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• World's Tallest Man Now Father to Average-Sized Baby

  The world's tallest man --  China's Bao Xishun -- is a new father. His new son has some growing to do if he's going to literally fill his father's shoes. Bao's son, who was born 22 inches long, is a far cry from the country's record-holder for length a birth, a little boy measuring 29.5 inches.  But he's happy and healthy despite his average-ish size. Though Bao is 7 foot 9 inches, the mother is 5 foot 6 inches. And probaby glad the boy wasn't a lung-shrinking record-holding length while in utero.   Read More... Posted Oct 06 2008, 06:01 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: China, world's tallest man, tallest man now a father, uk telegraph

• Breaking News: Cadbury chocolate made in China recalled

  The AP is reporting that Cadbury is "recalling 11 types of Chinese-made chocolates after tests found they contained the industrial chemical melamine." This follows the recall of tainted milk powder in China. Read More... Posted Sep 29 2008, 11:15 PM by Brett Singer with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: news, baby, China, babies, CNN, chocolate, FDA, baby formula, recalls, breast milk, breast feeding, Pizza Hut, cheese, formula, candy, Taiwan, scary, milk, Brett Singer, la leche, they say, chinese, sanlu, white rabbit candy, white rabbit creamy candy, candies, cadbury

• UPDATE: Tainted Milk Tally tops 50,000

  The number of children affected by a dangerous chemical in certain brands of Chinese-made baby formula is going up. CNN is reporting that more than 13,000 children in China have been, "sickened by tainted milk." The details are even worse... Read More... Posted Sep 23 2008, 12:00 PM by Brett Singer with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: news, baby, China, babies, CNN, baby formula, recalls, breast milk, breast feeding, formula, scary, milk, Brett Singer, la leche, they say, chinese, sanlu

• They say: Chinese baby formula is dangerous

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a waning about baby formula made in China. These products are illegal in the U.S., but the FDA fears that some bottles may have found their way onto store shelves in Chinese neighborhoods. According to Chinese officials, "contaminants were found in Sanlu-brand milk formula," which, "killed one baby and caused kidney stones in dozens of others who may have drunk the same product." Read More... Posted Sep 13 2008, 12:30 PM by Brett Singer with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: news, baby, China, babies, baby formula, recalls, breast milk, breast feeding, formula, scary, milk, Brett Singer, la leche, they say, chinese, sanlu

• Reduce Your Carbon Footprint—Don’t Have A Baby

  Allow me to be crassly scientific for a moment. Think of all the times you make decisions about to be as “green" as possible: saving fuel by driving to vacation instead of flying, buying soymilk instead of cow’s milk, using cloth diapers instead of disposable. Now think of all the greenhouse gasses you could keep out of the atmosphere if you didn’t have one more child—all of the miles not driven, plastic not used, waste not washed out to sea. Read More... Posted Aug 28 2008, 06:00 PM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: baby, China, babies, mothers, carbon footprint, family planning, birth rate, fertility, women, cost of living, family size, green, British Medical Journal, resources, save the planet, greenhouse gasses, census, two children per family, don't have another child, reproductive health care, fossil fuel, small families, fewer children

• Nastia Liukin's mom watches from the stands (video)

  Apparently Nastia Luikin's mother, Anna Kotchneva Liukin, has a hard time watching her gold-medal winning daughter compete. Read More... Posted Aug 23 2008, 11:00 AM by Brett Singer with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: youtube, news, China, sports, video, athletics, competition, gymnastics, olympics, athletes, Brett Singer, NBC, 2008, beijing, chinese, Summer Olympics, Deborah Phelps, Michael Phelps, gold medal, Bela Karolyi, He Kexin, athletic, olympics 08, marta karolyi, olympics 2008, shawn johnson, Dara Torres, medals, mark spitz, fred phelps, debbie phelps, nastia luikin, nastia lukin, liukin, Anna Kotchneva, Anna Kotchneva Liukin, nastia liukin

• IOC orders investigation of Chinese Gymnast's age

  He Kexin won a gold medal in the uneven bars and also contributed to the Chinese beating out the U.S. in the team gymnastics event. She looks really really young, and there have been questions about her age for awhile now. The IOC has begun to formally investigate... Read More... Posted Aug 22 2008, 03:54 PM by Brett Singer with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: youtube, news, China, sports, video, hunting, athletics, competition, controversy, gymnastics, olympics, rules, class, athletes, Brett Singer, underage, NBC, 2008, beijing, chinese, Summer Olympics, Deborah Phelps, Michael Phelps, gold medal, Bela Karolyi, He Kexin, athletic, no class, olympics 08, marta karolyi, olympics 2008, shawn johnson, Dara Torres, things that are awesome, medals, mark spitz, fred phelps, debbie phelps, nastia luikin, nastia lukin

• Bela Karolyi likes to kill things

  When Béla Károlyi isn't training world-class gymnasts or telling Bob Costas that, "The lack of competence of certain judges [in this year's Olympic Games] is obvious," he likes to go…hunting. Read More... Posted Aug 21 2008, 06:00 PM by Brett Singer with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: news, China, sports, video, hunting, athletics, competition, gymnastics, olympics, class, athletes, Brett Singer, NBC, 2008, beijing, chinese, Summer Olympics, Deborah Phelps, Michael Phelps, gold medal, Bela Karolyi, athletic, no class, olympics 08, marta karolyi, olympics 2008, shawn johnson, Dara Torres, things that are awesome, medals, mark spitz, fred phelps, debbie phelps

• Elderly Chinese Women Sentenced to "Re-Education"

  Chinese authorities have sentenced two elderly women to a year of “re-education” through labor because they repeatedly sought permits to protest in one of the official Olympic protest sites—areas that Chinese authorities designated as the only places where protests were allowed during the Olympic games, but which have yet to see a single protest. The women, Wu Dianyuan and Wang Xiuying, are 77 and 79. Read More... Posted Aug 20 2008, 07:17 PM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with no comments Filed under: China, punishment, protest, labor, homes, olympics, sentence, beijing, chinese government, disappeared, inadequate compensation, applicant, demolish, re-education, permit, elderly women, labor camps, wang xiuying, wu dianyuan

• Table Tennis Women, Flaunt Your Stuff!

  One part of this news will not surprise you: the Olympic stands at table tennis tournaments have been consistently half full. But the remedy proposed by the International Table Tennis Federation is a bit surprising, if only because undisguised sexism is so passé: the ITTF has encouraged female players to step up their game—game referring not to sports, but to sex appeal, of course! Come on, ladies, the ITTF has said, put on a cute lil’ mini skirt and that shirt I love, you know, the one “with more curves.” Read More... Posted Aug 20 2008, 03:00 PM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: China, popularity, olympics, tennis, beijing, sex appeal, female athletes, sexy outfits, shirts with more curves, unpopular, ping pong, baggy clothes, skirts, international table tennis federation, table tennis, viewers, tight clothes, half full stands

• Aussie Rower keeps his kids close

  What did Australian rower Drew Ginn do to inspire him to win a gold medal in Beijing? Read More... Posted Aug 16 2008, 12:00 PM by Brett Singer with | with no comments Filed under: parenting, kids, youtube, news, China, sports, australia, video, Aussie, gymnastics, olympics, class, athletes, Brett Singer, NBC, 2008, chinese, nice, gold medal, athletic, no class, olympics 08, marta karolyi, olympics 2008, shawn johnson, crew, rower, gold, rowing, drew ginn

• Protesters and journalists arrested in China (video)

  While we wonder whether or not the Chinese gymnasts are the age the government says they are, there's some other stuff happening over in China. Read More... Posted Aug 16 2008, 10:00 AM by Brett Singer with | with no comments Filed under: youtube, news, politics, China, sports, video, censorship, government, controversy, gymnastics, olympics, Daily Telegraph, class, athletes, Brett Singer, NBC, 2008, chinese, political, athletic, no class, olympics 08, marta karolyi, olympics 2008, shawn johnson, women's beach volleyball, beach volleyball, misty may treanor, misty may-treanor, men's volleyball, kerri walsh, volleyball, journalists

• Whole lotta fakin' goin' on at the opening ceremony

  The Daily Telegraph is reporting that there was even more fakin' goin' on at the 2008 Olympics' opening ceremony. Read More... Posted Aug 15 2008, 06:30 PM by Brett Singer with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: youtube, China, sports, video, gymnastics, olympics, class, athletes, Brett Singer, NBC, 2008, chinese, athletic, no class, olympics 08, marta karolyi, olympics 2008, shawn johnson, women's beach volleyball, beach volleyball, misty may treanor, misty may-treanor, men's volleyball, kerri walsh, volleyball

• Shawn Johnson more mature than her coach

  Maybe the U.S. Gymnastics team coach Márta Károlyi could take a lesson on how to lose gracefully from the gymnasts themselves. Read More... Posted Aug 15 2008, 11:00 AM by Brett Singer with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: youtube, China, sports, video, gymnastics, olympics, class, athletes, Brett Singer, NBC, 2008, chinese, athletic, no class, olympics 08, marta karolyi, olympics 2008, shawn johnson

• Should Countries be Allowed to Ban Women from the Olympics?

  Some women’s rights activists are calling to ban Saudi Arabia and Brunei from the Olympics—unless they start allowing women to participate. Right now, Saudi Arabia and Brunei are the only two countries that forbid women from competing in the Olympics. The two countries justify the ban on the grounds that some conservative Muslims see women’s sports as a sin. But, since every other Muslim sends women to the Olympics, this view on female athletes is clearly not endemic to Islam. Read More... Posted Aug 15 2008, 08:15 AM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: China, women's sports, islam, olympics, muslim, Saudi Arabia, ban, beijing, female athletes, muslimah media watch, religious freedom, brunei, misogynist, sin, compete, don't allow women to participate, female participation

• Volleyball hasn’t come a long way, baby

  So. Like much of the world, I'm watching the Olympics. Women's Beach Volleyball is on. The wife refers to this event somewhat derisively. At first, I think that this is because of the fact that, you know, it's beach volleyball. How is this an Olympic event? Then, a couple of days later, I catch a glimpse of the Men's Volleyball. Which is played indoors. By a team of more than two players. Fully clothed. Read More... Posted Aug 14 2008, 10:22 PM by Brett Singer with | with 21 comment(s) Filed under: youtube, China, sports, video, gymnastics, olympics, class, athletes, Brett Singer, NBC, 2008, chinese, athletic, no class, olympics 08, marta karolyi, olympics 2008, shawn johnson, women's beach volleyball, beach volleyball, misty may treanor, misty may-treanor, men's volleyball, kerri walsh, volleyball

• Olympics Opening Uses One Girl's Voice, Another Girl's Face

  I’m going to try very hard to report this story without cursing. While watching a live rehearsal of the Olympics opening ceremonies, a high-ranking Chinese official decided that the first grader singing the Chinese national anthem was not cute enough to make a live appearance, in part because she has crooked baby teeth. (Right, because only seven-year-olds with perfect teeth are cute.) So, at the last minute, the government picked a child actress who does TV ads (pictured) to lip-synch to the other girl’s voice. Read More... Posted Aug 12 2008, 04:42 PM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: China, cute, olympics, sing, yang peiyi, ode to the motherland, milli vanilli, voice, national anthem, lin miaoke, face, lip-synch, opening ceremony

• How tough is it to be an only child in China?

  So you think you've got pressure? Try being an only child. Then add to that the fact that your parents can't have any more children – BY LAW. Robert Siegel from NPR spent some time with an only child in China, before the devastating earthquake. The piece goes a long way towards confirming the stereotype of the overworked Asian child and parents who push them to study non-stop. "Like other Chinese high school students, she typically rises at 6:30 a.m., hits the books at 7:30 a.m. and doesn't knock off until 9:30 p.m." Sounds fun. Another component of only-childness is indulging certain desires Read More... Posted May 30 2008, 01:00 PM by Brett Singer with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: parenting, news, school, China, NPR, siblings, Brett Singer, only child, earthquake, chinese

• Chinese Parents Believe Quake Deaths Were Avoidable

  Perhaps the only thing worse than losing is a child is the sense that that loss could have been prevented. This is the situation facing thousands of Chinese parents who believe that their children would have survived the massive May 12 earthquake if it had not been for the shoddy construction of school buildings.  Read More... Posted May 21 2008, 03:15 PM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with no comments Filed under: China, schools, earthquake, chinese government, bereaved parents, collapsed schools, shoddy construction, substandard school buildings, schoolchildren killed, cost cutting, school buildings, public protests, may 12 quake, sichuan, chinese earthquake

• China Quake Video difficult viewing

  If you want to get an idea of what it was like in China when the massive quake hit, take a look at CNN's video archive. It's very hard to watch, but it does a good job of showing just how horrible this disaster is. Fair warning: the footage includes children being rescued from a building that collapsed. Also worth viewing if you can stand it is the footage...   Read More... Posted May 20 2008, 12:00 PM by Brett Singer with | with no comments Filed under: news, China, video, tragedy, CNN, world, breaking news, Brett Singer, earthquake

• Disaster Relief in Myanmar and China

  If you’ve been silently grieving the suffering caused by the twin disasters in Asia and wondering how you can help, two reputable disaster relief organizations will put your donation to good use. To help the approximately 500,000 children impacted by Cyclone Nargis, World Vision is setting up 37 “Children-Friendly Spaces” in Myanmar, which will offer kids who have been orphaned, injured, or psychologically disturbed by the disaster a space where they can feel safe and act like kids. Read More... Posted May 18 2008, 02:46 PM by Hannah Tennant-Moore with | with no comments Filed under: donations, China, earthquake, orphaned children, burma, disaster relief, church world services, myanmar, cyclone nargis, world vision, humanitarian organizations, cyclone

• Earthquake exemption: Does China's one-kid per family policy still apply?

  Slate answers a very legitimate, and extremely sad, question regarding the recent earthquake in China. Basically, China has a policy where each family is only allowed one child, in order to keep population growth under control. But many of these families have now lost that child in the recent horrible tragedy. Can they have another? Read More... Posted May 18 2008, 12:00 PM by Brett Singer with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children, news, China, tragedy, world, population, Brett Singer, earthquake, over population, policy

• Strollerderby Playdate: Getting Orphanage News From China

  This week's horrific earthquake in China is bringing heartbreaking stories of all kinds, but some that especially hit parents right in the gut – the collapsing schools, for example, that killed hundreds of kids who were their families' only child thanks to the country's one child policy. And for people trying to become parents, or add to their families, through an international adoption from China the news must be especially upsetting. There are a number of orphanages in the earthquake zone near Chengdu in Sichuan province, although thankfully there have been no reports of injuries to children at any of the welfare institutions. Read More... Posted May 16 2008, 05:02 PM by Amy Kuras with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: adoption, China, playdate, international adoption, earthquake, orphanages, China Adopt Talk, relief efforts, Half the Sky

• Breaking News: Earthquake in China kills thousands, 900 children buried at a school

  CNN is reporting that close to 9,000 people have been killed by a 7.9 scale earthquake in China. One area, Beichuan County, has had 80 percent of its buildings destroyed. To make it even worse, if that's possible, is that 50 bodies have been pulled from the rubble of a high school...   Read More... Posted May 12 2008, 03:15 PM by Brett Singer with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: news, China, president bush, tragedy, world, breaking news, Brett Singer, earthquake

• Disease Killing Kids in China

  Officials in China are getting aggressive about fighting a hand, foot and mouth disease that already has killed 24 children and infected more than 3,000. With the Beijing Olympics right around the corner, doctors have been ordered to seek out potential patients rather than waiting for already ill kids to show up at the hospital. Read More... Posted May 04 2008, 12:59 PM by Jen Chaney with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: health, China, olympics, hand, foot and mouth disease