Author Archives: Jason

About Jason

Jason R. Koepke is Founder and Data Strategist at GNT LLC, a risk-analysis and data strategy firm that provides analytical and technical services to the public and private sectors. His work and research has been featured in the academic, financial, and technical industries.

Fast-Quick Internet Meets Slow-Conservative Buying

I am catching up on last week’s Economist and came across a small article on Blue Nile, an online middle-man for jewelry sales (mostly engagement rings). I remember when Blue Nile launched in the late 1990s for a couple reasons, including the fact that it was crazy you could buy high-end jewelry online. Yes, I will be sure to point my grandchildren to this blog post.

Anyway, here was an interesting and amusing snippet from the article:

Some 85% of purchases from Blue Nile are made by men. On average they pay $6,200 per engagement ring and take three weeks to make up their minds. Yet the majority of visitors to the Blue Nile site are women, who browse and e-mail pictures of the stone and ring they want to friends for comment, and ultimately to the target fiance-to-be.

Craziest Tour I’ve Ever Seen

This is the craziest route of a tour I’ve ever seen and, ZOMG, it comes through DC.

Be Your Own Pet (courtesy of Pitchfork):

03-27 Bristol, England – Thekla
03-29 Stoke-on-Trent, England – The Sugarmill
03-30 Oxford, England – Zodiac
03-31 Brighton, England – Audio
04-01 London, England – Scala
04-03 Nijmegen, Netherlands – Doornroosje
04-05 Gothenburg, Sweden – Sticky Fingers
04-06 Malmö, Sweden – KB
04-07 Hamburg, Germany – Molotow
04-08 Münster, Germany – Gleis 22
04-10 Brussels, Belgium – Recyclart
04-11 Rotterdam, Netherlands – Motel Mozaïque
04-12 Cologne, Germany – Gebäude 9
04-13 Munich, Germany – Ampere
04-15 Milan, Italy – Rainbow Club
04-17 Bourges, France – Le 22
04-18 Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz Popbar
04-19 Madrid, Spain – Moby Dick
05-08 Anaheim, CA – House of Blues *
05-09 Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues *
05-10 San Diego, CA – House of Blues *
05-12 Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre *
05-13 Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont Club *
05-15 Austin, TX – Stubb’s Bar-B-Q *
05-16 Dallas, TX – House of Blues *
05-17 Houston, TX – Meridian *
05-18 New Orleans, LA – House of Blues *
05-20 Saint Petersburg, FL – Jannus Landing *
05-21 Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution *
05-22 Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues *
05-23 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse *
05-24 Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel *
05-25 North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues *
05-27 Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head Live *
05-28 New York, NY – The Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza *
05-30 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club *
05-31 Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore at Theatre of Living Arts *
06-01 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club *
06-02 Montreal, Quebec – Club Soda *
06-04 Toronto, Ontario – Phoenix Concert Theatre *
06-05 Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall *
06-06 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues *
06-07 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall *
06-09 Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s *
06-10 Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue *
06-11 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant *
06-12 Chicago, IL – House of Blues *
06-13 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall Ballroom *
06-14 Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Cafe *
06-17 Vancouver, British Columbia – Commodore Ballroom *
06-18 Seattle, WA – The Showbox *
06-19 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom *
06-20 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore *
06-21 Los Angeles, CA – Wiltern Theatre *