The Idea Village started at the turn of the 21st Century as a rebellious reaction to the business-as-usual cabal who, through an interlocking web of clubs, krewes, families, and cronyism, controlled most of the purse-strings in a then-shrinking New Orleans.  Six years later, in the wake of the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, The Idea…

When you start up a business, you’re looking to hit milestones to reassure yourself things are going in the right direction. One of those milestones is simply being able to keep the doors open for the first year. And if you’re still going two years after starting up, you can be pretty confident that your business…

Whether we’re talking about economics, health, home ownership, personal income, or a host of other issues, we’re often quick to suggest we can relate every outcome to one word: education. But, like everything else, education is not as simple as it sounds. If you’re a teacher or an administrator in the education system you’re forever looking…

If you’re like most people, when you do your taxes once a year you’re genuinely surprised at the numbers staring up at you. You can’t believe how much you spent on various items. Maybe it’s car repair. School supplies. Travel. Eating out. Shoes. Or even groceries. You’re so surprised at how much you spent, compared to how…

One criticism that used to be levelled at New Orleans was that we have a thousand restaurants but only ten recipes. Every restaurant served a variation of gumbo, jambalaya and fried seafood.  Those days are gone. Take, for example, Marjie’s Grill on Broad Street. Not only is Marjie’s a popular New Orleans restaurant, it was named one…