Someone stole Dori’s CA “WEB GEEK” plates. Please return, no questions asked. If you’ve dealt with the DMV in CA you’ll know of what she speaks. Here’s a gallery of geek plates.

Dear Google Toolbar folks, Thank you for listening to your users and bringing back the Dropdown Search History.

I thought I already had the world’s easiest no-bake cheesecake recipe (cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon juice) but now Kraft has Philadephia Ready-To-Eat Cheesecake Filling. Just stick it in a pie crust and it’s done. And if you want any extra ingredients (mix-ins!) just stir them into the tub first. It’s so ridiculously easy that I’m going to go back to baking “Lindy’s (or is it Rueben’s) Cheesecake” from scratch which calls for “beating the cream cheese vigorously with a wooden spoon.” Take that Kraft! By the way, cheesecake, a popular dish in ancient Greece, was served at the first Olympic games in 776 B.C.

Things have turned downright nasty behind the scenes at the Seattle Symphony. The renewal of music director Gerard Schwarz’s contract caused some initial internal grumblings, including a survey conducted by orchestra members that was critical of Schwarz. Now someone is sabotaging orchestra members who are Schwarz supportors. The main victim is the principal horn player who has had his car keyed, his horn dented, a razor blade and hot coffee placed in his orchestra mailbox, and threatening phone calls at home. These acts will only fuel the discontent already present amongst the musicians. Schwarz has overwhelming support from the board of trustees. The musicians’ lack of power is unlikely to change if they employ such immature behavior.

Round bales or square bales? Stonyfield yogurt’s dairy farmer blogger answers a reader inquiry about hay bale shape. Round bales, the newer of the forms, are easier to produce and require less manpower. They’re much larger than square bales also so there are economies of scale involved. Square bales stack neatly, however, and the smaller ones are easy to tote around. So, as with many things, you pick the shape best suited to the situation with an eye towards the bottom line.

Seattle’s Museum of Flight is hosting the exhibit “Leonardo da Vinci: Man, Inventor, Genius” now through January 28. Separate tickets are needed. The show consists of reproductions: sketches, paintings and more than 50 models of his machines. There is one item from Leonardo’s own hand, a page from the Codex Leicester, courtesy of local guy Bill Gates.

From those who know their stuff (the Hall of Fame) here’s A History of the Baseball Uniform. Most impressive is the searchable database of uniforms. (via Coudal Partners)

David Bowie will be guest-voicing on “SpongeBob SquarePants” in an episode airing next year. His daughter, now six, is a fan of the show. Also coming up, Bowie is Nikola Tesla in the movie “The Prestige” directed by Christopher Nolan of Memento fame.

Thanks to my speed-loving toddler I’ve gone down more slides in the past few months than in the rest of my life (have I mentioned that I’m scared of heights?). He would surely want to visit the Tate Modern’s astounding slide installation by Carsten Höller. Unfortunately he’s too short to go on most of them. There are five slides installed in spacious Turbine Hall which previously held the generators of the power station that was renovated into the museum. The biggest slide is about 182 feet long and the sliders, using canvas sacks, reach speeds of 30mph. Höller is Belgian and has a doctorate in biology. All his works have a touch of whimsy.

What’s the trick to outdoor Dutch Oven cooking? “If you can’t smell it, it’s not done. If you can smell it, give it five minutes.” That’s the advice of Gary Butterfield, director of the Puget Sound chapter of the International Dutch Oven Society. Members of the chapter have Dutch oven gatherings, aka “DOGS,” where they cook (of course) and taste the results. There’s some nostalgia and history involved with this hobby with memories of family camping trips and the Boy Scouts.