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.
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.
GQ has been on it for a couple years lately with their features and investigative stories, good job EIC Jim Nelson.
(via longreads)
21 hours ago • 28 notes
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.
1 day ago • 109 notes
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.
5 days ago • 7,060 notesSNL 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.
5 days ago • 1 noteRick 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.
6 days ago • 4 notes
“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.
6 days ago • 14 notes