In a follow, a 'Part Two', actually to the Al Jazeera attempt at adoption bashing I wrote about recently, a writer for Carolina Hope continues an excellent dissection, including a well-thought detailing of the prejudicial language that set the tone of the program. His 'Part One' is here, with the YouTube video.

Anyone needing evidence of how nasty people can become need only observe the crowds around a police station in Portugal.

With Madeleine McCann still missing, the investigation has turned toward her parents, and many who'd filled their apparently empty days with obsession for all things McCann-related are now turning on the the parents.

"I thought from the outset they were responsible."

Allow me please to caution here that as with celebrity adoptions and other cases of media feeding frenzies, the casual observer ... even those standing behind the barricades for a daily dose of hoopla ... has NO IDEA what is going on, and anyone with any class at all would keep their mouths shut.

And speaking of nastiness, exposure to a recent bout of it inspired a little tale to pop out of me. Anyone interested in a story that takes place in a forest deep in the Land of Blog, here's the link.

A sensible feature from New Zealand looks at childproofing products and gives tips for parents on how to decide which are 'must haves' and which are overkill ... if you can forgive the choice of word.

One point I especially appreciate points out that, "Excessive childproofing 'immunizes' children from engaging with everyday experience ... ", and advises that kids need to learn to deal with the unexpected.

The thought of the child from the padded home entering the real world is frightening.

And speaking of padding ... okay, not really, but it seems such a nice segue ... here's a story about a girl and her blanky, or blankies, plural, as the case may be.

Little Maci Farmer, twelve-months-old and just adopted from China, apparently attached firmly to the airline blanket that her new mom wrapped her in for the flight home.

“Maci pulled the blanket up to her face, started rubbing it between her fingers, and immediately went to sleep,” says Gina Farmer, Maci’s new mother. “My husband and I just looked at each other and began to laugh — my baby had found her security in a Continental Airlines blanket!”

Eventually washed and worn to a frazzle, Maci's mom wrote to Continental and asked if would be possible to buy a new one.

Continental, in a move that's got Maci covered and is getting them very good PR, sent several brand new blankies. Employees also chipped in with more goodies, including a t-shirt reading “Someone at Continental loves me!”

Awwwww. Corporate cuteness.