The World Wildlife Fund and Norwegian Polar Institute post tracking data online for two polar bears they have radio-collared. Yana and Lena roam around an island on the Barents Sea. They are the second set of bears to be tracked on the site. An earlier pair were tagged in 2000. All are female.

There’s fun soda information browsing to be had at Real Soda in Real Bottles and its accompanying commerce site Soda King where you can buy the real stuff in real bottles.

Here’s a fun look at life behind the Starbucks counter as wine writer Natalie Maclean recalls her time as a barista-in-training. Prior to in-store training baristas are schooled in corporate history and the art of coffee tasting and roasting. Then they get to wrestle with the espresso machine and milk frother. The uniform is black on black, green apron. no nailpolish or perfume allowed. Baristas are a part of the total experience of that luxury cup of coffee. (via Medley)

Northern California dialect? Linguists at Stanford have identified a “Northern California Vowel Shift” and it began with teen-aged girls. Californians used to speak like the state’s mainly New York transplants, with a mix of foreign influences. Now native births are the main source of population growth instead of immigration. That shift contributes to a unique dialect, constructed by the younger female generation and sometimes picked up by young males and older females. It has some characteristics of that ol’ 80s Valley Girl speak, but is unique to itself. The emphasis on the young girls’ contribution to dialect change makes me wonder whether the evolution of spoken human language has had times of predominantly female influence. Nowadays it seems as if people pick up their “speak” from favorite television shows, which flattens out dialects into TV demographic target groups.

Too cute puppy in two cute postings at pb’s. Note comment: “The cat is not amused.”

I had heard radio advertisements for last night’s Late Show with David Letterman so I was surprised when I realized the program was a repeat. That was not the original plan. Snowboarder Tara Dakides, a guest on Thursday’s show, fell 25 feet from a ramp that had been set up outside the studio to showcase her stunts. She landed on her back and was taken to the hospital. Letterman halted taping and went to visit her in the hospital. Dakides had some stitches in the back of her head and is in stable condition.

Why have colored candles when you can have colored flames? Color Flames distributes Magic Corona, a line of lamps and oils that burn with flames of red, yellow, green, or blue. This being the Internet, of course you can easily find instructions for making your own colored flames — in the fireplace anyway.

Descriptions of the interior of Seattle’s new library sound intriguing, though the spacious environment seems intimidating. The P.I. writes that the inside “is an education for anyone who thinks of libraries as cozy, softly lit structures with oak bookshelves, a few desks and a card catalog in the center of it all.” I must be a conservative when it comes to library interiors. I like the exterior design of the building. But I prefer that the insides of libraries be all about the books, shelved in nice, straight, usable lines, not “a continuous spiral that will ramp up four levels.” And I don’t really need 40 foot ceilings. Chances are, I’ll like how the interior looks from an aesthetic point of view. But I’ll be yearning for the cozy libraries of yore. $165 million (and cost overruns estimated at $8.4 million to $16.9 million) gets you a heck of a lot more than books on straight shelves. As a city showpiece, it could be worth it. As a library, well, maybe it will encourage more people to read.

“I believe a modern chef can have six or seven restaurants but only one kitchen. Mine is the French Laundry.” So says Thomas Keller, whose highly anticipated Per Se restaurant opens this month in New York’s Time Warner Center. The perfectionist and control freak has tapped Jonathan Benno as head chef and 18 other French Laundry alumni to work the new kitchen. But when he heads back to Yountville in Napa, he’ll be literally looking over their shoulders with a state of the art plasma screen and live video link. The French Laundry is currently closed for renovations while Keller puts the final touches on Per Se’s opening. He’ll be heading back west sometime in the spring. (2nd link via Saute Wednesday)

I might have something illegal in my cupboard. Since 1968 it has been against the law to import Sichuan peppercorns into the United States. Enforcement has been lax until the last couple years. These reddish-brown berries are one of the components of five spice powder. Because the plant belongs to the citrus family, the peppers are on the USDA’s banned list as citrus plants may carry a canker which is harmful to our citrus crops. Recent changes to the field inspectors’ manual has resulted in strict enforcement of the Sichuan peppercorn ban and stores have reported that their stock has been confiscated. Apparently if you know where to go and how to ask (in Chinese of course) you can still find it in some markets. And you can try sneaking it across the border from Canada, but you risk a $1,000 fine. There is actually no evidence that this spice has actually ever transmitted the canker. (source: NY Times article)