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.

I’m on to you …

... And now the rest of the women of the world will be too (FYI: millions read this blog yet stoicly refuse to comment ... ever). So men, do not try this at home, or your woman will look like this random chic.

(Thanks Dan.)

Evolution is Real! I Have Proof!

As clear evidence of evolution, I point to this recent cat development: the toilet as litter box. I’m just joking, of course, but be sure to follow the real evolving story. My favorite moment of overblown buffoonery:

The second day of the closely watched trial began with a defense attorney seeking to show inconsistencies in the remarks and writings of the plaintiffs’ key witness, Kenneth R. Miller, a Brown University biology professor and textbook author.

During cross-examination, attorney Robert Muise asked Miller whether evolution was “random and undirected” to which Miller replied, “No.”

Muise pointed out that the statement evolution is random and undirected appeared in bold type in his widely used textbook, Biology.

Miller replied that the statement was written by coauthor Joseph Levine for an edition published in 1998 and was removed in subsequent editions.

“It was a good day for the school board,” [defense attorney] Thompson said outside the courthouse. “Miller admitted it was a religious or philosophical statement and that book is still being sold in the United States and he is receiving royalties from it.”

Quotable Hamster

“Hamster-haired megamogul” having a kid. Before you follow the link can you guess who I’m talking about?

Web Keeps Getting Groovier and Groovier

In case you have not heard, something called web 2.0 is afoot. I cannot pretend to get it entirely, but it basically allows databases from more than one source to talk to each other. Sounds uber-technical, I know, but here are two sites sites that turn techy into too cool:

• Flickr-sourced pic search with related terms and funky floating interface
• Google-sourced Marumushi newsmap (the new croissant to my a.m. coffee)

Top Stuff

If you read nothing else in the news today, read these:

• Brown points finger after being ousted. If only fingers worked like Pinocchio’s nose; then we could tell who was lying, though I already have an idea...
• January federal report found medical system weak when responding to disasters. Suddenly, the homeland doesn’t feel so secure.
• Israel hitting Gaza in (successful?) airstrikes, but peace deal also brokered. Boy who cried wolf, anyone?
  

City Sleeps Above 40th Floors

Lights out past midnight for NYC higher than the 40th.

Get a Photoshopped Booty!

OK, for all the ladies out there (and even the men) who have looked at supermodels and thought: I will never have a body like that, it is time to face the music:

1. of course you will never have a body like that — you have better things to do
2. they don’t have bodies like that either, and here’s how I know.

T-Shirt Fun!

Two super fun(ny) online t-shirt stores: the first, called Vintage Vantage, is fresh and groovy (and is running a little slowly today because it got national press). The second, Threadless T-Shirts, allows someone to design a tee and then people vote and the winning t-shirt actually gets made and sold! Many are extremely creative and unique (I like Loch Ness Imposter).

Side note: anti-stink stuff for your next bathroom trip. Think it works?

Finally, two points to the one who explains why the T in t-shirt is conventionally capitalized (notice my damn-the-man laissez-faire attitude in this posting ... wild one ... yeah ...)

“Keep Your Hands Where I Can See ’Em!”

Flinked/wallowmuddy has been held hostage by blog spam (blam) of late. So new comment policy: you'll now have to type in some random letters to confirm that you actually put on your pants one leg at a time like the rest of us. Thanks RealLiveBreathing Readers!

Kinda Like Predictive Text

This Google is created with a new type of web interaction system called Ajax. Pretty damn cool, huh?

Shaq Likes Blue Uniforms as Well

Credit Dan for linking to this. It is so funny to imagine a 7-foot NBA star doing PD work, so I figured I would share the laugh with all o' you crazy peeps.

Got Unwanted Books?

Manhattanites, Bronxers, Queenies, S. Islanders & Brooklings: Give up your books this weekend at the city-wide book drive. Weekend hours are 10-3. Locations.

The Dangers of Lying About Science

So most people by now know that right-wing conservative Christians argue against evolution and instead for Creationism/Intelligent Design. Also filed under the category “If we ignore scientific fact and lie to the American people, our interests are better served”: global warming.

You’d be hard pressed to find a non-political scientist who can deny that the Earth is getting warmer by degrees, which can and will lead to atrocious environmental changes.

If you, like me, cared but felt pretty sure that the repercussions probably wouldn’t be felt during your lifetime, it turns out we’re wrong.

Scientists have concluded that due to the increased warming of the waters in the tropics, hurricanes are becoming increasingly more powerful. While it’s impossible to accurately blame Katrina on global warming (history has shown that powerful storms do hit occasionally, even without rising water temperatures), it’s clear that as an aggregate, natural disasters like hurricanes, wind storms and typhoons are getting worse.

“Wind speed measurements made by planes flying through tropical storms showed that the ‘potential destructiveness’ of such storms had ‘increased markedly’ since the 1970s, right in line with rising sea surface temperatures.” (New Yorker quoting Nature)

Scared yet? Write to your congressperson to demand the United States ratify and follow the Kyoto protocols. The United States produces almost 25 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. We owe it to ourselves and the world to stop.

I’ve Got ’Em on a List

As I think of Katrina, I look to the future. I know a lot of good people who would endeavor to make positive decisions for our country. These friends are not politicians, but there’s another reason why many of them will never hear Hail to the Chief in their honor.

Hobbies that mean you will never ever win the presidency:

• Collects action heroes
• Reads sci-fi books as an adult
  
• Buys Beanie Babies
• Believes in television marathons
• Pre-orders Sliders season 1-3 DVDs on Amazon

On the other hand, hobbies that appear to win you acclaim and support:

• Alcohol abuse in your youth
• Inability to do your taxes (I’m guessing…)
• Tendency not to listen to self speak
• Difficulty matching noun with verb
• Buddies who are either warmongers or complete idiots

Help me out, what else am I missing?