A note about the new sponsor

Starting this past week, Photomax is the new sponsor of the China Adoption News weblog. I chose Photomax because (1) I love photography, and (2) Photomax provides great services.

In addition to the ad that I placed in the upper left of the weblog, I will be highlighting a product or service that Photomax provides every Saturday. I hope you find something that is useful!

-- Walter

P.S. Heads Up -- In early March, China Adoption News will host a China-related photo contest. Look for details in a week or so.

Photomax -- Digital Developer

A couple of week ago, I blogged about Photomax and the poster-sized prints you could order from the site. This week, I'm going to highlight something that is unique to Photomax -- the Digital Developer.

The Digital Developer allows you to easily upload your photos from your digital camera to the Photomax website in a matter of moments. Simply plug your digital camera's memory card into the Digital Developer connected to your computer and it will automatically move all your photographs to your Photomax account.

I expect that this would be a particularly good option for (1) those who would like to take and share digital photos, but that aren't particularly comfortable using a computer, and (2) those who want to ensure all of their digital photos are backed up in a secure location, so they aren't lost in the event of a hard drive crash.

If you haven't already, check out the Photomax Registration page, where you will get 20 free 4x6 prints and a free 8x10 for creating an account (as well as 5 Gb of storage for your photos).

For the Lady Bug Enthusiast

Ladybug Set Armoire

News

Fertility drug use booms in China: Wealthy couples in China are turning to fertility drugs in growing numbers, with a report suggesting some may be using it to beat the one child policy.

Guang dropped as surname for Guangzhou orphans: Starting this year, Guangzhou's orphanage has stopped giving its wards the surname "Guang" to prevent them from being identified as orphans.

China to tackle rural problems: China plans to try to rein in the seizures of farmland for development, a key source of unrest in recent months.

Vegetarianism Becomes a Vogue in Chongqing: Nowadays, vegetarianism has become a vogue. With the increasingly prevailing vegetarianism, vegetarians have become a new group who attach equal importance to food and nutrition.

News

East Meets West, Adding Pounds and Peril: May Chen is slender and healthy, a lively little girl whose parents left their rural Chinese village just a decade ago in search of a better life. But at age 9, still in pigtails, she is already coming face to face with the forces that many say are making America fat and diabetic.

China's Changing Economic Balance: Its trade surplus continues to cause friction, but a World Bank report indicates that domestic demand is starting to drive the nation's growth.

China cracking down on junk e-mail: China is cracking down on junk e-mail and "illegal" mobile phone text messages. A new regulation will ban sending e-mail for advertising purposes to people without their permission

Beijing tries to "civilise" residents ahead of Olympics: Beijing will launch a major "civilisation" campaign to target spitting, littering and etiquette in an effort to clean up the city's image ahead of the 2008 Olympics.

Pandas in the Snow

Snow fun for panda pair: Giant pandas Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan play in the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center in Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Featured Flickr Photo

Shang Jia Chong
A very large Karst depression in China's Guizhou province.

(Courtesy of Rob Millenaar)

Ancient City

Discovery of Chinese 'Pompei' Announced: An ancient village which was buried underground more than 2,000 years ago has been unearthed in Neihuang County, central China's Henan Province, Chinese archaeologists announced on Monday.

NPR -- Censorship in China

Hearings to Review Human Rights in China: Google, Yahoo, Cisco and Microsoft will be on the Capitol Hill hot seat for their role in helping the Chinese government monitor and censor the Internet. The House International Relations subcommittee on global human rights will hold hearings Wednesday about high-tech firms doing business in China.

Local Story

Adoption leads to another -- then more: It took thousands of dollars, reams of paperwork and every frequent-flier mile they could muster for Jeff and Lisa Kircik to adopt their two Chinese-born children. But the connection to their daughters' homeland did not end when they returned to their Winter Park home from China with Jenna, 5, and Annalise, 3.