The first thing to know about Quiet Luke is that he is not so quiet. This is a Saved-By-The-Bell-style pop song that you aren’t hearing right if it doesn’t force your face into an open-mouthed, slapstick smile. It came out last year, just after Luke graduated from NYU, and even then he was a little bit famous (that is, signed and getting press). When you consider his age, it becomes apparent that the “I Wanna Go” video is a great throwback to a time that he may not remember; he appears in a mansion labeled his ‘happy place,’ where he reads empowerment books in the corner, grabs refreshments from a shelf stocked with Sunny D, and does step aerobics in high-waisted shorts and a sweatband. But some eventual drone action displays a degree of temporal self-awareness. Anyway, jump in and see how the kids are doing it these days (and then keep listening– spoiler, Quiet Luke is doing “it” well).
Our little talk about plants-as-pets the other day got me thinking about pets-as-pets. In the wake of the Uber v Lyft battle, there’s a hot new rivalry between Wag and Rover, the two leading on-demand dog-walking startups. Virtually identical, both have green logos, will walk or sit your dog, and can assign you a dog walker in a couple of taps. Both are well funded, and both occasionally lose dogs (as any business at scale would do– still, oof). So, who will win? And can it be both? Seems like there’s enough dog love to fuel business.
A new app that you can tell is publicly funded by its name, “Incentrip,” is gamifying commutes, showing users all their options and awarding points for choosing the most energy-efficient modes of transit. Those points then accrue to become gift cards at Amazon, Apple, Google, and other places you can buy things. Name aside, well done, developers; incentives WORK (pls reference the Bike Angels program). But for all you opportunists around the country who are ready to get paid to walk, know that the app is only available in D.C. and Baltimore for now. And, city planners, please also hedge your excitement; this app can’t get people to take subway systems that don’t work.
If you need a recharge from office life, The Weekend Sabbatical is leading a service-based professional retreat in Rincon, Puerto Rico this October. Throughout the trip, you’ll be working with a career coach on a roadmap to reach your professional goals, and the rest of your time you’ll be trekking, swimming, and doing hurricane relief work with an org called Stronger Than Maria. Oh, and yoga– wouldn’t be a retreat without yoga. Sounds great, right? Learn more here.
