Vive Velib’

Vélib’, Paris’s bicycle-rental system, has been touted as an inspirational model for New York and other cities around the world. Residents there can rent a sturdy bicycle from hundreds of public stations and pedal to their destination, an inexpensive, healthy,

Teen Runaways

Not my usual numbers-type posting, but I found myself surprised and moved by these. Most of the estimated 1.6 million children who run away each year return home within a week. Nearly a third of the children who flee or

The Cookie Monster Will Return

Anybody else out there not really buying all these “things are looking up!!! really!!!” pieces in the media? I just have to see how my own business has a much different flow than it’s had in years past to know

Job of the Future: YouTube Concierge

The San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino has expanded the role of one of its staff members to include filming resort guests. The staff member has a new title: “You Tube Concierge.” This person adds to his daily duties

Mid-Price Luxury Thrives in Tough Times

I’m looking for bright spots to post this week and this article on fashion brands doing well caught my eye. I am particularly heartened to see the booming Isabel Marant numbers. Like every other wannabe honorary French femme, I love

U2’s Tour Overhead

I’ve found some numbers that help bring to life the enormous financial impact a single entertainment entity can have. U2 is currently out on the road, doing its worldwide thing. (Apparently Bono has time to do more than just rock

The Guild: Future of Original Content?

My girlcrush of the year! Wired magazine interviewed Felicia Day here. I think her “isolated” success is very telling about how media industry folks do NOT understand how the game is changing right beneath their feet. Perhaps the huge swell

Aesthetic Sensibility and Nationality

I LOVED this article today in the New York Times “Room for Debate” blog.

I Heart Sarah

Bike Ladies

From Scientific American: Although bike lanes painted on streets and automobile-free “greenways” have increased ridership over the past few years, the share of people relying on bikes for transportation is still less than 2 percent, based on various studies. An