Tai Shan, the U. S. National Zoo’s giant panda cub, celebrates his first birthday today. What do you give a 56-pound cub for his birthday? Tai Shan got a giant fruitsicle, a new soccer ball, and several other toys. If you have animal-loving kids, make sure they check out the live Panda Cam to see […]
Some cheery news to counteract the political gloom this week. Out lesbian Amélie Mauresmo will contend for her first Wimbledon championship tomorrow, against Justine Henin-Hardenne. Mauresmo won their last Grand Slam final matchup, this year’s Australian Open, when Henin-Hardenne withdrew because of stomach illness. I’ll probably root for Mauresmo because she’s a member of our
I wrote at length yesterday of the disappointing New York same-sex marriage ruling. One new development is that lawyers in Massachusetts are now saying the ruling effectively prohibits New York same-sex couples from marrying in Massachusetts. Massachusetts law prevents out-of-state couples from marrying there if their home state does not permit their marriage. I’m no
Terrance at the Republic of T points out the incongruity between today’s New York State Court of Appeals ruling and the American Academy of Pediatrics statement this week on children in same-sex families: There is ample evidence to show that children raised by same-gender parents fare as well as those raised by heterosexual parents. More
The New York Court of Appeals today offered two main “rational” reasons why the Legislature could refuse to recognize same-sex marriage: Because opposite-sex couples can become parents as a result of accident or impulse, the state could find that “promoting stability in opposite-sex relationships will help children more.” The state could also find “that it
The New York Court of Appeals this morning ruled that “the state Constitution does not guarantee a right to marriage for same-sex couples.” Even more infuriatingly, they used what I call the supposed “heterosexual-marriage childbearing privilege,” to do so, saying, “There are at least two grounds that rationally support the limitation on marriage that the
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has announced that she’ll retire this year. Martina, who will turn 50 in October, has not yet decided on her last tournament, but insists, “It’s time.” She says she wants to spend more time at home, promoting her new book, and “devoting more time to her partner, her animals and her
Two recent studies offer further support for the benefits of breast milk. One, appearing in this month’s Pediatrics magazine, claims that babies who are breast-fed for more than three months are less likely to become bedwetters. Non-bedwetters had also been breastfed for an average of three months longer than bedwetters. The researchers caution, however, that
No news yet on the New York State same-sex marriage ruling, although rumors were that it could have happened today. I’m guessing that even if the judges have decided amongst themselves, they may have held off an announcement because today’s news cycle was full of the North Korean missle test and Ken Lay’s death. Or
Here’s an easy activity idea: When grandparents, other relatives, or close friends come for a visit, videotape them reading stories to your child. You’ll soon compile a nice alternative to commercial videos for those times when your child insists on watching something. It’s a nice way to keep a family connection even when relatives live
