Talks from PZ Myers, DJ Grothe, Richard Carrier, Vic Stenger, Robert Price, Joe Nickell, and of course my good self are now appearing on Hambone Productions’ YouTube page. Here’s the first of five parts of my talk (click through for the rest):
And speaking of Skepticon, organizer JT Eberhard let me know that there’s currently an eBay auction for a copy of Ray Comfort’s bastardized Origin of Species, which has been further bastardized by all the speakers at Skepticon! Proceeds go toward Skepticon 3, so it’s definitely a good cause.
AND, I was just on the excellent Sundays Supplement podcast, which you can listen to here.
Finally, in case all that isn’t enough for you, the second part of my interview with Dany at London Skeptics in the Pub is now online:
volume seems a little low for me, but if I crank it up to 11 things are fine on the Skepticon video. It was a great talk that really won over the crowd.
Also, thanks for linking the auction! If all goes well it could lead to solid-gold rocket cars with draft beer on tap for the speakers for Skepticon 3 :D
Enjoyed the talk. With regard to the QA: I realize you may not wish to call bullshit on referring to circumcision as “male genital mutilation” as someone without a penis or the desire to have that argument.
As someone with a circumcision that did not circumcise his male son, making the implicit comparison between female genital mutilation as described in this article ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/witch-hunt-the-hidden-war_b_174166.html) where a 12 year old child has her genitals cut to the bone and male circumcision is a complete load of self important hysterical bullshit.
It is a silly and unnecessary practice. It is annoying to have every western doctor (by which I mean MD’s educated in the USA and not science based medicine) respond to any minor genital-related issue your child may have by telling you that a circumcision is the solution. What it isn’t is comparable in pretty much any but the most facile way to FGM as should be obvious to anyone who knows anything about both subjects.
@namidim: Odd, I could have sworn I did differentiate between FGM and male circumcision, pointing out that the equivalent for a man would be cutting well into the shaft. I haven’t rewatched my talk though, so maybe I’m misremembering.
Oh sorry. Maybe I missed it. I will re-listen….
mumblemuble…Still bullshit though…
Edit:
I just re-listened and although you did address the scientific basis for circumcision, you did not directly address the term “male genital mutilation”.
Awe, thank you kindly for letting people know, Rebecca. It’s already up over $100. Ka-ching!
Of course…that’s half a bar tab for you and Richard next year. And to think we’re trying to do two meet ups for SK3…perhaps we should put our atheist immorality to work and rob a bank?
JT
I really want to thank you for stressing that we men have women in our lives that we do (or should) care about, and as such issues concerning women are important to us, too.
I believe you’ve expressed this opinion before, and I’m pretty sure I’ve thanked you for it before. But I have to thank you again because I’m so fed up with being told as a male I’m incapable of caring about the women in my life.
As to male circumcision vs female circumcision: Absolutely no comparison.
“making the implicit comparison between female genital mutilation as described in this article … where a 12 year old child has her genitals cut to the bone and male circumcision is a complete load of self important hysterical bullshit.”
Well put.
WTF Rebecca?!
Abortion + circumcision + feminism = applause + thanks + men nodding in agreement
Is Springfield Bizarro World?
@Elyse: Yes. Yes it is. That’s why it needs stuff like Skepticon. :)
JT
My wife I watched the whole series together. You’re a hero for both of us Rebecca.