kyburg | Okay, you know the drill

~~FLY MY MINIONS~~ Hey, guys!

It's time to play Confirm -or- Deny!

Anyone who can confirm that this story did run in a newspaper in Campbell County, TN? Would greatly appreciate seeing either a link or a scanned .pdf of it. Frankly, if this is true, some damage control is going to be required:

BIG BABY GIRL SALE - ONLY $17,000! - Jim Dossett

The Chinese have given us many things; gunpowder, spaghetti, woks,
Jackie Chan. Oh yes, they've also been delighted to give us their
discarded children. Actually, they're delighted to sell us their
kids. And government officials have laid down new ground rules for
foreigners who want to adopt children from China's overflowing
orphanages.

Prospective adoptive parents must not be obese; no more than 50
years old; must not take antidepressants; must not have severe
facial deformities. So the bottom line is, if you take up two seats
on a plane, are a member of AARP, take Prozac, or resemble the
Elephant Man - No Chinese kids for you!

Mind you, these edicts are issued by a culture where parents
traditionally leave female babies at orphanages or by the roadside
because they wanted a son, or because the government allows them
only one child. Ninety-five percent of the children available for
adoption are girls. I'm amazed that one of the world's oldest
civilizations, dating back to more than six millennnia, still
doesn't realize that women are the best of us all.

I doubt whether many Campbell Countians would be eligible to adopt a
Chinese baby - not because we're fat, old, or grotesquely deformed -
but because it costs more to buy a child in China than many of us
make in a year.

According to Chinese baby brokers, the estimated total cost of a no-
frills adoption, not including travel, is about $12,000. The
estimated total cost plus travel for two is $17,120.00 - such a deal.

"End of Year Sale! Get your certified, pre-owned girl child for the
amazing price of $17,120! She's a beauty despite a few minor
scratches and dents, but comes with a manufacturer' s warranty - no
surprises under the hood or the diaper!"

Once the bucks are shelled out for the kiddie commodity, who knows
where the money ends up. Maybe some of the cash trickles into the
new charity created by the China Center for Adoption Affairs. This
burgeoning group of capitalists is hopeful the charity will improve
conditions in orphanages and "keep infants and young children alive
and well enough to be adopted." It makes you wonder about the fate
of toddlers who are not well.

Despite the high costs and stringent rules issued by the baby
dealers, childless couples from the U.S. and around the world still
flock to China in hopes of bringing baby home. God bless you decent
souls. Stick religiously to your pretrip diets of carrot sticks and
cottage cheese and look forward to the fat and happy times you'll
have raising your baby girl!

Do I have to tell anyone exactly how much it costs to do a domestic adoption? IVF? Anything else that you have to "force" when nature does not comply with your wishes?

And do I have to tell you just how much the Chinese side does NOT get out of that $17,000?

I'll be happy to tell you - I could give you an itemized LIST. Cheezits Rice.