Month: February 2018

Mind your Guns, Take Control

Love westerns and great movie lines but photographers now can’t even say “shoot” without people ducking for cover. We know many high ranking US political officials are largely funded by large companies and in particular pro-gun manufacturing National Rifle Association (NRA). Others by large pharmaceutical companies, etc.

I’m in full support of fellow bloggers like “Wear You are Now” trying to open our eyes to take action mindful of humanity, and practically against guns and against violence. Including wearing orange, peaceful walk-outs in March and April (March 14th and April 20th to be exact)!

Too many young people are angry about life, have low EQ which includes lack of patience and self-control.  This, combined with other mental health issues (or with extreme ideologies) is a ticking time bomb. Doesn’t stop here.

Teens torturing animals, dating violence, more intense bullying. Today a FB video of young kids maybe 4 years old shown around FB are playing a shooting game (in Libya?) which involves having their friends kneel down with hands behind their head and one child with a fake semi-automatic “shoot” them behind the head. Yes this is terrorism in the making. Then there are all those video games kids as young as 7 years old play like “Assassins Creed” or “Grand Auto Theft” and many more online games pro-violence and pro-guns.  Psychologists refer to the process of desensitization… we become “tolerant” of violence….it’s a cycle. Power and Control, clearly visualized in the Duluth model power and control wheel on domestic violence!

Yes, we need to be health literate which includes what we are exposed to visually or virtually, what we have access to and are easily accessible (from crap food, violent games and media even videos and music) that lead us to bad decision-making and inexplicable behaviors, and there is more than enough proof. We see and live it every day. School violence and senseless killings? Michael Moore in “Bowling for Columbine” describes it best and unfortunately many countries around the world are following suit to the violence in the United States. Perhaps it is intentional population control? Why not truly focus on prevention and education? It’s not just the West. The East and all countries of all religions need to realize we cannot promote violence against women, marginalized groups, against religions, against nations. The new world order ain’t working folks. The Dalai Llama has it right and gets our vote for a truly global citizen — act now, WE create violence not God, it’s BEYOND our prayer.

Health Love Rock

Health and Love ROCK!

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Valentine Health Messages

One of my favorite romance movies is Chocolat, not only because of all-star actors like Depp, Binoche and Dench, but the priceless moment is when the town’s Mayor gorges himself full of chocolate which his overly Catholic moral self would not allow, and gets caught…  Dark chocolate in particular has always had medicinal properties, a surprising antioxidant super food according to Paleohacks!   Anyone who savors chocolate everything would appreciate being invited to a chocolate-tea party or in the spirit of the season an “anti-Valentine’s party,” but really why not focus on positivity of social support rather than the lonely hearts club?

Another great romance and true-to-life story of Elizabeth Gilbert in her book and later Hollywood movie Eat, Pray, Love speaks true of overcoming one’s fear of healthy relationships (commitment phobics you need to work on it!), enjoying the moment with terrific food, praying (cultivating spirituality and mindfulness), and of course having an openness to love. Perhaps fun messages on candy (or cinnamon hearts, one of my favorites), cool cards, heart shaped chocolate boxes, an overrated pressure of getting it ‘right’ on Valentine’s day… leaves a lot to be desired. Having a truly healthy mind, healthy body, healthy spirit, are true achievements of an overall healthy life including building and maintaining health literacy.  Gilbert got it, Snoopy got it, do we all get it?

Do you love the names “Valentina” or “Valentino” (female and male versions) perhaps because they are polysyllabic, or that they conjure up visions of kissing the silent movie actor, Rudolph Valentino, near an Italian stream as in the dream of the mid 80’s band The Bangles?  Then there is the truth of the ever-popular 3rd century Saint Valentine, becoming popular among many cultures around the world, supporting the practice of marrying lovers despite the decree of the then Catholic Church, and ultimately for his practices being beheaded in punishment. A gruesome reality of those times.

Happily we went to a cafe-restaurant (Dtale cafe) that maintains a smoke-free environment, which in this part of the world is always a positive and needed to prevent second-hand or passive smoking. In addition to their fabulous dishes, coffee and desserts, they have a great addition of objects with fun messages…. regardless of what you do this V-day, enjoy the food and your company, you deserve it!

Jamming for Peace

Last weekend we jammed, heard amazing leaders talk about a range of topics from preventing nuclear proliferation,  super foods, social justice and health literacy, to rebuilding communities, by focusing on leadership and giving hope to young people. The Peace Jam is an annual event —started by an international effort for peace back in 1996 — with more than 39 countries active in participation, including Greece the last years with the group Eimai headed by Ellen Froustis at the steady helm.

A great chance to reconnect with Dr. Chris  Zarcadoolas, checkout her blog Public Linguist.  She gave insight about what is happening in health literacy and U.S. trends with e-health and technology, some communities’ access (and lack there of) to healthy food and obesity trends, the social media tidal wave, and questions of social equity and issues of trust.

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HAEC/HAUniv Student discusses about vandalistic tagging

A student from Hellenic American College/ Hellenic American University working on a pilot study with a team of students and their professor in a Global citizen class and showcased several images of various vandalistic style graffiti posed both questions and concerns for the event’s audience members to ponder over in a workshop —messages which their younger counterparts will definitely “take home” in better understanding tagging and how much money is needed for clean-up, or how vandalized road signs can negatively affect drivers.

Nobel Laureates actively support Peace Jam events as guiding beacons across the globe. Luckily we heard Nobel Laureate 1980, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Argentinian Activist and Painter, share his lifelong lessons. He talked about the problem of foreign debt by comparing both Greece and Argentina as countries in crisis. He said,  “A democracy is constructed you cannot just give it, built from below. We are ALL responsible for bringing and building democracy…”  He talked about the importance of caring for our earth, maintaining hope especially for young people that there is “always some light ahead of us”. We must not despair but always move forward. Education helps us become free men and women.