The Eunuch and Wicked Fellow

It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and since I worked till 4 a.m. today, I feel that the rest of the day can justifiably be taken off. Although I'm very excited about grammar, so I may not be able to stop working!

I discovered on BBC Online a recording of the last ever castrato, Alessandro Moreschi. It's eerie, and I find it very unpleasant, although he was apparently quite renowned in his time. The accompanying article explains that poor parents would have their sons castrated in hope of their finding fame and fortune as singers. Seems like quite a drastic step to take for such a long shot. A little research brought out the fact that some men nowadays are castrated willingly, either for sexual gratification (it better be really good, you'd think) or because they have some form of body dysmorphia or are unhappy with their libido. I'm certain there must be better ways... I also discovered that castration, aside from reducing sex drive and aggressiveness, can prevent baldness. I know one or two men for whom it would really have been the ideal solution on both counts - killing two birds with one stone, as it were. Or should that be two stones?