Pepsi has plans for two limited edition flavors in 2004, Mountain Dew Pitch Black and Pepsi Holiday Spice. Mountain Dew Pitch Black has a grape flavor and a horror film marketing theme to match its late August through Halloween run. Ginger and cinnamon highlight Pepsi Holiday Spice available, of course, through the holiday season from November to the end of the year. And Taco Bell is the only place you can get another special Dew flavor, Mountain Dew Baja Blast with a “tropical lime” flavor to complement those Mexican flavors.

It’s Tabouli and Baba Ganoush (can Hummus be far behind?), the cutest cloned kittens in the world. They’re the latest offspring from Genetic Savings and Clone. Cell donor, Tahini (you saw that coming, right?), is a 1 year old Bengal cat owned by the CEO’s son. I wonder if cat breeders are going to add, or have already added, “no cloning” clauses to their purchase contracts, right alongside the spay/neuter clause.

“alternately jarring, disjointed, contrapuntal, maddeningly long, and enviably brilliant.” It’s a review of the writing of David Foster Wallace, but it’s referring to a piece he wrote for Gourmet magazine, 6,000 words on his visit to the Maine Lobster Festival. Well, actually most of the article isn’t exactly about the festival, but about the ethics of boiling lobsters alive. Apparently several revisions were called for as editor Ruth Reichl asked for changes, one of which was to remove mention of the PETA video “Meet Your Meat.” From the disturbing snippets printed in the Boston Globe, I’m not sure how much I want to pick up the August Gourmet, but for certain the lobster essay offers something a little different in food for thought. Not to mention good PR (maybe for the lobsters too). (via Romenesko and kottke)

There’s a ham sold in Barcelona, Spain that is so expensive that after your order is sliced up, it gets put into a little security box with a lock and sensor. That way not only do you set off the alarm if you leave the store without visiting the cashier, but you also can’t take any nibbles before you pay up. It sells for 125 euros per kilo (>$75/lb)

“Well, hi everybody!” That was Bob Murphy, the N.Y. Mets broadcaster’s, usual welcome, and it’s burned into many a fan’s brain because Murphy called those Mets games from the very beginning in 1962 until his retirement last season. He died of lung cancer on Tuesday and it’s a shame he didn’t get to enjoy more of his retirement, but he probably loved his job. Bob Murphy, Lindsay Nelson and Ralph Kiner were the original threesome in the Mets broadcast booth, switching off radio and television duties. Murphy eventually was relegated strictly to radio, and the booth at Shea was named after him. His upbeat manner helped fans through the dry years, and there were many to suffer through. If you need to be reminded of which “voice” he was, Newsday posted a few audio clips. (N.Y. Times obit)

Kopi Luwak is a rare, expensive coffee. This has a lot to do with the fact that the beans need to first pass through the digestive system of the Asian palm civet. A study to be published in Food Research International reveals that not only is the digestion key to the superior flavor, but that “During the night, the civet uses its eyesight and smell to seek out and eat only the ripest coffee cherries.” The beans are washed during processing to remove any remaining surrounding fruit, resulting also in a low bacteria count. The same researcher, Massimo Marcone, has looked at the composition of swallow nests used in bird’s nest soup, finding that the protein structure from the saliva is similar to eggs. (U. of Guelph press release, Nature article)

Saffron is expensive. Very expensive. But you can actually buy and grow your saffron crocus, Crocus sativus (in zones 6-9). With corms (bulbs) going for about 50 cents each and 3 stigmas per flower, let’s see…500 stigmas in a gram… a gram at Penzey’s for $6.49… well, I guess it’s still cheaper to buy it at the store instead of starting your own little saffron farm. (from Sunset Magazine)

The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy — The Exhibition is the lengthy title for a long awaited exhibit that opened at the Boston Museum of Science on August 1 and runs through October 24. It’s the sole U.S. stop for what most people will just call “the Lord of the Rings exhibit.” Not surprisingly it started in New Zealand at Te Papa. It went on to the Science Museum in London and the Singapore Science Centre before opening in
Boston. It travels to the Powerhouse Museum of Sydney in time for Christmas. On display are many of the extraordinarily detailed costumes, jewelry, weapons and models used in the films.

If “New Urbanism” has a PR firm it’s doing a good job. This movement among urban planners, developers, architects and others of their ilk, brought a sensibility of convenience to counter suburban sprawl. The San Francisco Chronicle and Seattle Times both featured local examples of communities built on the principles of New Urbanism in their Sunday editions, and the term is often cited in housing related articles across the country.

The Chronicle focused on transit villages, housing developments built adjacent to public transportation. The article delves into the harsh economics of Bay Area housing where people who would like to live closer to their jobs must move hours away for affordable real estate. Zoning codes unfriendly to mixed-use development make it difficult to build to the New Urbanism characteristics of clustering various housing types, retail and business, not to mention the headaches of expanding public transit.

Over in the Eastside of the Seattle area three “urban villages” in previously rural surroundings have been planned to the elements of New Urbanism, with high density houses, an emphasis on pedestrians and common areas for neighbors to socialize. But most residents still have to drive to work, angering long-time area residents who now have to contend with traffic, and promised nearby conveniences such as grocery stores and schools are yet to come. Overall, though, residents seem happy with their trade-offs, enjoying their community, local coffee shops, and patiently waiting for continued development to bring more amenities.

Who knew that duck decoys could go for such astronomical prices? At an auction in April a Canadian goose decorative decoy sold for $605,000. Its price probably raised eyebrows back in 1983 when it went for a mere $30,800. But it’s not the most expensive decoy sold. In January 2003, a “preening pintail drake” brought $801,500.