Archives › 2006 › April
Baby Crying Analyser
From the “Do We Really Need This?” department: The Baby Crying Analyser. It listens to a baby’s crying for 20 seconds, and tells you whether your tot is crying from hunger, boredom, discomfort, sleepiness, or stress. It claims a 95% success rate. I can’t imagine many people shelling out £66 ($115 as of this posting) [...]
Workplace Studies Reveal Progress and Opportunities
Two recent, complementary studies of LGBT workplace issues show a positive trend in benefits and attitudes, but do not conceal that there is still room for improvement. The HRC Domestic Partner Benefits (PDF) guide looks at the number of employers offering domestic-partner benefits, associated costs, the impact of anti-discrimination and equal-benefits ordinances, tax implications, “soft” [...]
It’s National Library Week, “a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support.” I thought I’d take the opportunity to share a few suggestions for making use of your local library, beyond the obvious one of borrowing books. (I’ve focused on ideas related to kids [...]
World’s Largest T-Rex Skull Now on Display
This one’s for all you moms with dinosaur-obsessed offspring. Increase your cool factor in their eyes by telling them the world’s largest Tyrannosaurus rex skull is now on display at the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University. (Thanks to PhysOrg.com for the sighting. Photos available through both links above.)
Weekly Political Roundup
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says all Roman Catholics should support a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. U. S. Senator and rumored presidential candidate Russell Feingold, D-Wis., announced that he supports marriage equality for same-sex couples. A gay male couple have asked a federal appeals court in California to declare [...]
Rosie’s Family Snooze: But In a Good Way
I spent the better part of this evening watching All Aboard: Rosie’s Family Cruise, the HBO documentary about the maiden voyage of Rosie’s all-are-welcome cruise venture. I admit to mixed feelings about the show.
Non-Bio Mom Awarded Custody
In a landmark case in the UK, a Court of Appeal has ruled that a non-bio mom should be considered the “natural parent” of her former partner’s children and given custody, after the bio mom broke a shared-custody order and moved away. The head of the appeal panel, Lord Justice Thorpe, said that “in the [...]
A bipartisan group of legislators has introduced a bill that would require the Agriculture Department to set new nutritional standards for all food sold in schools, with the goal of restricting junk food sales. Current regulations apply to cafeteria breakfasts and lunches, but not vending-machine or school-store snacks. I’m all for this—but wonder if restrictions [...]
Shameless Diversions
OK, in partial recompense for the long political rant, I’ll point you to AfterEllen.com, where you can read up on the latest lesbian celebrity gossip. You know you want to. For those of you seeking a more humorous diversion, try After Ellen’s sister pubilcation, Fake Gay News. (Warning: Heavy satire. Not for the easily offended.)
The Gifted Left Behind
The New York Times today reports on schools that are cutting funding for gifted programs in order to meet the requirements for the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Schools are shifting funds to ensure that struggling students attain the law’s basic math and reading levels. This highlights one of the biggest dilemmas facing [...]
“All Aboard: Rosie’s Family Cruise” Documentary
Rosie O’Donnell and her partner Kelli Carpenter O’Donnell are premiering their documentary, “All Aboard: Rosie’s Family Cruise,” on April 6. The program, which will air on HBO, looks at the first cruise of the couple’s travel venture, R Family Vacations. (Full credit: The couple founded the company with friend Gregg Kaminsky.) The New York Times [...]
Happy Anniversary
My partner and I recently celebrated our thirteenth year together. Did we honor the occasion with a wild display of lesbian hedonism, an example of our depraved homosexual lifestyle? ‘Fraid not. We spent it at IKEA, picking up some bookshelves for my parents. That evening, we assembled it and stayed at their house with our [...]
Causes and Effects of Childhood Obesity
Two items of note today in regard to childhood obesity: A study by scientists at the Université Laval (article in French; English summary here) has concluded that amount of sleep was the prime factor in determining childhood obesity among children five to ten years old. In the study of 422 children, those who got less [...]
2 of 2
