While I'm away and shoving old posts down everyone's neck, I might as well dredge up one that strongly makes a point for international adoption.

There is a strong push by organizations, UNICEF is one, to keep orphaned children in their birth countries. Some feel that raising a child in a different culture, an unavoidable consequence by definition of international adoption, strips identity and robs an individual of a precious... more

Elections are on the horizon in Guatemala and the polls are already trying to predict a direction. A recent news story sites CID-Gallup numbers indicating thirty-two percent will support the leftest National Union of Hope (UNE) party's candidate, Alvaro Colom, defeated in 2003 by present President Oscar Berger. Berger is constitutionally barred from running again.

Other potential candidates shown in the poll to have followers in smaller numbers... more

Continued from the previous post

Foreign exchange for purchases from overseas and payments due in US Dollars, GB Pounds or Euro takes at least a week to get, you must have a really good reason for wanting the money and be able to prove exactly where it will be going.

To renew my US Passport, which requires a Bank Check (or as it's known here, a "Banque Cheque") for $50.00 made out to the US Embassy in Mauritius. If you think... more

Preparing for an international trip while living in Seychelles involves some rather important details that need working out in advance. Since we've been organizing for our trip to Singapore for a while now, I'm of a mind to let you in on some things that are just a bit different in this part of the world.

In addition to tickets and passports, exit visas, departure tax, seat assignments, boarding cards, and so on, one thing people need to have with them as they prepare to board their flight to where ever is money ... and Seychelles Rupees don't count.

Our local... more

A confusing report from Punjab says the Parliament in India has passed a new law limiting child adoption to only citizens of India in an attempt to check trafficking.

The Minister for women and child welfare Renuka Choudhary said the Government proposed to bring in a comprehensive legislation on child welfare to give them more protection.

She said laws would also be made more stricter to create greater vigil to check the spreading menace of paedophilism... more

I'm into silly Russian news today ...

As any sef-disrespecting rag-of-a-paper knows, you can't have trashy news without some trash.

If you're interested, this report will get some discussions going, as I'm sure not everyone will agree with the headline: Men with biggest reproductive organs all live in England.

Get out your conversion... more

There's often a free-wheeling aspect to news in countries where repression of the press has been long a part of the way things are ... then more of an ... ahemm ... anything goes is allowed.

The Russian media provides the crème de la crème of saucy news, as far as I'm concerned, and reading the English version of Pravda, and other publications from that country, can be an adventure in what in the rest of the world could be referred to as 'tabloid heaven', but is known in Russia simply as 'news'.... more

Africa, and a report titled ,"H.I.V. and AIDS in Africa: Ten Lessons From the Field" goes a long way in confirming all my fears about what's wrong with the world of international aid. A very long and informative article, it deserves a full read, but I'll quote a bit of it ...

First, and this has to be stated as many times as possible, families and communities battling AIDS in Africa barely receive support from current domestic and international relief... more

I should have written and posted a blog hours ago. My routine calls for most of my work happening morning-ish, and it's now 4:30 in the afternoon. Some days, however, are not routine, and this was one of those ... silly, out of kilter and running away with morning hours in a way oh-so-very possible and far too common here on this island.

Gay called with the fab news that someone had phone her saying my birthday present from her and Mark (they'd gone in together, meaning she did the choosing, the shopping and the arranging to get it here ... he contributed some cash and a bit of enthusiasm ... ) had arrived and was waiting at the airport. Did I want to go along with her to pick it up?... more

A "Dr. Phil" test is circulating around the internet these days ... whoever the heck Dr. Phil is! ... and I found it interesting enough to pass along here today.

The idea is to answer the multiple choice questions quickly and honestly, and supposedly you'll get some insight into yourself. Apparently, companies are using this to learn about potential employees ... as if they have any right to ask about sleeping habits!

Anyway ... grab a some paper and a pen, number from one to ten, and here we go:

1. When do you feel your best?

a)... more