Yahoooooooo Groups!!!!

Question - What does one do when they find themselves with nine months to burn?
Answer - Join every single yahoogroup related to Chinese Adoption.

As you can probably imagine Karen and I have been talking alot about China lately. Specifically about our future daughter and the issues related to her adoption. Now I am sure you would love to be a fly on the wall during a marathon discussions about the I-171H processing delay, god who wouldnt. But for some reason our friends dont always share our passion for such thrilling topics.

So where do two chatty future parents turn? Well yahoogroups of course.

For those who have never heard of yahoogroups I will explain. The world is full of people who share common interests (football, knitting, underwater basket weaving) and these individuals long to discuss those interests. Unfortunatly even the best of friends will lose patients after the 150th discussion about the negative effects of clorine on rattan.

However with a computer, internet connection and a fun little log on name you have instant >>interested<< friends. Yahoogroups are interest based discussion forums that exist online. As the name implies these groups are run by yahoo, but moderated by any individual who chooses to create one. The results are thousands of groups covering any interest imaginable, Chinese Adoptions included.

So now instead of watching coworkers cringe at each new China factoid. I simply log on and share with my new found friends.

Shawn -> "Did you know you can pet live tigers at the Bejing Zoo?"

Coworker -> "Ugh, yeah thats great Shawn."

Yahoogroup Friends -> "Oh Shawn that is so interesting and informative please tell us more."

You see the difference is subtle but definately there. For the time being my friends at yahoogroup will be the recipients of these pearls of information. You hate to waste them on an nonreceptive audience.

So a real quick shout-out for Al Gore and his amazing internet machine. You may not have been able to become president, but you have saved numerous friendships worldwide. I just hope yahoogroups have as many forums about raising my future daughter.

Better start looking now.