What's missing from the buyer's guide

If your computer has recently begun throwing tantrums like a 2-year-old, technology columnist Walter Mossberg has a list of factors to consider while you're checking out new laptops, such as size, operating system and battery life. Unfortunately, he offers no advice on what kind of laptop will repel your cat when it goes looking for a warm place to nap.

Rising like a souffle: The cost of foods such as meat, eggs and dairy products has increased sharply in the last year, and analysts expect prices to get even worse. We suspect a future Food section will be devoted to creative ways of cooking with Ramen.

A boy in Blaine says he's set a new world record for inflating balloons with his nose. He blew up 213 in an hour at Blaine's public library, leaving other patrons confused about what they'd done to deserve an hour of shushing sounds.

Commuters, rejoice: Saturday's interlude of sunny weather helped crews finish a pile of work on the I-5 widening project through Everett. They need another warm day to pour some fresh asphalt, and they're sure to get one soon -- if they take a trip to the Bahamas.