Category Archives: Recommendations

Recommendations from around the web.

Ready or Not, Here Comes Virtual Reality!

Leave a comment

Finally, the first Virtual Reality HMD (Head Mounted Display) – the Oculus Rift – has reached retail availability. The first reviews have started pouring in – here’s a pretty good one from The Verge^. Things are pretty much as I expected, with the majority of reviews being positive and the rest being rather neutral. So far I haven’t read anything seriously bad and although this is very encouraging, it is not a surprise given the fact that all companies involved have been preparing for this launch for plenty of time.

In the meantime, VR as a technology continues to promise growth in the most unexpected of areas. For example there are these guys who propose giving HMDs to roller coaster^ riders. Combining high quality computer graphics with a roller coaster experience is indeed something that I’d love to try one day.

On the other hand, there are companies whose VR content is not exactly top notch. Take for example AltspaceVR. Even though their VR client now supports Samsung’s Gear^, the graphical quality is below what could be achieved even with the limitation of having to run on weaker, mobile graphical processors. AltspaceVR’s “games”^ are not much to look at either. I’m worried about half–baked products ruining the reception of VR. This is one of the most important technological revolutions of the past few decades and I believe a proper, polished launch is very important. Let’s not forget the debacle that was Google Glass.

Luckily, there are plenty of companies that have amazing products lined up. The Oculus launched with some really good titles such as “Eve Valkyrie”, “Elite: Dangerous” and “Lucky’s Tale”. However, I believe the best is yet to come, especially when “No Man’s Sky”^ shows up, which, I believe, is the title that will truly make VR. I hope Oculus can have its controllers ready as soon as possible. And if not, there’s always the Vive^, which will also hit retail availability very soon.

So, ready or not, VR is coming to town. I think that the companies that are at the forefront of this new technological revolution will have a lot to gain from their investment. I’m looking at you, FaceBook, Samsung, Valve, HTC and Microsoft. Plenty of big names are still missing in action, especially Google and Apple. Regarding Apple, they don’t even have decent hardware support for VR^, as recently pointed out by Oculus founder, Palmer Luckey. The coming twelve months will certainly be very, very interesting. Let’s watch and enjoy the show.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/00435-ReadyOrNotHereComesVR-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Ready or Not, Here Comes Virtual Reality!’ desc=’Finally, the first Virtual Reality HMD (Head Mounted Display) – the Oculus Rift – has reached retail availability. The first reviews have started pouring in.’]

Not the Usual Sermon Against Terrorism

2 Comments

Of all the things I’ve learned throughout my life, I think nothing is more important than starting to have an understanding about the meaning of duality. For me, the very challenge of life is to reconcile the duality I observe with the oneness I strive for. Duality is not only about good and evil or about life and death. Duality is also about us and the others, and it is this aspect that I’d like to write a few words about.

I think humans have a tendency to strive for perfection. In the same time, most humans know that they will never be perfect. It’s a correct conclusion, I believe, since only oneness can be perfect. As long as there is something missing from anything, neither side can be perfect. However, duality is only a temporary absence of perfection. And, as long as we are alive and playing our different roles, I believe we can learn from duality while waiting for perfection.

Today, it is difficult to write about terrorism without touching on the subject of religion. But it is exactly religion that I do not wish to discuss on this website. Ever. This is because I believe that spirituality is a deeply personal experience. Words tend to sully it.

So what can I say about terrorism without going into complex and endless diatribes on religion, politics or society? Not much, really. Just the simple truth that…

It’s not easy knowing we’re imperfect. Smart, heinous people are aware of this and are harvesting the emotional pain caused by our discomfort. Through the use of psychological manipulation techniques, people are turned into stereotypes or, to use a more powerful word, drones. The terrorist drones are among the most difficult to understand, because they’ve been led to believe that they can prove their worth towards their Gods (and symbols of perfection) by tearing other people to pieces, by “imperfecting” them.

If we’d have proper education and opportunity across the world, none of this would have come to pass. But we all know that, don’t we? And yet we sit in our comfortable bubbles, like the nice drones that we are. However, that may change at any point, especially if these obedient drones start turning into confident people. The best way to prevent this from happening is to cultivate fear and terror. And so, the great military alliances march on, playing with the money that should be invested in education, science and healthcare.

And since this has been a Dissected News posting, here’s the two events that seeded my words.

The terrorist attack in Pakistan:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Lahore_suicide_bombing^

The terrorist attacks in Belgium:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Brussels_bombings^

Seemingly unrelated, here’s how a traffic accident victim is being ignored somewhere in Asia:

https://www.facebook.com/4Tuning.ro/videos/10154652045284056/?__mref=message^

While terrorism is one of the most acute symptoms of a failed society, this last video I linked shows the systemic problem. It’s one of innumerable examples that illustrate the worrying degradation of our society. As long as we continue our journey in this way, our path will remain a bloody one.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/00405-NotTheUsualSermonAgainstTerrorism-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Not the Usual Sermon Against Terrorism’ desc=’Of all the things I’ve learned throughout my life, I think nothing is more important than starting to have an understanding about the meaning of duality.’]

Dolphins Get High Too

Leave a comment

We’ve known for many years that several species of animals get drunk by eating fermented fruits. In 2013, biologists have made yet another surprising discovery. Groups of dolphins get high by chewing on puffer fish. After obtaining a sufficient amount of perception-altering neurotoxin from the creature, they pass it to another dolphin in the group.

Here’s the story, more than two years old by now:

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/dolphins-deliberately-get-high-on-puffer-fish-nerve-toxins-by-carefully-chewing-and-passing-them-9030126.html^

Good job, dolphins! Can’t light a cigarette? Fermentation doesn’t work? Then use another creature’s venom. Truly fantastic! This behavior adds to the theory that there is an interesting drive present in all living creatures: an unexplainable desire to change their perception of the surrounding environment. Given some countries’ policies regarding consciousness-altering substances, this is important food for thought.

Nature surely never ceases to amaze. Why am I writing about this in 2016? Simply because I was really fascinated by the method that dolphins use and I want as many people as possible to know about such a wonder – just doing my job when it comes to “sharing is caring”. It’s also something that I need to have on this website.

And because I want this posting to also contain some new information about our fellow lifeforms, here’s a recent (unrelated) discovery about birds and crocodiles. Impressive stuff:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-birds-alligators-study-20160302-story.html^

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/00381-DolphinsGetHighToo-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Dolphins Get High Too’ desc=’Groups of dolphins get high by chewing on puffer fish. After obtaining a sufficient amount of perception-altering neurotoxin from the creature, they pass it to another dolphin in the group.’]

A Few Words About the Wonderful Mining Industry

Leave a comment

When the balance sheet looks bad, what’s a good executive to do? Cut worker benefits, of course! A bankrupt coal mining company just agreed to give millions of dollars in bonuses to its managers, as a reward for their clever financial strategy. I’d be more sarcastic if it wasn’t so damn tragic.

Here’s the article that breaks the story:

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/02/16/3749331/coal-company-executive-payments/^

It’s not the first time when these mining conglomerates are meat-grinding their own employees. From disastrous oil spills^ to catastrophic dam breaks^, down to transforming pristine nature into apocalyptic landscapes^, there are but a few crimes against the ecosystem that mining companies haven’t committed yet – don’t ask for a list.

When are we going to wake up to the fact that our current economic model is not only unsustainable, but downright murderous? Mining companies are the scourge of the Earth. I suppose they have the excuse that they’re just following orders – it’s our society that “needs” their goods. The truly disgusting thing is that while all this is going on, politicians pad their bank accounts and judges look the other way.

It’s quite hard to be balanced when analyzing this subject, almost impossible to be diplomatic. I am aware that we should be understanding towards investors and other interested parties. But when a CEO is paid 8 million dollars, it’s very difficult to argue in favor of cutting health and disability benefits for the company’s workers. There’s only one name such practices can be given: slavery.

Unless we urge our governments to intervene, this situation will only get worse, because these corporations with bully mentality will only become more daring with every passing year. If they do this to their workers, it’s easy to extrapolate and realize that they’re applying the same budget cuts when it comes to maintenance and safety protocols. No wonder we’re hit by one environmental catastrophe after another.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/00372-AboutTheWonderfulMiningIndustry-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’A Few Words About the Wonderful Mining Industry’ desc=’When the balance sheet looks bad, what's a good executive to do? Cut worker benefits, of course! A bankrupt coal mining company just agreed to give millions of dollars in bonuses to its managers, as a reward for their clever financial strategy.’]

Polish Magazine Is Worried About “The Islamic Rape of Europe”

Leave a comment

How did right-wing Polish magazine “The Network” manage to jump onto the international stage last week? By slapping an ominous warning, on top of an image featuring a white woman groped by brown hands. It’s a clever composition, combining the terrifying specter of rape with the prototype of the blonde angel attacked by the dark forces.

The image insidiously connects to the collective consciousness of the European Christianity, to which it gives dire warnings about our “values” being under imminent threat. It’s also an obvious reference to the New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in Germany^. Well played editors, well played!

The Washington Post has a good story about this (let’s ignore the fact that the USA is the last country in the world that should lecture Europe when it comes to racism):

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/02/18/the-so-called-islamic-rape-of-europe-is-part-of-a-long-and-racist-history/^

To say that the immigration problem in Europe is complex is an understatement. It goes beyond “not black and white”. It’s “multicolored”. The Poles, like any other European, do have some legitimate reasons to be worried. Not all of these refugees have good intentions, but this can be said of any social group.

Diversity means that there is at least one person for every possible opinion. But more often than not, extreme opinions – left or right – lead to “quick and dirty” solutions. These solutions appear when some people are faced with challenges that are apparently beyond their capabilities.

2016 vs 1943 - Far Right Propaganda
2016 vs 1943 – Far Right Propaganda

Indeed, Europe has been a victim of its own insecurity for a long time now. Why are we not able to break the historical pattern yet? This continent has been a melting pot of cultures for millennia. We’ve gotten far when it comes to human rights, but apparently not far enough regarding those values that are supposed to give us the strength of will and discipline required to weather this crisis.

Refugees - European Union vs Lebanon.
Refugees – European Union vs Lebanon.

This image is as perfect as they come. I’d like to add that the per capita income in the European Union is 35 thousand dollars. Lebanon’s is half of that, at 18 thousands. GDP for the EU is 18 trillion, Lebanon’s is 81 billion. That’s 222 times lower than the EU. I’m painfully aware that this is a complicated matter and there’s more to it than these statistics. For example, there are fewer cultural differences between Lebanon and Syria.

Even so, I think that given our economy, we Europeans can do much more for our brothers and sisters in need. I will not say that we should open our doors and hearts to people with bad intentions. But we should also not succumb to fear and the sort of psychological manipulation that “The Network” is guilty of.

 

Describe this in one word.
Describe this in one word.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/00317-PolishMagazineIslamicRapeEurope-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Polish Magazine is Worried About "The Islamic Rape of Europe"’ desc=’How did right-wing Polish magazine "The Network" manage to jump onto the international stage last week? By slapping an ominous warning, on top of an image featuring a white woman groped by brown hands.’]

Ravens Might Have a Theory of Mind

Leave a comment

Another month, another revelation about the intelligence of other beings sharing the ride here with us, on Earth. Especially during the past couple of decades, our understanding of the various creatures inhabiting this planet has advanced formidably, not only as a result of technological progress but also due to our maturing as a species. We’re starting to awaken to the fact that we should perhaps take more care of our ecosystem and the beautiful planet we live on. With this step forward, comes a perpetually-renewing interest in other forms of life.

This recent discovery is about the Theory of Mind^, which is the ability to attribute mental states – beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc. – to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives that are different from one’s own. It’s one of the building blocks of consciousness. And ravens appear to have it.

Here’s the article where you can read more about the discovery:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0202/Ravens-might-possess-a-Theory-of-Mind-say-scientists^

After reading about various such discoveries in the past decade, I can’t say I’m surprised. We’re slowly waking up to the fact that intelligence cannot be defined or constrained by our anthropomorphic boundaries. Life is an incredibly diverse and complex process. Rather than dominating and abusing it, I hope we will continue on our path towards respect, knowledge and awareness.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/00304-RavensTheoryOfMind-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Ravens Might Have a Theory of Mind’ desc=’Another month, another revelation about the intelligence of other beings sharing the ride here with us, on Earth.’]

This Maori War Cry is Beyond Amazing

Leave a comment

The Haka^ is a traditional ancestral war cry from the Maori people of New Zealand. A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing this video, which features the Haka ritual performed at a wedding. It may seem a bit… strange, at first. But watch it all the way and check how you feel afterwards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUbx-AcDgXo^

The energy that these people are able to project is off the chart. What chart? I don’t know and it doesn’t matter. Words pale in comparison with the raw life erupting from these Maori. With their every breath, they go beyond concepts and patterns. This is pure existence, with the volume turned to eleven.

And of course, there’s the dress code. Seeing such an intensely organic manifestation dressed up in suits, in the setting of a 21st century wedding makes for fantastic contrast. Therein lays the pattern, the duality. Yes, we humans have a bloody past, but all is forgiven and now we can drink and love each other like brothers and sisters.

This video says all this, and much, much more, without the need for words. So I’m going to stop typing and, while watching the recording again, be thankful that somebody uploaded this window into a different culture.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/00287-MaoriWarCryBeyondAmazing.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’This Maori War Cry is Beyond Amazing’ desc=’The Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry from the Maori people of New Zealand. A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of seeing this video, which features the Haka ritual performed at a wedding.’]

Don’t Forget Tesla Motors

Leave a comment

What is the word “forget” doing in the same sentence as the name of this rising star in the world of automobiles? It all starts with an article I read on Wired a couple of weeks ago. The author is busy praising General Motors for beating Tesla in creating the “first true mass-market electric car”:

http://www.wired.com/2016/01/gm-electric-car-chevy-bolt-mary-barra^

The article is far from being objective. It reads like a standing ovation for GM and its CEO, with very little regard for the full picture. There are two glaring mistakes. I’ll perform a little experiment and demonstrate how easily the author of the article could have improved upon the objectivity of his work, just by adding the following two paragraphs.

We should not forget, however, Tesla’s galvanizing effect upon the entire automobile industry. Not only did the company spend hundreds of millions of dollars in research, but its designs and success have also been an inspiration for drivers everywhere. Tesla popularized the electric vehicle like no company before. It is through Tesla’s ground-breaking work that many companies can today even consider working on an electric vehicle.

The elephant in the room (pun intended), is the very size of General Motors. We’re talking here about a company that produces close to 10 million vehicles per year, and has a yearly net income of 10 billion dollars. Tesla’s output isn’t even close to a million and it has a net loss of almost 300 million dollars. So does anybody still wonder why GM can afford to beat its chest claiming they’re manufacturing the first “true mass-market electric car”?

That wasn’t so hard, was it?

To GM’s credit, the company was actually one of the first to have even attempted mass producing an electric vehicle back in the 90s (and kudos to them). Unfortunately, the EV1^ was unceremoniously dumped in a set of rather dubious circumstances that some people saw as outright sabotage by the oil industry – with GM’s cooperation.

I personally believe that the lack of public interest, a fair bit of managerial incompetence and a lack of vision were the main culprits. There’s even a documentary about all this. Here’s its Wikipedia entry, draw your own conclusions:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car%3F^

However, a long time has passed since then and Tesla’s approach is radically different from that of Big Motor. It’s a reboot of the entire scene, and that’s what’s pissing off a lot of large companies. Tesla wants to alter the supply chain, interfering with the fat paychecks and bonuses of a lot of people. And those people won’t sit quietly while this happens. They’ll buy press, invest millions into sneaky marketing and do everything in their power to see Tesla fail.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/00280-DontForgetTesla-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Don't Forget Tesla Motors’ desc=’What is the word "forget" doing in the same sentence as the name of this rising star in the world of automobiles? It all starts with an article I read on Wired a couple of weeks ago.’]

North Korea’s Most Dangerous Weapon: Incompetence

Leave a comment

As you might know, on the 7th of February 2016, North Korea launched an “Earth observation satellite”. Governments across the world were probably right in condemning the operation. The same type of rocket can also be used for nuclear warfare.

What about the satellite? Well, apparently it’s tumbling in orbit, useless:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/news/a19365/north-korean-satellite-is-tumbling-in-orbit/^

Fun fact: there are about 2000 satellites orbiting our planet and an estimated 300.000 pieces of space junk. On average, we’re losing one satellite per year. A collision between two satellites could have dire consequences.

One of those consequences has a name. It’s called the Kessler syndrome: a cascade of collisions that would exponentially increase the amount of orbital junk. It would ultimately mean the swift destruction of most of our fleet of satellites:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kessler_syndrome^

North Korea can be all sorts of dangerous, especially since it couldn’t care less about any advice coming from the international community. Dictator Kim Jong-un is therefore free to play “launch the satellite” and “detonate nuclear bombs underground”.

Unfortunately for all of us, disasters don’t care much about the grandiose desires of totalitarian leaders. North Korea’s most recent failure casts an ominous shadow over all of its scientific and military programs. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being in the same boat with a drunken madman armed with explosives. For the sake of all of us, I hope the intoxication wears off, and soon.

Note: the drunken man analogy is not directed at North Korea or at Kim Jong-un. Rather, it’s an analogy of the entire socio-political situation over there. I believe that we, as a society, should work together to help educate the future political class and those that vote people in power. Kim Jong-un is a son of Earth just like all of us. The reasons of his behavior can be found in his upbringing and surrounding social climate. The same can be said of all of us. If we change the social environment, we change our civilization.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/00261-NorthKoreaMostDangerousWeaponIncompetence-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’North Korea's Most Dangerous Weapon: Incompetence’ desc=’As you might know, on the 7th of February 2016, North Korea launched an "Earth observation satellite". Well, apparently it's tumbling in orbit, useless.’]

Trump Will Not Win

Leave a comment

Later Update: This turned out to be one of my worst prognoses ever. Here’s what I learned^ from this failure.

Don’t worry, the world’s not going to end, at least not because of Donald Trump becoming the president of a nuclear armed superpower. What is worrying me is that such a statement even needs to be considered or said. When somebody like Trump takes a front seat in the politics of a superpower, there are serious questions that some people should start asking themselves.

Even so, I like to think that the current situation is for the best. Donald is a mirror in which America can take a good look at itself. Perhaps less advantageous is how he represents his country abroad. Several economic partners already expressed strong distaste towards the fellow.

Here’s what an American over at Vox has to say about Trump’s candidacy:
http://www.vox.com/2016/1/30/10873476/donald-trump-never-president^

I’m going to think positive and remain convinced that Trump has no chance of winning the election. Actually, I seriously doubt that he can even get the nomination. Even if he manages to win by numbers, I like to believe that the Republican Party won’t allow itself to sink that low as to nominate a hate-preacher to run for commander in chief of America’s vast military forces.

If they do, then I guess it’s jolly time for the party to break in two, because its members’ stubbornness is beginning to cost too much. There are many valuable people in the Republican camp and the USA simply cannot afford to lose their voice among a crowd with outdated mentality and whose electorate will eventually dwindle.

This being said, I have all the understanding for Republicans of any opinion and, by extent, for Trump’s supporters. They are all our brothers and sisters and we should not brush aside their concerns and opinions. I truly believe that the best way for Americans of all parties to move forward is to sit together and talk about their experiences and, together, discover what motivates their political choices.

Racism, homophobia, misogyny and bigotry have an impressive following in the American society and political life. If America wishes to walk proud in the 21st century, it has to take a closer look at how it uses education, religion and mass media.

But then again, maybe the entire point of Trump’s candidacy is to make sure that the corporations get their woman in front of the country, taking us one step closer towards the dissolution of this so-called democracy and the rise of corporate oligarchy.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/00210-TrumpWillNotWin-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Trump Will Not Win’ desc=’Donald is a mirror in which America can take a good look at itself. Perhaps less advantageous is how he represents his country abroad. Several economic partners already expressed strong distaste towards the fellow.’]