Category Archives: Recommendations

Recommendations from around the web.

Salma Hayek and Harvey Weinstein

Leave a comment

Weinstein’s disgusting behavior^ towards women triggered the famous #MeToo^ social media campaign. It’s all history now. There are some very good articles^ out there about Weinstein and other libidinous rich men^. There’s also the shocking leaked audio of the predator in action^.

In this eye-opening timeline^, we are shown how much things have changed because of the scandal that has rocked Hollywood, the world’s #1 exporter of corrupt cultural values. Thanks to #MeToo, the protest went global. I feel like women’s rights have made an important step forward since then.

But from all the articles I read, I took a particular liking to Salma Hayek’s story about the movie “Frida”, produced by Weinstein. This vulnerable, heart-felt story made me empathize with the victims more than anything else I read or heard on the topic:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/13/opinion/contributors/salma-hayek-harvey-weinstein.html^

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/03030-SalmaHayekHarveyFrida-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Salma Hayek and Harvey Weinstein’ desc=’Salma Hayek's story about the movie "Frida", produced by Weinstein.’]

This Year’s Dose of Horrible Behavior Towards Animals

Leave a comment

How would you feel if some dudes would grab somebody dear to you from the comfort and safety of their home, tie that person to a car and drag them around town for a couple of miles? While doing this, of course, they would laugh, because torture is fun:

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/13/us/shark-dragged-video-arrests-trnd/index.html^

And then there’s this horrific way to celebrate students’ achievements: a jungle-themed prom where majestic wild animals are disrespected and psychologically tormented. This sets, of course, a wonderful example for the adults, parents and decision makers of tomorrow:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/miami-dade/fl-reg-tiger-at-school-prom-20180514-story.html^

There’s a reason why I’ve timed this post to show up exactly after the one detailing how ants take care of their wounded^, which is yet another discovery from a long string of marvelous findings about the creatures living along side us on Earth. I’d like to create contrast between the amazing diversity and complexity of life on Earth and the lack of respect (many) humans show towards it.

My only comfort is that at least society is taking some action against such behavior. It’s a step in the right direction. I await the day when all of our children will respect wildlife and will leave it well enough alone.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/03025-HorribleBehaviorSharkDragging-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’This Year's Dose of Horrible Behavior Towards Animals’ desc=’How would you feel if some dudes would grab somebody dear to you, tie that person to a car and drag them around town for a couple of miles?’]

Ants Take Care of Their Wounded

Leave a comment

It’s impressive how creatures with a (much) smaller brain than ours are capable of complex behaviors such as taking care of their wounded. Could it be that instinct is smarter than being smart?

This is evolution at its best. As the main author of instinctual behavior refinement, evolution has given these ants an edge. Because they take care of their wounded, they could very well prevail should they get into a contest with other (ant) species:

https://www.i4u.com/2018/02/127173/ants-rescue-their-warriors-licking-their-wounds^

Here’s to more amazing finds about the ecosystem!

…And to less cruelty^ towards^ it^…

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/03020-AntsRescueWounded-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Ants Take Care of Their Wounded’ desc=’Because they take care of their wounded, these ants could very well prevail should they get into a contest with other (ant) species.’]

The Three Gates

Leave a comment

Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself ‘Is it true?’ At the second gate ask, ‘Is it necessary?’ At the third gate ask, ‘Is it kind?’

This beautiful Sufi saying has been with me for several years now. I wanted to write a few words about it since quite some time ago. First of all, this is one of the best rules for life that I’ve ever encountered in any culture. I’d like to also paraphrase it as such:

Before you take any action, let your thoughts pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself ‘Is it an honest action?’ At the second gate ask, ‘Is it necessary?’ At the third gate ask, ‘Is it kind?

Applying this throughout my life is, however, much more difficult than I could have ever imagined. I believe there’s a certain culture clash occurring here. I live in a culture where I need to stay competitive in order to make ends meet. In the same time, I have creative cravings that are incompatible with what society currently values (being a writer doesn’t pay much).

But then I should at least be able to live by these words at home, right? Or at least in how I treat myself. Well, it’s not that simple actually. Being constantly submerged in a certain culture (and exposed to all the behaviors that culture comes with) makes this very difficult.

I guess it’s time to invest in training my will and patience and my “cultural immune system”, whose duty is to filter out cultural elements that are preventing me from choosing my words and actions more wisely.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/03015-ThreeGatesSufi-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’The Three Gates’ desc=’Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself 'Is it true?' At the second gate ask, 'Is it necessary?' At the third gate ask, 'Is it kind?'’]

Free Bleeding (Menstruation)

Leave a comment

Even though it’s obvious that such a practice exists, living with free bleeding in the “civilized” world (read: “taboo world” or “rigid culture world”) can be tricky. What is free menstruation you ask? Well, here’s an interesting read:

https://helloclue.com/articles/culture/whats-all-fuss-about-free-bleeding-why-does-it-matter^

Do I have an opinion about the practice? No! But I do have an opinion about people who make a fuss out of this: oh yes!

It’s another person’s body and clothes. That person is allowed to do whatever they want as long as they are careful to not interfere with another’s property (and this covers hygiene too). So, as long as this is a private matter of the person, society cannot interfere. And just to be clear: if you see a blood stain between a woman’s legs and you don’t like it, look away. It’s not anybody’s right to dictate how other people dress or look.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/03003-FreeMenstruation-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Free Bleeding (Menstruation)’ desc=’Even though it's obvious that such a practice exists, living with free bleeding in the "civilized" world (read: "taboo world" or "rigid culture world") can be tricky.’]

Pesticides Harming Bees Banned in Europe – Major Win for Our Ecosystem

Leave a comment

Good news is even better when it arrives unexpected. In a major win for our ecosystem, the European Union has banned the use of neonicotinoids^. Other than the fact that the use of such poison is another example of arrogant human interference in the environment, this category of pesticides is destroying bee colonies^ worldwide. Bees are responsible for pollinating^ a majority of our crops, so a major bee die-off would seriously impact our food supply. When it comes to respecting our ecosystem, it’s lovely how Europe leads the way!

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/27/eu-agrees-total-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides^

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/02998-NeonicotinoidsBeesSaved-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Pesticides Harming Bees Banned in Europe – Major Win for Our Ecosystem’ desc=’In a major win for our ecosystem, the European Union has banned the use of neonicotinoids.’]

Reef Death

Leave a comment

“One-third of the 3,863 reefs that make up the Great Barrier Reef — the largest, most extensive reef system in the world — went through a catastrophic die-off after a searing heat wave in 2016, according to a newly published study in the journal Nature. A bleaching event in 2017 devastated even more of that reef, and the cumulative effects have killed an estimated half of the magnificent system in just two years.”

It’s a quote from the article below, a work that fits in the “doom and gloom” category. But unlike articles about Planet X, the “unavoidable catastrophic” eruption of Yellowstone or the reversal of the Earth’s magnetic poles, this is “real doom and gloom”. Corals around the world are dying at an alarming rate. This can lead to sudden, disastrous effects on the ocean ecosystem (and thus, the entire planet).

Even though a small number of coral species benefit from higher heat and acidity tolerance, the significant world-wide drop in coral density will affect oceans in ways that might seriously disrupt, among others, our food supply. It’s hard to predict how this will affect the Earth’s population. Even for those that don’t eat fish (like myself), a shortage of fish will result in increased demand (and price) for all other foodstuffs.

Personally, I quit eating fish long time ago due to the fact that most fish I can find in shops comes from waters where there is a high risk of pollution. It’s going to be a while until I can trust eating anything coming from an ocean where humans have dumped their experiments and industrial residue for centuries:

http://www.businessinsider.com/coral-reefs-great-barrier-reef-dying-from-bleaching-warming-2018-4?r=US&IR=T&IR=T^

Additional reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral#Threats^

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02993-ReefDeath-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Reef Death’ desc=’One-third of the 3,863 reefs that make up the Great Barrier Reef went through a catastrophic die-off after a searing heat wave in 2016.’]

China’s Social Credit System

Leave a comment

Something big was set in motion in China. It’s called the Social Credit System^. It leverages the latest in technology in order to build something akin to a criminal record, except that it’s updated much more frequently (possibly even real-time in certain cases). It doesn’t only cover crime, but pretty much any action that the government can track, online and offline:

http://nordic.businessinsider.com/china-social-credit-system-punishments-and-rewards-explained-2018-4?r=US&IR=T^

As we know, China has an extremely well-developed tracking & censorship apparatus. Through the Social Credit System, even minor social offenses such as jaywalking or smoking outside designated areas can be turned into punishments that can seriously affect one’s life. In the article below you can find a rather shocking video (well, not entirely shocking to me since I suspected this was coming^) about the country’s highly developed video surveillance system:

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-china-is-watching-its-citizens-in-a-modern-surveillance-state-2018-4?r=US&IR=T#9-tracking-peoples-social-media-posts-which-can-be-linked-to-the-users-family-and-location-10^

The punishments that the Chinese have come up with for citizens who stumble into a low social credit are deviously inventive. They can ban people from getting transport tickets, throttle internet speeds or even prevent them from getting certain jobs or education. The question is, how long until similar systems are deployed all over the planet?

https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/social-credit-system/^

As usual with such schemes, there are advantages. It’s safe to assume that such a system can improve social accountability and online behavior (for example, cyberbullying can be tackled more effectively). Unfortunately, since it’s China we’re talking about, the rules for having a good social credit are set by a government that suppresses criticism through any available means.

What’s worse is that most judgements regarding a person’s social credit will be done by software. And since these programs aren’t even remotely intelligent yet^, there will be many mistakes made. I wonder if the Chinese authorities will allocate the appropriate manpower to address appeals by citizens against the decisions made by these algorithms.

This is a risky path that the Chinese are taking. It is also setting a very dangerous precedent for our civilization. It tempts governments today to increasingly rely on surveillance and punishment rather than educating and supporting a person’s healthy development. Free societies will always have an advantage when it comes to innovation. And in the Information Age^, innovation is what creates winning nations.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02988-ChinaSocialCredit-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’China's Social Credit System’ desc=’China leverages the latest in technology in order to build something akin to a criminal record but doesn't only cover crime, but pretty much any action that the government can track, online and offline.’]

Body Pleasure and the Origins of Violence

Leave a comment

Every year or so, there’s one article/essay that stands out from everything I come across. This is one such work. It shows the correlation between violence and repressed sexuality, lack of affection towards children, sensory deprivation and various forms of social damage. It’s a long read, but you can also read just parts of it and I’d wager you’ll still be enriched by this amazing work:

http://www.violence.de/prescott/bulletin/article.html^

You don’t need to be a psychologist to see how all this makes so much sense. A sick society will produce sick individuals.

If you choose to read only one of my weekly recommendations every 6 months, I would beg you to read this one.

And I’ll do one other thing I do as rarely as possible. And that is to passionately ask you to share this with the world! Thank you!

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02982-BodyPleasureOriginsOfViolence-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Body Pleasure and the Origins of Violence’ desc=’See the correlation between violence and repressed sexuality, lack of affection towards children, sensory deprivation and various forms of social damage.’]

The CLOUD Act – or Another Nail in the Coffin of Privacy

Leave a comment

Finally, thanks to the CLOUD act^ passed earlier this year, American companies have the right to spy for the government of the USA on pretty much anybody that uses American products. The act also indirectly opens the door for other governments that enjoy snooping in their citizens’ private lives. And guess what, major tech companies had no problem turning their back on their customers because (surprise!) the act will save them loads of cash:

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/big-tech-cloud-act-surveillance,36730.html^

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Of course, this is all done with ethics and responsibility at the forefront, in the glorious battle against organized crime. Even if I wasn’t sarcastic, this is, after all, yet another weapon in the USA’s cyberwarfare arsenal^. And the walls protecting our private lives have already started to fall^.

That’s one small step for a nation-state, one giant leap backwards for mankind.

Here’s what the Electronic Frontiers Foundation had to say:

“Because of this failure, U.S. and foreign police will have new mechanisms to seize data across the globe. Because of this failure, your private emails, your online chats, your Facebook, Google, Flickr photos, your Snapchat videos, your private lives online, your moments shared digitally between only those you trust, will be open to foreign law enforcement without a warrant and with few restrictions on using and sharing your information. Because of this failure, U.S. laws will be bypassed on U.S. soil.”

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/02967-CLOUDAct-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’The CLOUD Act – or Another Nail in the Coffin of Privacy’ desc=’The act also indirectly opens the door for other governments that enjoy snooping in their citizens' private lives.’]