Have you seen the Cal Band’s video game halftime show? It’s nifty. Pong, Tetris, Mortal Kombat, Pokemon, Zelda, Mario. (Stanford & USC folks, you may want to skip this… unless you can ignore the vanquishing of your mascots.)

The wonderful thing about this photo gallery of Snoqualmie Pass’ first snow of the season is a couple shots of people experiencing snow for the very first time in their lives.

Ann Vileisis’ “Kitchen Literacy” takes a look at the history of food in America, what people ate at home and how the ingredients got to the kitchens. She examines how the problem of transporting live cattle to cities resulted in mass-produced dressed beef, the acceptance of canned foods, the rise of brand names, and how much closer cooks were to the source of food in earlier times.

Ovation TV is showing four versions of The Nutcracker ballet during the month of December, culminating in a Christmas Eve viewer’s choice and a marathon of all four back-to-back on Christmas Day. The different performances, in order from traditional to “out there” are: a 1989 performance by the Bolshoi Ballet, Peter Martins’ 1993 film of George Balanchine’s version(little Macaulay Culkin is the Nutcracker Prince), Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! from 2003, and, my favorite as it’s the only one I’ve seen live, Mark Morris’ The Hard Nut.

As is the case with many parents-to-be, the Baby Bargains book was our shopping bible when we were expecting and for a year or so afterwards. We received ours from a friend who felt it was a new parent imperative. This in-depth account of Alan and Denise Fields, the couple behind Baby Bargains, tags along with them on a research trip to Babies’r’Us (which refuses to carry Baby Bargains) and tells of the genesis of their first book, Wedding Bargains, and the distaste most manufacturers and retailers have for their advice. Their practical approach is what made my copy so well-thumbed. We’re the type of parents who keep the diapers out in plain sight in the super-economy box they came in. We never bought Toddler Bargains though, and apparently no one else did either since it’s being discontinued, and as the article says “when children reach that age, their parents ‘run out of time to read.'” (via Pop Culture Junkmail)

Animals live longer in the zoo than in the wild, and that means zoos need to provide extra care and attention for their elderly population. Several senior occupants of Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo get special heating pads and perches, glucosamine and other medications to make life easier. The older animals also get crankier, just like us.

During my foray into roller hockey I acquired at least two puck-shaped bruises on my shins, despite my protective gear. So when I winced as I read the N.Y. Times article about NHL players blocking shots, it was from a small amount of actual experience. It’s become commonplace for all players, not just goalies, to hurl themselves in front of shots in a tactic “built on bravery and strategy, calculated risk and not a small slice of insanity.” Compare the full head mask, leg pads, chest protectors, and wide gloves worn by the goalies to the protective gear of the other players if you want to fully consider the dangers of this trend. Martin Strata, a Rangers forward (for you non-hockey folks that means he’s supposed to be making shots, not blocking them), broke his finger throwing himself in front of the puck in October and was out for a month. No one ever said hockey was a game for whimps.

Turkeys “May” and “Flower” were pardoned on Tuesday by President Bush and then flown to Florida for the customary parade grand marshal duties at Disney World.

Seattle foodies shouldn’t miss this interesting history of the local fine dining establishments and how many restaurant roots go back to the early 1980s pioneers such as Settebello and Campagne.

It costs $415 to take Driver’s Education in the Seattle public school district, and prices are similarly high in neighboring areas. Private driving schools offer perk-filled classes (door-to-door service, snacks & drinks, even a Mercedes-Benz C230) with steeper fees. A quick web search shows fees across the country at $165, $225, $350, with some districts opting out of offering classes after state funding was reduced.