For my third contribution to Robin Reagler’s blog carnival, here’s Some/thing Blue: the Web site of Donor Home Delivery.

A reader wrote to ask if I knew anything about this company. The Web site says it helps couples with distant known donors ship sperm safely from one place to another, ensconced in a “test yolk buffer” on a “cold pack.” Now, the best way I know to ship sperm is in a cryo tank, not on a “cold pack,” but I’m not an expert. Does anyone have experience with this company, good or bad, that you’d be willing to share in the comments? Maybe I’m just suspicious after the e-mail scam going around. I have no specific reason to believe this company is a scam, but I have no way to know if the transportation method they use is at all effective. (They are upfront in admitting that they do no screening of the sperm, something recommended for all couples using donors.)

For my second contribution to Robin Reagler’s blog carnival, here’s Some/thing New:

Israel announced Sunday that same-sex couples will now have the same adoption rights as opposite-sex couples. Previously, they could only adopt if one partner was the child’s biological parent. Mazal tov!

I wrote earlier this month about a charitable challenge offered by actor Kevin Bacon. Bacon’s Six Degrees organization (in conjunction with Network for Good) will give a matching grant of $10,000 to the six non-profits with the highest number of unique donors before March 31st at 11:59pm ET.

The Family Pride Coalition is battling for one of these spots, and is now in fourth place. Family Pride is the group behind events such as Family Week in Provincetown and getting LGBT families to participate visibly in the White House Egg Roll. They publish a slew of resources for LGBT parents and parents’ groups. Executive Director Jennifer Chrisler has also been a balancing voice when those on the ultra-right speak against our families in the media.

The contest is all about the number of donors, so contributions of even $10 (the minimum to pay by credit card) will help. (Multiple donations from a single individual only count once.) You can donate through the image in this post or the link in my right-hand sidebar. If you have your own site or blog, put up a badge and encourage your readers to participate.

Two more days—and remember, even small donations count!

If you’re trying to conceive, here is some new research you may want to discuss with your doctor: A study at the University of Pittsburgh found that women who conceive in summer have the lowest rate of preterm births (less than 37 weeks gestation), with the rates increasing steadily through fall, winter, and spring.

Those conceiving in summer or fall also had a 25 percent reduction in births prior to 32 weeks gestation vs. those who conceived in winter or spring.

Two lesbian-parent blogs have been nominated for the 2006 Weblog Awards: LesbianDad, in the Best New Blog category and Liza Was Here in Best of the Rest Blogs. Both are in contention to win their categories, but the competition is tough.

Unfortunately, there are no LGBT-parenting blogs nominated in the Best Parenting Blog category. Gay dad Terrance (who writes about much more than just parenting) picked up a Best LGBT Blog nomination for The Republic of T, however.

Visit the links above or go to the full list of categories to cast your votes. You may vote once every 24 hours in each category. Polls close at 11:59 p.m. EST, December 15, 2006.

Yes, according to a new study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, “Daily consumption of chocolate reduced the chances of miscarriage by a modest 20%.” The research was in fact more serious than that makes it sound, and shed light on the still-mysterious causes of lost pregnancies. The scientists found that women who are unmarried or not living with a partner have a significantly higher risk of miscarriage, as do women undergoing a divorce or separation during pregnancy. They believe this is linked to additional stress caused by these situations.

Other factors tied to miscarriage risk include being underweight, a diet without fruits and vegetables, being older, having previous fertility problems, or having had an abortion. Morning sickness, however, may be a good sign. Nausea and sickness were linked to a 70% reduced risk of miscarriage.

Don’t conclude, however, that the lesson here is to eat chocolate until one gets sick.

November is National Adoption Month, first celebrated (as a single week) in 1976. The observance culminates on National Adoption Day, November 18, when “courts and communities coast-to-coast will come together to finalize thousands of adoptions of children from foster care and to celebrate all families who adopt.”

President Bush, like his predecessors back to Gerald Ford, has made an official proclamation of the event:

During National Adoption Month, we encourage the adoption of young people in need, and we honor the adoptive and foster families who have offered children a loving and supportive home.

The best of America is reflected in the many citizens who have adopted children as their own. . . .

I call upon all Americans to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities to honor adoptive families and to participate in efforts to find permanent homes for waiting children.

This from a man who opposes adoption by LGBT people (PDF link) and whose brother is governor of a state with some of the most anti-LGBT adoption laws in the country.

Seems like an opportunity for some visibility:

If you are in the process of adopting and on track to finalize it around November 18, visit the National Adoption Day site (and talk with your attorney) to see what you can do to have your local court participate and include your adoption among those completed that day. Be as visible as you safely can be in any related community celebrations.

If you’ve already adopted, hope to do so, or just want to celebrate adoptive families, you can simply join in the community events, or organize one yourself. The National Adoption Day site has resources to help you plan your event and reach out to local businesses, faith communities, and media for support and coverage.

Let’s use National Adoption Day to showcase the loving homes LGBT parents provide for children.

The Mombian Resource Directory has a number of links about adoption and fostering for those of you starting or considering either one.

New kids’-activity site Kiddley wins my affection with a list of free or cheap activities for vehicle-obsessed toddlers. My son definitely falls into this category, and we have in fact done all of the activities mentioned.

I’ll add one more activity to their list: visit a local fire house. Most firefighters I’ve met seem more than willing to show a toddler around, and they usually manage to come up with plastic fire hats and fire-safety coloring books.

While I’m on a roll with the silly posts, here’s a review of The Twinkies Cookbook: An Inventive and Unexpected Recipe Collection from Hostess, courtesy of NPR. The collection includes such . . . ahem . . . delights as Twinkie Sushi and Twinkie Burritos.

I think I’ll go bake a loaf of whole-wheat bread just to get those images out of my head.

Stay tuned for my weekly coverage of serious political events tomorrow. (It’s all about balance, isn’t it?)

Yes, the honey-loving bear now joins the ranks of Hollywood immortals. Pooh made his movie debut in 1966 in the Disney short “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.”

Not coincidentally, today also marked the DVD release of Disney’s “Pooh’s Grand Adventure - The Search for Christopher Robin.” Fans of the original A. A. Milne books may look skeptically on the whole Disney-fication of his ursine hero. Regardless of which you prefer, let’s take a moment to celebrate the special relationship between teddy bears and the children who love them, including my own.