#9 | Things I Learnt This Week (That I Want To Share) #9

1. CHRISTIANITY | ETHICS | MEDICAL ETHICS

“God did give us reason. He gave us minds in order to understand the world, to understand options and to make real decisions. He didn’t give us reason to create our own world and to create our own authority structures and our own conception of morality. 

Here’s a book [Proverbs] that talks a lot about the use of one’s mind, the use of one’s reasoning, the observation and coming to conclusions based upon those observations. But the whole point of that wisdom we are to gain is that we understand ourselves by living in a world we didn’t make and living within a moral order that someone else, namely God, has put into place. 

That’s the proper context for our reason to be exercised. God’s given fish the ability to swim, but they need to swim within water.”

The Science of Life

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/worldview/science-life

2. LIFE | WOMEN 

A poignant and wonderful short animation on a woman's life.

Sidewalk (Official Version) - [VIDEO]

http://youtu.be/Zye28xU3F64

3. LAW | PRISON | REHABILITATION 

"It isn't every day that prison officials would call up a journalist to help seek the release of a prisoner, whom they feel has transformed himself into a model citizen."

Hope within the prison walls - Wong Chun Wai

http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/On-The-Beat/Profile/Articles/2015/05/24/Hope-within-the-prison-walls/

Curated by,

Jason Kay

Melaka

06 June 2015

#8 | Things I Learnt This Week (That I Want To Share) #8

1. LAW | SYARIAH | HUDUD

This is an excellent quote. 

"I have said this before and I wish to say it again: God’s laws are perfect, but when men are called to draft the laws and push them through the legislative process, then they become man’s laws. This means that we as a civilised community must scrutinise and deliberate these man-made laws carefully before allowing them to come into effect. We owe it to Muslims to craft laws that are just and that can be implemented fairly, and to do that, we cannot exclude the community from providing their views.
...
Never again must we be led like sheep by those who use God’s name to hide their own incompetence and ignorance."

The price of a human life - Zaid Ibrahim

http://www.zaid.my/current/the-price-of-a-human-life/

2. SEX | EDUCATION | RAPE

Understanding the concept of informed consent before engaging in sex, using tea as an analogy.

Sex, consent, tea

Clean version: http://youtu.be/fGoWLWS4-kU

Foul version: http://youtu.be/oQbei5JGiT8

3. PRODUCTIVITY

Priming yourself for great work.

"The “Meez,” as professionals call it, translates into “everything in its place.” In practice, it involves studying a recipe, thinking through the tools and equipment you will need, and assembling the ingredients in the right proportion before you begin. It is the planning phase of every meal—the moment when chefs evaluate the totality of what they are trying to achieve and create an action plan for the meal ahead."

How to Spend the First 10 Minutes of Your Day

https://hbr.org/2014/06/how-to-spend-the-first-10-minutes-of-your-day/

Curated by,

Jason Kay

Melaka

22 May 2015

#7 | Things I Learnt This Week (That I Want To Share) #7

1. SELF-HELP

"Paradoxical as it may sound, to stop resisting that which we cannot control is the only choice we have, but it is also one we must actively make in order to transcend our limits."

Control, Surrender and the Paradox of Self-Transcendence: Wisdom from a Vintage Scandinavian Children’s Book

http://www.brainpickings.org/2015/01/22/tove-jansson-moominland-midwinter-moomintroll/

2. RELATIONSHIP

A very interesting exercise. You will be enlightened, and have a good time.

36 Questions on the Way to Love

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/13/style/the-36-questions-on-the-way-to-love.html

3. GEOGRAPHY

Nations of the World - with lyrics - Animaniacs

http://youtu.be/5pOFKmk7ytU

Curated by,

Jason Kay

Melaka

30 April 2015

#6 | Things I Learnt This Week (That I Want To Share) [The VideoEdition] #6

I've been so tired these past 2 weeks. And a bout of flu to top it. Have not been reading much. So watched a few videos, and... 

1. Cute Karate Girl

http://youtu.be/dnjSoeKKVX4

2. Megatron Misses Shia

https://youtu.be/fCKSOKTES_g

3. You Are Not Alone - Michael Jackson 

http://youtu.be/pAyKJAtDNCw

JK

25 April 2015

#5 | Things I Learnt This Week (That I Want To Share) #5

1. SCIENCE

This piece is phenomenally good. It explains the scientific method. If you read only one thing this week, this should be it. 

Why scientific truth may hurt - Adam Rutherford

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/apr/05/scientific-truth-genetics-darwin-adam-rutherford

2. MALAYSIA | SOCIETY | NEP

"My mother and the women of her generation sold off their gold jewellery to raise money for the party. Now materialism and self-interest have crept in. ... The Malays were really down at that time. We were prejudiced against. There were very few Malay doctors, lawyers and bankers. ... Believe me, the NEP was really needed. Tun Razak wanted to bring up the Malays so they wouldn’t feel that they were of a lower class. His emphasis was to educate the Malays. Today, you have Malays in all sectors. Tun Razak did not foresee that the NEP would be abused. He expected those who enjoyed the privileges to share it with the community. Instead, some have used it to benefit themselves and their families."

- Tan Sri Khalid Ahmad Sulaiman 

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/04/05/Dont-politicise-hudud/

3. REASON | THINKING | LOGIC

"The gullible rarely believe they are gullible and the closed-minded don’t believe they are closed-minded. ... Gullibility, carelessness and closed-mindedness are examples of what the US philosopher Linda Zagzebski, in her book Virtues of the Mind (1996), has called ‘intellectual vices’. Others include negligence, idleness, rigidity, obtuseness, prejudice, lack of thoroughness, and insensitivity to detail. Intellectual character traits are habits or styles of thinking. ... If we care about the truth then we should care about equipping people with the intellectual means to arrive at the truth and avoid falsehood. Education is the best way of doing that."

Intellectual character of conspiracy theorists – Quassim Cassam 

http://aeon.co/magazine/philosophy/intellectual-character-of-conspiracy-theorists/

Curated by,

Jason Kay

Melaka

11 April 2015

#4 | Things I Learnt This Week (That I Want To Share) #4

1. HEALTH | HUMAN RIGHTS

93% is a huge number.

"An unpublished study conducted in 2011 by the University of Malaya's department of preventive medicine in Malaysia found that 93 percent of Muslim women in Malaysia have undergone the procedure. ... The cutting that occurs in Malaysia ... falls under type IV of the WHO's classification system - the least invasive type, typically done without removing flesh. Malaysia's highest religious authority issued a fatwa, an Islamic legal edict, in 2009 making the cutting procedure required for all Muslim women, unless "harmful". ... The fatwa poses a dilemma for medical professionals caught between their unwillingness to violate WHO guidelines, and parents who feel pressure to have their daughters cut."

Female genital cutting in Thailand's south

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2015/03/female-genital-cutting-thailand-south-150309083458995.html

2. MALAYSIA | POLITICS | SOCIETY

Zan Azlee interviews Ibrahim Ali - March 31, 2015
http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-news/5tahun2020-malaysia-too-young-form-bangsa-malaysia-ibrahim-ali-56782

3. SCIENCE | PERSPECTIVE

The visuals are stunning, the music apt... but it's the subtitles that brings it all together to remind us who we are, and how little we are.

The Known Universe by AMNH
http://youtu.be/17jymDn0W6U

Curated by,
Jason Kay
Melaka
05 April 2015

#3 | Things I Learnt This Week (That I Want To Share) #3

1. SCIENCE | TEACHING

Teaching Evolution to Students Who Tell Me They’ll Pray for My Soul

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/03/teaching_human_evolution_at_the_university_of_kentucky_there_are_some_students.html 

2. CITIZENSHIP | MILITARY

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: U.S. Territories (HBO)

https://youtu.be/CesHr99ezWE

3. FUNNY

What If Superman Was Adopted By The Waynes

http://youtu.be/DveVvg3A-dI

Curated by,

Jason Kay

Melaka

28 March 2015

#2 | Things I Learnt This Week (That I Want To Share) #2

I spent last Saturday at the Malaysian Bar AGM 2015 - http://jasonkaykl.blogspot.com/2015/03/thoughts-post-malaysian-bar-69th-agm-in.html

So, here's the second edition of #tiltwtiwts

1. POLITICS | ISIL | USA | SAUDI ARABIA 

"I find it remarkable that Saudi Arabia, which borders Iraq and is controlled by a multi-billion dollar family, is demanding that U.S. combat troops have ‘boots on the ground’ against ISIS. Where are the Saudi troops? With the third largest military budget in the world and an army far larger than ISIS, the Saudi government must accept its full responsibility for stability in their own region of the world. Ultimately, this is a profound struggle for the soul of Islam, and the anti-ISIS Muslim nations must lead that fight. While the United States and other western nations should be supportive, the Muslim nations must lead."

- Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont (Independent senator), 06 March 2015

[One of the biggest lessons from George W. Bush’s follies in Iraq was that outsiders can’t remake the Middle East. ... The United States is not going to fight the Saudis battles for them. The days of the Bush cowboy diplomacy are long gone. ... the leaders of the region must take responsibility for their own problems. There is no good reason for American men and women to fight and die in a war with ISIS. ... the Saudis have more than enough military capacity to take on ISIS if they wanted to. ... If the Saudis want a ground war, they should be the ones who lead the fight against ISIS.]

Bernie Sanders Blasts Saudis For Demanding U.S. Troops On The Ground To Fight ISIS

http://www.politicususa.com/2015/03/06/bernie-sanders-blasts-saudis-demanding-u-s-troops-ground-fight-isis.html

2. LAW | DEATH PENALTY

“Nowadays the death penalty is inadmissible, no matter how serious the crime committed. It is an offence against the inviolability of life and the dignity of the human person, which contradicts God's plan for man and society, and his merciful justice, and impedes the penalty from fulfilling any just objective. It does not render justice to the victims, but rather fosters vengeance. For the rule of law, the death penalty represents a failure, as it obliges the state to kill in the name of justice.”

- Pope Francis, 20 March 2015

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Blog/3760/Pope_Francis_says_the_death_penalty_is_inadmissible_Is_he_right.aspx

3. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR)

How Ricoh Returned 90,000 Photos to Victims of the 2011 Tsunami in Japan

http://petapixel.com/2015/03/11/how-ricoh-returned-90000-photos-to-victims-of-the-2011-tsunami-in-japan/

4. CONFLICT RESOLUTION - commentary

To "bury the hatchet" is an American Indian custom at the cessation of rivalry. Malaysians should consider creating a new custom by having roti jala (a type of pancake) with curry over drinks and a smile after an argument. We are, first and foremost, a people in love with good diverse food. 

Curated by,

Jason Kay

Melaka

21 March 2015

Things I Learnt This Week (That I Want To Share) #1

Oversharing has become a curse with social media available 24/7. This realisation hit me hard over the CNY 2015 break. Our minds are stretched and moulded by reacting, rather than contemplating; by sound bytes instead of reflecting in context. 

So I embark on this project: One post, at the end of each week, of the things that caught my eye, and engaged my mind, curated, for your consideration because I think they are worth your time. 

It is not altruism. It's me disciplining myself to look for the wheat and let go the chaff. Since I'm already benefitting from it, there is no harm sharing my discoveries with you. And so I do. Do drop by once a week, and hopefully, you won't be disappointed. 

=============

Things I Learnt This Week (That I Want To Share) #1

#tiltwtiwts

1. SCIENCE

"experiments show that when people’s beliefs are threatened, they often take flight to a land where facts do not matter. In scientific terms, their beliefs become less “falsifiable” because they can no longer be tested scientifically for verification or refutation.

...

With the disease of bias, then, societal immunity is better achieved when we encourage people to accept ambiguity, engage in critical thinking, and reject strict ideology."

Why People "Fly from Facts"

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-people-fly-from-facts/

2. LAW

I've always been fascinated with Qisas (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qisas) and Diyya (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diyya) in the death penalty discussion. I am generally anti death penalty, but I still don't have the answer to this excellent pro death penalty point: "If you oppose the death penalty, you are really just saying that no matter what horrible things a man does to another/other human beings, you guarantee him the most precious thing he has, his life." [If you can identity the source of this point, please let me know so I can credit it accordingly.]

Even the late Karpal Singh, a staunch anti death penalty lawyer, did have a different view in cases of child rape - http://www.thesundaily.my/node/140082

We may not have the stomach for an eye for an eye taken literally - http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/05/eye-for-an-eye-iran-blinds-man-who-carried-out-acid-attack

But the slap on the wrist sentence given to Anders Breivik http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Behring_Breivik offends me greatly. 

3. FUNNY | SOCIETY | LAW

Jim Jefferies - gun control

http://youtu.be/fP3HJVp3n9c

Curated by,

Jason Kay

Melaka

06 March 2015