Sort of along the lines of yesterday’s oh-so-deep pondering about the Virgin MegaStore not stocking the untouched, I have to wonder: Why is Filene’s Basement NOT IN THE BASEMENT? I believe the original outpost in Massachusetts started out in one. (That would make sense, wouldn’t it?) The one in Union Square, however, is on the third floor. What? Couldn’t they kick the TJ Maxx or whatever is actually in the basement, out? “Hey, it’s in our name. Dibs!” I know with the real estate market being what it is across the country, it’s virtually impossible for the FB organization to score a basement coup whenever they want to open up a new store, but that doesn’t make it any less weird. Whenever I walk past that building, I experience the most bizarre disconnect and I want to shake my fist. In fact, I am shaking my fist right now. (Yes, I’m talented enough to do it while I type.) And here’s another question: Who exactly is Filene? How does SHE feel about this basement situation?

Pet peeve #2 is not about retail. Nay, it is in fact about the two plastic trash bins located in our office’s kitchen. One is blue, signalling recycling, and the other is gray with a sign pasted to it that says “non-recyclables only.” You’d think that’s simple, right? Fairly straightforward? Especially since I work for a publication, which implies our employees all have a basic grasp of reading and writing. Yeah, not so much. For whatever reason, the majority of people who use the kitchen have NO grasp of what goes in each trash can. And the worst part is that it’s contagious. I try my best to put the trash in the trash and the reusable plastic and paper in the blue bin, but when you start noticing that it’s all mixed up, there’s definitely that urge to join the hoi polloi and toss things in haphazardly. ZOMG, I am keeling the environmentz.