Fun/Ephemera

Put Photos on a Cake

Want to try something different than the usual cartoon character on your child’s next birthday cake? Looking for a way to surprise your sweetie on your anniversary? Like the taste of a homemade cake but can’t decorate worth a darn? Icing Images will take a digital photo that you upload and send you a sheet […]

Xena Is Bright

Her long-time fans have known that, of course, but now there’s proof. As I reported in February, scientists have named two distant objects in the solar system Xena and Gabrielle. The researchers recently refined their analysis, though, and concluded that while Xena might not be as big as previously thought, the smaller size means it

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)

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.)

Village Heroes

Is it just me, or do the Fisher Price “Rescue Heroes” remind anyone else of the Village People? Every time I see them in a toy store, I keep wanting to line them up in “YMCA” poses. According to Fisher-Price, sometime before age four my son is supposed to graduate from toys like the Little

“Wild” Nature Activities Help Kids Care More About the Environment as Adults

Researchers at Cornell University have concluded a study that examined the experiences children have with nature and their attitudes toward environmentalism as adults. They found that kids who participate in “wild” nature activities such as “camping, playing in the woods, hiking, walking, fishing and hunting” before age eleven are more likely to care about the

Drumsticks

Children’s Musical Development

I love my son’s Music Together class, as I’ve written before. Not only is it great for the kids, but it encourages us parents to participate in our children’s musical exploration, sharing drums, bells, scarves, shakers, and anything else that makes a sound or marks a rhythm. In how many other places would you find

Smiling Snacks

Does anyone else find it disturbing that the motto of Goldfish crackers is “The Snack that Smiles Back?” I’m sorry, but vegetarian or not, I don’t want my food smiling at me. (Actually, at our house we’re partial to Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies when it comes to snack crackers. Cute and bunny shaped, but they don’t

Gay Penguins Reject Females

Six gay male penguins at a zoo in Germany have been rejecting advances of females sent to mate with them. Gay rights groups were apparently upset when the females were introduced, but the zoo claims they are simply trying to form at least one fertile couple and a baby, not to pry the male penguins

Xena and Gabrielle Continue to Mystify

Xena and Gabrielle long lived in an aura of mystery, often baffling those who dealt with them. (Not least the legions of fans wondering if the two of them were more than just friends.) The same is true of two distant objects in the solar system, nicknamed—you guessed it—Xena and Gabrielle. Scientists recently confirmed that

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