"We should recognize that the infiltration of value judgements into 'objective' terminology is not just loose talk, a psychological weakness of scientists; to classify actions which are seen as a threat to society as malignant process is a means of repression more final and devastating in its effects than any overt condemnation."--David Ingelby (important for understanding the culture of oppression in which human scientists, including psychiatrists, operate within)

Searching via scroogle.org today I stumbled across some excellent excerpts of two books which are VERY hard to find these days (unless, of course, you have the cash to buy from amazon or a bookstore's used-books search). First, a link to a real nice excerpt from Theodore Roszak on "the myth of objective consciousness"; second, a link to Aldous Huxley's especially interesting nonfiction book (in its ENTIRETY!) Brave New World--Revisited, excerpts which I'm providing here. The topic? The perils of "over-organization", suppressing symptoms, and the authoritarian attitudes that are making their way into many mind-sets these days regarding what it "is" to be "normal" and so forth.

This post takes on the curiously popularized notion--in Julie Cameron's book The Artist's Way--of the categorical 'badness' of people she (and her "expert" ilk) seek to reduce and label, and then promote that their fellows ignore them, until they get professional "help". Crucially, she (and the usual routine of "experts" "just doing their jobs") don't shed light on the reality that such "crazy-makers" are quite likely only exhibiting SYMPTOMS of their pain, even when their symptoms are INTENSE and not easy to be around. The popularized thing to do? IGNORE the most sensitive and go back to work doing what you can "only" do! DON'T try to look behind their pain and help them articulate themselves, say, via any truly meaningful community!! NO, THAT'S not for YOU laypersons/"non-experts" to "play" around with!! (BAD DOG!)

Icaristas Sam Kendakur, Will Hall, and Bonfire Madigan Shive presented at the Rethinking Psychiatric Crisis: Alternative Responses to First Breaks conference in New York City. They joined more than 200 researchers, people with psychiatric diagnoses, policymakers, clinicians, advocates, and family members from several countries including Finland and the UK to discuss effective hospital, labeling, and force alternatives. Check out the slideshow here, and more info at the International Network Towards Alternatives for Recovery website.

Remaining in a landscape arrangement and working all-around the body of the Nokia N900 you'll spot the left-hand edge supplying a Micro-USB s

Annie Robinson's article "College Mental Health: A Different Diagnosis" is in Wiretap Magazine, a leading online youth activist website: School health providers are supposed to act in the best interests of the student. But who it is that gets to define these "best interests" is a subject for debate among students and counseling staff.

The World of Strings as Seen Through The Looking Glass