More Retail Data – and What It Says About Consumer Attitudes Today

While perusing WWD this afternoon I learned: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. continues to leave everyone else in its wake. Wal-Mart’s flat profits stood in direct contrast to the other stores reporting results Thursday, all of which saw profits declines. Nordstrom Inc.,

The Future of Books and Publishing

Books are the last bastion of an old media business model. With all the hullabaloo over the upcoming Kindle release, I’ve been inspired to look for thoughts and examples of how it might look in the near future. When McKenzie

Watch the Whole Thing

Digital Branding by Mike Arauz

Had to share because it’s so simple and so right on. Check out his blog, tons of great musings and lively comment sections. I always learn something.

Inspiration: Daniel Boulud

Fearless, despite the crunch A SELF-DESCRIBED “psycho” when it comes to details, Mr. Boulud, 54, had planned a Paris-meets-Texas diner before anyone had heard of credit-default swaps. The concept evolved a little, but not the price point. Homemade sausages and

Can ‘The Onion’ Be Used as a Source?

Best headline ever? 79 Percent Of Americans Missing The Point Entirely WASHINGTON, DC—According to a Georgetown University study released Tuesday, 79 percent of Americans are missing the point entirely with regard to such wide-ranging topics as politics, consumerism, taxes, entertainment,

Yankelovich’s Take on American Health

The subtitle of the latest Yankelovich Monitor briefing is “Health: More than Talk Required” and I’ve been chewing on it all day. (See the extended excerpt below.) I live in New York City where restaurant chains are required by law

Crossing the Red State, Blue State Divide

Perhaps you read this article in the New York Times today and got a little frightened as you choked down your oatmeal. Before I put on my small-town, middle America hat and do some culture translating for you, let me

Didn’t We Know This Already?

Newsflash: Intelligent women have better sex I love these REALLY official-looking research results that crop up in papers and websites. Call me crazy, but emotionally intelligent people probably have better EVERYTHING – relationships, jobs, friendships, spiritual lives. Find a way

A Wilde Adventure

I’ve just finished Built of Books by Thomas Wright, which examines the life of Oscar Wilde through the books he loved and owned. Gathering up such a list seems a daunting task at first but an avalanche of records exist