Advertisers would of course love to reach their target markets more effectively. But the demographic breakdowns they have to work with often aren’t as tuned as they’d like. Creative market researchers are looking at different ways to slice and dice consumer groups. One somewhat unusual and perhaps controversial method is by weight. Simmons Market Research Bureau has tabulated ‘Waistband Segments’ for various television shows, dividing viewers into Normal, Underweight, Overweight, and Obese categories. Diet companies and food advertisers take note.

Pudgy Pets Putting On Pounds, hefty hounds and corpulent cats, Tubby Tabbies, Portly Pooches. The press, or the headline writers at least, are having a fun time with the National Research Council’s “New Dietary Guidelines” for cats and dogs. The Subcommittee on Dog and Cat Nutrition issued a 450-page report stating that one out of every four cats and dogs in the U.S. is overweight. Scientists, pet-food manufacturers, and veterinarians are the intended audience of the report, however pet owners may benefit from the updated guidelines for nutrients, feeding and watering, and how to recognize when your pet is overweight. On that last point, the report states “If a cat looks overweight, it is.”

IKEA’s product names are fun for English speakers (and perhaps most non-Swedish speakers) and sometimes confounding. Transblawg has translated a German article regarding the naming of IKEA items and various readers have added their knowledge into the comments. The popular “Billy” shelf doesn’t fit into the supposed guidelines, but they seem to work in most cases. (via xBlog)

Catching up with Firefly and Joss Whedon: A Firefly feature film is in the works (hooray) with Universal Pictures acquiring the rights from 20th Centure Fox. DVDs of Firefly, including the unaired episodes, are planned for later this year.

Alton Brown’s appearance on David Letterman last week kicked off the publicity for his new book “Gear for Your Kitchen.” He had Dave sample homemade (hotel room made, actually) yogurt and salmon smoked in a trash can. Alton is crossing the country on a book tour with a stop at U. Washington’s bookstore. His last book won the James Beard book award in the reference category.

The “foodie” trend of the past few years has created a demand for gourmet kitchens perfectly outfitted with matching, pro-style appliances. But the appliances have for the most part merely changed their exteriors and veneers without huge leaps into creative realms. Maytag’s new Jenn-Air Attrezzi line is creating a new niche of artsy kitchen appliances for the U.S. Hitting KitchenAid squarely on its retro-styled jaws, the Attrezzi mixer and blender boldly display their Murano glass inspired flair.

The beautiful mixing and blending bowls come in pleasing colors and patterns that cause the home decorator to wish for more counterspace instead of an appliance garage. I doubt they will be selling quilted covers for these models. Will other appliance companies rise to the bait and propel the artsy appliance trend past retro and into art glass? Most home cooks get to choose only one of the now almost overwhelming palette of KitchenAid mixer colors. Lovely glass bowls, however, come with that wonderful money-making word: collectible. (NY Times article on the genesis of the Attrezzi line)

The NY Times looks at high-tech dentistry. New machines have improved diagnostic abilities and greatly decreased the turnaround time for creating a crown. They are expensive, but a dentist interested in a long-term return may benefit from larger margins and time saved. Insurance typically doesn’t ask what tools you used; they’ll cover the same amount regardless of the techniques employed. Of course this also means that any savings is likely not to be passed directly to the patient.

NASA has been successful in reducing the sonic boom created by an aircraft. A redesigned skin and nose of a Navy F-5E jet produced a “dull thud” instead of a sharp crack. The hope is that supersonic aircraft will be able to travel over land without noise issues, not only for passenger travel but for stealth military travel as well.

With Fry’s comfortably ensconced in Renton, I am tempted to track other signs of impending, encroaching California civilization. Of course this means waiting for the arrival of In-N-Out Burger. The California burger joint, which I’ve witnessed converting strict vegetarians into beef-eaters, is wending its way through California, Arizona, and even Nevada, but hasn’t made it further up the coast yet. I’m not aware of any plans for expansion. However, Burgerville, a Vancouver, WA based chain, is planning to expand into the Seattle area. With Northwest beef, Tillamook cheese, marionberry milkshakes, and Walla Walla onion rings, Burgerville puts the spotlight on fresh, local ingredients. Jane and Michael Stern of Roadfood fame have sung its praises (though they seem partial to Dick’s Drive-In)

A treasure trove of Beatrix Potter artwork was brought to Antiques Roadshow (the original BBC version) in Dumfries, Scotland. The owner knew the watercolors and drawings were by the famous artist but had no idea they could be worth an estimated £250,000. The works, which pre-date her Peter Rabbit books, “show small animals like kittens or mice and rabbits set in human settings doing human things.” That’s Beatrix Potter all right.