Parents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.

The big news this week is that some in Colorado are seeking to restore Medicaid funding of male infant circumcision. Last year, Colorado stopped using Medicaid funds to pay for male infant circumcision. Last year Colorado recognized that male infant circumcision is not medically required and is elective surgery that the government should not pay for. But some want the government to start paying for elective surgery for baby boys, but not adults.

Solutions: Colorado Senate committee votes to restore Medicaid funds for circumcision
On Thursday, the Colorado Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted 6 to 3 to restore Medicaid funding for male infant circumcision. In spite of seven who testified against the measure, the committee voted to have the government pay for elective surgery.

What is this fascination that some people have with cutting off parts of a baby boy's penis?
 

Sunday, January 29, 2012

The WHOLE Network: Medical Research Studies on Circumcision
A list of studies on male circumcision. This post lists numerous studies with topics ranging from how male circumcision affects sex and sexual satisfaction of men and women to how male infant circumcision affects the ability of men to express feelings (I can relate to the results of that study).

Optimal Health Journey: TLC-X Tugger: Strapless foreskin restoration device
A video showing how to use a TLC-X, a bi-directional foreskin restoration device. Restoring devices are often preferred by those wishing to restore their foreskin.

Choose Intact: The New York Times Links to a Fetish Site
A critique of the recent article in the NYT about circumcision devices available for use in the Africa male circumcision campaign. The critique very ably points out that the NYT article is poorly researched and has few facts supporting its statements. Basically, the NYT article reflects the poor journalism that is rampant in the United States today.

Stop the Cut: Why The Caribbean Must Reject Circumcision As A Method For HIV Prevention
An article detailing why the male circumcision campaign that is being waged in Africa should not be adopted in the Caribbean. The studies promoting circumcision were performed in Africa, which has a unique culture that may account for the results. There is no justification to extrapolate the results for Africa to the Caribbean. Further, the studies are not supported by real world observations.
 

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The vast majority of men who are restoring their foreskin cite "lack of sensation" as their main reason for restoring. I'd like to share some of my own story to regain the sensitivity that was lost due to being circumcised as an infant.

If you have ever been having intercourse or receiving oral sex from your partner and it did not feel quite the way you thought it should, it may be due to a loss of sensation on your glans (the "head" of your penis). Many circumcised men suffer from this and don't even realize what's causing it. In fact, men's health forums are usually filled with posts about this problem.

They ask, "Why don't I feel anything during sex?" or "Why can't I tell if I'm inside my partner?"

I knew I had a problem with lack of penile sensitivity as young as 16 years old. By my mid-20s, I would estimate that I'd lost up to 80% of the feeling on my glans. (Although there's no way to accurately measure, that is my best guess.) That is a pretty drastic reduction, but many guys have the same kind of damage from circumcision.

Parents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.
 

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Bay Area Intactivists: Intactivist Rally Receives Overwhelming Support, Miffs ACLU Speaker
Bay Area Intactivists held a Rally for Gender Equality outside the United Methodist Church during the course of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California (ACLU) Pro-Choice Brunch. For some reason, the ACLU seeks to protect women's choice, but does not protect men's choice to grow up with an intact body.

Choose Intact: Like Mother, Like Son
A mother recently had her 10 year old son tattooed. She was charged with misdemeanor child cruelty. In the majority of states in the US, it is illegal to tattoo a minor. But, it is accepted that bays can have part of their penis cut off as an infant. Why is tattooing illegal and male infant circumcision OK?
 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

PRweb: Congress and States Prepare for another Circumcision Battle
Guggie Daly Empowering Information: Congress and States Prepare for another Circumcision Battle
Salem-News.com: MGMbill.org sends proposed genital mutilation legislation to Congress and eleven state legislatures as the legal battle to regulate circumcision heats up
poorrichard's blog: Congress and States Prepare for another Circumcision Battle
MGMBill.org has initiated their annual drive to introduce bills to stop male genital mutilation of children, commonly known as male infant circumcision. Intactivists across the United States are sending bills to their legislatures seeking to stop male infant circumcision.

Sunday Monitor: Baby dies after being circumcised
A three-week old baby boy died after being circumcised. The baby was discharged from the health center before regaining consciousness after his circumcision. Four baby boys have died within 4 months at St. Paul’s Health Centre IV and Bishop Masereka Health Centre, after circumcision.

Parents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.

This week's list is short. I have been busy and I regret that I cannot identify all the great posts that were written this week.
 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

On Line Opinion: Circumcision in Australia: neither needed nor ethical
Australian medical authorities have given a firm thumbs down to routine circumcision of male infants and boys. But some still insist on cutting the sex organs of their sons. Some parents insist on male infant circumcision, even though there is no real evidence that circumcised boys are healthier than intact boys.
 

Monday, January 16, 2012

Babies, Boobs, & Blasphemy: Basketball, Religion, and Penises
Seeing Jewish boys reminds the author of the Jewish rite of Brit Milah. Those boys were circumcised. Their foreskins were sacrificed by others, not by them. Like many others, Erin is against male infant circumcision for any reason, including religous reasons.
 

Parents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting. I must say, Thursday was a busy day for intactivists in the blogosphere.
 

Sunday, January 8, 2012

End Routine Infant Circumcision: Message from Franny Destined for Parents Considering Circumcision
Franny lists many reasons why male infant circumcision should be avoided by all parents. She provides links to some great resources that would be helpful to parents who are undecided about leaving their newborn son whole.

Vix Fact.com: Circumcision’s 10 Lamest Justifications
Many of the reasons given to justify cutting off part of a baby boy's penis are lame. Like penis cancer, which is less rare than male breast cancer and only affects old guys. Doing it for tradition is pretty lame, as is doing it for hygiene.
 

Monday, January 9, 2012

Mama Raw: Culture is the culprit
An insightful post about how our culture shapes our actions and beliefs. Take male infant circumcision, for example. The culture in the United States is about the only culture in the Western world that supports male infant circumcision. Most other countries consider the practice barbaric, or at least unwarranted. It is the culture in the United States that allows male infant circumcision to continue, although that culture is slowly changing thanks to intactivists.
 

Parents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.
 

Monday, January 2, 2012

Saving Our Sons: Finland Parents and Circumciser Charged with Assault and Battery and Fined for Sons' Circumcision
Dr. Momma peaceful parenting: Finland Parents and Circumciser Charged with Assault and Battery and Fined for Sons' Circumcision
HELSINGIN SANOMAT: Circumcision assault case brings fine – conviction but no punishment for parents
Finland cracks down on male circumcisions performed on children without any medical indication. Both the parents and the man doing the circumcision were fined with the two boys receiving payment for being circumcised.
 

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

My Foreskin Restoration Experience: Happy New Year!
A brief update by a man restoring his foreskin. He is using the DTR and is happy with the results so far.

Circumcision Insanity: "Mya" from Florida
A blog discussing posts from Facebook where parents talk about their son's circumcision. This post has the mother calling her baby boy a "trooper." He is a baby, just days old. Why is he a trooper? Because his parents decided to have the most sensitive part of his body cut off and he survived?

Circoncisione Infantile Maschile: Jewish Voices: The Current Judaic Movement to End Circumcision
A collection of quotes by Jewish scholars, historians, activists, and parents. Their collective voice says that male infant circumcision is a practice that has no place in the modern world.

Women's Health Planet: Child Circumcision: An Elephant in the Hospital
Ryan McAllister, PhD, is a parent, a biophysicist, an Assistant Professor of Physics and Oncology at Georgetown University, and also a volunteer who supports parents and families. The post includes a video of his class presentation about genital cutting of boys and girls. A very informative video laying out the facts about circumcision.
 

Parents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.
 

Sunday, December 25, 2011

End Routine Infant Circumcision: NY Man Likens Circumcision To Genital Mutilation
Anthony Losquadro speaks out, via the Wall Street Journal, about the harm of male infant circumcision. He says that, when it comes to male circumcision, it is his body, his choice.
 

Monday, December 26, 2011

Awesatious: Stupidity abounds in the pro-circumcision camp
A post venting about those who advocate to cut the sex organs of baby boys, otherwise known as circumcision. "First, it is hard (if not impossible) to have a civilized conversation with someone who likes to mutilate baby boys, and second, it seems that it isn’t merely ignorance fueling that desire to maim. It is pure unadulterated stupidity."
 

This week ends on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, my time has been limited this week. It appears I am not alone in having a lot going on this week. There are fewer intactivist posts to report.

Parents, protect your babies. Support intactivism. The following list includes blogs, articles, and websites of interest to Intactivists that were published in the past week. This is a running tally of the ones I found interesting.
 

Sunday, December 18, 2011

End Routine Infant Circumcision: Friend Speaks to Best Friend Against Circumcision
A mother whose son is intact informs her friend, who has a circumcised son, of the benefits of leaving a baby boy whole, just as he was born. Circumcision is unnecessary. And circumcision is harmful both during the surgery and afterwards when the baby sits with a wound in a dirty diaper.

Dr. Momma Peaceful Parenting: Urine Samples and Catheter Insertion for Intact Boys
Far too often, intact baby boys have their foreskins forcibly retracted. An infant's foreskin is fused to his glans. The average age where the foreskin becomes naturally retractable is around 10 years. But many falsely believe that the foreskin has to be forcibly retracted for cleaning. Leave it alone! But sometimes it is necessary for a clean urine sample to be taken from an intact baby boy.
 

Monday, December 19, 2011

The WHOLE Network: Jewish Intactivists Write on Circumcision
A collection of quotes from prominent Jewish intactivists. They collectively provide much information on male infant circumcision and how, as a ritual, it is time to find a replacement.
 

I went to bed last night (actually, early this morning) with high hopes that the DNS would finish propagating and RestoringForeskin.org would be accessible to all. Sadly, I woke to a continued mess.

After more looking and reading and examining and experimenting and checking and pulling my hair out, I discovered a typo in the nameserver DNS zone record. The IP address for ns2.tnameserver.info had one digit off.

I corrected the typo and within minutes I noticed a difference. Checking the name servers, I saw that they started reporting the correct address for the site. Traffic to the site grew to normal levels within an hour. This is how I remember DNS propagation working.

I am a happy camper, again.

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In addition to Restoring Tally.com, I also run the RestoringForeskin.org website. RestoringForeskin.org offers foreskin restoration information to everyone and it has a private on-line community for restorers. The private side has restoring blogs, foreskin restoration progress pictures uploaded by our members, a chat room, and a forum.

Restoring Foreskin.org is growing by several hundred members a month. We have over 1,000 visitors to the site every day. Drupal is the content management software that makes the site work. As popular as the site has become, we have outgrown the shared web server we had been using.

For the past several weeks I have been setting up a virtual private server (VPS), which is a virtual machine (VM) dedicated to being a web server. A VPS is like a bare-bones computer that has to setup. It is powerful, but requires knowledge and work to install and configure everything. In contrast, a shared web server is like oatmeal. All you have to do is add the website. It will work, maybe not well and maybe not fast, but it works.

Late Saturday night (early Sunday morning) I finished my testing of the VPS. I was satisfied everything worked well enough to move the site. It was after 2am and only a few were on the site. They were all in the chat room, so I announced that I was going to move the site. The chat room would still work because it is hosted on another server.

It took me less than an hour to move the site to the new VPS. As part of the move, I had to change the DNS information for the restoringforeskin.org domain name. The new web server has a private name server and I had to change the DNS to refer to the new name server.

When you go to a website on the Internet, the address or domain is sent. The ISP (Internet service provider) that provides internet service also has a DNS name server that looks up the IP address from the domain address. The IP address is needed to travel the Internet. If the ISP cannot find the address (because of change like we made), you are at the mercy of the ISP. The ISP can pass the request on to another name server, return an error page, or put up a spammy parking page in the hopes they can make some money if anyone is fool enough to click on one of the links.