Continued from the previous post ... Wondering about any possible foundations for circumstances that could lead to dying rooms and/or a shortage of girls, a glance at history was revealing. This is from the ancient Chinese "Book of Songs" and dates back to between 1000 and 700 BC:

When a son is born, Let him sleep on the bed, ... more

(Yesterday ... actually still today in some parts of the world ... 27 January, has been designated by the UN as Holocaust Memorial Day. I won't use up this space to rant over the fact that genocide is happening at this very moment while the UN scratches its collective butt and tries to come up with yet another snappy slogan instead of doing anything that would stop mass killings and horrendous suffering, but I will publish a blog I've been working... more

Back in early November, I was interviewed on adoption issues by a reporter from Seychelles Broadcasting Company's television news arm.

The local version of the report aired a while back, but some of it was repackaged and sent to CNN for their, "World Report" segment. I had word this morning that it will be airing this weekend. There are two versions of "World Report", one on general news, referred to below as 'Program... more

There's adoption-related news from all over today ...

I must start out with what was breaking news this week, but doesn't square at all with other reports we've seen. Do you recall this post from the 17th ... UNICEF's big PR spin on "Signs of Progress and Momentum in Global Response to Children and AIDS," that I published with hopes that you'd read with an eye toward digging through the fluff?

Well, a case of the right hand not knowing... more

This just in from UNICEF's PR machine:

Signs of Progress and Momentum in Global Response to Children and AIDS A report from UNICEF's Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS campaign TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - Jan. 16, 2007) - In Children and AIDS: A Stocktaking, released today, UNICEF reports that there are positive signs of progress and momentum in the global response to children and AIDS and indicates that some countries have achieved breakthroughs, particularly in preventing HIV transmission from mothers... more

I am constantly amazed by the way politics moves through the arena of children's issues and needs, and the craft with which spin tweaks dire circumstances toward a shiny, smiley-face projection of the situation. Case in point, this report from Pakistan titled, "Government planning model orphanages across country."

Sources said the Social Welfare Ministry was planning to introduce model orphanages in almost... more

I am angry, and more than a little disgusted.

This story about the UN has me spitting nails and wanting an explanation other than the weak-kneed, slimy-lame excuse given by an overpaid UN big shot that for sure is driven around in a brand new, white SUV whenever "work" takes her into dirty places where poor people might be encountered. An article in the UK's Daily Telegraph had it that UN personnel in southern Sudan have been... more

Continued from here, where I've been posting bits and pieces of news that have been cluttering my desktop ... Mel comes into it down the page a bit ...

From Lisa, a report from Guatemala about life there for many children.

Guatemala has the highest rate of malnourished children in the Western Hemisphere, even higher than... more

Over on the Older Parent Blog, I've been writing about time passing too quickly and trying to come up with ways of slowing things down a bit. I know I'm not alone in feeling like the world is spinning far too fast, out of control even, and a story from the BBC confirms this.

New Year's Eve in Nantes, France saw hundreds of demonstrators marching against the calendar... more

Continued from here ...

Rannick was eleven years old, the son of a dear friend of Mark's. On the 23rd of December last year, his mother and father were at a company Christmas party when they got a phone call saying that Rannick had a tooth fall out, then another, and his mouth would not stop bleeding. By the time they arrived home, all of his teeth were loose and he continued to bleed. He was diagnosed on Christmas Day with leukemia. He and his... more