After a lot of digging, seven men appeared in Damiani’s Milan showroom and made off with several million euros worth of jewelry. It probably took several weeks for them to dig a tunnel into the cellar of the store, starting at the building under construction next door. Some of the most valuable pieces had been lent to celebrities at the Oscars, but there was still plenty left for the grabbing.

Beijing is bringing in panda reinforcements for the Olympics. The panda exhibit at the Beijing Zoo will be expanded to house about 10 more of the popular animals for the numerous visitors this summer.

Coca-cola is test marketing aluminum bottles. That’s right, bottle shaped aluminum, ~8.5 oz of fizzy stuff inside. It worked well for beer and Coke did a collectible set back in 2005.

Selecting four alternating concertmasters was such a groundbreaking concept for the Seattle Symphony that the logistics actually break the terms of the musicians’ contract. Maria Larionoff, the only local among the four holding the top chair, sits second chair (associate concertmaster) when another concertmaster is in town. However, according to the contract, one person cannot hold both the associate job and the concertmaster job. So Larionoff’s arrangement is a in violation. Music director Gerard Schwarz seems to think it will all be worked out smoothly. Larionoff could possibly take associate job fulltime (it’s a tenured position unlike the concertmaster) or keep the concertmaster position. As with the original odd arrangement, the solution is probably all up to Maestro Schwarz.

I’m having trouble wrapping my brain around the idea of Penn Jillette as a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars” and apparently he is too, saying: “I’m as speechless as Teller that America wants to see a magical sasquatch dance.”

Seattle’s WaMu Center began window messaging from its place in the skyline last year after a call from the Seattle Seahawks. Office blinds and lights were coordinated to form the number 12 in support of the playoffs and a new tradition was born. Since then, the building’s windows have formed a heart, jack o’ lantern, and the world “LOVE”. The logistics are challenging, with last minute tweaks to the designs and reminders to staff to leave the blinds and light switches alone, but the employees are excited each time a new one goes up.

The redesigned five dollar bill has a big purple 5 on the back. So very modern.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. has bought the rights to Emeril Lagasse’s cookbooks, television shows and kitchen products. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter with $45 million in cash and $5 million in stock handed over for Lagasse’s cookbooks, web site, licensed cookware, cutlery, tableware, electrical appliances, and food products. It does not include his restaurants.

The SweetPea3 mp3 player for preschoolers is now shipping, long after its previously announced launch as the PeaPod. It’s on the expensive side at $89.95. I’ve heard some good things about the Sansa Shaker which also has a speaker and is more affordable.

Plastic surgery may get a lot of questionable publicity in the vanity realm, but it’s not just for people trying to match some cultural ideal. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has a Cosmetic and Reconstructive Support Program which works with plastic surgeons to provide aesthetic procedures for free to victims of domestic violence. These surgeries are often not considered medically necessary but their value for emotional healing cannot be underestimated.