Tragic

I first read about this family the other day on StarTribune.com and, as always when reading about this kind of news stories, was saddened to learn about what happened to this family.

Today, there's more information available -- and a family photo.

"Autopsy reports indicate Iowa City family members were beaten to death"

The Chicago Tribune has more information about the father: "Dad apologized before killings"

I find myself even more horrified.

Don't get me wrong -- I thought it was tragic when I I first learned about what happened, and my heart goes out to all their families and friends. But at the same time, I can't help but think about these children's birth families, who probably placed their child for adoption so he or she would have a better life.

Will these families one day search for their children and discover the horrible way in which they died from the hands of their adoptive father? And blame themselves because of their decision?

NY Philharmonic plays in North Korea

"The New York Philharmonic's unprecedented concert could herald warmer ties between North Korea and the West. After three encores, some musicians left the stage in tears as the audience waved fondly."

"Musical Diplomacy, and Tears, in NKorea"

WTF?!

An article from the Seattle Times Web site but looks like it's from the Chicago Tribune ...

"Adoptees find last chance on ranch"

No one appears to keep data on adoption disruption. While a statistically rare occurrence among the approximately 20,000 foreign-born children adopted by Americans each year, such relinquishment is happening with increasing frequency, experts said.

One Ohio adoption agency reports receiving up to five calls a day from parents about disruptions, up from one or two a month a few years ago.

"No one knew the magnitude of the problem," said Sterkel, 60. "The horror stories just keep on coming." While dissolutions of domestic adoptions are not unheard of, it is among the international population where experts are seeing a most troubling spike.

Why is this happening?

Moreover, many parents were unprepared for the challenges, either because they were so eager to be Mom and Dad or because agencies glossed over their charges' complex medical histories — or omitted them.

While some people may have undertaken parenthood with unrealistic expectations, more typically they are deeply committed but ill-equipped to cope with profoundly damaged children. Either due to fetal alcohol syndrome, mental illness, attachment disorders — or a combination of all three — the youngsters can't function in a family, though they show no outward signs of disability.

Exactly.

U.K. adopted twins separated at birth marry

"Separated-at-birth twins get married"

"LONDON (AFP) - Twins who were separated at birth and adopted by different sets of parents later married each other without realising they were brother and sister, a peer has told the House of Lords."

Updated 1/15/08:

"Separated twins marry, forced to break up in UK"

Top 10

So I ended up watching David Letterman last night. I'm not sure why, as I never watch the late shows, except for maybe the "Daily Show."

Anyway, one of Letterman's guests was, I believe, a producer of the show. She talked about how she started as a receptionist for the show's writers way back when and met her husband while working there.

I was playing on my laptop at the time, but started paying attention when she mentioned her husband and that they have a baby girl.

Dave showed a picture of her dressed in a little Santa hat and outfit. I think the audience was a bit shocked and suprised. Why? Because the baby looked very Asian. You see, I heard the woman (who is white) mention her husband's name (his last name is Kim), so I was expecting to see a half-Korean baby. Guess the audience didn't. There wasn't your typical reaction to cute baby photos -- not much oohing and aahing (BTW, the baby was adorable!).

So thought I'd come up with my own Top 10 list ...

Top 10 thoughts running through the minds of David Letterman's audience last night:

10. Aah, Asian babies are so cute.


9. Wait, that baby's Asian!


8. I'm confused.


7. Where's the cute white baby?


6. Isn't the mother white? She doesn't look Asian.


5. Was she adopted?


4. She must be adopted.


3. Huh?


2. Wait, is that Angelina?

and the No. 1 thought ...


1. How did that average white woman end up having such an adorable-looking Asian baby?!

'Nanking' film

"Nanking" is a new documentary that tells the story of the rape of Nanking by Japanese soldiers in the early days of World War II.

Check out the film's Web site.

Having read Iris Chang's The Rape of Nanking and John Rabe's memoir, The Good Man of Nanking, I want to know when the film is going to be in a theater near me? When? When?!

Updated 1/4/08:

I forgot I had read this article on China marking the 70th anniversary of the fall of Nanking to the Japanese on December 13, 1937, and the rape of Nanking.

"China remembers Nanjing"

Updated 1/10/08:

I've found out that "Nanking" will be showing at the Lumiere Theatre (1572 California Street at Polk) for one week only, starting Friday, January 11.

Also, I recently discovered this documentary based on Iris Chang's point of view: "Iris Chang: The Rape of Nanking"

The co-directors Anne Pick and Bill Spahic "obtained the support and exclusive co-operation of Iris's parents, Ying-Ying and Shau-Jin Chang," according to the film's Web site.

I'm glad to see that this documentary focuses on Chang's experiences in researching and writing about the rape of Nanking.

The Web site also states that the documentary's broadcast premiere was on History Television, which I believe is a Canadian network, in December. The documentary is being shown in other cities in Canada, but I'm trying to find out if it will be shown in the U.S., if not on television then perhaps it will be shown at a SF film festival.

Updated 1/11/08:

Here's the SF Gate review of "Nanking": "Review: Nanking survivors' stories of atrocities lend power to film"

'Adoption is a lifelong commitment'

G.O.A.'L. has issued a press release concerning the Hong Kong adoption case ...

"Legality of Adoptee Relinquishment Case Questioned"

"A child is not a returnable product: Adoption is a lifelong
commitment."

Updated 12/12/07:
Guess the family has issued a statement as well ...

"Dutch diplomat says family treatment of adopted daughter is misrepresented"

Dutch couple gives up Korean adoptee after 7 years

"Couple gives up girl, 7, adopted here as a baby"

"Dutch diplomat in Hong Kong returns South Korean girl adopted 7 years ago"

"Mystery over rejected child"

The articles state that the couple had biological children of their own after adopting the girl. Makes me wonder if this couple is fit to be parents at all.

Jane Austen series on Masterpiece Theatre

What a way to start the new year ...

Beginning Sunday, January 13, PBS' Masterpiece Theatre will showcase all six of Jane Austen's novels, including the 1995 "Pride and Prejudice" BBC miniseries with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy it looks like. The series will also include an Austen biography, "Miss Austen Regrets."

The 2008 season also features a new adaptation of E.M. Forster's Room With a View, although I loved the 1985 James Ivory version with Helena Bonham Carter and Julian Sands (Whatever happened to him? Lost track of him after "Arachnophobia").

Gillian Anderson will be the new host of the Masterpiece Classic series.

Other interesting news, Anderson and David Duchovny (David Duchovny, why don't you love me?) are set to start filming an "X-Files" sequel later this month.

The trick is to keep breathing

Work has been crazy busy lately -- our usual busy time of the year -- but I've got a short respite until after Thanksgiving.

Haven't had a chance to process everything from my Korea trip over the summer, let alone write anything down. When I finally write about what happened and some of my crazy experiences, I may have to create another blog somewhere in the blogosphere because posting under The Hyphenator just doesn't seem appropriate.

For now I'll leave you with a link to the New York Times' "Relative Choices: Adoption and the American Family" blog section.

I've been trying to catch up on my blog reading, and have been reading the NYT posts and the numerous comments during my downtime, which probably isn't the greatest idea because I either end up in tears or pissed off. But I'm glad to see I'm not the only one upset over Tama Janowitz's article/post, "The Real Thing," and the NYT's consoring of readers' comments -- TTR has a blog post that addresses this one and includes some links to other blogs as well.

Finally, The Hyphenator's advice for the day: Look up the correct usage of "their," "they're," and "there" if you don't know!

Day in Pictures

I find this photo and caption disturbing: SF Gate's Day in Pictures .

18 million and growing!

News from Myanmar

"Bloggers in Burma keep world informed during military crackdown"

"Dodging a deadly military crackdown that has killed at least nine protesters, Burmese bloggers are on the front lines, providing news and photos of death and insurrection."

Unfortunately, today authorities in Myanmar have shut down Internet access and some phone landlines, and have been confiscating mobile phones ...

"Myanmar Blocks Internet, Cuts Off Phones"

Fresh Bush flub

"White House: No Cover-Up of Bush's Flub"

The White House has been setting the record a little too straight.

Anyone reading the official transcript of Bush's statement on education Wednesday would see that he said "children do learn."

Except that's not what he said.

Bush flubbed the line and said "childrens do learn" — a particularly embarrassing gaffe given that he was surrounded by young students and talking about the importance of education. It also harkened back to another infamous misstatement, when Bush rhetorically asked "Is our children learning?"

2007 AP Stylebook is here!

My spiral-bound 2007 AP Stylebook was just delivered to my office.

I suddenly have that old back-to-school feeling -- like I used to have with each new school year and the batch of brand-new school textbooks. Books that had never been opened or flipped through, that had that fresh-from-the-printers feel and smell.

I could do without the rust-orange color of the cover, though. But I have to admit that it has a more modern appearance with the large, vertical sans-serif title. Also has a "What's New" page in the beginning that lists the entries that are new, have been changed or updated, or were deleted.

My old one will now be joining my collection of past AP Stylebooks at home.

Marriage Brokering Booms in Vietnam

Heard this segment on NPR yesterday:

"In Vietnam, an increasing number of young women are now marrying foreigners through marriage brokers. Last year, more than 10,000 Vietnamese women married men from South Korea alone. But the marriages are often ploys for cheap labor and abuse."

Oops, he did it again ... and again

"Bush Has Bad Day at Theater"

Protest to end overseas adoption

I wasn't able to attend this protest but some friends of mine were there. Glad to see it covered in the news. Wish the article had included some photos.

"Korean adoptees from abroad and birth mothers protest overseas adoption"

Other news ...

"Korean adoptees seek identity through community"

And NPR had a segment on this as well ...

"Korean Adoptees Examine Origins, Upbringings"

Kitty of death or comfort kitty?

"Oscar the Cat Predicts Patients' Deaths"

Adoption in America

NPR is running a four-part series on adoption, including segments on transracial and overseas adoption, this week on the "Morning Edition" program. If you don't catch it on the radio, you can listen to the segments online on NPR.org (the sound files are more extensive than the text on the Web pages).

"Adoption in America: A Series Overview"

"An adopted child changes a family forever.

That's what we'll hear from conversations this week on Morning Edition about adoption in America. Four families and adoptees have learned that it's not just family photos that change -- but entire family trees, family traditions and family stories that are altered by an adopted child's own story. We've asked them to reflect on their experiences with adoption, and share the stories that define who they have become."

"Mother and Son Offer Transracial Adoption Insights"

"Judy Stigger and her husband are white. Almost three decades ago, they adopted two biracial children. Their youngest adopted child, Aaron, is now 26. Judy and Aaron explain how their life together was more about learning inclusiveness as an interracial family than about rooting out prejudice."

I love this part:

"If you're a very private person, this is probably very hard to do because people are curious and do ask how much the baby cost and whether or not that's one of those crack babies," Judy Stigger says. "The questions are amazing that people feel free to ask."

People asked those questions because the Stiggers are white. And in Chicago -- almost three decades ago -- they adopted two children who are biracial.

Judy Stigger had to decide what to say when those questions came up.

"People would say, 'Do you have any real children?'" She would turn to her adopted son, Aaron, and say, 'No, I just have this plastic one,' and Aaron would hold his arms out and say, 'Ta-da!'"

Judy Stigger is director of international adoption at The Cradle, a private, non-profit, Illinois adoption agency. She helped form an affiliated educational group called Adoption Learning Partners, where she created the content for an online workshop called Conspicuous Families: Race, Culture and Adoption.

The NPR pages also include other resources and information (be sure to listen to the sound file for "A Family Tree's Special Roots," which deals more with feeling exposed), as well as links to past segments on adoption.

Reunited with the help of Facebook

Nice reunion story ...

"Facebook Helps Mom Reunite With Son"