1. The end of Hipsterdom: An Ontario-themed bar in Williamsburg
2. Markets in everything: Flu vaccine lineup edition
3. The blackface trend continues to spread
4. The newspaper downturn has everyone on edge. Or maybe it’s just the word “charticle” that’s the problem.
5. Bike-sharing, French-style.
This last is worth an excerpt. It’s a useful contrast with Montreal, where the Bixi is a massive success. But over in France, it’s just another excuse to vent against les bourgeois:
It is commonplace now to see the bikes at docking stations in Paris with flat tires, punctured wheels or missing baskets. Some Vélib’s have been found hanging from lampposts, dumped in the Seine, used on the streets of Bucharest or resting in shipping containers on their way to North Africa. Some are simply appropriated and repainted.