This will hurt me...

There are some very cruel people out there... Fairlight, Sydney. September 2012. As you know, the Internet is a wonderful place filled with the rich and varied treasures of the world holds (and RSS feeds.) The following are some things that I've had a look at in the last week. I call this: a Compendium of Click-throughs for Monday Morning... Gender equality is stymied by the persistent myth of merit. I have to say that I am bemused by the notion that the world ever rewarded merit? I've seen scant little evidence thus far... Clarke and Doyle explain how the financial system works (or not)... 15 Scathing Early Reviews of Classic Novels. I heartily endorse the slap give to The Catcher in the Rye ...

Like his grandfather, Henry decided to get his very first tattoo at a young age. Like many a young man, this indelible stain was inked in honour of his very first love: apples . I will be honest though, I am not fond of tattoos, piercings, ear shaping or any of that fandangled nonsense. I’m straight edge me. Decorative body modification just doesn’t rock my boat, it all seems a little bit, well, sad . I’m not knocking other people’s right to do what they like with their bodies, it just seems so superfluous. Even worse, it used to mark you out from the crowd, send a message. Now – as Henry here demonstrates – everybody and his dog has got one (or five). I think not having a tattoo these days marks you out as different. Really, should we resurrect corsetry, cranial binding or that old favourite, foot binding? Are people that keen for a bit of attention?