Update
I've been turning one of my quietest work months of the year into a unpleasant, drawn-out, unprofitable, boring time in which I procrastinate for hours every day rather than get the few tasks I have out of the way. I'm much, much better with routine deadline-driven work than projects that require research! At least my cupboards are clean.
FGM in Australia
I attended a Humanist Society fundraiser evening to raise money to stop female genital mutilation, and naively assumed it was for other countries, but no, it was to stop it happening here - or more specifically to stop Australian residents taking their children overseas for it to be done there. A human rights lawyer (female, albino, visually impaired, and of the opinion that the first is more of a hindrance than the last) spoke about the legal profession generally not recognising that there is a significant problem here. She said the one counsellor specifically allocated for FGM issues in WA hospitals was indefinitely on stress leave due to harassment, and encouraged anyone who deals with relevant immigrant communities to raise the topic to make sure everyone knows there are good reasons it's illegal!
Did you know that 99% of Egyptian women have had some form of FGM?
Interesting perspective from a Gambian immigrant:
Although the experience was painful, in Gambia what had happened to her was considered normal and positive-a ‘natural process of life’ that was a rite of passage into womanhood.
"It was celebrated. And we were told something beautiful had happened to us. We had come of age, you know? A woman shouldn’t have a clitoris; it’s stinky, it is smelly, it gets in the way of things."
Sunday Assembly
My view was and remains that copying religious rituals is probably not a positive thing for atheists, but I went along to the inaugural Perth Sunday Assembly last weekend, held at UWA in a physics lecture theatre.
The program was:
If I lived nearby and had nothing better to do on a Sunday, I'd go again, but as it is I probably won't.
Work
I've been doing contract accounting for a start-up/relaunch that's just about to go into production. They're raising additional funds now to cover buying long-lead-time raw materials in the early months when there's no sales revenue, and I'm undecided whether I should chip in. The last two times I invested in an employer I lost 80% and 97% of my money, but if this one flies it could fly quite high. I'm not overly enthusiastic about the product - confectionery aimed at children - on health and fitness grounds. When I mentioned my concerns to my sister, who has two young children and is even more health-conscious than I am, she said "It's not as if it's crack. Get over it!" If anyone wants a potential investment on the Australian stock exchange in which you may lose all your money, let me know!
FGM in Australia
I attended a Humanist Society fundraiser evening to raise money to stop female genital mutilation, and naively assumed it was for other countries, but no, it was to stop it happening here - or more specifically to stop Australian residents taking their children overseas for it to be done there. A human rights lawyer (female, albino, visually impaired, and of the opinion that the first is more of a hindrance than the last) spoke about the legal profession generally not recognising that there is a significant problem here. She said the one counsellor specifically allocated for FGM issues in WA hospitals was indefinitely on stress leave due to harassment, and encouraged anyone who deals with relevant immigrant communities to raise the topic to make sure everyone knows there are good reasons it's illegal!
Did you know that 99% of Egyptian women have had some form of FGM?
Interesting perspective from a Gambian immigrant:
Although the experience was painful, in Gambia what had happened to her was considered normal and positive-a ‘natural process of life’ that was a rite of passage into womanhood.
"It was celebrated. And we were told something beautiful had happened to us. We had come of age, you know? A woman shouldn’t have a clitoris; it’s stinky, it is smelly, it gets in the way of things."
Sunday Assembly
My view was and remains that copying religious rituals is probably not a positive thing for atheists, but I went along to the inaugural Perth Sunday Assembly last weekend, held at UWA in a physics lecture theatre.
The program was:
- Singing to karaoke-style songs (Katrina and the Waves' Walking on Sunshine, Bon Jovi), which was not as much fun as I thought it might be
- Hand-clapping game to break the ice (surprisingly fun!)
- Impromptu reading of The Man in the Arena by a woman with an iPad, with the non-gender-neutral language duly noted
- Impromptu talk by a UWA physics lecturer
- A minute of silence
- Sanderson Jones, one of the UK founders, asked everyone to clench their fists, talked about being able to experience physical sensations, and reminded everyone they'd be dead soon. I respect anyone who stands up and tells people they'll be dead soon and that will be that! (Also people who take their young children along to hear that message.) I wish I'd made notes at the time because he said quite a bit more, all of which I found moving and relevant.
- A bit more singing to finish (Men at Work).
If I lived nearby and had nothing better to do on a Sunday, I'd go again, but as it is I probably won't.
Work
I've been doing contract accounting for a start-up/relaunch that's just about to go into production. They're raising additional funds now to cover buying long-lead-time raw materials in the early months when there's no sales revenue, and I'm undecided whether I should chip in. The last two times I invested in an employer I lost 80% and 97% of my money, but if this one flies it could fly quite high. I'm not overly enthusiastic about the product - confectionery aimed at children - on health and fitness grounds. When I mentioned my concerns to my sister, who has two young children and is even more health-conscious than I am, she said "It's not as if it's crack. Get over it!" If anyone wants a potential investment on the Australian stock exchange in which you may lose all your money, let me know!