Local teen listens to life in Afghanistan's war zone

sfgate: "On the first day of class this fall, Hyder Akbar's college literature teacher had an idea for an icebreaking exercise. Students would come up with two truths and one lie about themselves. Then the others would try to guess which was the lie.

This is what Akbar wrote: 1) 'Although I am 18, I am often mistaken for someone older; 2) I play guitar in a rock band; 3) Three weeks ago I got ambushed by al Qaeda in Afghanistan.''

Akbar says his friends would have spotted the fabrication immediately.

'Actually,'' he admits, 'I don't even play the guitar.''

But the ambush? Absolutely. He can not only tell you about it, but he also has an audiotape. And you can hear it at noon Saturday on KQED when the Concord teenager makes his second appearance on the award-winning national radio documentary show 'This American Life.'' Akbar won a documentary award for his first audio diary, called 'Come Back to Afghanistan,'' which was the story of his trip to Kabul in the summer of 2002."

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Digital Cam media safe to fly with

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Artist turns animals into everyday objects

Ananova - A Chilean artist is making a name for herself with an exhibition in which stuffed animals are transformed into household objects. Artworks on display include a chick turned into a lamp, and 'sheep bag' - a lamb carcass fitted with handles. Artist Caterina Purdy says her exhibition at the Experimental Arts Centre in Santiago is intended to be humorous but also makes a serious point. She told Las Ultimas Noticias online: 'It is possible to see my work as something scary, but I find it beautiful. 'There is also irony and humour in my objects as well as a criticism of the way animals are treated by society.'"

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