JBX…no it’s not the code for an obscure airport. It’s the name for the new “fast-casual” restaurants taking over certain Jack in the Box locations. Sitting somewhere between greasy fast food joints and full-service casual restaurants, JBX locations serve a fancier menu (chicken-avocado club sandwich) with a healthier image. Prices are higher than you’d spend for a burger and fries, but, hey, you get a choice of six dipping sauces. The decor is likened to that of Starbucks. Already open in San Diego, the company announced last month that it will be expanding JBX into Boise, Idaho and Dallas. Here are menu scans and photo links from a San Diego blog. Other fast food chains are propping up the higher end of their menus with Angus beef burgers at Hardee’s and fancy salads at Wendy’s.

Two diamonds, a 47 carat and 1 carat, were stolen out of a display case right from under everyone’s nose at a Paris antique show last week. No video cameras or alarms were in place, a fact that the thieves took great advantage of. European investigators are blaming a Balkan-based team called the Pink Panthers. The group sent in a rush of buyers to overwhelm the sales and security people. The missing diamonds will likely be cut up for sale.

I’m all too familiar with the shenanigans of amateur musicians in the orchestra pit and apparently the fun doesn’t stop in the pro leagues. The NY Times’ look at pit musicians who are hidden from view (necessitated by lack of space) reveals a fun loving atmosphere fed by the boredom of repetition. On public view in the theatre pit you may see musicians reading the paper or making reeds; at one Broadway show I remember watching the oboist leave and return multiple times as his notes were few and far between (we joked that his timing worked out such that he was simultaneously “moonlighting” at the musical across the street). In the hidden back rooms musicians are able to let loose with hijinks and more involved endeavors such as letter writing and mini-golf, though they deny making phone calls or accepting margaritas from the cast.

Thank you everyone for the congratulatory emails and links. We are doing well with our new little guy. I’ll try to get through the email stack soon and of course I can’t anticipate how frequent postings here will be but we shall see how it goes.

You may not have your Halloween costume figured out yet, but it’s already time to pick out this year’s fantasy Christmas gift. The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book is out and the 2004 offerings sprinkled between the actually (relatively) affordable items include a custom suit of armor (sword fighting lessons included), a Zeppelin NT airship (seats 12 plus 2 crew), a jeweled Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (alas these are Swarovski crystals not genuine jewels), and an American Airlines AAirpass which gives the holder lifetime travel in any class on any AA flight for $3,000,000.00 (save! buy two for only $5,000,000.00!).

Bungee-jumping, lip-syncing Rhinemaidens soar across the Lyric Opera of Chicago stage for “Das Rheingold.” The NY Times looks behind the scenes at the aerial mechanics of keeping three gymnasts gracefully afloat for an underwater appearance. It’s essentially a circus act set to a Wagner score with a choreographer who has worked with Cirque du Soleil. Next up, in “Die Walküre,” the (in)famous Valkyries leap across stage with the help of four trampolines. No word on whether Brunhilde later launches herself into the funeral pyre with the aid of gymnastics equipment.