’s never run a small business. In reality, there are numerous challenges: limited financial resources, time constraints, market competition, customer acquisition, and retention, adapting to market changes, marketing, scaling the business, lack of staff, and technology integration, which can all keep small business owners up at night.
How Softening Consumer Spending is Impacting M&A in the Convenience Industry
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Soft Landing Now, But If Anyone Is Happy, Please Stand Up to Be Seen
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Buffalo Mag 3/5
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The End of an Era – Say Goodbye to Google’s Third-Party Cookies | JumpFly Digital Marketing Blog
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey, goodbye third-party cookies! I’m not sure that those lyrics would have been a hit song, but it sure is a catchy theme for 2024 in the digital advertising world. Third-party cookies have been on the chopping block for some time, but 2024 is slated to be the year to say goodbye to Google’s third-party cookies officially. As an advertiser, it will be like saying goodbye to an old, familiar friend.
Industry M&A Multiples Get Tested
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Has the Threat of a Recession Passed?
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About That Recession: An Economic Outlook
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Recession or Not?
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Why Now Is the Time to Tackle the EV-Charger Question: Part 1
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State Bar of Texas
THIS IS ONE ISSUE THAT WE—AND MANY OF OUR READERS—particularly look forward to. Storytelling is alive and well, and the Texas Bar Journal relishes the opportunity to share some of it with you. We’d like to extend an appreciative thank you to the 14 writers who submitted entries to the 2022 competition. To keep the contest fair and impartial, author names were removed from each entry.
Going Through Hoops
Book Revisits Epic Game and Life Pre-81 By Jeff Kramer Author M.C. Antil had a problem. He set out to write a local basketball history on the long-defunct Syracuse Parochial League, the colorful 10-team affiliation of Catholic high schools and its outsized contributions to the game. But what happens when — after hundreds of interviews — you come to understand that the most important player was the construction of a 1.4-mile viaduct that was cleaving the town in two?
Humanitarian Parole
By Jeff Kramer Mohammad Raziq and his family were safely aboard a flight from Kabul to Qatar when a suicide bomber struck the airport they’d left behind three hours earlier, killing 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. troops. Six months later, Raziq, a father of four who served as an interpreter attached to U.S. Special Forces in Kandahar, works at a convenience mart in East Syracuse. “We are all OK,” Raziq emphasizes. “We are all safe. We know the meaning of life now.
Ransomware: King of Cybersecurity Threats
The main takeaway: The fastest-growing threat facing businesses today is ransomware. There are numerous methods threat actors use to compromise networks, yet phishing, malware and hacking are the primary risks that need to be addressed.
Economic Outlook: Long-Term Trends Vs. Short-Term
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5 Ways to Close the Labor Gap in Cybersecurity
Job security growing pains: With the increase of daily cyberattacks, cybersecurity jobs have become more challenging as pressure and demands rise. Root of the issue: Technology professionals are in the driver’s seat and are seeking remote opportunities with more flexibility. Next steps: Organizations need to modernize their working models and perks to keep and attract top talent. Aprio’s Digital Information and Cybersecurity Advisory Services has the expertise you need to stay ahead.
Opinion: Gerrypandering
Onondaga County Executive met with packed room, urging him to veto Republican-led redistricting map or potentially face a lawsuit By Jeff Kramer Maybe in a perfect world, with his self-styled reputation as a “bipartisan problem solver,” Ryan McMahon doesn’t host a standing room only potential super-spreader in a cramped conference room. Maybe he takes charge, as you might expect from a $167,000-a-year county executive.
How Retailers Can Turn Big Data into Big Results
The main takeaway: Big data revolutionized the retail industry, but most retailers shortchange their investment in data analytics by failing to implement a comprehensive digital strategy. Impact on your business: Without a coordinated digital transformation strategy, retailers end up with excessive data and limited insights. Next steps: Transform data into results by partnering with an advisor who can create a tailored digital transformation strategy unique to your needs and goals.
Resettled Family Desperate to Reunite
American bureaucracy stalls special visa to bring over brother, an Afghan national who worked for US military By Jeff Kramer In “Saving Private Ryan,” a World War II platoon headed by Tom Hanks searches for the only surviving brother of four, with orders to remove the soldier from combat so he can be sent home to his grieving mother. The movie popped into my mind when a friend, Saboor, asked me to help him publicize the desperate case of his youngest brother, Habib.
LiteracyCNY Set to Close this Week
Founder Ruth Colvin and board likely to return program to its roots as an all-volunteer service By Jeff Kramer Lawmakers are scrambling to save LiteracyCNY after the state denied critical funds to the nationally acclaimed program, forcing it to suspend operations effective this week. The 62-year-old organization, which served about 350 learners pre-Covid restrictions, was launched by Ruth Colvin, now 103. She was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2006 by President George W.
Black Judges Can No Longer Stay Silent
In the wake of continued killings of unarmed minorities by police, justices identify areas of racism in court system By Jeff Kramer Embedded in a new report on racial bias in New York state courts is a link to a segment of the popular TV show “What Would You Do?” starring John Quinones. The episode can’t substitute for the exhaustive findings of The Judicial Friends Association, a long-standing organization of Black and other minority judges.
Opinion: 7 C-Store Predictions and Forecasts for 2019
I anticipate major oil and refiners will keep seeking secure outlets for their products through outright acquisitions or joint ventures, as well as other creative methods. This could mean more acquisitions and partnerships by big oil companies. Also, because of changing world political events, there will be more uncertainty about foreign investors in our space.
Lights! Camera! DeWitt?
If you missed the thrice-weekly’s front-page photo showing Gov. Warbucks seated next to Joanie Mahoney at her State of the County address, it’s worth a look.
A History of Exploring and Creating Immersive Consumer Experiences
Virtual reality, augmented reality and immersive experiences have continued to be at the forefront of the Consumer Electronics Show in recent years, and even more so at the 2018 gathering. Hardware and software makers continue to invest and develop new devices that can transport people to new places — real or imaginary. And new screens create visuals that are dazzling.
Technology Takeaways from CES 2018 | Paul Allen
From advancements in autonomous vehicles to pesticide detectors for your vegetables, here are some of the most exciting technologies and products to come out of 2018’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) according to Jeff Kramer, Paul Allen’s tech adviser. CES was an interesting mix of products this year, but I was really keeping a lookout for technologies that are poised to make a big impact in the reasonably near term.
Ich Bin Ein Berliner
In 1940, a 12-year-old Jewish boy and his parents flee Nazi Germany to start a new life in the United States. Seventy-seven years later, his son applies for dual citizenship with Germany, so he’ll have somewhere to go if he has to flee Nazis in the United States. Crazy stuff, but crazy is what you get when you install a criminal psychotic into the most important job on the planet. By now you’ve no doubt figured out who the applicant for German citizenship is.
Life’s A Beach During Left Coast College Visits
Normally we keep information to a minimum here, but I’ll make an exception to expose a scam targeting parents of high schoolers in the Northeast. Here’s how it works: The student announces he or she wants to tour college campuses in a warm-weather location such as Southern California. Some of these campuses are so close to the beach you can stand in the admissions office and hear wedges of lime splashing into Coronas.
Heavenly Daze For A Crafty Corporation
I love doing crafts. So it has been since seventh grade, when Mr. Kemper, who taught Industrial Arts, answered one of my wisecracks by telling the class: “What the hell does Kramer know, anyway? Everything he touches turns to shit.” Historical footnote: Back in the 1970s, teachers could say those kinds of things without being led away in handcuffs.
Pearls Of Wisdom You Don’t Need To Know
At a time when it’s cool to blame victims and defend victimizers, Bill Cosby has played masterfully to the new sensibility. A year ago it would have sounded ridiculous if the comedian proposed hosting town meetings on how to avoid rape charges in response to a mistrial in his sexual assault case. Never mind that there are at least 60 other women who have accused him of more or less the same thing. Yet these days the strategy makes perfect sense. Blatant hypocrisy isn’t just acceptable.
Playing Chicken At The Pump
Can we take a break from the dismantling of the Republic to discuss a matter of even greater import: Who has the best gas station wings in Central New York? If that sounds familiar, it’s because a few years ago I set out to find the best gas station pizza in our area. Now that summer has finally arrived, along with our popular Summer Times issue, it’s time to assess gas station pizza’s trendy companion nutrient: chicken wings. Gas station wings aren’t exactly commonplace yet.
POTUS Trip Yields Bumper Crop Of Comedy
Much of my adult life has been spent wracking my brain for humorous column ideas. At times, the fruit hangs so low it hits me in the face, but too many other times — whether due to my own stalled imagination or a dark turn in the news cycle — nothing seems funny. That’s not a complaint. I’m used to the process, and I’m at peace with it. As President John F.
Doubling Down With Trumponomics
I have just been informed that President Trump is displeased by a few things I have written about him. Perhaps you’ve seen his recent tweet on the subject: “No-talent Kramer better hope I don’t have ‘tapes’ of him doing something disgusting with the dwarf goats at the Kathie Lee Gifford Zoo in Syracuse!!” Nice try, Donald. All my visits to the zoo have been romance-free. Probably. Come to think of it, there’s no way to know for sure. Some of these new craft beers are really strong.
Rules Of The Endgame
My wife, Leigh, just had her first colonoscopy, and while everything checked out fine, there’s a nasty little secret about these routine procedures. While much focus is directed toward the patient’s discomfort, the far greater hardship suffered by the spousal caregiver is often overlooked. Just to review, a colonoscopy involves an intimate video probe under sedation to check for signs of colon cancer.
Playwright Raises The Woof Over His New Comedy
One of the great pleasures of this job used to be how easy it was to offend prudes and other censorious assbites. Hard as it might be for you younger people to believe, I once could generate angry calls and letters from readers merely for using a phrase such as “oral sex” or suggesting that smokeless tobacco is harmless for infants.
Baby Boomer Revisits Parent Trap
In our household, March came in like a lion and went out with a brand new baby girl. Not a real baby, mind you, but a facsimile, courtesy of the Baby Think It Over teen pregnancy avoidance program at Jamesville-DeWitt Middle School. My eighth-grader, Lily, brought home the interactive plastic infant to tend to overnight, proving again that there’s almost nothing she won’t do for extra credit.
Hop On Pop Culture Cosplayers
Before we get too far into this week’s topic, I want to make it clear that I am not one of them. Yes, I have my own Winnie-the-Pooh suit and my own Dorothy (from The Wizard of Oz) pinafore with accompanying pigtail wig. If you’re inclined to do background checks, I’ll save you the trouble: I once — and only once — paraded about Chittenango as a super-sized Munchkin.
Revealing the super-secret life of SU’s orange mascot
On a dark, bitterly cold morning, a few figures, some dressed only in shorts and T-shirts, race through wind-whipped snow from the parking lot into the Manley Field House. Their sunny demeanors defy the hour and conditions. That’s true even of one young woman who is barking like a seal. “I’m not sick,” comes the cheerful but defiant reply. “You have a cough, your chest hurts and you can’t breathe,” Julie persists.
Shocking News And Dictation Blues
Try not to panic. The disease won’t kill me. But let’s not sugarcoat this either. I recently tested positive for carpal tunnel syndrome, placing the high-quality humor you enjoy in this space in jeopardy. I’ve experienced burning, tingling and numbness in both hands, especially when typing, so the other day I sauntered into an outpatient clinic and got one hand — the dominant left one — fixed. At least I hope so.
Beyond The Wall In Mexico, N.Y.
The Electoral College is a bogus diploma mill secretly funded by Barack and Michelle Obama that defrauds tens of thousands of unwitting students and their parents annually, according to new allegations. That was breaking news in Mexico, N.Y., last week. Small note: The news was spread only by me and it was fake. By fake I do not mean this was fake news that is actually true — the kind of fake news that causes President Thorazine to throw his juice box at Spicy.
Keepin’ It Surreal Wit Fab Frederick Douglass
When President Trump let it slip last week that Frederick Douglass is still alive, a lot of my media colleagues laughed at him. They saw it as more evidence that most homing pigeons have a deeper grasp of American history than the president. “Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is getting recognized more and more, I notice,” the president said.
Nogoodnik Funnies, Kremlin-Style
Dobro Prozholovat — or “welcome” in American language — to first column I write under new President Trump. Some of you perhaps have slight concern about foreign meddling in words you read here. Nyet to worry, comrades. Even though the Great Orange Reality TV Host has been sworn in as Mother Russia’s official bitchkaya, let me assure you that I remain the same Jeffrovich Krameroff you’ve always known and loved.
Jeff's Mom Passes On
On Jan 3, just before sunset in Seattle, I lost my No. 1 fan. There will come a time when I find the words to convey to a general audience who my mother was and what she meant to me, but for now I ask you to accept this abbreviated column as a concession that this is one of those embarrassing times when words fail a writer. I did a decent job of eulogizing her two days after she drew her last breath at age 79, but that doesn’t really count.
A Case of Yellow Journalism
In a flash, 45 years vanish. I’m right back in the principal’s office. I’m busted. “Take your coat off,” says Mrs. Zerrillo, the principal at Tecumseh Elementary School in DeWitt. “You won’t be going out for recess.” She gestures for me to sit in a tiny wooden chair of shame and explain myself. The fact that both my daughters attended Tecumseh buys me nothing but added humiliation. The unspoken question in the room: How could the father of two lovely, young girls have done … this?
Holiday Songs For A Cruel Yule
I’m doing better now that we’re more than a month past the election. My stomach hurts less and the number of times I wake up in the middle of the night consumed by dread is generally less than two. I’m most bothered, for whatever reason, by the climate change deniers that the president-elect wants to stuff in his cabinet.
Assessing Abstraction Skills
Abstraction is considered to be a key skill underlying most activities in computer science (CS) and software engineering (SE).3,4 As a central concept, abstraction is taught and utilized in various guises in every CS and SE course: in requirements specifications, problem solving, and modeling through to programming and debugging. Given its importance, can one assess an individual's abstraction ability? Are abstraction skills assessable at all? If no, why? If yes, how?
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