I was saddened to hear that President Clinton and Bill Gates made statements last week at the AIDS conference in Vienna strongly advocating circumcision as a preventitive measure in the fight against HIV/AIDS, citing 'overwhelming evidence' that it works and saves lives.
Of course, the word 'might' being used in the same sentence as an exhortation to genitally mutilate on a mass scale should perhaps ring alarm bells. It certainly does mine, and reports such as this one make me wary. I have been looking at a lot of material online about this issue, here for instance and have been gratified to see that the issue has made it into the comic books, and as well as being entertaining, Foreskin Man highlights the politics and lack of objectivity in the reports and studies that advocate hacking off genitals above education on safe sex and more money for research and drugs.
On a happier note my friend Sue's company Streetwse Opera has made it through to the televised finals of the National Lottery Awards. Streetwise takes music to homeless people and thereby inspires them and gives them confidence to move on in life, and I really advocate you all voting for them to help their work, and the lives of many who so need a leg up, in the future.
Finally, here's a little video of me swimming in Kuala Lumpur a few years back.