An article in Salon last week claimed “There is a gay agenda — winning elections.” It’s a heartening look at the impact wealthy LGBT Americans had on the 2006 mid-term vote. “They turned the 2006 election into an object lesson in targeted giving that could fundamentally change the way politicians think about the consequences of […]
I will be hosting the January Carnival of Bent Attractions here at Mombian. This blog carnival is published monthly and is made up of submitted posts on topics of interest to the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, trans and queer communities—not just LGBTQ parenting topics, though those are welcome. If you are interested in submitting a post,
It’s World AIDS Day. Let’s review: There were 2.9 million AIDS-related deaths in 2006. 4.3 million people were newly-infected with HIV, bringing the total of number of HIV-infected individuals worldwide to 39.5 million. 40% percent of new adult HIV infections worldwide in 2006 occurred among young people 15 – 24 years old. More adult women
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has announced that pregnant women and those who plan to become so should avoid taking the antidepressant Paxil if possible because of a risk of birth defects. They also cautioned against pregnant women taking a number of other related antidepressants, but said cases should be considered on
It’s been a little while since I’ve posted a travel-guide thread, so here it is. I chose Washington, D. C. because April sent me a great link of Free Things to Do there. Please leave a comment if you have additional ideas for places and events to see in the area, especially, but not exclusively,
LEGO Bricks were one of the favorite toys of my childhood. I can’t wait until my son is old enough for the gear-filled LEGO Technic sets. I therefore enjoyed reading Business Week’s recent article on The Making of a LEGO Brick (thanks, Slashdot), which details the precise production process (“only 18 out of 1 million
As both the mother of a train-obsessed child and a refugee from grad school in history, I was delighted to find a Wikipedia article on the history and geography of the Island of Sodor, home of Thomas the Tank Engine. It’s not quite world-building on the Tolkien scale, but it’s a step in that direction,
It’s National Influenza Vaccination Week. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), rates of flu infection are highest among children. They recommend vaccination of all children between 6 and 59 months of age, as well as “all children and adults who have certain diseases that put them at risk of serious complications from the
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has launched an asthma friendly(R) Certification Program to help identify toys, pillows, bedding, and other products suitable for people with asthma and related allergic sensitivities. I imagine that most parents of children with asthma or allergies (or who have them themselves) are already aware of what to
When Nina interviewed me for Queercents a few weeks ago, one of the questions she asked was “Does money buy happiness?” I answered “no,” though admitted that money can sometimes facilitate the things in which one finds happiness. Turns out I was wrong. According to economist Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick, “There is
