links for 2009-02-07

“I wouldn’t be surprised by the end of the day if we saw 1,000 people coming through here,” said John Traub, general manager of Isotopes.

Applicants were competing for 100 open positions with the Albuquerque Isotopes for when the baseball season starts in the spring.

CNN obtained, from a Democratic leadership aide, a list of some programs that have been cut, either entirely or partially: 

Partially cut:

• $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion)

• $75 million from Smithsonian (original bill $150 million)

• $200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund (original bill $800 million)

• $100 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (original bill $427 million)

• $100 million from law enforcement wireless (original bill $200 million)

Restaurant chain Subway is still counting on Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps’s power as a pitchman, despite the uproar over a photograph of him with a marijuana pipe, Advertising Age reported.

“Like most Americans, and like Michael Phelps himself, we were disappointed in his behavior,” Subway, which specializes in sandwiches, said in a statement.

“Also like most Americans, we accept his apology. Moving forward, he remains in our plans.”

Shepherd Fairey, the famous graffiti artist responsible for Obey as well iconic imagery used in the Barack Obama presidential campaign was arrested in Boston on Friday night. Fairey was in town for an opening of a new show of his, “Supply and Demand,” at the Institute of Contemporary Art. He was arrested on two outstanding warrants for graffiti in Boston.

We posted about making your own dryer sheets before, but we think we might like this way even better. It doesn’t use any chemicals or heavy liquids…

we’re still not super-stoked on the idea of paying a monthly fee to improve AT&T’s own service

On Saturday temperatures in Melbourne soared to 46.4 degrees Celsius (115.5 Fahrenheit), the highest on record, local media said, with the mercury in the community of Laverton on the city’s west hitting 47.9 C (118.2 F). 

Officials said dozens of fires were blazing across the country’s densely populated southeast, and police said at least one that hit Sydney’s metropolitan area late on Friday had been deliberately lit.

Wal-Mart is having “fairly regular conversations” with Chicago community leaders about opening several stores within the city, and considering the ” financial and political viability” of the move, said John Bisio, director of public affairs and government relations for Wal-Mart in Chicago.

In a deal that was initially seen as a coup for the Canadian toy company, MEGA Brands Inc. recently announced a licensing agreement with Microsoft Game Studios to produce MEGA Bloks building toys based on the extraordinarily popular video game series, Halo.However, Halo fans (some of ’em, anyway) are up in arms to see their only semblance of a hobby licensed out to a company best known for making the poor man’s LEGO .