The American Flag or “Your Ad Here?”

You know that giant American Flag that has covered the front of the New York Stock Exchange since shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks? Well apparently that particular American flag is not so much a memorial as it is a placeholder for corporate promotion opportunities. Consider it a patriotic version of the ubiquitous “Your [...]

Being an American means you don’t have to sweat (as much)

Taking the subway in the middle of the summer is never going to be an entirely pleasant experience. For starters, the fact you’re taking the subway means you’ve already had to leave your air-conditioned home or office and ventured out into the summer heat. But at least in America when you finally get on the [...]

Link Roundup—“That’s 1228 calories of delicious” edition

The food industry blog Foodservice-Friends.com takes a close look at the cost of providing free refills in a restaurant. The article has a lot of industry-speak, but the long and short of it is that offering free refills adds about 12 cents to the cost of serving a 20oz soft drink, bringing the total cost [...]

#19. KFC’s “Double Down Sandwich”

Just when you though eating in America couldn’t get any better, the great food scientists at KFC go and out do themselves once again. No, it is not some new larger version of #7 the Chicken & Biscuit Bowl, it is something better. A bacon and cheddar sandwich with two pieces of fried chicken as [...]

MINUTEMENT UPDATE: Future finally arrives

Know what sucks? When you’re flipping through a magazine to look at the celebrity pictures and a colorful ad catches your eye—and you’re compelled to read the text to figure out what the ad is selling and how you can buy it. I know it bums me out. Thankfully, the great men and women on [...]

Chain restaurants in NYC: Saturation point or starting point?

The Center for an Urban Future has a new study out showing the number of chain restaurants and stores in New York City.  Here are some of the highlights for Manhattan. (Here is the report for the whole city) Store———– Outlets in Manhattan————–Outlets/Square Mile Starbucks                            193                     [...]

5 Things about New York City that make America Great (and 4 that remind me of Europe)

In some ways, New York is the most American of cities. Its energy, drive and optimism are emblematic of the American spirit. It is also the birthplace of many great American institutions that have yet to disseminate across much of the rest of the country, like taxi cabs that take credit cards. But with its [...]

Cooler heads previal

Walking down Broadway in 90 degree heat earlier this week, I came to have a deeper appreciation of the American retail tactic of luring customers into shops by blasting air conditioning out of open doors. As it was particularly sticky that day, I was happy when my walk brought me to the boutique-lined blocks of [...]

Correction: There is one thing good about Pennsylvania after all

Last week I wrote about my drive from Michigan to New York. You can read the previous posts here and here. Last weekend I had to make the drive again. This time I got off the highway and drove some of the more scenic roads of rural Pennsylvania. Turns out, I was a bit hard [...]

Yellow Journalism Watch: New York Times continues its assault on the freedoms of motorists

For a paper based in the most pedestrian-oriented city in the country, the editors at the New York Times sure have it in for America’s motorists.  For the last few weeks, the Times has been running a series called “Driven to Distraction” about the extreme dangers purportedly posed by motorists who chat on their cell [...]