COMMENT — Across the Western world increasingly large chains dominate most products you buy. Groceries. Petrol or gas. Liquor. Books.
In difficult times,  support independent stores not large chain stores. Not mega-supermarkets.

Cheaper Groceries & Fuel.
Genuine competition means we pay less. Smaller players create competition.
Small independent stores are friends of the family.
Consumer choice is one of few weapons we have to create competition. Sometimes, we can sell our shares in such monopolies.
The only two forces controlling many industries are:
a) consumer choice and
b) shareholder activism.
Especially since, any Govt regulation or constraint on market …

YOUR SAY, East Europe –People in English-speaking countries awareness of European foods is in some cases, low. Especially East European cuisine.

Following the huge popularity of our Serbian food article, and given this journal is read in over 975 cities worldwide, we would like to extend an invitation to you.
For Our East European Readers!
Please, write an article about the local cuisine of your city, region or country.
We want to know about what national foods you like to eat, what are the best examples of national cuisine, what you get homesick for …

REVIEWS, SYDNEY — When in Sydney, unless frequenting exclusive restaurants or suburban secrets, it is hard to find a decent food at any price. Reasonable prices in the city are harder.
In nearby Melbourne, it is easy to have a good-size quality meal in small café venues. There are Melbourne city venues where you can get decent lunch specials of classics like veal for $10 or $15 a plate (about 6-8 EUROs), the latter with a glass of wine.
Prego, in Melbourne CBD on Collins St, has one such special.
In …

Food, real food. We take it for granted – yet more often than not what Westerners are eating is not ‘food’, but produced artificially in labs. As Felicity Lawrence, Peter Singer, Jim Mason and Greg Critser (among others), have argued the time has for consumers come to demand and purchase only real food, and not ’substitutes’. This flight to food is fundamental to human health and wellbeing, now and in the future.

COMMENT, Global – The places where we eat and live are our cities.
2thinknow rank and recognize innovation cities. Cities are important.
But there is a smaller unit that is critical to social change. This true key to positive change in our society is the role of where we eat and talk.
Families around the kitchen table.
It’s where families come together, eat, fight and discuss.
And despite feminism, it is still largely a female manager of the home and kitchen table. Let’s be realistic!
That’s why, as Western democracies are run by a cabinet of …

COMMENT, Serbia — Healthy and delicious serbian food! Serbians eat big meals. Huge meals in fact. Bigger than Americans often!
Yet Serbs are generally fit, healthy and not fat. No obesity problems.

And Serbians even eat Hamburgers, although with a lot less ‘bad stuff’ inside!
Serbians are mostly healthy as a result of the homecooked dishes they eat. With no additives and not from the supermarket. Although, this is changing.
Generally Serbians who live in Serbia do not have obesity problems despite the fact they eat large portions of meat. Serbians who live in …

VIDEO, Youtube — Interesting video from YouTube on inflation in everyday prices in China.
The program has a strange (!) name, perhaps due to translation, but this is an interesting video supported by numerous news articles.

COMMENT, Global – A few of you will recall I started a travel log of global travel & food some time back.
My focus was food, wine, airlines & accommodation as they effect global cultural innovation.
Particularly food, wine, hotels, airports, galleries, museums, cities and cultural destinations.
Why is culture everyday important?
Nothing inspires our better ideas so much as art, food, wine, song, language, design, beautiful architecture.
Inspiring cultural destinations like the Bristol in Vienna, Louvre in Paris or inspiring transit points like the Qantas First Lounge will make you want to be there.
But …

COMMENT, Sydney and Global – Global is a word often thrown around like candy at Halloween.
Too often global operations have inbuilt assumptions that people are the same everywhere. We all do it.
The assumption of homogeneity effects Customers. Employees. Suppliers.
Assumptions of homogeneity are exacerbated when people speak the same language, often English.
These assumptions can cause big issues. Issues that surface when expanding into overseas markets or staffing a remote operation or even visiting foreign lands.
Why do we assume?
Too often we see similar western accoutrement’s like McDonalds, CDs, computers, internet, CNN, DVDs, …

ANALYSIS, Global — Our town, our world, is drowning under a flood of cheap sub-standard products. Products that we can and did once live without.
This is because our modernist global economic system in English-speaking countries largely runs on the manufacture and mass consumption of cheap low-priced goods made from oil-based plastics.
Think about that for a second. What really happens?
The following chain of events was loosely based on media reports of the China pet food story, Fisher Price scandal, and recent other events.
Here is one average scenario:
A company in your city …

OPINION, Sydney — The Qantas First lounge at Sydney airport is world-class. When you travel a lot you appreciate world class facilities.
What makes Qantas First lounge innovative?
Let’s start with the physical and obvious.
The comfort is great, lounges are great, it has restaurant and marble shower suites.
The shower suites have plenty of amenities and are marble and very well fitted out. The shower feels fabulous.
There is a dining room, with far better choices than most, although it still is a little airline food, it tastes very good.
The design of the airport …

ANALYSIS: McLaren Vale, South Australia — Writing from South Australia, outside Adelaide in the McLaren Vale wine region. Been researching innovation in food supply in the region.
Food supply important to innovation?
Yes. Definitely. Community and food (never eat alone) are crucial to the development of ideas, and understanding the point of life.
Community and food are a large part of life. French people don’t view food as ‘fuel’ this is an English-speaking (largely big city) definition.
Food and company are to be savoured an enjoyed.
In the community conversation, good ideas grow, bad ideas …

Melbourne has some pretty great food. Food that can inspire good ideas and with a cleansing beer or wise choice of red the occasional flight of fancy.
Melbourne World leader in Food Inspiration & innovation
The world’s best pizzas. The worlds best coffee. And some of the worlds’ best Greek and Italian food, as well as fresh cheeses, hams, dairy and delicatessen food.
Other cities (NYC, Paris, Vienna) might have individually greater restaurants. But for general consistency of greatness in food, you can’t beat Melbourne, especially with a local on your arm…
Of …

I just looked (last night) at a Coke ad for Coke zero, and wonder how exactly is that innovative? More Fried Chicken innovation we don’t need.
Last night, I went and saw a members exclusive viewing of the Australian Impressionism art exhibition National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Australia.
Over the long weekend in Australia, Queens Birthday holiday (yes Australia shares the UK monarchy), for innovation inspiration I visited the National Gallery of Victoria International and the Astor Theatre, an art deco beacon, and a very enjoyable and inspiring cinematic experience.
The post of …

TRAVEL, Vienna, Austria –The Bristol is a great hotel, and I find the room’s very inspiring.
No two are identical, or certainly of the many I have stayed in none are the same.
Breakfast at Cafe Tirolerhof, Wiener Frühstück: large bread basket, plus beautiful schinken (ham) and Kase (cheese). Great Espresso, not as strong as Melbourne, but perfectly done. Inspires my writing talents, and I start.
Walk down through Hofburg Palace, taking a new route, always worth a look, but my most inspirational museum …

TRAVEL, Vienna — Flight crew to Vienna on BA very nice.
Allow me to freshen up, I disappear in toilets for 15 minutes, as I hadn’t been allowed to go into a toilet during Heathrow (fascists!), actually since the Captain turned on seatbelt 3 hrs ago on the Trans-Atlantic flight.
Vow to avoid Dante’s 5th circle, but know I’ll be back. Not inspirational at all, Heathrow drags creativity out of you: K-ompliance!!
Passengers stare at me, as I took 15 minutes. Very judgmental lot.
Lovely fruit and …

TRAVEL, Boston, MA, USA — Room still noisy, but not as much as before after I complained.
Breakfast: Late, working in morning. Americano coffee (like a long black or doppio espresso with hot water), as usual Starbucks coffee doesn’t taste that great, but does the job.
The filter Starbucks in the room however is magnificent. I’m on about 5 shots to wake up here. Blueberry scone tastes good, but anything might right now.
Go out, walk around; doing some further research into local media and magazines.
My …