Mekka

War On Pornography

War On Pornography

Yes, if you want the facts man, check these out. Fleshbot tells us that a group in Utah pretty much made them up out of whole cloth as they try to wage a war on pornography based on misinformation.

Did you know that "pornography is more addictive than alcohol, cigarettes or illicit drugs?" Or that "one in five children ages 10 to 17 has received sexual solicitations while on the Internet" - and that, by extension, pornography per se is equivalent to pedophilia? Or that "over 80% of Americans are in favor of clamping down on Internet Pornography?" Neither did we. Nor can we find any sources to back up most of the claims made by an alliance of "several U.S. and Canadian organizations" that announced a "War on Pornography" campaign in Utah yesterday.

[Halley's Comment]

Photographer Helmut Newton Killed in Crash

Acclaimed photographer Helmut Newton was killed in a car crash Friday, police said. He was 83. Newton, a fashion photographer whose work appeared in magazines such as Playboy, Elle and Vogue, was best known for his stark, black-and-white nude photos. [Associated Press headlines via GoUpstate.com]

First flush of love not emotional

"When you first fall in love, you are not experiencing an emotion, but a motivation or drive, new brain scanning studies have shown.

The early stages of a romantic relationship spark activity in dopamine-rich brain regions associated with motivation and reward. The more intense the relationship is, the greater the activity.

The regions associated with emotion, such as the insular cortex and parts of the anterior cingulate cortex, are not activated until the more mature phases of a relationship, says Helen Fisher, an anthropologist from Rutgers University in New Jersey."

"There are some differences between love-struck men and women, says Fisher. Women in love show more emotional activity earlier on in a relationship. They also seem to quiz their memory regions as they look at pictures of their partner, perhaps paying more attention to their past experience with them.

For men, perhaps unsurprisingly, love looks a little more like lust, with extra activity in visual areas that mediate sexual arousal. "

New Scientist

First day of new site!

This is the first post after having moved Mekka to our new hosting provider. Please pardon us while we work out all the technical and site design issues.

Thanks for your patience,

Mekka