The Random Log is taking a week-long break and will return on June 7.

Plucked from the N.Y. Times Home section: A flowerpot that doubles as a light. Each of these recycled plastic containers has LEDs inside so they serve double-duty as landscape lighting. And if you’re going to make a feather duster out of real ostrich feathers, you may as well shape it like an ostrich. “Ostrich feathers are the only feathers that have millions of statically charged follicles.”

Steve’s Ice Cream popularized the mix-ins concept in the 1970’s. Cold Stone Creamery franchises are capitalizing on it nowadays. Steve Herrell, the founder of Steve’s stayed out of the ice cream business only as long as he was told to. A month after the non-compete clause in his agreement with the buyers of Steve’s expired, he opened Herrell’s. There he uses his original recipes and offers Smoosh-Ins, kinda sorta exactly like the old Steve’s Ice Cream. Mmmm.

Alton Brown is answering member questions on eGullet.com this week. Upcoming show topics: “sauce making, chocolate, oysters, chili, cheese, doughnuts, sourdough, melons, and wontons” Food Network has nixed shows on making your own baby food and game (wild meats).

Watermelon season is underway and a scan through watermelon news uncovers the following facts: Seedless watermelon is overtaking the traditional variety better suited for seed-spitting contests. Consumers also want smaller sizes, so those large, seeded melons may become relics. Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and Arizona are the leading watermelon growing states. Cordele, Georgia calls itself the Watermelon Capitol of the World. Looking at worldwide statistics, however, China and Turkey surpass the U.S. production.

I spotted “personal sized” watermelons on sale at the market; the price brought them closer to the regular seedless variety (no seeded was available at this market!), so I bought one to try out. The rind is definitely thinner and the flavor is great, but what you’d expect from a good watermelon. It’s not worth the extra price if I can buy a pre-quartered seedless for less (there’s also the advantage of being able to see inside the pre-sliced ones!).

Taiwan received its first bullet train, delivered from Japan on Tuesday. The line will shorten the commute time between Taipei and Kaohsiung from four hours to 90 minutes. Service is scheduled to begin in October 2005 and 29 more trains are on order.

Borders and Barnes & Noble are just about equally convenient for us to get to if we need to quickly pick up a book. The simple fact that Borders allows you to search their in-store inventory online and B&N; does not makes the decision of where to go (and specifically which Borders store!) extremely easy. An article from the Wharton School reveals that Borders’ growth strategy included a software program to manage store inventory. The tracking system grew to include forecasting capabilities, making for a highly efficient ordering process. This enabled their speedy growth (and, likely, their online inventory system). Barnes & Noble, however, stuck to the standby superstore formula of economies of scale. They stocked stores with known best-sellers and bargains and lots of them. Both strategies have been successful in achieving growth. However, one has been more successful in supporting my book buying habits. (Wharton School article link, but registration required)

With his Per Se restaurant in New York finally reopened after a kitchen fire, Thomas Keller has the French Laundry back to business as well, opening its doors last week after a $1.8 million remodel. The SF Chronicle has taken the opportunity to do a sort of “compare and contrast” exercise on the two extolled eateries, listing the differences in decor, square footage, even projected revenues. As may be expected, Per Se exudes a characteristic New York indulgence while Yountville’s French Laundry retains its intimate Napa Valley quality.

Shag, Arch, Blossom and Harding are the littler siblings of Alcatraz, named rocks in the San Francisco Bay that experienced “bar pilots” know to steer around. They were originally larger knobs of rock, blasted down in size to accomodate 19th century vessels, but remain menacing to modern container ships. Other characteristics of the floor of the bay can be seen in the new 3-D maps created by the US Geological Survey. “Multibeam mapping” with sound pulses was used to reveal the bottom of the bay. The maps and a report on the transformation of the underwater surfaces are available online.

The smell, sound, and feel of a baseball mitt are all part of the mystique of the game, as described in depth by the Seattle Times. Pro players have habits, rituals, downright superstitions with their gloves. Some use the same glove for years, developing a close bond with the well-worn leather. Others have a regular replacement schedule, with game performance sometimes playing a part. For those with a long-term relationship, there are glove repair specialists. Fran Fleet, who particularly enjoys the dog chewing repair work, has her own recommendations for breaking in and caring for your glove.