Scripts for un-aired episodes of Firefly were auctioned off on eBay and are being typed up by the (very kind) buyer. An episode called “Hearts of Gold” is on Usenet and more are expected as the manual typing progresses. Note that you could consider these scripts spoilers for any future Firefly offerings, so click at your own discretion. Also I make no claims regarding the legality of the posting (it’s copyrighted material of course). (via Whedonesque)

The Mercury News reports on the rise of products catering to those with lactose intolerance. There’s a website, No-Dairy.com, devoted to lactose-free groceries and food products. According to this page: “There are an estimated 50 million lactose intolerant adult Americans, including 70% of the black population, 15% of the white population, and 80 to 97% of Jews of European descent and Asian-Americans. Eskimos, Native Americans, and South American Indians are other highly lactose intolerant groups.” Also, there is a correlation with the presence of lactase in populations with a long history of herding animals and relying on their milk for food. No big surprise there!

“Six shades of blush, liquid eyeliner and seven shades of eyeshadow.” USA Today reveals the transformation of Harvey Fierstein into Edna Turnblad for the musical Hairspray. He’s scheduled to appear as Edna on the Today show this Friday. Previously: rehearsal photos for Hairspray by Jill Krementz I linked to last May. (via Bradlands)

I’d been wondering when/if Handspring was going to move into their new digs in downtown Sunnyvale (known to me, prior to the foundation going in, as “Oh my gawd, did you see that gigantic hole in the ground?”) Turns out they’ve negotiated out of that $2 million per month lease, but it cost them $75-80 million.

Dan Bricklin, who in addition to being known for Visicalc also co-founded Slate, described his reactions to the latest round of Tablet PC technology back in November. His essay covers much of the history of pen computing software and hardware from ten years ago up to now. It concentrates on the business productivity software area, as that is what the Tablet PC is oriented towards, rather than the vertical application market that the software I worked on at GRiD was designed for. As a happy user of the good ol’ GRiD Convertible, which really was a Tablet PC before there was such a designation, Bricklin was pleased to recover much of that machine’s flexibility when he got his Toshiba Tablet PC. He loves portrait mode (it’s great for reading and I still miss it myself). His main point is that this new round of Tablet PCs should, and often does, take advantage of what was learned in that last, rather unsuccessful round. Microsoft is getting the technology out into the hands of users (and they can afford a few rounds of failure) to get the information they need to ultimately create a successful tablet and pen environment. They also have the luxury of being able to influence hardware vendors to certain specifications rather than having to sink millions into being a PC developer themselves.

Signs of the times. The price of gas in these parts.

What is behind the delay in McDonald’s plan to roll out their healthier cooking oil? They won’t comment on a new target date for switching all their restaurants to the new oil. Their brief words on the matter merely state that their main concern is to focus on customer satisfaction and product quality. A new chairman and chief executive started in mid-January, so perhaps altered goals are forthcoming from the golden arches. Emphasizing the unhealthy nature of their food may not be the best approach. A clever marketing plan will get Americans eating anything. Perhaps a frequent-eater plan that includes a health club membership? Or, eat 100 burgers, get a free treadmill!

Steinway celebrates its 150th anniversary on Wednesday. This Newsday article on the company was excerpted in many local newspapers. The full version includes more details on the manufacturing flaws that a few people quibble over. But there is no question that the Steinway is still the, well, the Steinway of pianos. Unless you want a Bösendorfer of course, which is celebrating its 175 year.

Update on that diamond theft: the stolen jewels, gold and securities have been valued at $100 million. The carefully executed plan was marred by a discarded bag found on the side of the road. The bag contained documents that led authorities to suspect an Italian jeweller who had rented offices in the building and carefully observed all the security procedures necessary to gain access to the vaults. Four people have been arrested. (thanks to Steve of snarkout for reminding me to check in on this)

Note to self: Before using sea salt body scrub, verify that all papercuts are completely healed.