Conditions for women in Afghanistan worse now, but media spins the opposite

Dawg's Blawg: "Time" exploits victim to promote Afghan war
Excerpt:

"I heard Aisha's story from her a few weeks before the
image of her face was displayed all over the world", Ann Jones, author
of Kabul in Winter, wrote in the August 12 Nation. "She told me that her
father-in-law caught up with her after she ran away, and took a knife
to her on his own; village elders later approved, but the Taliban didn't
figure at all in this account."

The Time story, however,
attributes Aisha's mutilation to a husband under orders of a Talib
commander, thereby transforming a personal story, similar to those of
countless women in Afghanistan today, into a portent of things to come
for all women if the Taliban return to power ...

Afghan feminist
Malalai Joya : "During the Taliban’s regime such atrocities weren’t as
rife as it is now and the graph is hiking each day."

The article at RAWA cites a March 11, 2010 CIA document on spinning the war, published by WikiLeaks : CIA Red Cell

"Afghan
women could serve as ideal messengers in humanizing the ISAF role in
combating the Taliban because of women’s ability to speak personally and
credibly about their experiences under the Taliban, their aspirations
for the future, and their fears of a Taliban victory. Outreach
initiatives that create media opportunities for Afghan women to share
their stories with French, German, and other European women could help
to overcome pervasive skepticism among women in Western Europe toward
the ISAF mission.

Media events that feature testimonials by Afghan
women would probably be most effective if broadcast on programs that
have large and disproportionately female audiences.

What ancient statues really looked like when they were made

Color + Design Blog / Gods In Color: Painted Sculpture Of Classical Antiquity by COLOURlovers :: COLOURlovers
A recent touring exhibition is turning a long held common belief on its
head. The common perception is that the great statues and buildings of
ancient Greece and Rome were all pure unpainted stone or green tarnished
bronze, but researchers have been arguing that this may not been what
these classic monuments really looked like back in the era of their
creation. That, in fact, these statue's were quite alive and vibrant,
full of color.
...

Psychedelic Drugs Show Promise as Anti-Depressants: Scientific American

Psychedelic Drugs Show Promise as Anti-Depressants: Scientific American
...


The August 18 review, by psychiatrist Franz Vollenweider and
neuropsychologist Michael Kometer of the University Hospital of
Psychiatry in Zurich, proposes that various psychedelics' interaction
with the receptors for the neurotransmitter serotonin
may prove key to understanding their beneficial—and
mind-bending—effects. "Psychedelics activate neuronal networks and the
glutamate system that are implicated in the regulation of emotion,"
Vollenweider says, noting that their hallucinogenic effects can be
impeded by blocking specific serotonin receptors in the brain (known as
5-HT2A). Psychedelics typically boost serotonin and may also boost the
release of glutamate, according to the review authors, another
neurotransmitter that has been linked to short-term but long-lasting
brain functions such as learning and memory. More glutamate also has an
impact on synapses. "This might result in an increased number and
function of spine synapses in the prefrontal cortex," Vollenweider says.
...

Bacon Pancakes!

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The most isolated man on the planet

The most isolated man on the planet. - By Monte Reel - Slate Magazine
Now, here's a guy who enjoys his privacy.

Mental Illness in America - the numbers

Mental Illness in America
infographic

Magnetar!

Giant star that should have been a black hole became something even stranger

New studies into hallucinogens and mental health

Two new scientific studies reveal hallucinogens are good for your mental health


LSD and ketamine, two powerful hallucinogens, are also potential cures
for depression, OCD, and anxiety. Two studies published this week, in Science and Nature, confirm that hallucinogenic drugs stimulate healthy brain activity, even promoting the growth of neurons.