July 2011
14 posts
The Epidemic of Mental Illness: Why? →
Marcia Angell:
Nowadays treatment by medical doctors nearly always means psychoactive drugs, that is, drugs that affect the mental state. In fact, most psychiatrists treat only with drugs, and refer patients to psychologists or social workers if they believe psychotherapy is also warranted. The shift from “talk therapy” to drugs as the dominant mode of treatment coincides with the emergence...
The Illusions of Psychiatry →
Marcia Angell:
The books by Irving Kirsch, Robert Whitaker, and Daniel Carlat are powerful indictments of the way psychiatry is now practiced. They document the “frenzy” of diagnosis, the overuse of drugs with sometimes devastating side effects, and widespread conflicts of interest.
…
At the very least, we need to stop thinking of psychoactive drugs as the best, and often the only,...
Steve Hilton policy leaks show Downing Street... →
“Steve asked why the PM had to obey the law,” one Whitehall source told the FT of a meeting in March to discuss the government’s growth strategy. “Jeremy had to explain that if David Cameron breaks the law he could be put in prison.”
The Arrogance of Ownership →
Dave Zirin, again, on the NFL labour dispute:
This is bigger than the NFL. This is about the arrogance of Capital in a period of austerity. The actions of the owners are little different from the arrogance of the Republican leaders of congress, Governors Scott Walker of Wisconsin, John Kasich of Ohio, Jerry Brown of California, Andrew Cuomo of New York and all who believe that it’s...
Dave Zirin on NFL Players’ “Remarkable” Labor... →
Dave Zirin:
I want to read a quote by a player named Troy Polamalu. This is what he said, and it just gives you an idea about how radicalizing this was. Troy Polamalu, All-Pro for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he said, “I think what the players are fighting for is something bigger. The fact is it’s people fighting against big business. The big business argument is ‘I got the money and I got the...
Newspaper websites: The British are coming →
The Economist:
Whereas the Daily Mail chronicles supposed assaults on middle-class Britain by illegal immigrants, liberal politicians, germs and the BBC, the website specialises in breezy celebrity gossip. It is packed with pictures of women in bikinis.
The article itself isn’t anything particularly special, but this quote is gold.
“The most interesting thing about Cole Phelps is that he is an asshole who might...”
– Tom Bissell
Grantland: Tom Bissell reviews L.A. Noire →
The story of L.A. Noire concerns a psychopathic cop named Cole Phelps, a man who inappropriately commandeers cars from civilians, steals outright any car that is left unattended, frequently destroys private property, and enjoys running over civilians. Despite his recklessness, Phelps becomes the most speedily promoted police officer in constabulary history.
At least, that is what L.A....
“But it’s not an issue of the personal susceptibility of journalists. All the...”
– Greg Philo
Jonathan Cook on Nick Davies and the corporate... →
Davies’ figure of 5-10% [proprietorial & advertiser influence on the media] is simply preposterous. It would be fascinating to know if he still sticks to this estimate or now accepts it was wildly off. And if it was wildly off, what does it do to his theory that journalism’s failure can be explained simply by the 10 rules of production - practical pressure and limitations on...
“We have to keep in mind and never forget that those who condemn the innocent...”
– Anabel Hernández
Inscribed in the living tile: Type in the Toronto... →
Joe Clark on the train wreck that is signage on the Toronto subway. It’s such a shame as well, as that original Futura-esque geometric face is gorgeous.
Eurogamer’s L.A. Noire Review →
L.A. Noire is slow but quietly engrossing; its mechanics are suspect, but you can’t fault the ambition, attention to detail and commitment that went into its making. It risks stumbling over its own earnestness at times, but it’s saved by its star – and I don’t mean Staton, who does his best with a dry character.
That star is Los Angeles: as bizarre, threatening and fascinating in this...
Fortune: J.P. Morgan’s hunt for Afghan gold →
An insiders’ look at the carving up of Afghanistan for foreign firms. (It also touches on Iraq, briefly.)
This bit, referring to a banker and a US official discussing a mining project, struck me as particularly cynical:
Hannam and Brinkley agreed that any such project should be led by an Afghan, lest it be seen as part of a resource grab by foreigners.
Read this article and tell me that...