I’m breaking my “don’t repeat popular weblog postings” rule to make sure that my Mythbusters-fan friends don’t miss Metafilter Podcast 3 which consists of Matt Haughey interviewing Adam Savage: “MetaFilter’s one of my favorite sites, I swear!” Excellent job Matt!

Lotus cat furniture looks like a lovely alternative to those carpet-covered cat trees. Though the largest version is priced at almost $300, that actually sounds reasonable if you’ve been purchasing human furniture (perhaps not at IKEA — Hey it’d be super cool if IKEA made a stylish cat tree!). (via Luxist)

I didn’t expect a full-length N.Y. Times Business article on the Coca-Cola and Pepsi “healthy sodas.” But with consumer turning to beverage alternatives perceived as being healthier I suppose it’s interesting news that Coke and Pepsi are trying to retain and grow the “diet” cola market by appealing to the health conscious. Diet Coke Plus and Pepsi’s Tava will be marketed as “sparkling beverages.” Both are fortified with vitamins and minerals. Diet Coke Plus arrives this spring and Tava is expected to launch in the fall.

The English term “high tea” does not refer to what I thought it did. The Seattle Times fielded a reader question about an advertisement enticing you to “enjoy British high tea in Victoria.” Traditionally, “afternoon tea” is what I thought “high tea” was, namely the formal event with fine china, cucumber sandwiches, scones, and clotted cream. “High tea” actually refers to an informal early evening meal (think steak-and-kidney pies and pasties), with its origins in the working class. The name comes from the placement of the food on a high mantel or main table. Meanwhile those of us on this side of the pond who regularly abuse the King’s English thought “high” meant “fancy” or “formal” and incorrectly evolved the term to refer to “afternoon tea.”

How did we ever survive?
Some days (or perhaps all days!) life without the Internet seems unthinkable. I can’t remember how to plan a trip without the World Wide Web. I recall perhaps using a travel agent or buying and borrowing a lot of books and making many phone calls. Today I can easily find and finalize details not only around transportation and hotels but also local attractions. And the amount of information can approach overwhelming quantities. Vancouver’s Stanley Park and Washington State’s Mount Rainier National Park both suffered winter storm damage. Tourists seeking the latest Stanley Park news can read about the restoration project and peruse a detailed chronology of events and major donations since the December windstorm. Those interested in Mount Rainier will find that although the park is still closed because of November floods, there is a thorough flood recovery status page with maps pinpointing the damage and recovery work, photos and slideshows, news and newsletters. Plus, there’s a climbing blog. This type of information not only wouldn’t have been easily accessible prior to the Internet — I wonder if it would have existed at all!

Very clever: a cake server shaped like a lady’s shoe (well, slipper really). There’s a magnet so you can hang it as a lovely decoration and the heel comes off if you prefer less whimsy. I bet it’s handy for pie too. (via Seattle Times Digs)

Maya Lin will be making a special appearance at Tacoma’s Museum of Glass on March 16 & 17. Lin will direct the Hot Shop Team in creating hot-sculpted clear glass “water drop” forms. The results will be incorporated into a new installation, part of the Mining Glass exhibit of contemporary artists. Mining Glass brings together the work of seven prominent artists who have not been directly involved with the Studio Glass movement but have nevertheless used glass in their work.

After hearing news reports about the stock market drop, I naively thought “I wonder what Alan Greenspan’s been up to lately?” Well, turns out some people believe the comments he made to a Hong Kong business conference triggered the plunge. Greenspan said “When you get this far away from a recession, invariably forces build up for the next recession, and indeed we are beginning to see that sign.” And then the Chinese stock market went south. Others think it’s just a coincidence. Charles Jones from Columbia Business School: “It just so happens that [Greenspan] made one comment that ends up being right in front of a big stock market move. I think that’s more coincidence than anything.” I got what I wanted to know: Greenspan has not retired.

As much as I respect the folks over at Serious Eats, I’m not sure that National Pig Day is supposed to be about eating pork! According to Internet sources (the Internet is always right, you know), “National Pig Day was first conceived in 1972 by two sisters, Ellen Stanley of Lubbock, Texas, and Mary Lynne Rave of Beaufort, North Carolina. The day has grown to become a celebration of and appreciation for the pig’s best qualities and attributes.” Of course, a lot of pork is being consumed to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Boar. Celebrate the pig however you wish, on a plate or in a pen. Oink!

Unfortunately, a handbag with solar panels for charging gadgets doesn’t fit my everyday inside office lifestyle. Green energy aside, I’d rather set my purse with gadgets inside on a SplashPower device.