February 1, 2012
danforth: marleymarley: trivia-lad: GPOY oh good lord. Clockin’ out.

danforth:

marleymarley:

trivia-lad:

GPOY

oh good lord.

Clockin’ out.

(Source: xoghosts)

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“ I chose J.C. Penney because I think it’s the single biggest opportunity in American retailing. Inherently, department stores have significant advantages compared to all other retailers. Yet, our productivity is at the low end, and that just doesn’t make sense.

J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson • Remarks in an interview with the AP’s Anne D’Innocenzio. Johnson made news in the world of department store retail when he first took over, announcing a reduction in unique sales events coupled with a 40% across the board price cut. In this interview, he expands a bit on his plan for J.C. Penney’s future; he mentions his time with Apple frequently in the interview, as a reference point for the sort of modern imaginings that may be to come. It’s worth remembering that Johnson was the brain behind the Apple Store, the “Genius Bar” in particular, which we think says a lot about his insight on balancing design, efficiency and customer service in a retail setting. Apple just found their replacement for Johnson, John Brownett, but with the legacy he left there, we wonder how long it will be until they wish they had him back on board. source (via • follow)

Interesting thoughts on interaction and productivity, makes sense especially if you read last week’s New Yorker piece on brainstorming.

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longreads: Sam Brown, a soldier badly burned in an IED explosion in Afghanistan, undergoes an experimental treatment to ease his pain through a virtual reality game called “SnowWorld”: When they first lowered the goggles over his eyes, Brown was not all that impressed. He found himself floating through a kind of glacial canyon, but the overall vibe was pretty kiddie. Snowflakes wheeled gently from a digital sky. Snowmen and penguins lined up on ledges along the fjord. The soundtrack was kind of lame, too. Kind of an upbeat chirpy world music, a catchy-against-your-will kind of thing that he’d never heard before. If you’ll be my bodyguard, I can be your loo-ong lost pal, the lyrics went. But there was no question Sam felt very much inside this Disneyesque world on ice, and it was a hell of a lot better than being present while they yanked and pulled at his petrified shoulders. So he tried to get into the game. A few milligrams of Dilaudid didn’t hurt. “Burning Man.” — Jay Kirk, GQ See also: “Soldiers Take One Step at a Time with Prosthetic Limbs.” — John Pekkanen, Washingtonian, Aug. 1, 2011 GQ has been on it for a couple years lately with their features and investigative stories, good job EIC Jim Nelson.

longreads:

Sam Brown, a soldier badly burned in an IED explosion in Afghanistan, undergoes an experimental treatment to ease his pain through a virtual reality game called “SnowWorld”:

When they first lowered the goggles over his eyes, Brown was not all that impressed. He found himself floating through a kind of glacial canyon, but the overall vibe was pretty kiddie. Snowflakes wheeled gently from a digital sky. Snowmen and penguins lined up on ledges along the fjord. The soundtrack was kind of lame, too. Kind of an upbeat chirpy world music, a catchy-against-your-will kind of thing that he’d never heard before. If you’ll be my bodyguard, I can be your loo-ong lost pal, the lyrics went.

But there was no question Sam felt very much inside this Disneyesque world on ice, and it was a hell of a lot better than being present while they yanked and pulled at his petrified shoulders. So he tried to get into the game. A few milligrams of Dilaudid didn’t hurt.

“Burning Man.” — Jay Kirk, GQ

See also: “Soldiers Take One Step at a Time with Prosthetic Limbs.” — John Pekkanen, Washingtonian, Aug. 1, 2011

GQ has been on it for a couple years lately with their features and investigative stories, good job EIC Jim Nelson.

(via longreads)

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January 31, 2012
theatlantic: Pythons Are Wiping Out Mammals in the Everglades Large snakes, like boa constrictors, anacondas, and pythons, are not native to North America, but are popular among reptile collectors and traders who — inadvertently or not — re-introduced them to the Florida swamps about a decade ago. Since that time they caused a huge disruption to the already fragile ecosystem, threatening wildlife and even some humans. They grow fast, breed rapidly, adapt well to their environments, and prey on small animals that don’t recognize them as a threat. They’re also great at hiding, which makes them both deadly hunters and difficult to catch. Read more. [Image: AP] Note to self: Never move to Florida. Ditto.

theatlantic:

Pythons Are Wiping Out Mammals in the Everglades

Large snakes, like boa constrictors, anacondas, and pythons, are not native to North America, but are popular among reptile collectors and traders who — inadvertently or not — re-introduced them to the Florida swamps about a decade ago. Since that time they caused a huge disruption to the already fragile ecosystem, threatening wildlife and even some humans. They grow fast, breed rapidly, adapt well to their environments, and prey on small animals that don’t recognize them as a threat. They’re also great at hiding, which makes them both deadly hunters and difficult to catch. Read more.

[Image: AP]

Note to self: Never move to Florida.

Ditto.

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January 27, 2012
thedailywhat: Photo of the Day: The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart (then Jon Leibowitz) as a young College of William & Mary student moshing at a Dead Kennedys show at Casablanca in Richmond, VA, c. 1982. Photo by Irish Willis Peele. [gawker.] It’s a good thing he changed his name, he’d never make it with that surname.

thedailywhat:

Photo of the Day: The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart (then Jon Leibowitz) as a young College of William & Mary student moshing at a Dead Kennedys show at Casablanca in Richmond, VA, c. 1982.

Photo by Irish Willis Peele.

[gawker.]

It’s a good thing he changed his name, he’d never make it with that surname.

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SNL Digital Short: Jack Sparrow

I am losing my mind cus I’ve been watching this all day and cracking up every time.

The biggest laugh comes from when Samberg raps ‘Watch your girl cus I ain’t ya Mr. Nice Guy/more like to take you home and fuck you twice guy’ to some model.

HAHA.

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January 26, 2012
“ The greatest competition of idiocy and ignorance that has ever been
Fidel Castro on the Republican primaries (via peterfeld)

(via cajunboy)

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[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Rick Ross - King of Diamonds

This song is hilarious because Rick basically screams “Rosé!!!” for the first minute.

I guess I don’t get the whole thing with rappers and dessert wines.

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nevver: 11 New Planetary Systems Hell yeah: SPACE

nevver:

11 New Planetary Systems

Hell yeah: SPACE

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maura: “I like hate. It’s delicious, hot or cold. It burns clean. It makes office work bearable and it shapes nations — even and, perhaps especially, ours. That’s why I hate to see it wasted.” That is some marriage of author photo and tartness there. What a great quote on mutual hate, as anyone who works in an office will tell you hate makes the world go ‘round.

maura:

“I like hate. It’s delicious, hot or cold. It burns clean. It makes office work bearable and it shapes nations — even and, perhaps especially, ours.

That’s why I hate to see it wasted.”

That is some marriage of author photo and tartness there.

What a great quote on mutual hate, as anyone who works in an office will tell you hate makes the world go ‘round.

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