Vanishing Toys

Here’s an interesting (if ultimately inconclusive) article from Scientific American on how babies learn object permanence. One recent study indicates it’s a gradual learning, not an “aha.” The results can be interpreted differently, however, depending on how one defines the varying degress of familiarity babies have with objects. Interesting (and relatively short) reading, though, for anyone who has or had infants.

National Sex Offender Public Registry

The National Sex Offender Public Registry went online today. The site contains names, pictures, and addresses of offenders in 22 states, and will include the remaining public registries within six months. One of those “I wish we didn’t have to have this” items, but useful under the circumstances.

Oh Canada!

Canada joined the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain today in recognizing gay marriage nationwide. Expect some interesting legal cases as Canadians marry same-sex U. S. citizens, U. S. gay couples want to marry in Canada, and Canadian gay couples want to immigrate to the U. S. Someone should calculate what all of this will cost the U. S. court system (i.e., taxpayers). Wouldn’t it be better spent on, say, improving our kids’ education?

Techno Knitting

I admit it; I love things that take traditional domestic activities and update them with a techno twist. I laughed at the giant excavator knitting project a few weeks ago, but was even more intrigued by KnitWit, “intelligent” knitting needles that detect needle movement and automatically count stitches and rows. This isn’t just technology for technology’s sake, but promises to be truly useful (at least for those of you who actually knit). Thanks to MAKE for the sighting.

Mush

When my son was an infant, I enjoyed making baby food purees for him. I’m not sure if it was because I love to cook, wanted to give him more variety than the store brands carried, or wanted to feel more like a provider of food for him, since my partner had done the breastfeeding.

Regardless, it was a fun exploration of gadgetry in my kitchen. Depending on the food (and changing as my son grew and could eat lumps), I would use any or all of: a full-size blender, an immersion blender, a mini food processor, a fork (for bananas), a strainer, or a chinois (a conical, fine-mesh strainer). In retrospect, I should have been more scientific about it, and noted what I used when. If you’re trying this yourself, I would say that the full-size blender is probably the best all-around tool. Sometimes you need to add a little water for the right consistency, and if your child is very young (just post rice cereal), put the mash through a strainer, too (especially for something like peas, which have skins).

Once the puree was done, I would put it into ice-cube trays and freeze it, then store the frozen cubes in baggies. Two or three could be thawed at a moment’s notice (and then checked carefully for temperature).

I wasn’t fanatical about it, and would keep several jars of store-bought food on hand. If I planned right, though, I could puree some part of whatever I was making for my partner and I, and not have to go through too much extra effort. Give it a try, especially with the nice seasonal vegetables available now.

Moment of Silence

A moment of silence today in honor of the London bombing victims.

Better Hold Off on Those Tickets to Barcelona

The Supreme Court of Justice of Catalonia has stated that a Spanish man cannot marry his Indian partner because the Spanish civil code says foreign residents seeking to wed Spanish citizens are bound by the laws of their country of citizenship. The Court did not formally rule on this, however, but merely stated it in a release to the media. The couple can appeal to the Justice Ministry.

This brings up interesting questions, such as: A U. S. citizen seeking to wed a Spanish partner presumably couldn’t–but what if she/he is from Massachusetts? Presumably hordes of lawyers are poring over their books even as we type. Sooner or later, people will figure out that unequal marriage rights is just administratively messy, never mind any moral issues.

UCC Endorses Gay Marriage

The United Church of Christ voted today to endorse same-sex marriage.Here’s the official announcement. Worth reading the italicized section at the bottom that summarizes the key points of the resolution, including that the UCC should urge legislators to support equal marriage rights. Individual UCC churches may decide whether to observe the endorsement.

More from the Butch/Femme Ambiguity Files

Artist Dave Cole has opened a new performance art piece at Mass MOCA, consisting of two construction excavators bearing 20-foot-long knitting needles. He will use them to knit an American flag over the course of the next several days.

Happy July 4th!

For those of us in the United States, this weekend marks the celebration of our nation’s independence from Britain. It’s often seen as an observance of the things that make our nation great: freedom, democracy, and really good barbecue sauce. Let’s not forget, however, that democracy only works the way it should when citizens get involved. Search through various issue categories and pending legislation to find what matters to you, then write to your elected officials at Congress.org. You can also find more details about your elected officials, including issue positions and voting records, at Project Vote Smart. While these aren’t sites about technology per se, they showcase one of the ways technology has enabled communication and information distribution. Take advantage of it!