At my baby's six-month appointment a few months back, I got a one-pager from the pediatrician titled, "Starting Solid Foods."

"It is critical that the baby develop a taste for rice cereal at the beginning, to offset the loss of iron from formula or breast milk," it reads.

Sounds serious. Then come the all caps: "THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF FEEDING GIVE RICE CEREAL ONLY." That was followed by advice to introduce pureed vegetables before fruits so the baby doesn't develop a sweet tooth.

I obediently went out and bought some sand-textured baby cereal. (Organic, of course.)

A powerful 6.4 earthquake struck the Philippines on Tuesday, the day after a different temblor took lives and collapsed buildings.

Rescuers continued to search for survivors from Monday's quake, centered just 50 miles northwest of Manila, the capital. That quake killed at least 16 people, according to The Associated Press. So far, it appears that Tuesday's 6.4 magnitude quake in Eastern Samar province did not cause any casualties or major damage.

Writing about Melinda Gates' philanthropic manifesto The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World poses a certain critical challenge. What are the terms on which to evaluate a book that is equal parts memoir and mission statement, inspirational slide deck and social critique? What is the book trying to achieve?

Shakespeare's King Lear is one of the most challenging and prestigious roles in theater — and one that's traditionally played by a man.

But now a new production of King Lear on Broadway stars Glenda Jackson in its title role. The British actor, who is 82, is fine with the gender bending casting.

"When we're born, we teach babies ... to be boys or girls," Jackson says. "As we get older, those absolute barriers that define gender begin to crack."