Anyone thinking I was angry yesterday with the British publication I now with great justification call a rag, The Sunday Telegraph, ain't seen nothin'.

The indignation over the irresponsible and blatantly manipulative story I expressed in yesterday's blog was fierce, and valid, the letter I wrote to their editors condemning their decision to publish was intended to be scathing, and I am reasonably proud of both the post and the letter.

Today, however, prompts... more

It's annoying, aggravating, frustrating and maddening enough when trashy tabloids and irrelevant hacks hijack international adoption and run it through a contorted wringer designed to crank out Headlines of Eye-Grabbing Horror and column-feet of pulsating pap in attempts to encourage a malignant miasma surrounding every aspect.

It really gets my goat going bonkers (And that's not good!), though, when a publication that presents itself as a bastion of the respectable press jumps on a bandwagon because it happens to be rolling by.

I am well aware... more

Life is unimaginably tough for many Cambodian children, as illustrated in this report that says some 1.5 million Cambodians under the age of 14 are forced to work, foregoing schooling, and often toiling long and hard under hazardous conditions.

According to the World Bank, somewhere around a quarter of a million Cambodian kids work in recognized areas of danger like the dumps, mines and on the streets as beggars. (No mention of prostitutes in this report.)

The Cambodian human rights NGO... more

A story of innovation and determination caught my eye earlier this week, and I'm please to be able to pass along information about this new orphanage in Battambang, set up through the efforts of a young Australian woman who refused to walk away from other peoples' misery.

Tara Winkler came face-to-face with the reality of Cambodian orphanhood and the dire and despicable circumstances that often come with, took a minute to re-think her life; then dedicated herself... more

Missing an arm and a leg might make some people weigh in a bit light, but the UK's Chris Moon has more than enough heart to tip any scales in his direction with admirable force.

He lost his arm and leg while clearing landmines in Mozambique ... that would be the hard way, I'm thinking ... and is now riding a bike from Thailand's border with Cambodia to Sihanoukville, raising money for The Cambodia Trust... more

I have written about the Certificate of Citizenship (C of C) some parents opt to procure for their internationally adopted children, and the debate continues over the importance of having such a document.

The cost to obtain a C of C jumped considerably at the end of last month, and many parents feel it's overkill with a passport being considered to be more than enough proof that their child has the full rights of a citizen of the United States of America.

A... more

Starting with the concept of international adoption, stretching it like silly putty, then taking it out for a very long walk, you could come to this story out of India that describes a scenario that's becoming increasingly common.

It's about a 45-year-old acupuncture physician in Miami, Nicole Brown, hoping to hear she's in the process of gestating a baby created... more

Those not up on such things ... meaning our kids were born elsewhere so our learning curve has followed a different course ... will be interested to learn that Ethiopia is just preparing to enter the Third Millennium.

The calendar there runs according to Julian, not Gregory ... two old popes who held a lot of sway over calendars and stuff in their time ... and that puts them seven years behind us year-wise. This being the case, they are really getting behind the Millennium... more

With the weekend behind me, it's time to catch up with all the bits of news that I have collected and to pass the information along.

Starting with a brief report from Nepal on discussions coming up today on provisions regarding adoption.

It is said that today's meeting will be to acquire information, and that to date the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare has given approval to foreign nationals of 17 countries to take 1,800 children for... more

As domestic adoption slowing gains popularity in India, stories and information designed to share and educate are appearing more often in the Indian media.

This on easing the process for adopted children is one example of how attitudes are changing in the country, and how some are trying to pave the way for more and smoother transitions.

President of the Voluntary Adoption Resource Agency and adoptive mother, Vinita Bhargava,... more