Boycott!!!

I wandered into Bath & Body Works on Monday and what do I hear? Freakin’ Christmas music, that’s what, punks! Grrrr...

Don’t Pull the Emergency Break

Ever notice in the New York subways, there are signs to tell you what to do in case of disaster? And for every single one, including fire, the main instruction is Don’t Pull the Emergency Break. Tell an MTA employee. Seeing as it’s difficult to even find an MTA employee, I don't see how this is a helpful instruction. I suppose you could try to shout down the train to the guy who stands in the middle and closes the door and makes mumbled announcements ala the teacher in Peanuts cartoons.

But here is the real question of the hour: in this world of danger, as you watch our nation’s leaders do and say things that appall, as the fire in the subway car bears down on you ... when do you pull the emergency break?

In the Rain, It's the Same Face Everywhere

I have finally hit the point where the world has run out of people. I’m in a new job and everyone looks like someone I’ve met before. I’m either on a reality show (unbeknownst to me) with lots of washed up actors or the video game of life has run out of stock players to appear.

Embarrassed to be American

Let me lay out for you the facts that comprise one of the saddest moments in recent U.S. history (and that’s saying something): 1. Sen. Cain, Colin Powell and a number of pro-Iraq War politicians have supported or voted for a bill that would outlaw the abusive treatment of prisoners both on U.S. soil and beyond. 2. This bill is amazingly bipartisan, having passed the Senate 90 to 9. 3. And guess who is against it? Uh-huh, that’s right. Our darling president. From The Washington Post:

“Let’s be clear: Mr. Bush is proposing to use the first veto of his presidency on a defense bill needed to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan so that he can preserve the prerogative to subject detainees to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. In effect, he threatens to declare to the world his administration’s moral bankruptcy.”

The New York Times has a great op-ed piece (must be subscriber), or read about it in The Seattle Times.

Solid Gas

CNN Headline News just reported some poor gas station that entered the price for premium gas in wrong. Instead of 3.299/gal, it was going for 0.329/gal. Here is what gets me: no one told the gas station. Attendants didn’t learn of the mistake until a television crew showed up to report on the cheap gas. Why do people think they can take advantage of human error? Gas stations are individually owned, so the person it affects is not the big rich gas company but the little guy trying to run his own business.

Change is in the Air

And I’m not just talking about the leaves (although I love the smell of leaves rotting — who’s with me?)

I have taken a full-time job in a new career. The 15-second summary of what I now do is structure websites (i.e. navigation, internal links), develop innovative web interactions and, above all, worry my ass off about usability.

So, in light of that, I’ve adjusted my second blog to report on those issues. Go to http://flinked.blogspot.com, if you care. Then tell me about every goofy, fulfilling or tragically bad website interaction you’ve ever had. I collect these stories like pet rocks.