CALLING ALL ADULT ADOPTEES

I suppose I'm going to have to put flyers all around town, but I am looking for adult adoptees who are interested in forming a discussion group...in the end, I'm hoping that these adoptees would be willing to meet with younger adoptees in a buddy-type program.

Know anyone? Send them my way, please! michellemsherwood@yahoo.com

It won't be that time consuming, and I think it's exactly what the Ozarks needs.
Please spread the word!!

Randy Bacon Photography

Courtesy Randy Bacon Photography

Randy Bacon is awesome. I should say that because he took my picture, hence the new profile pic you see on this page. But let me tell you something about him. He and his wife Shannon are NEAT-O. Very cool, very warm, and they are bringing a lot of cool things to Springfield and the Ozarks. And Cassie, who is also a photographer, is incredibly friendly and talented.

There is something magical and yet terrifying about getting your picture taken. And sometimes, even vain. But pictures capture a moment in time, and I figured, what the heck. I am having a great year so far, and I wanted my dang picture taken.

Last year was awful--my dad had a brain tumor, and both he and my mother got laid off from their jobs. It was very stressful and scary for us, so I am on cloud 9 that things are finally settling down.

Anyway, I think we should always share great experiences or stories about people and places in the Ozarks. Randy Bacon Photography is one of them.

So here's to you Randy, Shannon, and Cassie, and everybody else in the studio: Thank you.

International adoption woes discussed on NPR MONDAY

Deborah Johnson on NPR
Deborah Johnson will join a panel discussing International Adoption on National Public Radio's "Justice Talking".

The broadcast is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 26.

To hear the interview on-line or get your local listings go to www.justicetalking.org.

Here's the description on the justice talking website:
The controversy surrounding Madonna's adoption of a child from Malawi made a splash in the headlines. At the same time, it's becoming more difficult for American couples to adopt children from China, Russia and Guatemala. By 2008, the U.S. will join the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, an international treaty which will govern the adoption process across national boundaries. Join us on this edition of Justice Talking as we look at international adoptions: how this new treaty will affect adoptions worldwide and what can be done to help children around the world looking for families.

Banished Film Trailer: Pierce City

This is a clip from the documentary "Banished". Director/Producer Marco Williams went to three towns that cleansed themselves of black Americans 100 years ago...TWO of them are in the Ozarks. It played at Sundance, but I haven't heard anything about it since. Anybody?

Banished Film Trailer: Harrison

Has anyone heard of this? Seen this? Any feedback?

Ode to Megahn

My roommate, Megahn, left this weekend to take another job at KWCH in Wichita. We like to call it Wichitiddy City, by the way.


I am so sad. I met Megahn at KU, and we had such a blast our senior year. I lost touch with her during our first few years out of school, but we picked up RIGHT where we left off when she took a producing job at KY3. She is a really great friend, truly loyal, and wondeful in every way.



We had entirely different shifts at the station, so we only ran into each other on the way out of the house--she went to work at 11pm, I go to work in the mornings...but at least we'll always have memories of our last night in Springfield. We hit a karaoke bar. Long live the microphone.

Miss you Megahn!

SINGLE AWARENESS DAY

Did you have a great Valentine's Day? Or did it stink like rotten eggs? My best friend used to call it Single Awareness Day, and then she got herself a serious boyfriend. We still hate it. Commercial holidays are ridiculous.

Disclaimer: Not meant to offend anyone who loves St. Valentine's Day or anyone who may make money off products meant to celebrate St. Valentine's Day.

I was in bed by 10:30 pm. Crazy.

Kid-and-pig-friendly Lunar New Year Party!

2007 is the year of the pig!!!!!

There's a great Lunar New Year party happening in Springfield--great for adoptive families or anyone interested in spending a nice afternoon doing something out of the ordinary.

Details are as follows:

Sat. Feb 17th
11am-2pm
First and Calvary Presbyterian Church
820 E. Cherry
Buffet Lunch
Crafts, silent auction, ribbon dance, dragon parade, traditional Chinese music, children’s performances

Please rsvp to Sandy Frye 890-0730
smfrye@sbcglobal.net

TROUT FISHING

Who goes on opening day? Where do you go?

GO read about Sex in Springfield

I wrote a short article about Asian Fetish in GO Magazine's sex issue...

First, from a serious standpoint,

I think all Asian women have encountered someone who appears to dig all-things Asian.

Adoptive parents--get ready.

It really is an issue among Asian women, and it's one that I've heard adult adoptees speak about countlessly--whether on the streets or in a discussion group.

Secondly, my boyfriend hates this.

FYI, he does not have a thing for all-things Asian.

Gross.

On a more fun note, the story is meant to be light-hearted.

After all, I do own a t-shirt that reads, "everyone loves an Asian girl".

Hey, sometimes we have to let our hair down and not take things so seriously!

Now...onto the story-->>>

Yellow Fever

What is it about Asian women that drives people crazy?
BY Michelle Sherwood

Even the Queen City’s queen of kink had a modest start to the world of fetishes. Before Mistress Onika could be seen spanking half-naked women at Springfield nightclubs, the local underground celebrity was simply a teenager with a curiosity and a fetish magazine.

Hence, another Asian fetish was born.

Miss Onika’s first Asian-woman-crush was on bondage-beauty Masuimi Max. The half-Korean, half-German fetish model had her own simple beginnings in Arkansas, but her red tattoos and rebel-yell attitude make her one of the most sought-after women in the erotic fashion industry. “There was a photo of her sitting in this chair, bound up with wax dripping off her legs,” Miss Onika remembers of her first glimpse at Skin Two Magazine. “There was something sexy about her eyes. She was very beautiful.”

From that moment, Miss Onika was hooked. Shannon, a 30-something Springfield Asian, finds it flattering. "People seem to be fascinated with the exotic,” she says. “I enjoy calling it yellow fever.”

Exotic and submissive may be the two reasons Miss Onika takes a fancy to Asian women and Asian cultures. She even gets a little turned on when she’s out to dinner. “We’ll go to Fuji’s or something, and there’ll be the cutest waitress who’s very, very quiet and submissive and willing to please us,” she says.

However, some self-proclaimed “vanilla rice” experts believe this is not only unhealthy, but dangerous.“These people are not open to dating women of other races,” says former KY3 weekend anchor Lee Ann Kim. She calls these people Asianphiles. “They objectify Asian women so much as a whole and fantasize about them as the perfect girlfriend—submissive, sexual, exotic, et cetera. It’s scary.”

Miss Onika roleplays with a local fetish troupe called Dangerous Dolls, but even she has yet to hook up with an Asian person. To her, it’s just a fantasy—“But if I found an Asian girl who would be willing to be tied up and spanked, then by all means, I would definitely be down."

Power (and sanity) is restored

Yea!!! Thanks for all of your helpful tidbits. Only one problem left--my dishwasher blew up. I guess it was the electrical feedback or something.

Is everyone else out there okay?

Lazy Sunday

Maybe you've noticed our new weekend anchor Chad Plein (pronouced "pl-eye-n"). His first day on the desk was Saturday (the 27th). He is soooo funny! Check him out--this is a video he made while he worked as the sports director at KOAM in Joplin.

I STILL DON'T HAVE POWER!!!

It's not really CU's fault...something weird happened during the storm. Explain this--the dryer must be running to turn on the bedroom lights, however, you can't turn the dryer on unless the refrigerator is off.

I've reset the breakers. Not it.

The German's newest arrival

Pehaps you saw the video I made for the German family, but there's one thing I left out--

Rick and Jill are adding a new member to their family!

Annie is 18 months old this week (Her Chinese name is Zhu Wen Fei.)

It could be a few more months before Annie comes to Springfield...

let's hope it's sooner than that!

winter weather

This weather is horrible!

KY3 just got Internet two days ago!

I live in the Rountree district, and we're still without power.

Here are some pictures of my neighborhood.

You may want to hunker down.

We're expecting more snow and ice this weekend.

The Pace Referral

Victor and Angie Pace are announcing a new addition!

Becca Ling is going to be here in less than a month!

Isn't she gorgeous?

She's staying at a place where there are just about as many caretakers as children, so she is very healthy and happy.

The new family will arrive together at the Springfield-Branson National Airport on February 1st (Thursday) at 4:40pm. You can actually follow their journey through China, too!

The family would love to see you there!!! Come show your support!

Have any news? Email me: michellemsherwood@yahoo.com

BLOGARONI AWARDS

This blog has been nominated for two Blogaroni Awards. How exciting! I just started this blog for fun, and it is so nice to be nominated for a post on international adoption!

Best Special Event Coverage--International Adoption
Post of the Year--International Adoption

This has been so much fun, and the blogging community has been awesome. Everyone is so great. Please check out Larry Litle's blog: Simple Thoughts of a Complex Mind

Get on there and vote! And not necessarily for me!
P.S. Ky3's Dave Catanese has been nominated four times for his political blog.

THANKS LARRY FOR MAKING THIS SO FUN!

The Germans adopt girls from China

Rick and Jill German, from Springfield MO, adopted two beautiful girls from China. Ashlie and Allie are funny, smart, and gorgeous! Just like sisters, they have a lot in common, but they are very different, too. If you're interested in getting a video like this for your family, leave me a message!

Ky3's Jerry Jacob says Goodbye

This is Jerry's farewell. It aired on KY3 on January 6th, 2007.

REFERRAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

An Ozarks family just received their referral picture and I thought I'd share it with you!! This is Emalee Grace Jeong (her Korean name is Jeong Eun Hong ...Hong is the family name.) She was born on November 9th and at birth, weighed 6 pounds and six ounces. If you'd like to leave a nice message for the family, please do so!

Also, if you'd like to share your pictures/family stories, email them to me at : michellemsherwood@yahoo.com