Beginning today in the San Francisco Chronicle, actor Sean Penn chronicles his June trip to Iran. It's really good. Beginning with the pilot's pre-landing announcement:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very important announcement to make. For all our female passengers, by decree of the government of Iran, all female visitors are required to keep their heads covered. In your own interest, therefore, we ask you to put on a scarf before leaving the aircraft in Tehran. Thank you." With that, women clamored for the lavatory. One at a time as they exited, hundreds of years of transformation had occurred. All of these modern women, who would've looked quite at home dancing in a Paris nightclub, were now covered head to toe in black chadors, makeup scrubbed from their faces, cleavages and midriffs a memory.

Penn also describes a prayer service he went to - attended by 10,000 - the leader had the crowd chanting, "Death to Israel, Death to America."

It's a very grim portrait, but one you should take the time to read.