Interesting Links for 07-12-2011

[andrewducker]

• Why TechCrunch is boring, SAP is not, and the world has gone mad
  (tags: business technology process )
• Google now graphs functions you search for.
  (tags: google graphing math )
• Infant male circumcision is genital mutilation
  (tags: circumcision mutilation babies )
• An interview with Vincent Connare, creator of Comic Sans
  (tags: font comicsans

Comments

[holyoutlaw]

Re DYAC: Read down the comments to JAB's summary.

[andrewducker]

Oh, thank you. That was great.

And yes, Fuckweasel is a great colour.

Red Cross

[zornhau]

I suppose that there is an argument that having regular troops commit war crimes normalises it. However, I think what we're seeing is an example of the way NGOs tend to take decisions based on what's good for the organisation - publicity, money etc - rather than for their mission.

[channelpenguin]

"Infant male circumcision is genital mutilation" YES! Because there is no consent, no proven reason, and what is removed is NOT non-functional. They never used to use anaesthetic either - do they now?

[kerrypolka]

Yes.

[momentsmusicaux]

He still ducks out at the last minute and says 'hey if you choose to do it it's not mutilation'. Bullshit.

But a good article nonetheless. A fairly recent book on baby healthcare I got for my daughter said something about 'There's no medical reason but if you have cultural reasons then OBVIOUSLY it's fine.' (My capitals, obviously.) Sheesh. Talk about liberal pussyfooting.

[andrewducker]

Choosing to alter your own body isn't mutilation, certainly not in the same sense that having it done to you is. If people want to alter their own body in any way they want, I don't care.

And yes, I hate the latter too. "Cultural reasons" is not a magic card you can wave to make everything ok.

[artkouros]

I just don't get the uproar over male infant circumcision. I agree it's unnecessary, and bizarre, but I was circumcised, and most guys I know are circumcised (American, you know) and I don't know anyone who feels the sort of angst expressed in this article.

Sometimes I wish I wasn't circumcised, but mostly I just wish I had a bigger dick.

[andrewducker]

Of course, if you were raised in a culture where chopping bits off of babies is normal then it's going to seem weird that people make a big fuss about it. Culture's like that :->

[drainboy]

+1

If 95% of people weren't circumcised wouldn't you have a bigger issue with it?

I used to have a problem that I was circumcised (all the fault of the maternal grandparents IIRC) but got over it sometime after leaving school. Whilst at school I had enough things I felt different about and cared more about each one. Having one less would have been nice.

[andrewducker]

If we were at the 95% level then I'd be pushing for illegality :->

It's not something I actively think about unless prompted by something like that article, so I wouldn't say it bothers me on a day-to-day basis. I just object to it on principle.

[sashajwolf]

The problem isn’t you. The problem is the problem.

This is actually remarkably good advice for an issue I'm having right now. Not even the article (good though that is), just the phrase. Thank you.

[andrewducker]

I'm glad it was useful - I was worried that someone would take it to mean that the problem was never the person.