Firefly fans, if you haven’t heard already, the hoped-for movie has been given the go ahead by Universal Studios. Production is scheduled to begin in June with a 2005 release.

Food science may have given us the square watermelon and the round carrot, but can it provide us with the handy suicidal, self-mashing potato? Think of the time and guilt we’d all save.

I’m still getting accustomed to the different angles on business news coverage in the Seattle press. Silicon Valley has very straightforward press coverage for business: tech, more tech, and biotech. If variety is the spice of life, I suppose I’ve got a nicely piquant read each day with items such as the effect of aircraft makers on Alcoa’s outlook (makers of aluminum), news that “a Seattle company wants to buy 70 million pounds of Alaska pink salmon for distribution in Russia,” and reports on REI and Eddie Bauer’s latest doings. Of course there’s still plenty of tech coverage — skewed of course in the direction of Redmond.

Mmmmm whole milk yogurt is back on store shelves, holding its own next to the sugared, gelatinized, stabilized mass market varieties, in California at least. Although U.S. law does state that yogurt must be made with two specific cultures, yogurt does not have to have live cultures when it is sold. The additional bacteria often present in the naturally produced whole milk varieties may have immune system and digestive benefits. A higher percentage of milk solids give these yogurts their thick texture, often achieved with pectin, gelatin and gums in other brands. Of course you can make your own yogurt (a recipe is in the article), though you’ll need to pick a starter yogurt to prime the process.

The first 2004 nickel design has been released into the wild. The redesigned back commemorates the Louisiana Purchase. 900 million are to be minted, which is a good economic signal, as this is up from an original estimate of 500 million. Later this year, another design featuring Lewis and Clark’s keelboat will be introduced. There’s a possibility that a 2005 design may alter the front as well.

In other recent coin news, an 1866 silver dollar stolen along with 7,000 other coins from millionaire Willis du Pont’s home in 1967 was turned over by a librarian last week. Coin auction experts examined the coin and determined it was stolen property, apparently to the dismay of the unnamed librarian who received it as collateral for a loan. It is one of only two 1866 silver dollars missing the inscription “In God We Trust” that are believed to exist.

And hang onto those metal detectors. A man in Oxfordshire, England, found a pot of 5,000 Roman coins in a field last April. One of the coins depicts the head of Domitianus, a “mystery emporer” who historians say ruled for merely a few days. A similar coin, found 100 years ago, had been dismissed as a hoax. Now it appears possible that Domitianus declared himself emporer in 271 AD just long enough to have coins made with his image, though his reign faded into obscurity.

Coca-Cola is shaking things up in their Sprite line. Along with their new commercials they have plans to reposition diet Sprite (one rumor claims they may rename it Sprite Zero) and introduce a new “berryclear” flavor of Sprite Remix. It appears they may phase out the original tropical flavor, but perhaps that’s a misinterpretation of the statement “Tropical Sprite Remix will fade out and Berryclear will fade in.” The company is also placing flavor packets in convenience stores for customers to mix their own Sprite flavors, trying to capitalize on research that showed that teens like to mix Sprite with juice and … Skittles.

It has been one year since the daring raid on 123 diamond vaults in Antwerp and a few clues have been uncovered, but it seems unlikely that any of the diamonds will turn up. DNA of the believed leader of the gang was found at the crime scene, but the man himself has not been found. One alleged conspirator, a diamond merchant familiar with the vaults, is facing a trial. A few diamonds were found by Italian police in a safe in Turin, however they disappeared before Antwerp police arrived two weeks later. Hopes are fading for recovering the bulk of the extensive haul.

Random trivia item of the week: When researching bed & breakfast inns on the island of Maui you will discover that inns with B&B; licenses from Maui County are not allowed, by law, to bake or cook breakfast for their guests. They still serve breakfast, of course, but it typically consists of fresh fruit, baked goods from local suppliers, and the old standby of granola or cereal. Guests are allowed to toast their own bread and bagels, and, I’m going to guess, cook their own entire meals if the hosts allow it.

Almond growers need honeybees, and lots of them. The interesting workings of almond agriculture are revealed as almond farmers discuss the bee shortage. 80% of the world’s almond supply is grown in the Central Valley of California, and it takes 1 million hives of bees to pollinate the 530,000 acres of almond groves. The state has 440,000 bee hives and beekeepers from other states drive their hives in each year to supplement them. One farmer reported paying $54 to rent a hive, up from $44 last year. The growth of almond acreage is not the only factor for the bee shortage. Parasitic mites are taking a toll on hive populations and an estimated 10,000-15,000 hives were burned in Southern California fires last year. The Gilroy Beekeepers website blames the yearly mass migration of bees to the almond groves for spreading the mites and other diseases among hives. Approximately one-third of the human diet is derived directly or indirectly from insect-pollinated plants.