Here at last are the results of a week of research. Contents of the coveted official Oscar gift bags are not publicized by the powers that be who run the Oscars. Companies that contribute gifts often put out press releases, though this year the Oscar folks ordered them to stay mum until February 23rd. One good source of discovering the more unique items are local news stories about shops in town who have been asked to contribute items. Case in point, I’m still trying to find the actual gift behind a cryptic Wisconsin TV news teaser advertising an interview with “a Wisconsin man who made a product that will be in all Oscar star’s goody bags.” Complicating the list compilation are the “unofficial” bags and gifts that are given out to the celebrities by other companies. These items are often mixed in with the official gift bag reports. Here first is a selection of these “other” bags.

Buzz Bags is a company that puts together gift bags, and thus
they are creating their own buzz by hand-delivering loot valued at $12,000 to this year’s Best Actor/Actress and Best Supporting Actor/Actress nominees. They’re certainly not shy about the vast list of contributers to their bag; you can read the lengthy list on their home page. Included are a consultation with a hair restoration surgeon, African safari, hands on dim sum instruction, and a 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition PEZ dispenser.

Revlon is handing out a “Red Carpet Bag” full of their products, valued at $2,500. It will be given to this year’s nominees “on the red carpet” as well as to presenters and other celebrity style setters. So keep an eye out when you’re walking down that red carpet!

Distinctive Assets, another company that puts together
gift bags, and Caesars Palace teamed up to create a gift bag for losers. That’s right, only
the nominees in the six major categories who don’t win a statue get to go home with this bag of goodies
valued at $32,000. The main feature is, of course, a trip to Caesars Palace with plenty of perks and
gift certificates to smooth away the sorrow of losing the Oscar. A unique addition are one-of-a-kind mosaics made of painted eggshells placed on small wooden boxes, created by Kansas artist Sherri Lindsay.
And now here’s what I’ve culled from a week of searching the wires for those press releases
and news reports. It’s likely that some of these items are not in the official bag but got mixed up in
news articles. Also, I’m certain this is not a complete list. If you saw the aforementioned TV show
in Wisconsin, drop me a line. Heck, if you got an official gift basket, drop me a line!

a Victoria’s Secret jewelled pink bra-and-panty set with a detachable diamond brooch, fragrances, and other items worth $7,000 for Best Actress nominees
a coupon for laser eye surgery
gold accented Havaianas flip flops
Manolo Blahnik leather “My Shoes for the Weekend” bag, with pouches sized perfectly for three pairs of
Manolos. It comes with matching suede sandals
Hermes cashmere shawl/blanket
La Grande Dame Veuve Cliquot champagne
pair of Baccarat crystal earrings or crystal lighter
Baccarat champagne flutes
Estee Lauder products, including a “crystal glow” sugar rub and a “calming body spray”, plus spa treatments for recipient and a guest
round-trip tickets to anywhere Song Airways flies
Crest Whitening Expressions toothpaste
Kiehl’s gift set, value $500
“the ultimate HDTV package”: VOOM high-definition satellite and
12 months of programming service as well as a 43-inch Samsung DLP HDTV. Value: $6,000
Peacock Black Pearl Collection gift set including an 18-inch necklace, seven-inch bracelet, and stud
earrings, from PearlParadise.com.
“Canadian Adventure” package:
-a one-night stay at Whistler Platinum
-a day of skiing on Whistler Blackcomb
-helicopter transfer between Vancouver and Whistler
-private tour of Canada’s premier family-owned winery, Mission Hill Family Estate
-three nights at Opus Hotel in Yaletown, Vancouver
-dinner at Elixir restaurant
-air tour of Vancouver
DuWop cosmetics in a custom-designed gold and silver striped tube
along with a yoga mat and yoga pants
a private, $1,500 steak dinner at Morton’s
$500 Krups espresso machine
A pair of round-trip business-class tickets on Air New Zealand from L.A. to Auckland
5-night stay at New Zealand’s Treetops Lodge & Estate in
secluded Rotorua, New Zealand (above airfare may be used separately)
Two nights in a suite at The Carlyle Hotel
SeaDream seven-day cruise for two to the Mediterranean or
Caribbean
Pollaro Custom Furniture $5,000 gift certificate
Christina Oxenberg Knitwear neck scarf or shawl
French perfume bottled in Baccarat crystal emblazoned with the nominee’s moniker
Charles Worthington shampoo gift pack (“made-in-Wales with a cool £4,295 price tag”)
gift certificate for a free TAZ I from Tight Systems, a
personal video and media player
GINGI skincare products
Once again, Motorola is giving out cell phones, not yet available to the public. The V600 cell phone, equipped with an
activated SIM card. It comes in a custom-made box, engraved with the recipient’s name, in the shape of
an old-time film camera that features an audio snippet of Mel Torme’s classic rendition of “You Oughta
Be in Pictures.”
Kyocera 7135 Smartphone with the Sherwood Personal Security Mobile Security Protection package included
PCS Vision Video Phone VM4050 by Toshiba, courtesy of Sprint, personalized with an engraved monogram and ringtones and screensavers from the appropriate movie
Personalized Anastasia diamond tweezers with an 18kt white gold chain and heart-shaped diamond (for Best Actress nominees, value $2,000)
a limited edition tin of Altoids mints, encrusted with crystals. Each tin takes up to 10 hours to create.
Nyakio’s African black tea candle
Jelly Bag (like these, basically a rubber version of the Hermes Birkin)
a $750 piece from the new Talismania collection, the new jewelry line from porcelain sculptors Lladro
Tina Earnshaw Makeup set
chocolate-covered strawberries from Brymm Berries in Houston, TX
A glass ornament in the shape of a shopping bag with the Oscar logo, handcrafted in Europe, designed by Lisa Kelechava of Tennessee
…and something made by some guy in Wisconsin

Random trivia item of the week: When researching bed & breakfast inns on the island of Maui you will discover that inns with B&B; licenses from Maui County are not allowed, by law, to bake or cook breakfast for their guests. They still serve breakfast, of course, but it typically consists of fresh fruit, baked goods from local suppliers, and the old standby of granola or cereal. Guests are allowed to toast their own bread and bagels, and, I’m going to guess, cook their own entire meals if the hosts allow it.

Almond growers need honeybees, and lots of them. The interesting workings of almond agriculture are revealed as almond farmers discuss the bee shortage. 80% of the world’s almond supply is grown in the Central Valley of California, and it takes 1 million hives of bees to pollinate the 530,000 acres of almond groves. The state has 440,000 bee hives and beekeepers from other states drive their hives in each year to supplement them. One farmer reported paying $54 to rent a hive, up from $44 last year. The growth of almond acreage is not the only factor for the bee shortage. Parasitic mites are taking a toll on hive populations and an estimated 10,000-15,000 hives were burned in Southern California fires last year. The Gilroy Beekeepers website blames the yearly mass migration of bees to the almond groves for spreading the mites and other diseases among hives. Approximately one-third of the human diet is derived directly or indirectly from insect-pollinated plants.

Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry is offering a one-time tour of the city’s neon signs. Jay Blazek from Western Neon will lead the tour to old city signs that many natives hold close to their hearts. The museum has been trying to collect neon signs that have outlived their buildings and businesses.

Eclectica, most of it vintage, is gathered together at the Tick Tock Toys Archive. Browse the Kids Food archive to see packaging from decades past. Hundreds of cereal boxes are gathered together for your perusal. And there’s store displays galore. (via memepool)

Perhaps the hype was too hot. Per Se, Thomas Keller’s much anticipated “French Laundry on the east coast” suffered a kitchen fire on Saturday (NY Times link). It was a small electrical fire, put out in 15 minutes, but among the casualties may be the $85,000 custom made Bonnet cooktop and oven which was completely doused with water. Open only six days prior, Per Se now has the unfortunate task of informing diners that their coveted reservations will not come to fruition. The estimated time to reopening is “at least” two weeks, with the famed perfectionist tendencies of Mr. Keller no doubt playing a large role in the uncertainty.

It’s almost Oscar time, so the GirlHacker’s Random Log search ‘bots are busy compiling our annual list of the contents of the coveted gift bag from press releases and news reports. Look for a posting later in the week (and our ‘bots are hoping some nice media outlet will help out with an almost complete list by then to make their job easier). The bag is already plenty full with lovely products of five figure value. As a preview of sorts, this little news item caught our eye. Singer Alison Krauss will be attending the Oscars carrying a Treo 600 smartphone. Designed by Stuart Weitzman and palmOne, the phone will be encrusted with 3,000 clear and cognac-colored topaz cut Swarovski crystals. But the phone pales in comparison to her matching Weitzman shoes which are decorated with diamonds, including a 5-carat amaretto diamond, and valued at $2 million. The press release claims the phone and shoes are a matched set, but shouldn’t the phone be clad in diamonds too then? Well, some reports state that although Alison has to return the shoes after the show, she gets to keep the phone and a replica of the shoes covered instead with Swarovski crystals, so her takeaway will truly be a matched set, if not as pricey.

Founded in 1877, Schoenstein & Co. creates and repairs pipe organs. Its Mission District building is a San Francisco Registered Landmark. Records of all 151 organs the company has built are kept in filing cabinets. Organs are designed specifically for their future residence and the final voicing process once one is installed can take three months. The waiting list for a new organ is currently at four years. With annual sales of $2 million to $3 million, Schoenstein & Co. isn’t poised for riches, but the owner and employees treat their work as a labor of love, receiving immense enjoyment from the challenge and variety of their craft.

Archeologists excavating caves near the Dead Sea discovered a cache of women’s accessories dating from the 6th century B.C. There was a makeup kit consisting of an alabaster bowl for powders, applicator stick, and a bronze mirror. Metal detectors turned up a gold necklace with 130 beads of semiprecious stones, a scarab, an agate medallion, and a silver pendant with an engraved crescent moon and pomegranates. It’s a fascinating look at what was in vogue 2,500 years ago.

Despite hopes for a fall 2004 launch, NASA has decided to postpone the next space shuttle launch until at least March 2005. Backup safety plans for the flight include having a second shuttle ready to launch on a rescue mission if necessary. All future shuttle flights will focus on the International Space Station, which allows them to have a “pit stop” to inspect the shuttle and perform any repairs. Engineers are working on repair kits and inspection booms. Shuttle Discovery has been picked to be the next up.