If I were to do a "TV series," it might be on certain spots in the U.S. that are "crossroad" points. These are locations in which you can learn a lot about people by observing their habits and get a feeling for what comprises American culture.

This clip is outside 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the home of NBC-TV; you've seen it in countless movies. Just a minute of watching the world go by.

So, I am walking back to my hotel when I stumble upon a “news event.” Some folks from a new company—“I Know”—are handing out souvenir coins on Avenue of the Americas at 48^th St. Given the age and high-tech demeanor of the group, my hunch is it’s some sort of new Web content business. They plan on launching next week, and were excited that a random videoblogger (me) was anxious to shoot some footage of them (as well as ask questions).

The coin is cool and bears the slogan—“This coin is the key.” The website is up with some teaser material; it might not be totally live until next week. Check back.

We finaly made it down to Penzeys. Penzeys is a Midwestern spice company that has a series of stores in the heartland and a thriving catalog business. As serious cooks, we love to try new spices and spice blends.

Penzeys held a contest for spice lovers to vote where the company should open its next store. Boston won, but Phoenix came in second. This is their Phoenix store (which actually is in Scottsdale).