“They’re totemic of old growth and indicators of healthy forests. They’re the little guys who build the forest by processing the material and pooping out the good stuff.” That’s David George Gordon, biologist, defending the honor of the banana slug. Turns out that the banana slug’s little relatives who enjoy munching on our veggie gardens are stowaways from European countries. Banana slugs are supposed to be here in our moist Pacific Northwest and, says Gordon, “They make good pets.”

At Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, you can spot several edibles in the landscaping. I took snapshots of the red chard and strawberries. I also noticed a small grove of citrus fruits. I’m not sure if they get consumed by guests stuck for hours the Nemo Submarine line.

CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) are known for providing boxes of local produce to their subscribers. In the San Francisco area there now three active meat CSAs. One sells beef, pork, chicken and eggs from a single farm. The other two combine meats from several sources.

Would I decorate my nails with binary numbers? Yes I would. But I’d do Matrix glyphs first.

Dr. Bonkers’ Online gallery of modern and vintage psychiatric drug advertising. 7-up for babies? Maybe you’ve been seeking these genuine placebo pills from Eli Lilly. (via Neurophilosophy)

I’d forgotten about Woxy Vintage until someone reminded me that Woxy.com was running its Modern Rock 500 this past weekend. 1980’s alt/modern/synth/new wave rock fans point your streaming media players at Woxy.com’s sideline Woxy Vintage.

Two nostalgia-filled articles in the N.Y. Times caught my eye over the weekend. First, the management of the Empire State Building, looking to complement their historically accurate renovation, commissioned formal uniforms for their guards and other public staff. The design is reminiscent of the 1930s, the same Art Deco style and color of the building and its marble corridors. Although the uniforms are old-fashioned, their distribution and collection system is not. Employees use an ID card to collect and return their clothing from an automated rack. Over at Lord & Taylor, a NYC institution of the retail kind, they continue to play the Star Spangled Banner every morning before opening time. Called “the longest-running daily ritual that can be traced to the 444-day Iran hostage crisis that began in 1979,” the tradition has been kept alive, even after an accompanying coffee service (originally on matching cups and saucers no less) was halted a few years ago.

The Journal of Cartoon Overanalyzations is just too too much. (via xBlog)

The former Denny’s that was put up for landmark status in Ballard, WA by the developer who wanted to tear it down may be headed for destruction even though landmark status was approved. The preservation of the “Googie architecture” building is not economically viable as the owners have not come up with a plan that maintains the building and doesn’t lose money. Supporters of the building have pointed out that a developer with an actual interest in preserving the building may have come up with a suitable solution.

The Victoria & Albert Museum, which is, I have to admit, the only reason I want to go to London (yeah I know there’s other stuff to see like castles and the Tate), is opening a new gallery for its collection of jewelry. 3,500 pieces will go on display this coming weekend, ranging from ancient gold neckpieces to contemporary acrylics with stops along the way for royalty and Lalique.