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Sunday, August 27, 2006
Predicting the Future of China Adoption
As adoptive families, it is helpful to assess the current situation with tools learned in basic Economics 101. It is clear that China's international adoption program is experiencing a supply "crunch", which is to say that there are too few children available for immediate adoption to waiting foreign families. The immediate cause of this crunch was the Hunan stoppage that began in December 2005, and is just now ending. But a longer view shows that it has been building for years.
It is a misperception to think that this situation appeared overnight. In fact, a glance at the Yahoogroups dedicated to the various orphanages shows that each year orphanages have been added to the International Adoption program to bring in additional supply of children. This was done to compensate for the falling abandonment rates in the existing member orphanages. The goal is to keep the supply as constant and predictable as possible, and it has worked pretty well.
It is well-known that three Provinces provide a majority of the children adopted through the IA program -- Guangdong, Jiangxi and Hunan. When Hunan adoptions were paused in late December 2005, it took 20-25% of the adoptable children out of the supply pool. China's options were limited, especially since this was a very temporary problem. It was forced to let the "demand" back up, leading to longer and longer referral wait times. The DTC to referral wait times now stand at approximately 14 months.
With Hunan Province now coming back on line (we should see substantial Hunan referrals in the next month or so), the supply-demand equation should normalize. But China still faces a demand imbalance. Hunan doesn't totally explain the longer DTC referral wait times, just a portion of it. Thus, China is taking further actions to bring things into line.
It seems likely at this point that one step China will make in the near-term is the dramatic reduction, if not outright elimination, of the singles program. China has had ambivalent attitudes towards this program for years, and has taken periodic steps to reduce the number of singles that could adopt. This ambivalence stems from the cultural belief that children should be raised by two-parent families, coupled with the desire that China's children not be raised by homosexuals. Letters of Declarations (required by single applicants declaring their heterosexuality) aside, it is widely believed that gay parents continue to apply for adoption. Thus, it should come as no surprise to anyone that the first step to reducing the number of families permitted to adopt would be the elimination of the singles program (A compromise solution to outright elimination of these families would be the requirement that they apply for a waiting child).
Additional restrictions seem likely, perhaps health restrictions, income requirements, lowering upper-age limits for parents, and other means of reducing the number of families eligible to adopt. Additionally, new orphanages will probably be brought into the IA program. These changes are intended to bring the supply-demand equation back into balance.
But the referral wait time will not be brought back below 12 months, the stated goal of the CCAA, because simply put the longer wait times work to China's favor. As wait times increase, more families look to alternative options, and one option that will be presented in ever more favorable light is the waiting children program. Expedited referrals will be used to improve the attractiveness of this program, and many families will opt to adopt a Special Needs child, thereby reducing the demand for the healthy young children that are becoming increasingly more difficult for China to supply.
If viewed through the prism of simple supply-demand models, the events of the last 12 months become understandable. Often as waiting families we focus on each months referals, feverishly projecting the past to try and ascertain the future (one website has projected the wait time for a family submitting their paperwork today at 2 1/2 years!). By stepping back, we can see the larger picture, and see how the steps being taken by China will impact how adoptions are done. With most of China's orphanages now in modern, third-generation facilities, the "need" for monies derived from the IA program is diminishing. It still exists, and for that reason the IA program will continue. But we must realize that it is China's right, and perogative, to alter the program as they see fit to insure the life-long well-being of her children.
65 comments:
Brian, do you think the upcoming Beijing Olympics in '08 have any impact on the issues right now?
Thank you for that insight Brian. But I would like to add that Special Needs children are most often healthy. Some have physical differences that make them ineligible for the traditional program ie missing fingers, toes or limbs, crossed eyes, albinism, etc. Some are simply older. Some have had "issues" that have been corrected, like cleft lips or heart conditions, but are still ineligible. Some have conditions like heart conditions that can be easily corrected. My daughter has a hole in her heart that has not required surgery and my son has a large mole on his face. Both are healthy.
Thanks again, Lori Melton - 8/27/2006 1:10 PM
Now Brian this is the post i've been waiting for you to post,it says it all,well writen,and thanks for sharing your views once again.
LID Dec./05 - 8/27/2006 2:06 PM
Thanks for taking the time to distill this information. It is quite sobering as we scramble to get our home study submitted ASAP as I am 52 years old.
Steve T - 8/27/2006 2:07 PM
Brian, thanks for your perspective. That makes things clearer for me.
My question now is - do you believe the new restrictions will be retroactively applied those already LID or only applied to new files once the restrictions are officially announced? - 8/27/2006 5:29 PM
- Ray said...
Thus, China is taking further actions to bring things into line.
Well, they certainly can't make the paperwork more burdensome. - 8/27/2006 5:37 PM
I guess then the best thing is for us waiting families is for us to wish for some kind of event that causes many people to be close together for a period of time increasing the chances for unplanned births and thus increases in the amount of kiddos available for adoption. I say this in all honesty since statistics show thatpopulations increase when things like that happen.- perhaps a few power outtages might spur on a few new babies available for adoption- not that I will be the one to go over there and pull some plugs- but if the wait continues, it sounds like a good idea. (we have waited 10 mos so far and our friends who did the paper chase with us decided to adopt a special needs child and are in Guangzhou right now with her).
Thank you so much! I have scoured the web over the last few months trying to find facts. I joined a few forums in my information hunt and am disappointed to find so much speculation and negativity.
Hasn't there also been a trend the last few years where a larger amount of dossiers are sent in the summer months therefore those months find a longer wait time?
Waiting for Hope... literally - 8/27/2006 6:03 PM
I can agree with most of your points except that there do seem to be plenty of children needing homes in orphanges that don't paticipate in IA. The director of our agency was recently in China as a guest of CCAA and wrote about his experience seeing many children in orphanges which saddened him. It was upsetting to him that these orphanages did not paticipate in IA when they had so many children.
- Head Geek Chick said...
WOW!!!! Just what I needed to hear...logical and to the point. I'm tired of all the doomsday stuff. I'm one of the poor people who went to that website and saw the 2 1/2 year wait and it really discouraged me. I really APPRECIATE this post. Thanks,
Joyce - 8/27/2006 6:38 PM
"I guess then the best thing is for us waiting families is for us to wish for some kind of event that causes many people to be close together for a period of time increasing the chances for unplanned births and thus increases in the amount of kiddos available for adoption. "
Are you kidding? I sincerely hope you'll go back and think about what you so glibly put forth. We aren't talking about breeding pure bred dogs. Wow. Horrifying. - 8/27/2006 7:21 PM
Brian, I would like to comment about what you have said about the CCAA's desire for families to adopt waiting children. We are currently logged into the WC program and are awaiting a match directly from the CCAA. If orphanages truly are "bursting at the seams" with WC, then why are the wait times from LID to referral slowing down for this program as well? In previous years, I have heard that the wait for referral in this program could be as little as 2-3 months. I now know families in the WC program who have been logged in for 6 months, with no indication of receiving a referral anytime soon.
- Research-China.Org said...
It is my understanding that the DTC wait for SN children is months shorter. As to why the wait is as long as it is? Who knows?
Brian - 8/27/2006 7:56 PM
i am not believing that someone actually suggested that we hope for opportunities for asians to pro-create so there would be "kiddos" to adopt. how incredibly insensative...and idiotic...what a lack of respect for these birthmothers and the difficult journey that they must take for us to meet our daughters...that post is a disgrace to waiting families...
Ikes! Cheryl! The men and women of China do not exist for the sole purpose of birthing babies for westerners to adopt. Have a little sensitivity.
Dear Brian,
Historically, I have heard that Adoptive parents in other countries who are Chinese descent of 1st or 2nd generation get expedited processing. Does this have any baring on the longer wait for everyone else? What is the current wait for these individuals anyway compared to the rest of us? - 8/27/2006 8:25 PM
- Research-China.Org said...
Families of Chinese heritage do get expedited referrals, but how much quicker it is I don't know. Perhaps a reader can post that information.
The anonymous poster whose director visited an orphanage with lots of children should read my Hague Agreement blog article. Although I hear plenty of these anecdotal stories, I have yet to see or talk to an orphanage that fits this scenario. When investigated, I have found that the children they do have are SN, and those healthy babies present have already had their paperwork forwarded to the CCAA for adoption. If someone can provide the name and city of an orphanage that has healthy, unadopted children, I would love to investigate that.
PS -- I don't know any more than all of you as to what the final changes will be, or when they will be made applicable to families. I discount the probability that dramatic changes will be made retroactive to families already DTC, but it is certainly possible.
If I had the ear of the CCAA, I would strongly suggest moving singles and other "problem" families (in the eyes of the CCAA) to the SN program, rather than preventing them from adopting altogether. Like many who have posted, I firmly believe that there are many thousands of children who truly need homes, and should be given an opportunity to be adopted.
Brian - 8/27/2006 8:36 PM
Wow, Cheryl, I'm absolutely appalled by your comment. Wishing for parents to make "mistakes" so that you can benefit??
How about wishing for things in China to change so that people are not pressured to give up their babies? How about wishing for improved status and equality for women in China? How about wishing for orphans to find homes and acceptance in their own community?
Those are the things I wish for - even if it would mean China closing its doors to international adoption and my losing the opportunity to adopt a child from China. - 8/27/2006 10:43 PM
Thanks for this post, Brian. Thought provoking as usual. Would Agencies working with China ever be allowed to implement a really thorough sensitivity traning/cultural awareness for a-parents as a requirement? --As the Mom of two daughters from China, I see now how woefully prepared I was to take our children from their Chinese bithright and then ask them to assimilate into our own predominately white culture. I know nothing, really,of race in the US, and while trying to learn how to assimalate another culture into our home now, would have loved more dialogue. That seems scary for some--but so essential for our children, and like something Chinese officials would want for the children?
Beth - 8/28/2006 4:36 AM
The current wait for expedited families is 6-7 months or 1/2 the wait for nonexpedited families. I'm not sure if this is calculated or just by chance.
Joanne - 8/28/2006 7:59 AM
Brian,thank you for this insight. As a family with a 2/17/06 LID I have been watching this long wait unfold since 11/05. However, I was not award of the IA program in China prior to that so it's nice to read your insight. You mentioned that China has continued to bring new orphanages on board in the IA program. Do you have any numbers on how many new orphanages have been added since 11/05? Also, how many more orphanages in Hunan still need to get back on board?
Joanne - 8/28/2006 8:07 AM
- Research-China.Org said...
Dear Joanne:
Thanks for providing the current wait time for expedited families. I have wanted to do a study on the "invitation" program of new orphanages, but it is complicated by the fact that some of the new orphanages are "start-ups", meaning newly created orphanages, and some are established. To accurately chart it, I will need to find out which category each new orphanage belongs to.
All of the Hunan orphanages were off-line. Up until this month, the only referrals coming from Hunan were a small number of children whose paperwork was already on file with the CCAA in December. These referrals have been declining over the past few months. We received confirmation that the first post-scandal child was referred this month, so that means Hunan referrals should ramp back up in the next month or so.
Brian - 8/28/2006 8:37 AM
Anonymous 8/27/2006 7:46 PM said...
"We are currently logged into the WC program and are awaiting a match directly from the CCAA. If orphanages truly are "bursting at the seams" with WC, then why are the wait times from LID to referral slowing down for this program as well? In previous years, I have heard that the wait for referral in this program could be as little as 2-3 months. I now know families in the WC program who have been logged in for 6 months, with no indication of receiving a referral anytime soon."
There is a difference between how you have applied to adopt a SN child from China and the WC program.
With the WC program, you pre-ID a child who is listed with a particular adoption agency, petition specifically for that child, await pre-approval to adopt that particular child, then submit your dossier to China and await final approval to adopt that child, which comes in the form of a travel approval. This usually arrives in 2-3 months of submitting the dossier. There is a separate unit of the CCAA which handles these pre-ID'd children's adoptions.
When you request to adopt a SN child with no pre-ID, you go "into the hopper" with all the other NSN dossiers submitted in the same time frame as yours and await a referral, which is not necessarily an expedited referral.
Teresa - 8/28/2006 10:08 AM
Thanks, Brian. May I ask, is there a reason that China would prefer the wait times to hover at around 14-15 months as opposed to 2 and a half years? I mean, is there a point, for CHina, where longer and longer wait times become problematic for them, not just for us?
Grazie - 8/28/2006 10:15 AM
I was in China with a gay couple adopting--against China's policy. It wasn't up to me to "out" them, but regardless of how one feels about the restriction (or other restrictions, for that matter), going against China's requirements can only hurt everyone. I would hate for the singles program to be shut down because of people who ignore China's requirements. As it was, they were already taking a precious singles spot. I don't like to think they (and others likewise disrespecting China's rules) were contributing to the shut down of all singles adopting.
On another matter, I hope all Hunan SWIs open back up for adoption since it's not the babies' fault that the scandal took place. They need homes, too. Brian, do you think the older babies caught in the scandal will be adopted or will they be considered too old now to be adopted and just miss out on their families? It will be interesting to see if there are older babies coming out of Hunan province in the coming months. - 8/28/2006 10:18 AM
- Research-China.Org said...
China has stated that their goal is to keep the referral wait time at 12 months. I think the 2 1/2 year projection is extremely flawed, given the variables at play right now. It might take a while, however, for referral wait times to be brought back to 12 months. I don't think they will go much higher than they are now.
All indications is that the children held up in Hunan are going to be referred. I do think many of them also were adopted domestically, since the orphanages were prevented from adopting them internationally for 4 months.
Brian - 8/28/2006 10:26 AM
Brian... I am so thankful that I happened on to your site. You post facts and not the "over the top" speculations and general hysteria that I have found on so many other adoption sites. Comments from your readers are usually insiteful and logical. Keep up the good work.
I think that you should do your research before making comments about the WC program. There is indeed a WC program at the CCAA. One is able to request a match directly from them without choosing a child off of a SN list. In this case the file is submitted to the WC department directly and does NOT wait in the same "line" as the NSN files (assuming that the agency involved understands the process and submits all of the required paperwork). The wait for this program IS expedited, but has been slowing down in recent months. - 8/28/2006 11:37 AM
- Laura said...
We received a NSN referral at the end of July for an 11 month old from Hunan. Her paperwork probably went to the CCAA in late April or May, so I think she is certainly a post-Hunan re-opening baby.
Brian found her finding-ad for us! Thanks Brian!
Laura D. - 8/28/2006 11:53 AM
Anonymous 8/28/2006 11:37 AM,
I think you should re-read my post. I didn't say there wasn't such a program with the CCAA (requesting to be matched with a SN child); I said that the program worked differently than the program that has come to be known as the Waiting Child program (requesting a pre-ID'd child). Further, it's been my experience that SN requests can and do process with the NSN requests, and they are not always expedited.
Teresa - 8/28/2006 12:24 PM
I cannot believe that you had the gall to suggest that the people of China have some kind of mishap get together so they can birth more babies for us! I am totally appalled. They are not subjects in your own sick fertility experiment! These are human beings here! Every adoption comes from a loss to a woman and her family! Your insensitivity astounds me. I pray your adopted child never hears things like that come from you. Absolutely outrageous!
If there are fewer healthy children being abandoned in China, that is a good thing, even if it means we all have longer to wait. That is positive for the children and for the world in general. People should be allowed to keep their children. People should be allowed access to safe birth control so they can plan their families accordingly.
"In a perfect world, no child would ever have to be in an orphanage."
Christie - 8/28/2006 2:14 PM
Hi Brian,
Just heard today that new restrictions will not affect people alreaddy logged in.
This agency got a lotoff phone calls from worried people, so they phoned to the ccaa last friday. after the CCAA will release the new restrictions, agency will have a few months to work towards this new restricions.
Gr Grace - 8/28/2006 2:49 PM
It is my understanding that the terms SN and WC are used interchangibly by agencies and the CCAA. It is also my understanding (as explained to me by my agency) that there are three seperate and distinct "streams" at the CCAA: the NSN stream, the WC (or SN, if you choose) stream, and the expedited due to Chinese discent stream. As previously mentioned, if an agency is experienced with the WC stream, then the process of being matched with a WC directly from the CCAA SHOULD be expedited. The only reason that I could think of where this might not be the case would be in a situation where a dossier is submitted to the CCAA without a written request from the agency stating that the family has requested a WC.
Brian, do you have any comments about this? - 8/28/2006 3:22 PM
- Research-China.Org said...
There are three ways to adopt a child from China:
1) Non-Special Needs -- A family submits a dossier in which they request a healthy child. This is the way the majority of families process their adoption.
2) Special Needs -- A family submits their dossier with a letter indicating their desire to adopt a child with a special need. The do not know who their child is until they receive a referral. The wait time is very similar to the wait for a Non-Special Needs child. Few families go this way, as far as I've seen, because if a family is willing to adopt a child with special needs, they generally opt for the Waiting Child program.
3) Waiting Child -- To participate in the WC program, a family contacts an adoption agency that has WC files assigned from the CCAA. They are then granted access to the agency's listings (which are password protected), and can peruse the files and determine if one of the children is a match with the family. The family then completes a dossier, along with a letter identifying THAT SPECIFIC CHILD as the one you want to adopt. The agency then sends the CCAA a "letter of intent" on behalf of the family. The CCAA, if approval is granted, sends the agency a pre-approval notification. The family then submits their dossier, upon which final referral is granted. Pre-approval takes about 6-8 weeks, and dossier approval takes about 3 months (total 5 months if family is right on track). If the dossier is approved, travel approval is sent, and the family is able to travel immediately.
If a family is really on top of things, they can save many months wait by participating in the WC program (utilizing a dossier preparation service such as "Journey of Love Dossier Service [www.joldossierservice.com] can also shave months off of your process time).
Hope that helps clarify terminology.
Brian - 8/28/2006 3:51 PM
Thanks for you post on predicting the future of China adoption. It is a mostly positive outlook and I hope it is proved correct (in regards to a 12 month wait time - not to singles being prevented from adopting!!).
In relation to previous posts about SN and NSN adoptions. I am one of those people who is requesting the referral of a SN child matched by CCAA. Our agency has included a letter requesting our application be expedited - and this request is based on the document "Provisional Regulations and Requirements by CCAA for Foreign Adoption Organizations
doing Adoption with China" which is on the CCAA site, posted:October 9, 2005. This document states that there are 3 reasons why a file can be expedited.
It states: "The process of handling adoption application documents may be expedited if the adoption applicant meets one of the following conditions:
(1) The adoption applicant applies for adopting disabled children or children of over six years of age;
(2) The two parties or one party of the adoption applicant is foreign Chinese;
(3) The adoption applicant has been working or studying in China and has been continuously residing in China for at more than one year."
We are presuming that by disabled children the CCAA are referring to SN children.
Our agency expects that our application will be expedited - but how much shorter our wait time will be they can not guess. Our agency is the only one in our country and they do not have a WC program.
Any comments on this would be appreciated.
Jane (New Zealand). - 8/28/2006 6:36 PM
What a great blog. My wife and I are waiting for our referral (LID January 06) and welcome the insight provided by everyone. I especially appreciate the clarification of the special needs program as this may be an option if we elect to adopt another child after our intial adoption is completed. It is nice to hear that this is, at least partially, truly an issue related to a decrease in supply rather than an artificial constraint imposed by China. Thanks everyone for your comments.
"But we must realize that it is China's right, and perogative, to alter the program as they see fit to insure the life-long well-being of her children."
Are you suggesting that single parents are incapable of providing for the "Life-long well being" of their children? I realize that China has every right to decide on the rules for IA program, but as the single mom to 5 children, 4 adopted through the WCP from China (by my choice, not due to "single spot restrictions"), I find this comment incredulous. There are hundreds, if not thousands of single parents that have adopted through both the traditional and the WCP that are fabulous parents and have the necessary support systems to raise happy, healthy, well adjusted children both as birthparents and adoptive parents.
And to suggest that any parent that doesn't fit into the "perfect parent" (married, higher income, no health problems, 30-50 yrs old, not overweight, etc) be sent over to the WCP is just as ridiculous. In my mind, you are saying, as well as the CCAA, that the children adopted through the WCP don't deserve or need the best possible parents. OF course this is said tongue in cheek, as I believe singles and married couples can and do make wonderful parents to children from either program.
The WCP should not be used as a vehicle for faster adoptions, or for parents the CCAA does not deem "perfect". The children in the WCP deserve to be adopted by parents that WANT to parent a WC, not by parents that are forced into that program. I, personally, have turned down singles spots because I knew I wanted to adopt a waiting child. Do you know how many families that want to adopt a waiting child have not been able to due to families switching to the WCP for a quicker adoption? It is truly heartbreaking in my mind, that families are only switching to get their adoption done faster.
I feel fortunate that I took the leap, and adopted my son in August of this year. I already had four children, and was not sure if I wanted to adopt again. I cannot imagine my life without this little guy. He is my fourth adoption through the WCP. I have 2 sons and 2 daughters adopted from China. I have a daughter and a son with a limb difference, a son with a urogenital need that has been corrected, and a daughter with a heart issue. I feel that each of these children are in the home they were meant to be in. Each has their own story of how they came into our family, and each is as special and unique as the next.
If we want to talk about the children that are truly missing out, let's talk about the boys. Do you know that in the WCP, it is almost always the boys that are left on the WCP lists? Why are there so many people adopting girls through the WCP, but the boys stay on lists for months, and many of their files are returned? Maybe a new "rule" from the CCAA could change the destiny of all the boys that wait for their forever families.
Kelly-single mama to 5 - 8/29/2006 7:41 AM
- Research-China.Org said...
To Kelly:
I am not in the position to judge anyone's ability to parent, nor do I do so. I am simply stating that in CHINA'S opinion, children generally should be raised by a two-parent household. Do I agree? No, since I adopted Meigon as a single dad.
Of course single parents can do a great job raising children. Of course families that make less than $40,000 can do a great job raising children. Of course, of course, of course!! But, China feels differently in this regard, and since they are in charge of finding the best homes possible (in their minds) for the children, they have the right to impliment additional restrictions. We might (and probably) won't agree with them, but it is their right.
Brian - 8/29/2006 8:34 AM
I hope you weren't serious. If you were, then you live up to the awful Western enthocentric selfish first world piss-poor attitude that people are having babies, and abandoning them, just to meet your chiffon-colored track house middle suburbia next to Wal Mart needs. Please, go adopt a ladybug instead.
Marla - 8/29/2006 9:15 AM
- Research-China.Org said...
I think we have beaten up Cheryl enough. Her comments were insane, but let's stick to the topic at hand.
Brian - 8/29/2006 9:18 AM
I had a question. Some sites track referrals and in which province the children were born. It seems that almost all of the children are from SWI's in southern and central China. I have seen VERY few children from provinces in the northeast and northwest. Do those provinces have SWI's that participate in the IA program? Would you know any reason why there are not many children adopted from those areas?
- Research-China.Org said...
China's population centers hug teh eastern coast areas, and relatively few people live in the western provinces. There are orphanages that participate in the IA program in almost every province, but with fewer people there are fewer children.
Brian - 8/29/2006 11:37 AM
Thanks for the straight talk. While this is a very emotional subject for all, it is important to remember that IA is a "business" of sorts - It is not all warm and fuzzy or PC.
I would like to comment on the families that are of Chinese Descent. I am not sure I agree with that because a couple that we are LID with are both of Chinese descent and they are waiting just as long as we are.
- BRIAN said...
My wife is ethnic Chinese and a citizen of Singapore. We asked to be expedited because of her ethnicity not knowing if it would be accepted. It was, but we didn't know it until we recieved a surprise phone call from our agency saying that our referral had arrived. Our wait from LID to referral was 4 months and 18 days. We were LID 10/10/05.
As to the post of other Chinese couples not being expedited, my wife and I know of two couples. In the first couple the wife is an immigrant from China and the husband is Chinese from Malaysia. But they recieved their referral during the time when the wait was already 6 months anyway.
The other couple we met in the airport as we were travelling to China to recieve our daughter this past spring. They were an interracial couple like my wife and I. The wife was ethnic Chinese but born in the USA.
We would love to know what made the difference in getting our dossier expedited when others have not been. The one thought I have is that we not only submitted my wife's birth certificate which lists her father's race as Chinese, but we also sent a copy of her Singapore identity card which lists her race as Chinese as well. So we had two official state issued documents declaring her race.
Brian - but not the author of this blog ;) - 8/29/2006 8:20 PM
In order for adoptive parents of Chinese descent to qualify for expedited processing, they must meet the following criteria:
1) They must be NO MORE than 2nd generation Chinese. If one is an immigrant from China, their place of birth is reflected in the dossier. If one is born in the United States, but parents are from China, this is reflected on the birth certificates. 3rd generation and beyond do not have China as a place of origin reflected on their official documents.
2) They must request for expedited processing in the letter to CCAA along with request from the agency as well. Otherwise, their dossier gets channeled through the system like all of us. - 8/29/2006 8:31 PM
Thank you so much to the person who wrote this:
"The WCP should not be used as a vehicle for faster adoptions, or for parents the CCAA does not deem "perfect". The children in the WCP deserve to be adopted by parents that WANT to parent a WC, not by parents that are forced into that program."
As the parent of two children adopted through the Waiting Child program (one of whom I gave up a singles slot for), I couldn't agree more whole-heartedly.
It upsets me to think of people taking part in the WC program just for quicker waits or because that was what they "qualified" for.
If a person goes into the WC program with that kind of outlook, I fear they will always view their child, no matter how much loved, as 'not quite what they really wanted.' And that would be awful for the child.
Only go into the waiting child program if it is truly your desire to parent a child with some kind of special need! - 8/30/2006 12:59 PM
Thank you to Brian for your thoughtful postings. I always look forward to a new post on your site. Also, thanks to all those posting information about being expedited due to Chinese ancestry. Does anyone have experience and/or advice for us: We qualify to be expedited but, apparently, at log-in our file was put in with the non-Chinese heritage track. I could have handled the long wait much better if we had not been taken for a rollercoaster ride on unfounded promises. Now our agency just says "Give up, you can't switch into the expedited track because it didn't happen right at the beginning". I understand that the CCAA is reluctant to change anything for us because they are receiving many requests for switching to WC/SN due to the lengthening wait. I realize it reflects badly on me to be so impatient, but if it were possible to still be expedited I would jump at that opportunity (although in the rest of my life, I'm not usually a queue-jumper!). This would be our first child, the first child for the oldest son of a Chinese family (all born in China). Should we indeed give up and accept an 18 month wait when we could have gotten our referral already?
wishful Canadian mom
LID Nov 2005 - 8/30/2006 3:43 PM
Dear Brian,
If an pre-adoptive mother becomes pregnant during the wait after the family's dossier is logged in China, can you please comment on how CCAA handles a situation like this. I know it depends on many variables, but I would like to know general info. - 8/30/2006 8:11 PM
thanks for your take on things. I've been interested to read some of the comments that people have made. I have to disagree with the "we've bashed Cheryl enough" post. If her comment was meant to be humorous it was in poor taste, and if not I hope someone is able to help her understand that what she said was wrong in so many ways.
I know that people have been hearing about how they may stop singles from adopting and set weight and wage restrictions, but I don't think that this will have a huge impact on timelines. What I do think will have an impact is to stop people who have LIDs in the NSN program from switching to the SN program.
I know that will cause a scream or two of "doesn't she think these SN children should be adopted?" but the fact is people have to understand how much work they cause when they start to play with the process after they've started. Everyone cries foul when CCAA makes up rules, but they don't seem to mind bending them when it suits their purposes. People seem to have been switching programs to speed up their referral. That's not to say it's wrong to want a child faster, or that these children don't need homes, but once you're in the process you need to think of what you're doing by switching. I think everyone's seen the pictures of the files at CCAA. Now tell me how they think their files get out of one huge stack into another program without a person physically getting up to search for them. That person who may have in the past been doing Log ins or reviews or matches. Yes there seems to be an agreement that there is a shortage of paper ready NSN babies, but there is also a surfeit of people who are switching programs.
Thank you.
Karen - 8/31/2006 7:08 AM
Dear Sir
What country have you been visiting?
I say this because friends been to china this year and have witnessed a city orphanage that had western input. To put it mildly it was like hell on earth. Babies were fed rarely there was one nanny to at least thirty children and babies while the other nannies disapeared for a two and half hour lunch break. the children were treated by the majority of nannies (there were six)with the air they were some how second class, as a previous poster said these children often only had mild things wrong such as cleft lip or heart problems.Non IA swi's can,it seems ,have very different standards & a kind of institutionalised lack of care/cruelty.Western input in cash terms is only one way of improving the childrens lot, my strongly held opinion is that the best option is that they be removed.This being achieved either through more orphanages becoming IA,facilitation of domestic fostering or closure & reopening under new management. - 8/31/2006 2:48 PM
I recently talked with a colleague who has lived for quite a long period of time in China. He was most recently involved in helping with improvements in their justice system. Anyway, in speaking with people there, he got an interesting take on Chinese adoption. Yes, they are happy that these children are finding homes, but they also feel like their country has "lost face" in the eyes of the international community because there has been so much attention on the plight of abandonded girls. They don't want other countries to think that they can't take care of their own. The slow-down, I've heard, is in part because they are trying very hard to get their in-country adoption program going, which would be a wonderful thing. Also, if not as many children are coming out of China, the situation may not seem so serious to the international community. Who knows. I do sincerely hope the slow-down is because there are fewer girls being abandonded.
Eileen - 9/04/2006 5:29 PM
I agree with Eileen. In 1990 less than 100 kids were adopted from China to the US. Last year it was nearly 8,000; estimated 12,000 worldwide. You can't stay on a track like this, and still be a Hague adoption convention ratifier, and expect to evade scrutiny. (Given that the Hague specifically defines IA to different-race parents, which is most of China/US IA, as the absolute last resort after domestic adoption and IA to same-race parents.)
the Olympics will also be a point of scrutiny as adoption stories during that time are, I think, inevitable given the way the media like to think they are providing the "big picture."
By regulating and encouraging domestic adoption China can, to a degree, mitigate any accusations that IA has morphed from a child-welfare effort to a child-export effort. (Considering the amount of money that changes hands, the latter charge is bound to be raised.)
It is hard to view things this way as a parent or prospective parent with only the best, loving, intentions at heart. But some portion of the "outside world" (outside the circle of IA) does indeed interpret events just this way. It is very hard on the prospective APs who signed on expecting one kind of timeframe, and being presented with this grossly inflated timeframe. But I think Brian's contention (that China will not just let IA expand/inflate indefinitely and that a pullback is inevitable) is right on the money, and consistent with both CCAA's actions and anecdotal reports.
Julie - 9/06/2006 8:44 AM
Julie is right on in her comments.
Regarding expedites for 1st or 2nd generation Chinese born...
My wife and I were LID of 10/26/05. My wife is a first generation immigrant from China. We received our referral on 2/27/06. Man were we caught off-guard by the speed of the expedite, especially watching the lengthing times! So that put us with an expedited referral of just over 4 months.
Oh, and our baby was a referral from a Hunan orphanage, with a baby dossier dated in November of 2005, so one of the last before the freeze in that province.
So this class of expedite does indeed happen, but in fairnes our agency cautioned us that it is most often an expedite of about 2 months improvment (compared to the assumed old rates of 6-8 months for a non-expedite referral) and is NOT guaranteed.
Great post and analysis Brian! Much more sane and well thought out then so much of the "rumor mill" circulating in other channels. You actually put context behind what is happening and that is valuable for all waiting parents, even if the result is a bit bitter-sweet in terms of the waiting periods at present. Keep up the good work. - 9/12/2006 4:36 PM
Brian - Thank you for your interesting perspective. I have a question that relates to the start of the slodown. Correct me if I am remembering incorrectly, but was China referring full months until Nov 05 when they started referring half months? Seems strang there would be a significant drop in just one month vs. a steady decline. If the Hunan stoppage accounts for 25% of the referrals, how does that alone explain the slowdown since it seems there is more than a 25% drop? And if shortage of children available due to decreased abandonments (which would be great), wouldn't you expect a steady decline in the number of referrals vs. a dramatic drop from Oct to Nov 05?
Again, please correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to remember the slow down happening quite suddenly. Thanks for your insight!
Jeanine - 9/13/2006 8:39 PM
- terrible speller said...
Ok, so I just found your blog. Huge Huge thanks for doing all this research. My husband and I begin our home study in 2 days for our Chinese adoption. I have am having a hard time deciding between adopting a toddller and an infant. After reading many of your articles, with the foreign demands as high as they are, seems like older toddlers would be a rare find. Do you think this is true? Also if you request a special needs child how severe is the need. We could handle clefts and minor defects but Cerebral Palsy is something our home and life style cannot manage. I would be completely open to special needs if I knew what generally they were. Can you help me? Thanks.
- Research-China.Org said...
Generally speaking, healthy toddlers will be hard to find, primarily because the children are almost always found and adopted as infants. Some children are found as older children, and you might be able to adopt one of those.
Special Needs range from a large birthmark, minor cleft pallet, a sixth finger, to much more severe problems such as heart issues, emotional or mental issues, etc. In your letter of introduction to the CCAA, which will be submitted as part of your dossier, you can specify what issues you are willing to deal with.
Good luck!!
Brian - 9/23/2006 7:25 AM
Thank you for the information. I have been told of the extended wait period but I was told that the reason for this slow down was due to CCAA moving their office and other international adoption countries have closed their doors to foreign adoptions thus causing the bigger agencies to funnel their clients to China. Well whatever the case may be, the wait is so well worth it. We were fortunately a part of the 6 month assignments back in 2004 and we are now waiting on our 2nd child. Good luck to all of the families waiting out there. You won't believe how lucky you are until you hold that little baby.
The post was informative. My DH and I are in the wait and worried as we are older parents but I am hopeful that there are really fewer children in China to adopt. The fewer orphans in the world the better. I still pray for a daughter- but also a daughter that would otherwise be an orphan.
Brian, not trying to discredit your research, but I have noticed that the longer the wait times for non-SM children, the older the children seem to be at referral. Is this just my observation on a small scale or is this happening regularly? If it is happening regularly, that would lead me to believe there is somewhat of a "paper" slowdown. Let me know what your research has shown. Thanks.
- Research-China.Org said...
Actually, the age has been faling over the past several months, but well within historical norms. One can track the ages of the children at referral at the following site:
This is a good example of what happens when one takes small samples and tries to determine what is going on.
Brian - 1/19/2007 6:36 AM
Your article is very informative, but outdated. Is there anyway you would consider a follow up artucle. We in the China adoption waiting line are all hurting, worried and frustrated. It would be so wonderful to have some idea of what is going on now in 2008.
- Research-China.Org said...
I will probably address this topic in the next month or so once I have my numbers from 2007 available.
Brian - 1/10/2008 9:49 AM
Yikes...I was really surprised by your comment about power outages etc..so these moms can increase production. These are children not just objects. People are so caught up in getting what they want they forget there are alot of emotions on all sides that go into this adoption. As as a mom of a 7 yr old daughter (adopted at 10 mos) I was disgusted with your comment - 5/14/2010 4:20 AM


text:
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
The Cake Head Diet Aid: Killing Appetites Since 2007
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Yes, it is!
Introducing the Cake Head Diet Aid!
That's right, folks, just place the professionally decorated Cake Head Diet Aid alongside your wedding cake. It's that easy! In addition to being a delicious red velvet groom's cake, the Cake Head Diet Aid will effectively dissuade all but your most ravenous and/or non-squeamish of guests from indulging in the gut-busting baked goods. Guaranteed!
Here's what our happy customers are saying about the Cake Head Diet Aid:
"The children ran screaming - no sugar buzzed hellions at the reception! Thank you, Cake Head Diet Aid!"
"Never have I wanted to eat cake less. Just the thought of your product has kept me up nights, and I've lost over 15 pounds!"
"When my husband said the wrong name at the altar, I was ready to kill him. Slicing into the Cake Head Diet Aid, however, helped me vent enough of that murderous rage to make it to the annulment. And the jam filling - oh, that was the best part!"
As a bonus, your Cake Head Diet Aid is completely customizable! From football helmets to sunglasses, iPod earbuds to nose rings, you can make your Cake Head Diet Aid the spitting image of your husband-to-be while incorporating his favorite hobbies!
So girls, be kind to your guests waistlines while giving your guy his just desserts: order the Cake Head Diet Aid today!
Michelle D., I bet these work great at birthdays, too.
UPDATE: Alright, all you PhotoShop nay-sayers: there IS such a thing as edible image printing, mkay? I also verified that this came off a professional bakery's portfolio site, so chill wit' da hatin' , yo.
181 comments | Post a Comment
- pika23 said...
aughghgh!!!!! is that real???? what the H E double hockey sticks is that thing? I'm about to puke up my breakfast now...omg omg omg omg omg thats a HEAD!
oh and FIRST! I shot gun the corner piece of cake with the whip cream flower! - September 10, 2008 at 7:42 AM
OMG that is disturbing! The eyes are following me...
This decorator has some serious skills. Although, perhaps an occupational change to mortuary cosmetologist is in order? - September 10, 2008 at 7:46 AM
- Pink Sith said...
Oh Cripes on Toast! That is awful, disquieting, unsettling, disgusting, eerie, ghoulish, macabre, nasty, ominous, scary, sinister, spooky, and down right icky. (Thanks thesaurus.com) But the decorator haz some mad skillz! I think this is worse than the baby cake...only because the eyes are following me around the room!
- September 10, 2008 at 7:57 AM
- stephanickety said...
That is creepy...the eyes are seriously just creepy.
Do you think they could do like an Amy Winehouse version and call it a a Coke Head? - September 10, 2008 at 8:00 AM
- Elizabeth said...
... I'm having trouble believing this one. It looks too real!
I think if I were at this receiption, I would spend hours starring at this ... thing, waiting to catch it blink! - September 10, 2008 at 8:00 AM
Whoa, that's gonna haunt me badly tonight. I think I'd rate this as one of the best wrecks you've posted.
- September 10, 2008 at 8:01 AM
Yeesh, it's a bit early in the morning for such shenanigans.
I am sooooo tempted to ask for my (un)favourite politician's head on a platter... but I won't hijack your blog by naming names! - September 10, 2008 at 8:04 AM
Um.... jumped the shark much? I say this with sincere love of Cake Wrecks, but you're trying too hard. The early wrecks seemed effortless, genuinely funny. Now, it's kinda like watching Robin Williams on a talk show.
- September 10, 2008 at 8:06 AM
- V. Nicharico said...
Firstly, as an artist I have to say that whoever did the airbrushing on the face did a marvelous job...
BUT! There is NO way I could ever eat anything that was staring at me! Muchless red velvet with jam filling! *shudders* The groom definitely had a sick sense of humor. - September 10, 2008 at 8:06 AM
- Jennifer Foster said...
"Just when you thought it was safe to cut into the helmet cake at your wedding, it starts talking and winking, and now you've crossed over to the Twilight Zone!" ~"Rod Serling"
- September 10, 2008 at 8:08 AM
- Kim said...
Looks like someone photoshopped their face in.
- September 10, 2008 at 8:15 AM
- Moominmama said...
What. The. Hell.
Is that the most realistic air-brushed frosting in history, or is this a joke, with an actual dude sticking his head through a hole in the table and wearing a fondant-covered helmet??? - September 10, 2008 at 8:16 AM
- Jen said...
I like the mortuary ref by anon above--could be a useful replacement for what would be a closed casket ceremony... Want an open casket? We can offer cake!
I wonder why the transverse plane through the head was deemed necessary? What was wrong with the groom's chin? - September 10, 2008 at 8:17 AM
- Amanda said...
That HAS to be photoshopped. How in the hockeysticks can the face look that real?!?
- September 10, 2008 at 8:23 AM
- Jessie said...
Eff?!?!?!?!?!? - September 10, 2008 at 8:30 AM
There's no way this can be real. No way. It's got to be PhotoShopped. And who puts a guy in a PINK HELMET?!
This is disturbing on many levels. - September 10, 2008 at 8:31 AM
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the CakeWrecks...Seriously, like most disturbing cake yet.
Worst part? The sort of forlorn expression on the guy's face. 'Oh, sure, go on, eat my head, it's just my lot in life.' It'd be like eating Eeyore, or Marvin the Paranoid Android. Though I'm not sure using a cheerful photo would have been better, actually. "Sure! Eat my head! Cool! This'll be so fun!!!" - September 10, 2008 at 8:31 AM
- Sara said...
I would like to hear the thoughts of the person who modeled for this cake! Truly one of the most bizarre you have posted yet!
http://newsfromnola.blogspot.com/ - September 10, 2008 at 8:31 AM
- damon said...
that is truly disturbing
wow - September 10, 2008 at 8:32 AM
- Rebecca said...
That is extremely impressive, mind-boggling, and disturbing all at the same time.
I'm waiting for the day someone sends you one of these with a pic of them cutting it up.....I wonder if anyone actually goes that far?
Question; even if it weren't a head, how does one cut a spherical cake?
How about thos eyebrows!? Mmmm. - September 10, 2008 at 8:33 AM
- Daisy Church said...
argh!!!! that head cake is truly disturbing. I mean... it looks like a real head. On a plate. Who'd want to even cut into that thing?
I'm not sure which I'm more disturbed by now- the infamous meat cake, or this... (shudder) - September 10, 2008 at 8:35 AM
looks as if the face is photoshopped on.
I mean, the helmet doesn't have that kind of realistic detail. - September 10, 2008 at 8:36 AM
i think the face's faded out colors are due to some serious embalming skillz on the part of the "cakemaker." oohhh, what a great name for a new horror movie character!
- September 10, 2008 at 8:39 AM
- Kaye Prince said...
I'm disturbed. The face on the cake looks so real, as if some guy is actually sticking his head up through the table into the helmet. It's probably one of those edible sugar sheets that you can print a picture on to.
Still oh so creepy... - September 10, 2008 at 8:39 AM
- Danielle said...
It must be an edible image. I don't have any idea how someone would make the eyes that real, otherwise. I think edible images of people are creepy anyway, this one goes the extra mile. Why would it be so bad just to do a plain helmet. Would people not understand that it was the type of helmet that the groom wore without seeing an actual representation of his face in it? Ick.
- September 10, 2008 at 8:40 AM
- The Courteous Chihuahua said...
I think that's a real head. He looks kinda sad about being decapitated.
- September 10, 2008 at 8:42 AM
Oh my...I truly believe you've been punk'd again. That face appears to have been photoshopped into that helmet. Not even an edible image would look THAT realistic.
Look carefully at the lower left edge where "face" meets helmet. Something is amiss.
Love your site, and take it as a huge compliment that folks will go to extreme lengths to get you to pick their submission. :) - September 10, 2008 at 8:43 AM
- Girl Khan said...
Oh my God! WTF? This one's really really disturbing. At first, I thought there was a real head on the plate. Sick, very sick.
- September 10, 2008 at 8:48 AM
Wow, whose wedding was this? Salome's?
Salome to Daddy Herodias: Daddy, I know you've already spent $50K on my wedding...but what I really want is John's head on a platter.
Daddy: Well honey, you know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. Consider it done. - September 10, 2008 at 8:48 AM
- Unknown said...
Creepy idea, I will not do people or animals, but you have to admit, the skill of the decorator shows!
- September 10, 2008 at 8:50 AM
- Tracy said...
This is just wrong... wrong, wrong, wrong... I'd love to meet the person that thought this was a good idea!
- September 10, 2008 at 8:51 AM
- trash talk said...
I kept waiting for it to go Hut!Hut!
- September 10, 2008 at 8:52 AM
- Jen AKA Jupiter said...
Words cannot describe the feeling of sickness I have in the pit of my stomach. YUCK!
- September 10, 2008 at 8:52 AM
Such great cake skills, so little judgement.
Exquisitely executed (pun intended), but WHY?!?!?! - September 10, 2008 at 8:52 AM
- Stacey said...
Oh Dear God! What the hell is that thing? It rivals the life-like baby cakes.
- September 10, 2008 at 8:54 AM
that has to be photoshopped.
- September 10, 2008 at 8:55 AM
You know, edible ink and paper CAN be put to better uses. Good God.
- September 10, 2008 at 8:57 AM
- Ruth said...
It also kind of looks a little bit like the person is emerging from the table, maybe like a wedding of the living dead kind of thing... ew.
- September 10, 2008 at 9:01 AM
Brings a visual to:
"I'll have his head on a platter." - September 10, 2008 at 9:03 AM
- Sarah said...
I gotta give the decorator props, the face looks SO realistic! Creeeeepy! I agree, perhaps he/she should go into mortuary science. Could make a decent living in a funeral home.
- September 10, 2008 at 9:03 AM
- Meg said...
Oh my good god that looks like a real decapitated head! Where's did they find this decorator...Madame Tussaud's?
- September 10, 2008 at 9:05 AM
- Christine said...
OMG poor football head man, he's looking at all from behind his helmet cage, pleading with eyes to please not be eaten. And to have red velvet cake in there, only appropriate I guess, if you're gonna go disturbing, might as well go all the way.
I love your blog, thank you for the laughs! - September 10, 2008 at 9:07 AM
He looks so sad, must be because his helmet is pink.
- September 10, 2008 at 9:13 AM
- Kiley said...
I feel like I've been transported to another period in time, where decapitation is still a jusitfiable form of punishment and the King orders the head of the theif to be displayed on the table for all to see and remember!
- September 10, 2008 at 9:18 AM
- Corey Wilde said...
Geez. it looks just like David Archuleta!
- September 10, 2008 at 9:21 AM
This is creepier than the baby butt cakes! WHY? WOULD? YOU? DO? THAT? TO? CAKE?!
- September 10, 2008 at 9:21 AM
That is seriously gross. *hurk*
I have never, ever been so disturbed by a cake! I actually went to the comments section as soon as I could so it would get off my monitor. - September 10, 2008 at 9:22 AM
- Kelly said...
Oh my, this is very disturbing! Nobody's severed head should ever be decorated with icing--it's just wrong. Ew!
- September 10, 2008 at 9:24 AM
It's a fake. The helmet is a decoration, but the face is a guy with his head stuck through a hole in the table and tray. Just so you know.
- September 10, 2008 at 9:25 AM
Looks to me like the guy stuck his head up in a hole in the table. That looks way too real to be a cake. Wish the photo was larger, I'd be able to tell better.
- September 10, 2008 at 9:26 AM
- Shay said...
What in the name of Sam Hill is that thing??!! And why does he have that expression? Like he's waiting for death??? GAHHHHHHHH
- September 10, 2008 at 9:27 AM
I don't know which question rattles my brain more: HOW is that possible, or WHY anyone would do that?! It looks too real and is VERY scary!
- September 10, 2008 at 9:28 AM
Okay Jen. You win.
Most of this site is just amusing beyond belief. Although--until now--you hadn't posted a cake that I wouldn't eat. I would have taken delight in carving up and munching those creepier than crap clowns a few posts ago. I'd have even nibbled at the sushi cake. But this? No freaking way.
Also, I agree with the first anonymous poster. Decorator needs a career change! STAT! - September 10, 2008 at 9:33 AM
- Sleepwalker said...
It looks like a trimmed photo just stuck in there. Still, it is creepy. The expression on the face is what does it. So resigned to the coming carving.
- September 10, 2008 at 9:33 AM
- مارية said...
Um....ew! How do you decide who gets to eat which part of the cake? "I'll take his nose!"
- September 10, 2008 at 9:37 AM
I'm pretty convinced the face was photoshopped into this one. But it's uber-creepy!
- September 10, 2008 at 9:38 AM
- mere9 said...
wait.. is it just the helmet that's the cake? the head itself looks like a real person. if that's also cake, then DANG!
- September 10, 2008 at 9:43 AM
- Unknown said...
what would possess someone to request a cake like that?
thanks for the nightmares! - September 10, 2008 at 9:50 AM
- NathKnits said...
Wow. And the weird thing is, the helmet clearly looks like frosting, but the face is creepily realistic. It's like a real severed head with a frosting helmet. Kudos to the decorator. I wonder how much therapy he or she needs now as a result.
- September 10, 2008 at 9:50 AM
- Unknown said...
um... you with the camera... I'm stuck under here. Please help me???
- September 10, 2008 at 9:56 AM
I... uh... it's... ummmmm...
You know...
Aw crap, IT'S A DECAPITATED HEAD!!! - September 10, 2008 at 9:59 AM
- Jessica said...
In general, I haven't been as horrified as other when you've presented, say, baby-shaped shower cakes. But this... this is just disturbing. - September 10, 2008 at 9:59 AM
- Anjanette said...
That cannot be real. Is it? How? Prove it!
- September 10, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Holy crap on a stick, that scares the hell out of me!!! - September 10, 2008 at 10:06 AM
- Lisa said...
That cake seriously looks JUST like this local high school football player that died of heat exhaustion a few weeks ago. They kept plastering his image all over the news. Ewww.
- September 10, 2008 at 10:07 AM
that was so creeey! i know decorators go for "realistic", but that was over the top. shivver...
- September 10, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Pika23 - you can have the whole cake, I don't think anyone will fight you for it. O M G. If his mother was there, did she faint?
- September 10, 2008 at 10:11 AM
there is no way this can be real... no way. i think it's the eyes. totally creepy.
- September 10, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Looks fake to me. The face looks photoshopped on.
- September 10, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Maybe the decorator *IS* a mortuary cosmetologist? Does this on the side? (shivers)
Seriously, the red velvet would just make the blood and gore thing that much more realistic. Hey..this could be entertaining, too! :o)
~Amy - September 10, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Is it possible to create a cake veil to put over the cake head so you won't know which part of the head you just cut into?
Then again that might make it into a bigger wreck.
That's good for putting on your front patio during Holloween tho'....
-Amy - September 10, 2008 at 10:19 AM
That was the catcher who fumbled the ball, right? Ewww.
- September 10, 2008 at 10:20 AM
- Me said...
this beats the scary baby casket er bassinett by far.
i couldn't eat this, no way.
very disturbing to say the least! - September 10, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Are we sure this isn't Photoshop? If not, can the person who originally submitted this clarify what was used for the face? I'm guessing photo transfer...but that looks a little too neat to be real. --hep
- September 10, 2008 at 10:21 AM
- Geo said...
This, well, it takes the cake.
- September 10, 2008 at 10:22 AM
- Val Cox said...
oh great, no sleep for me tonight!
- September 10, 2008 at 10:25 AM
- Gallifrey said...
pmsl.... he looks so real!!
but why does he look so sad?
can't a head cake have a smile on it? - September 10, 2008 at 10:31 AM
The face is reflecting on the bottom.
- September 10, 2008 at 10:34 AM
- Jennifer said...
I am convinced that the face is either photoshopped in or is simply an 8x10 photo trimmed to fit. That would explain the odd angle at the jawline as well as the fact that something is indeed odd about the lower left corner. (As if the whole thing were not odd enough.) The helmet is pretty neat looking though!
- September 10, 2008 at 10:35 AM
- Gallifrey said...
also... what is behind him, it looks like a skunk's bum cake!
- September 10, 2008 at 10:36 AM
- Meg said...
Beyond creepy!! Oh, good grief! Who wants to eat a decapitated football player?
- September 10, 2008 at 10:57 AM
That is seriously freaking scary.
- September 10, 2008 at 10:59 AM
- Unknown said...
I can vouch for edible photo printing - I've had the great pleasure of chopping the head off my father in law on a badly thought through 50th birthday cake.
- September 10, 2008 at 11:03 AM
- NWK said...
Someone is very, very talented or very, very sneaky. It looks too realistic. Photoshop? Air Brush? Artist? I can't decide.
- September 10, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Insanity! That is total insanity! Love the diet aid testimonials...
- September 10, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Ok, I don't comment often, but omgoodness that's just wrong. So many levels and so many ways wrong. Horrible!
- September 10, 2008 at 11:35 AM
- Rosa said...
Gotta say, The jam thing made my stomach churn! Lol!
- September 10, 2008 at 11:35 AM
I have to say that the first thought that came to mind was the monkey scene from "Faces of Death," that has been forever burned into my brain after my older brother made me watch it as a kid. So this cake as a diet aid? ABSOLUTELY!!
- September 10, 2008 at 11:41 AM
- Jules AF said...
Worked for me! I'm never eating again.
- September 10, 2008 at 11:49 AM
- Spork In the Eye said...
I smell a photoshop.
- September 10, 2008 at 12:06 PM
This is one of those things where you have to ask yourself just what part of some person's brain thought this was a good idea.
And like a couple others, I can vouch for the existance of edible transfers for cakes. I've seen them used in challenges on the Food Network, on an episode or two of Ace of Cakes, and heard them referenced in the cake design/ordering segment of several wedding planning shows. They can look surprisingly clear.
I just can't imagine why anyone would think the groom's mournful face would be an appetizing image. - September 10, 2008 at 12:09 PM
I just have to say this is the first time a blog has ever scared the you know what out of me. I've had this *thing* about severed heads ever since I saw The Omen when I was a kid. I don't do decapitation. Period.
I swear if someone served me that I probably would have screamed and ran.
Blah...I still have goosebumps after looking at it. - September 10, 2008 at 12:21 PM
- Unknown said...
Maybe I'm dead to horror for the minute, but the first thing I thought was, "why is the helmet PINK?" I mean, I understand it's a wedding cake, but it's still a bit incongruous... ;-)
- September 10, 2008 at 12:29 PM
- September 10, 2008 at 12:30 PM
- Karen said...
What I want to know is what the hell is on the cake platter behind the head? Another body part?
You know what REALLY grosses me out about this cake? Eyebrows. Man, I get totally put off by hairs in my food, but the thought of eating an eyebrow, even one made of edible ink, just...er...ummmm... 'scuse me...! - September 10, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Where did this come from? Cannibal cakes? Yuck.
- September 10, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Sadly, I agree with the above poster that this blog has definitely jumped the shark. This is so boviously photoshopped.
Yes, there are such things as edible printed images, but if you look at the edges of the "image" they don't line up properly with the planes of the cake. Also, if you look at the nostrils, you can definitely tell something is up.
Just because it is decent photoshop, doesn't change the fact that it is still photoshop.
Pretty please, less photoshop and intentionally staged wrecks, and more baby carrot jockies, por favor! - September 10, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Dude who thinks up these things... that cake looked creepy.
- September 10, 2008 at 12:55 PM
- Lady Snark said...
John the Baptist for dessert, anyone?
- September 10, 2008 at 1:09 PM
- Oraxia said...
I think it's the lighting that is making the helmet seem pink--the tablecloth, which I think I can safely assume is white, is the same color. Probably a white helmet.
This does, however, seem like a really good idea for a Halloween cake... - September 10, 2008 at 1:10 PM
Now hang on - there's no way that's not a real head. His eyes are glinting in the camera flash! It's got to be one of those pranks where somebody sits under the table and sticks his head up through a hole. Maybe the cake decorator posted the photo to show that she could even ice real heads?
- September 10, 2008 at 1:15 PM
- sassypackrat said...
That is the most disturbed thing I've ever seen! I question the sanity of the Bride.
- September 10, 2008 at 1:16 PM
- Momma J said...
Now that's just nasty!
- September 10, 2008 at 1:18 PM
Ah, the perfect groom's cake to go along with that wedding cake that looks like the bride!
- September 10, 2008 at 1:24 PM
- Hope said...
That is terrifying, the eyes are way too real. I've got goosebumps.
I should have ordered one of my ex when I got divorced - that would have so been worth it. - September 10, 2008 at 1:28 PM
- Maryogim said...
i totally thought of that scene in "hanibal" when i saw this cake, creepy!
-Mary - September 10, 2008 at 1:43 PM
- Dea said...
I don't get how people can't figure out this was edible ink?? I've seen amazing works of cake-art with the edible ink printer stuff....
The person in the picture, though, looks REALLY depressed.... - September 10, 2008 at 1:45 PM
- jen bryner said...
creepy cake, that's for sure!
but i can't believe all of you who are making such rude comments to our blog owner. she has proven herself already by researching as much as she can about each cake post so we have no reason to believe that she has done any less with THIS one. take thumper's advice...and if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all :)
thanks for an always enjoyable blog!!! - September 10, 2008 at 1:54 PM
- Ronnica said...
Ew, ew, ew! What? I think a headless helmet would suffice, don'tcha think?
- September 10, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Cake for everyone....
Would you like the ear canal or perhaps a bigger piece of sinus cavity?
I'm partial to tounge in cheek.... - September 10, 2008 at 2:11 PM
- Juliet said...
If this is a wedding cake, why does that football player look so bummed out? He looks like someone important to him died yesterday.
Props to the decorator though. My cake decorating skills run along the lines of those wedding cake disasters posted here previously. - September 10, 2008 at 2:22 PM
On second thought, add some "blood" and some gruesome details and you'd probably have the most awesome Halloween cake ever. Still wouldn't eat it though. That scares me!
- September 10, 2008 at 2:28 PM
I bet they made the helmet cake and then just put a picture of his face in it.
- September 10, 2008 at 2:32 PM
The only thing wrong with this is the face could stand to be a little bluer, and a pool of red icing around the base could have done wonders for the effect.
- September 10, 2008 at 2:53 PM
- Elizabeth said...
- September 10, 2008 at 2:56 PM
We would not find it hard to believe that someone could paint a sculpted piece of clay to look like this, so why is is so unbelievable that someone brushed edible ink onto fondant laid onto a well-sculpted cake? The "glint" in the eyes could easily be a bit of white paint. The cartoon characters on the back of my cereal box have a "glint" in their eyes, but I'm pretty sure there isn't an actual cartoon character sticking his head through the box.
- September 10, 2008 at 3:07 PM
- TSoph said...
For a second I thought someone put their head through a hole in the table...the face looks too real! Scary!!! I wonder how much that cake would cost.
- September 10, 2008 at 3:22 PM
- The Halls said...
- September 10, 2008 at 3:26 PM
- hollywoodgirl said...
- September 10, 2008 at 3:47 PM
I had to stare at that one for a while. I thought someone stuck their head through a hole in the table or something. What the !@##?
- September 10, 2008 at 4:01 PM
- kristin said...
Wow! And Wow! That looks so realistic that it's creepy. Hats off to the decorator for the real life head....thing, but to eat a piece of it? I don't know, it's just too weird. Why would someone commission something so not edible? Oh, I forgot. It's the DIET cake. You are so hilarious!!
(Maybe photoshop ought to have some regulations- no using it on cakes! The public gross out factor is enough reason. - September 10, 2008 at 4:04 PM
- The Southern Family said...
OMG- that is awful. So disturbing, and realistic. Tell me is wasn't red velvet...
- September 10, 2008 at 4:19 PM
- clueuin said...
How did the cake decorator do that?
If that's photoshoped then the groom was gosh, darn, drunk to do that.
Ah,no I don't want a slice of that.
Thanks, but no.
Ummm, ewww.
Clueuin - September 10, 2008 at 4:23 PM
- Manders said...
Go long!!
- September 10, 2008 at 4:30 PM
- CakeEater said...
That made me literally LOL! Hilarious
- September 10, 2008 at 4:38 PM
- Teagan Blackthorne said...
Like someone said in an earlier comment. It is amazing how many people do not actually read the other comments or even your notes at the bottom of the blog.
The above link is for the Photo Frost which allowed you to print a photograph onto an edible surface to use in cake decorating. The cake designer took the picture, placed it at the side of the cake, and sculpted the icing for the helmet around the photo to make it looks like he was wearing the helmet.
Keep up the great work with the blog and don't get the others get you down. I hate when people try to tell blogger how or what they should blog. It is your blog and you can blog as you wish with it. - September 10, 2008 at 4:43 PM
- Unknown said...
If I had to guess, I'd say the cake behind the head is a football.
The head sorta reminds me of John Belushi. - September 10, 2008 at 4:45 PM
- dykewife said...
i could never eat a cake that has a pink helmet. i'm sorry, pink just is repugnant.
- September 10, 2008 at 4:52 PM
Yeah! I found the cake and it's real from a real bakery!
Check out the groom cake section and it's right there. Personally I think it's a really well done cake.
I think Jen is owed an apology. - September 10, 2008 at 4:52 PM
- MyCozyCreations said...
Is that for real?! Pretty amazing if it is! I'd eat it! HAHAHA.
Come on over to my blog for a giveaway! - September 10, 2008 at 4:59 PM
Hahahaha! That is seriously #@*%ed up.
The fact that it's red velvet inside...oh, good lord!
I mean, it's no worse than the life-sized bride cake...
Oh, wait. Yes it is. SO much worse. - September 10, 2008 at 5:08 PM
Check out that Sweet Creations site-- if that decapitated armadillo roadkill cake isn't a wreck, I don't know what is.
- September 10, 2008 at 5:11 PM
- Sky said...
This just made me not a football fan. Who in the right bloody mind would pay for this??? It'll leave ya speechless alright...
- September 10, 2008 at 5:24 PM
- diddlesgirl said...
I love your blog and appreciate the fact that you take your personal time to find ways to make us laugh. If people don't like it, well, they could quit paying you- oh wait, they don't pay you!
(you don't have to publish this, i just wanted to encourage you!) - September 10, 2008 at 5:42 PM
- diddlesgirl said...
first off, does anybody rememer the sculpted baby with the eye looking at you? there was a video of it being made. i would never have believe that such a realistic cake could be real. but, it was. so why can't this one be real? (yes, i thought head sticking through table too at first)
but, wouldn't it have been better to use grey cake with red filling ....so much more realistic... ewwwwwwww! - September 10, 2008 at 5:48 PM
- diddlesgirl said...
i think the skunk in the background may be the football on the same website. or else someone went to extreme lengths to not have to eat that cake!
- September 10, 2008 at 6:09 PM
- Robert said...
Personally, I think it's kinda nifty... I mean... If you hated the football players in school, this way you can trash them without going to jail.
If you always wanted to BE one, you could now become a football player--at least in cake!
And, on yet another hand, if you really LIKED someone, you could put his/her image on a lifelike sculpted head cake and... well... "tongue" him/her--or at least his/her icing likeness.
There seems to be a whole untapped market for stalkers out there! - September 10, 2008 at 6:28 PM
I'm always impressed with the research that goes into these posts to verify their authenticity. And, frankly, even if they WEREN'T researched, who cares? It's her blog! And the cakes are funny! We're just here for the entertainment value. It's not prime time TV! Unhappy Neilsen families should go watch something else.
Carry on, Jen. And thank you. :) - September 10, 2008 at 6:41 PM
- Dea said...
LMAO yeah, that armadillo is TOTALLY wreck-tastic!!!
- September 10, 2008 at 7:18 PM
My first thought was: I sure hope it was not for a funeral.....
- September 10, 2008 at 7:19 PM
- JP said...
Is this to train children into cannibalism? Who baked this thing, Idi Amin?
- September 10, 2008 at 7:41 PM
- avocadohead said...
Makes me wonder: if you cut it up, will you find some kind of "sweet chestnut spaghetti"-type brain inside?
Note to all the Salome commenters: According to a couple of archaeologists I know John the Baptist in all likelihood did not wear football gear. - September 10, 2008 at 8:37 PM
- Kahla said...
Blech, just looks a little too real.... (shudder)
- September 10, 2008 at 8:49 PM
- Jennifer said...
In all seriousness, if I would have had something in my mouth when I saw that cake, it would have been all over the computer screen!
Seriously?!? - September 10, 2008 at 9:22 PM
...At least he doesn't have any zits.
- September 10, 2008 at 9:34 PM
- Deborah Godin said...
This is the perfect cake to serve on movie night - if you happen to be watching "The Philadelphia Experiment" that is...
- September 10, 2008 at 10:33 PM
- K2 said...
I think it's funny!!!
- September 11, 2008 at 12:39 AM
- Unknown said...
ok- the foot cakes, pregnant tummy cakes, and baby cakes didn't throw me, but this i find creepy as hell. *shudders*
i'd still eat it tho heehee - September 11, 2008 at 1:36 AM
- Matt Horn said...
Why sans chin?
And yes all photo cake images printed with an edible inkjet printer on potato starch paper have been around for years:
http://www.cakedecorating4fun.com/ediblecakeimages.php - September 11, 2008 at 1:46 AM
- Procrastinateher said...
I can't help thinking that this would be the best (or worst) cake to have at a "my football son died when he was beheaded by a flat brown piece of something" funeral.
- September 11, 2008 at 4:37 AM
- Sara said...
This is the place I come for laughs...serious belly shaking laughs. Thank you!
I LOVE your blog (thus the reason for the comment - I've left an "I love your blog" link to you from mine, since you've got my friends laughing now too...)
Oh - I did one of these "rice paper" photos once when they were first offered at my local bakery back in early 2000 - it was disturbing to slice through the family...but not NEARLY this disturbing... Not RED VELVET disturbing... - September 11, 2008 at 6:42 AM
- Corinne said...
Creepy, creepy, creepy!!!
- September 11, 2008 at 10:06 AM
- clueuin said...
I saw a pool table cake, a fish cake (now that's a contender for this blog),and a couple of nice to huh (?) cakes, but nope not a grooms head cake to be found.
So if it exists,
And sooo many people think it does and who really cares it's still funny though,
It's not at sweetcreationsbysharon.com
as far as I could see.
But hey, jen should definitly show the fish cake next.Fondant Guy are you with me on that one? Come on write in vote with me.
I've never sd that I've haven't enjoyed this blog. I would'nt have put it on my blog as one of the blogs I follow if I did. Via Va la Jen! Via Va, Via Va!
Clueuin - September 11, 2008 at 10:09 AM
- Becky said...
Possibly the most disturbing one so far... We once had a cake with a photo of my cousin on it, but it wasn't 3D like that. Yikes!
- September 11, 2008 at 10:29 AM
I must be getting old because I have no idea what the "shark" comments are about. But from the context, you are clearly insulting our wonderful Jen, and I don't appreciate it. We come here for a laugh, not to read about how you are too closed minded to accept that a phototransfer might look photoshopped.
The point of Jen's post is that this is a wrecktastic concept! Even if it is too well executed, and therefore hard to believe.
Get a sense of humor people!! We come here to laugh. Not to listen to you complain about Jen's choices!
Thank you Jen!
Whiners, cut it out!
Alex - September 11, 2008 at 10:42 AM
- Kirstie Sequitin said...
why? WHY?
it is not a good idea to look at this before you go to bed, or in the dark. :'( - September 11, 2008 at 11:13 AM
- The Barnes Crew said...
This cake TOTALLY creeps me out!!!!!
- September 11, 2008 at 11:20 AM
- NathKnits said...
clueuin, it *is* at sweetcreationsbysharon.com. Go to the grooms' cakes:
Then click on Next on the bottom right, and there it is, staring at you, third from the top, in all its horrible horribleness. - September 11, 2008 at 12:19 PM
- kelly said...
lets just hope its not a red velvet cake or something like that (remember steel magnolia's and the hacked up armadillo cake???!!!)
- September 11, 2008 at 1:53 PM
- clueuin said...
O.k I'll go look. BRB
Clueuin - September 11, 2008 at 2:02 PM
- clueuin said...
O.k I'm back. Saw it! Had to shrink my view to 75%. Kind of glad I did. Bad enough we see it blowned up here. (Still funny though.)
And Fondant, I think we have a winner agaisnt the fish shaped cake. Mmmmm,armadillo roadkill cake anyone? Anyone? No?
Can't say I's blame yous!
But stop all your votes folks cause we have a winner here!
Clueuin - September 11, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Nathalie - if clueuin's browser was acting like mine, the "Next" button is hard to find. That site's HTML is kind of messed up. I only found the Next button because you said it was there, so I tabbed around through the hotlinks on the page. If you don't do that, it's invisible and unreachable off the bottom of the screen.
Anonymous (Alex), or anyone else wondering about the "shark": check jumptheshark.com. Briefly, "jumping the shark" refers to the moment when a TV show has something so absurd that you realize it has passed its peak and it's all downhill from here. Named after an incident on Happy Days when Fonzie actually jumped a shark (I think while waterskiing).
I hardly think CakeWrecks has jumped the shark. This cake's decorator might have, though.
Oh, and whoever said "skunk bum cake": I was enjoying that part up to now, because it just looked like good dark chocolate cake with either white cake or a super thick layer of filling or frosting in between. Plus it was better than looking at scary head cake. But now I can't see it without thinking "skunk bum." So thanks a WHOLE bunch. ;) Though I guess skunk bum is still probably better than looking at scary head cake. - September 11, 2008 at 2:16 PM
- aloria said...
I hope the inside of this cake is red, or layered with raspberry jam. Muahahahaha!
- September 11, 2008 at 2:31 PM
- clueuin said...
I've found the excuse for the armadillo roadkill cake look here at:http://weddings.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Armadillo_Grooms_Cake
Can't get a copy of cake @ that website though,copyright protected.
Clueuin - September 11, 2008 at 2:39 PM
- Zelmarific said...
I think this belongs at "Zombies are Magic"
http://zombiesaremagic.blogspot.com/ - September 11, 2008 at 3:04 PM
I had to take a double take for this one... *faints*
No way in Hades...
O____O" - September 11, 2008 at 4:08 PM
- Luvvie said...
That head looks WAYYY too real. The eyes are boring into my soul.
- September 11, 2008 at 4:43 PM
The best part is the look of utter resignation on his face. The question is, is he resigned to being eaten or getting married?
OOOO!! Even better- how about a groom cake with his mouth wide open and a look of terror on his face?!? BWAHAHAHAAA - September 11, 2008 at 6:29 PM
- Laura said...
Who is the baker? I want one for my Halloween party!
Laura - September 12, 2008 at 8:28 PM
- Katie said...
That is the scariest cake I have ever seen! I just wouldn't be able to eat it.
- September 15, 2008 at 12:34 AM
- Ryan Fitz Gibbon said...
- September 15, 2008 at 4:57 PM
The process for putting a photo transfer onto the cake did not properly capture the warm glow of a living face. It is creepy because it looks like a drained of blood decapitated head rather than just a cake that looks too much like a living person's ruddy head.
- September 15, 2008 at 9:43 PM
- Chief-Ten-Bears said...
Hannibal Lecter's new career as a cake decorator didn't work out near as well as his old psychiatry gig.
- September 17, 2008 at 7:34 PM
Couldn't the customer have come up with a better picture? Could have at least been a bad picture of him making a nice face, instead it is a decent quality photo of a "Life sucks" face. Or maybe that is just what he wanted on a football helmet cake at his weddig reception: "Life as I knew it is over. Waaah".
Other than that, I would be delighted to participate in the amusement of hacking into this head, just like on the 1007 crime dramas we are bombarded with every night ( the only kind of tv show anymore besides "reality" shows'). We see so much stabing and gore on tv, what fun it would be to DO IT!!! And have all the lovely red velvet innards gush out! I am cracking myself up I am so deranged. Better than the prospect of cutting into the perfect baby cakes or the twin towers. THOSE would be macabre. Chopping this guy up would be fun and funny.
Keep the laughs coming! You rock!
Suze in PA - September 18, 2008 at 3:29 PM
Another thought: Set up a motion sensor. Every time you go near it with a knife the head barks "Don't do it!" "I'll get you for this!" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" "It wasn't my fault!" "I wasn't even there!", or growls menacingly "I'll haunt you for the rest of your days, you will never sleep peacefully again!".
- September 18, 2008 at 3:35 PM
I could eat this easily hahaha
Its just a cake people.
I mean you eat meat all the time its all the same. - September 27, 2008 at 7:13 PM
- Home of The Angry Walnut said...
I went to a funeral for a priest who was in a particularly gruesome car wreck but they had an open casket anyway, I remember thinking how he looked like he was made of wax, but really, that is what he looked like!
- October 21, 2008 at 9:49 PM
Looks like Rick Moranis in Little Shop of Horrors... after getting eaten by Audrey II.
- December 22, 2008 at 11:12 PM
- Cerrasponda said...
BWHAHAHAHAHA, "Never have I wanted to eat cake less. Just the thought of your product has kept me up nights, and I've lost over 15 pounds!"
And gah, how did they get that image so photorealistic. I'm never eating cake again....maybe. - July 29, 2009 at 1:17 PM
- The Whiz Kid Forte said...
Wow - what a creepy cake - cover the head with red piping gel to remind Halloween revelers about their appearances and health!
The Cake Head Diet Head can be custom-made for kids' birthday parties! Just ask the decorator to fashion it into the heads of 215 pound Connor McCreaddie, 420-pound Jessica Leonard, or 555 pound Alexander Draper! Serve that at your child's next birthday party and watch the childhood obesity rates plunge right before your eyes - amazing! It can be customized for Christmas time to help your guests stick to their New Year's resolutions! - November 8, 2009 at 10:18 AM
- Unknown said...
Atherosclerosis is the plague of fast-food eating society! Take care of your health! But I know, how to loose weight!
- February 21, 2010 at 4:25 PM
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A Cake Wreck is any cake that is unintentionally sad, silly, creepy, inappropriate - you name it. A Wreck is not necessarily a poorly-made cake; it's simply one I find funny, for any of a number of reasons. Anyone who has ever smeared frosting on a baked good has made a Wreck at one time or another, so I'm not here to vilify decorators: Cake Wrecks is just about finding the funny in unexpected, sugar-filled places.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
WASHINGTON –The U.S. Helsinki Commission welcomed the Polish Parliament's adoption today (July 29) of a resolution recognizing Romani victims of Nazi genocide and establishing August 2 as a remembrance day in Poland. Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski will participate in a remembrance event at Auschwitz on the 2nd.
Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission said, "The vicious racism that led to the Nazi genocide against Roma seven decades ago continues to foster hatred and hate crimes against Roma. Recognizing, teaching, and remembering that painful history in a most dignified, solemn way is a critical part of combating bigotry against Roma today."
"Throughout the OSCE region, including the United States, there is a crying need to better research, document, and convey information about the genocide of Roma," added Senator Ben Cardin (MD), the Commission's Co-Chairman. "This month, I met with Father Patrick Desbois whose efforts documenting 800 WWII-mass grave sites in Ukraine and other areas has included the identification of 48 mass grave sites Roma. I commend him for this important work."
Smith noted that even basic information about the Holocaust is sometimes incorrectly represented. "It is an historical error when news agencies reporting about the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi German-occupied Poland call it a 'Polish concentration camp.'"
Cardin concluded by expressing regret that Germany has thus far failed to complete work on a memorial for Romani victims. "Last year, I wrote to the German Minister of Culture regarding long-delayed efforts to build a memorial in Berlin for Romani victims of the genocide. There has been negligible progress on that effort, and I hope the German government will exercise greater leadership to get this memorial built."
During the Holocaust, approximately 23,000 Romani people were killed at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp from many countries in Europe. Many Romani children died as the result of medical experiments performed by the notorious Nazi doctor Josef Mengele; others died from starvation, disease, and abuse. On the night of August 2-3, 1944, the "Zigeunerlager" ("Gypsy camp") was liquidated and 2,897 Romani men, women, and children were killed in the gas chambers. The total number of Romani people murdered during the war is conservatively estimated at 500,000.
Poland recognizes January 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, as Holocaust Remembrance Day. The United States delegation to the commemoration event at Auschwitz on August 2 will include Ambassador Ian Kelly, Head of Delegation to the OSCE, and Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Douglas Davidson.


text:
And for those of us, and those of you, who are just waking up to this story, this is how it began. The midnight premiere of the latest Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," had barely begun in a theater in Aurora, Colorado, when the scene erupted in chaos. It wasn't on the screen - the violence was happening in the theater.
Ben Markus, a reporter at Colorado Public Radio, has been following this story for hours. He's been at the shopping mall where the theater is located. He's spoken with victims and now, the focus returns to the suspect.
So you know, we've just heard some of - about the suspect, but tell us where you are, and what you're seeing there.
BEN MARKUS, BYLINE: Hey, Renee. I'm at his apartment - I'm about a block away. I can see it from where I'm at right now. And the place is totally crawling with cops, firefighters. There is a ladder coming off of one of the fire trucks; going straight up to the third floor, where his apartment is. They're very carefully trying to get into the apartment so that they can disarm the bomb and completely make the area safe. So there are just guys everywhere. And I talked to a gentlemen here, Michael Gartesman, who's been up all night watching this.
MICHAEL GARTESMAN: You know, bomb squads, cops, everyone showed up in droves and just started pulling everybody out of the building and just evac-ed people. I think they evac-ed them to the medical campus.
MONTAGNE: Now, that would be there at the location of the apartment of the suspect. You were at the hospital before this. What were hospital officials telling you?
MARKUS: What's amazing is the - I can see the hospital right now, from where I'm standing. It's literally three or four blocks away from this guy's apartment. Twenty people came into the trauma center there. They saw patients ranging from 3 months old all the way up to 45 years old, come in for gunshot wounds. They did not release any figures as to who may have died at the hospital last night there. They did say one person's still in surgery. It's just an incredible scene. I mean, you have the apartment of the suspect literally within walking distance of the hospital, where most of his victims have been taken.
MONTAGNE: And I know you were also where a lot of the families had gathered, who were - or those who had come out of the theater. And of course, there were a lot of young people at this premiere of this Batman movie. What - have the families been reunited, finally, with maybe those that they had lost, thinking - you know, not knowing where they were?
MARKUS: Yes, that was actually a pretty heartwarming scene, to see parents coming into the parking lot, maybe not knowing exactly what was going on with their kids; and to embrace each other, and know that that family member was safe there. It was really a touching moment. Many of those - lots of tears in the parking lot this morning as - you know, a lot of these people who were going to see this movie are younger age and, you know, parents obviously very worried about them.
MONTAGNE: Well, Ben, thank you. And we'll be talking to you later in the program. That's Ben Markus of Colorado Public Radio. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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The launch of a new TLD typically includes a series of phases before General Availability (GA) begins and the TLD is officially launched. Sunrise — the first and only mandatory phase — is primarily intended for trademark owners to register domains that fall under their trademark. Some TLDs may have additional Sunrise phases for members of qualifying communities and organizations.
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