Link: http://redstateson.blogspot.com/2006/01/atoning_05.html

"There’s sadness in those cubes. And when you pull trash from those human veal crates, you see the sadness manifested in the workers’ daily diet: McDonald’s Wendy’s Taco Bell Payday Reese’s Lay’s Fritos Doritos wrappers crammed under Coke Pepsi Mountain Dew cans. Eight-plus hours staring at a screen, grazing on junk food, gazing up at family photos and clipped Dilbert comic strips for temporary relief. In one building the workers were under constant phone and video surveillance, and forced to give urine unannounced to make sure they were drug-free enough to help the managers increase market share. But all through the hallways hung framed posters telling the workers that they were part of the Company Family, posters showing people smiling and leaping for joy. Most of the workers I saw there were too heavy to leap, too beaten to smile."
--Dennis Perrin

Link: http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/52099

America needs more time off. Especially since the economy sucks. Why work so hard if we're not getting anywhere? Statistics about international vacation rates make my blood boil like I'm a Caddyshack villain.

Link: http://www.mikeadair.com/DavidNewSnail.htm

Check out this impeccably cartooned and unbelievably cute Flash animation featuring a real live five-year-old talking about getting a pet snail.

Link: http://www.newsarama.com/ImageComics/Fell/Fell01Issue.htm

Reading the new issue of Warren Ellis' Fell yesterday reminded me that the first issue is still available online for free. Plus, should you want more, the issues are only $2 and each is a stand-alone story. Great noir comics value.

The Language Log, a group weblog about language by linguistics professors, did a hilarious series of takedowns on the prose of Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown.

Our favorites:
The Dan Brown Code: "On his hands and knees, the curator froze, turning his head slowly."
Renowned author Dan Brown staggered through his formulaic opening sentence: "Renowned curator Jacques Saunière staggered through the vaulted archway of the museum's Grand Gallery."
Learning the ropes in the trenches with Dan Brown: "Overhanging her precarious body was a jaundiced face whose skin resembled a sheet of parchment paper punctured by two emotionless eyes."
A five-letter password for a man obsessed with Susan: "...once a 'virus' has been disabled in a 'data bank' that it has crawled into, a chief technician has to shout 'Upload the firewalls!'"