An employee dressed in a panda costume poses for a photo during the soft opening of a panda-themed hotel at the foot of Emei Mountain, Southwest China's Sichuan province, February 25, 2013. According to local media, the hotel is the first panda-themed hotel in the world and will officially open in May with room rates from 300 to 500 yuan ($48 to $80) per night.
Politicians – They’re Just Like Us! Everyone knows it’s hard to really buckle down until the night before a deadline. And with only 48 hours until across-the-board government spending cuts go into effect, members of Congress from both parties know they’ve still got enough time to finish the first season of Netflix’s House of Cards before they have to reach a deal. (TIME.com)
What Was Wrong With The Old Ones? If spending cuts go into effect, Washington’s National Zoo might not be able to get new cheetahs. (reason)
Too Real: Politicians like House of Cards so much because it gets all the little things about Washington right. Like when your boss drunkenly gives a cop his Starbucks card instead of his driver’s license. (Buzzfeed)
Still Totally Hip: In an epic ongoing battle with UrbanDictionary.com, the Oxford Dictionary has added the slang term “friend zone” to its pages. (The Daily What)
You Can Get That Legally Now: A man described as a “shoeless pot robber” fell out of a tree after trying to evade police in Seattle. Looks like he won’t be Washington state’s new weed adviser. (Seattle Weekly)
Just Eat the Cake: Warning: This poignant, genuine explanation of why blogger Kate Fridkis writes about body image might make you cry… and then go buy a double chocolate cupcake. Just read it already. (Huffington Post)
And Stop Hating on Fantine: Why is it that every woman on the internet totally loves Best Actress Oscar Winner Jennifer Lawrence, but can’t stand Best Supporting Actress Oscar Winner Anne Hathaway? Because, explains Ann Friedman, Hathaway reminds you of that theater nerd who tries too hard. (New York Magazine)
It’s Not Lost, Just Misplaced: It’s been less than a week since Anne and J.Law won their Oscars, so hopefully they still know where they are. But at least 10 (10!) award-winners have lost their statuettes over the years. (mental_floss)
Calm Down, Nate Silver: These are the top contenders for next year’s Academy Awards — although the films haven’t been released yet. (Flavorwire)
But It Was 99 Cents! You might want to pray over your second-hand clothing, says TV minister Pat Robertson. It could be infected by demons. (YouTube)