Gun Laws in USA/Mass shooting in Las Vegas

Another tragedy took place in USA when a 64 year old man opened fire on a crowd of 22000 people in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over 58 have been killed and the number may rise. Over 500 have been injured. - Source

There have been many responses on Twitter regarding the incident.
From people praying for Las Vegas:

To people stressing the importance of stricter gun laws in USA:

 


To people urging us to realise that this man was a terrorist and there's no excuse for that:

 

 


This has -once again- started a discussion about gun laws in USA.
Many people claim their amendment rights are important, whereas others stress out that human life is more important.
Others highlight their right to protect themselves, stating that owning a gun is self defense.

Many non USA citizens still don't understand this logic. And I am one of them.

• You cannot continue enforcing laws the same way you did hundreds of years ago. Society changes, technology changes, culture changes and law needs to reflect those changes in order to be considered effective. When you have identified that there is an extreme gun violence issue in your country, when your country becomes the country with the overwhelming majority of mass gun shootings and gun violence in the Western World, then something is wrong. Guns are weapons of death. The rest of the world can see it, so why can't USA citizens see it? I deliberately say USA citizens instead of Americans, because as many people forget, America comprises of many countries, not just USA.
  So, why does the law -of some States- make it so easy for people to own guns? And also, why do retailers make it so easy for people to purchase guns? Why do people even need to own guns?
• And now we're getting to the 'excuse'/argument most people bring up when told that civilians shouldn't own guns: Safety. And so, let me ask you five key question regarding your safety, owning a gun, using a gun, and the implications of those:

1. Do you feel your country is that dangerous that you need to always carry a gun with you? And if you feel your country is indeed so dangerous, do you believe owning a gun will resolve the issue?
2. Do you feel that if you're attacked you have the right to use that gun?
3. Do you feel that if you're attacked you have enough expertise and experience to be able to use your gun effectively to protect yourself?
4. Are you aware that when you're carrying a weapon on you you must be prepared for that weapon to be used against you?
5. Are you aware that when you're carrying a weapon on you you may actually have to use it? Do you understand the practical consequences but also the mental consequences that may have on you?

These are all questions I have asked pro gun persons over the years. 

Let's break each down.

1. If you're carrying a gun, you most probably feel unsafe (or you've watched too many cowboy movies). If you feel unsafe and you carry a gun, you most probably intent to use it when you feel threatened. But how does you carrying a gun reduce the danger? Wouldn't it actually increase it since one more person is carrying a gun? And what if you misunderstand a situation and shoot a person or an animal who wasn't truly threatening you?
If USA is dangerous, that is a socio-economical, cultural and educational issue. For USA to be less dangerous, you would have to determine why people become criminals. Apart from those who are inherently bad, many criminals choose that path because they feel they either don't have another choice, or because by that choice they can make more money. Or sometimes they've been wronged by the system and seek revenge this way.

When there are high crime rates, you need to focus on changing society. To do that you start from schools, you educate children and you make sure every single child goes to school; you also make sure no one is poor to the point they can't survive unless they turn to crime; you provide free healthcare (including mental health support) and you try to give people choices. If people have other choices, better choices, less people will turn to crime. Will crime ever disappear completely? Nope. That is not possible. But it can be dramatically reduced, and there are countries and communities that have achieved that. 

Bottom line, you carrying a gun won't make USA safer. On the contrary, each person carrying a gun is a potential criminal, whether they intend to be or not, as you can never know what situation you may get into and how you may react to it. What will make USA safer though is policy change, supporting poor communities more, focusing on education, providing accessible health care for all and giving people other choices.

2. Now, many may think that when they're carrying a gun they have every right to use it as self defense. But what does self defense mean? Does it mean that if someone pushes you you can shoot them? Does it mean that if someone pulls a knife on you you can shoot them? Does it mean that when another person points a gun at you you can shoot them? Or does it mean that you may have to wait for the other person to shoot first before you can use your gun? Does the law support you even showing your gun as intimidation once threatened? I suppose each State will probably have different laws on the matter, but common sense tells me you'd most probably be justified to use your gun after someone has made a move to physically hurt you, and hurt you severely. In which case, carrying a gun isn't great help at all. By the time you will be legally allowed to use your gun to defend yourself, you may already be heavily injured, or even worse, dead.
Someone may say at this point that in areas with high gun violence, carrying a gun may be your only chance to survive. But as I previously mentioned, more guns means more gun violence and carrying a gun won't ensure you survive. Wouldn't it make more sense to completely ban guns and make it extremely hard purchasing them, but also implement harsh punishment on those carrying them?

3. Unfortunately, many people who carry guns have not been properly trained on how to use them -or when to use them. Do you feel confident that if your life is threatened you will be calm and collected enough to pull your gun, aim and shoot the person threatening you without killing them? Or, even worse, without missing and hurting an innocent person? As mentioned above, there is a chance you may even misunderstand a situation and shoot without being truly threatened. 

4. The first thing to remember when you carry any weapon on you is that it can be used against you. Are you prepared for that? If someone attacks you and you miss the shot or don't have enough time to take the shot, there is a good chance that person will try to grab the gun from you. And they may succeed. Are you ready for such a scenario? How would you defend yourself then? Is you carrying a gun worth the risk of being shot by your own gun? That is a very important factor you ought to keep in mind when deciding on carrying a gun on you.

5. Lastly, the most important question of all: Do you feel comfortable killing someone? In the horrific scenario of you being attacked and having no other option than having to kill your attacker, are you ready to do that? Have you considered the consequences of such an action? Legally and mentally? Do you understand what it means to take a life? Even if your own life is in danger, are you prepared to defend yourself to the point of causing someone else's death?
Carrying a gun -or even just owning a gun- isn't something to be taken lightly. There are responsibilities, but also grieve dangers that come with it. Are you fully aware of those?

I urge you to do your research on laws, but also within your soul to respond to these five questions before you decide you need a gun in your house or on you.

Six Months

Six months of repression
Suppression,  no measure of prevention

Illness, stillness, subversion
No chance of recuperation 

Physical oppression
No escaping deterioration

Inertia, exertion
No hope for restoration

National Poetry Day 2017

He is yogurt and she's basil 
He's deluded and she's green
Their relationship so tragic 
At the same time fresh and freeing

Yogurt tastes better with basil 
Basil likes giving a hint 
Both of them eaten together 
Tongue's delicious tasty spin

(written for a friend a couple of years ago)

Neighbour passed away

Today I was notified that one of my neighbours in Greece passed away.

I knew this lady since I was a child, and I very vividly remember her and her husband (who passed away six months ago). Her husband died of heart disease (he had a pacemaker for years). She died of a heart attack or something similar. She also suffered from Alzheimer's among others.

When they were younger, they were very energetic people.
Her husband was the president of the local committee for years, and he organised so many lovely events for the whole neighbourhood to enjoy for free. He had a kind smile and was always greeting neighbours and helping out those in need.
She, even as an elder lady, was beautiful and dynamic. She had piercing green eyes, black hair and a raspy voice. She smoked like a chimney and drank a lot. She was kind and helpful as well, and I remember once, when my mum fainted in our house -I was four and didn't know what to do- she came to the rescue.
I will be forever be grateful for that.

In her late years she was in a lot of pain, and after her husband died her conditioned worsened.
They were one of the very few couples of that generation to not have children, and that had been a talk in the neighbourhood. Whether they chose to not have children, or they didn't have a choice, it's no one's business.
But that meant that each other was all they had, especially since all their relatives but their nephews had passed away. And their nephews didn't really care much to visit or support them. You see, they knew they didn't leave them any money, so they didn't care.

My mum found out on her way to the bakery shop. There were papers with details of the funeral on every sign post in the neighbourhood.
She was very shaken and when she announced the news to me she was evidently trying hard not to cry. I don't often see my mum like that, so I realised how much she respected and appreciated our neighbour who passed away.
I use "passed away" and not "died" as my mum didn't use the word "died" either today. I guess it sounds softer that way.

It feels as if with every elder person passing away, a part of my neighbourhood dies as well. Those elder people made this neighbourhood what it is -to me. They gave it that oldschool character, they kept it tight, as a neighbourhood.

She was over 70 but under 80 years old. Not young, but not ridiculously old either. And that scares me, as other important people of my life grow older as well.
Death is a scary thing after all, and sometimes only justified when it ends one's suffering. Like our neighbour's.

I don't really know how to feel, or what else to say. So I'd like to remain silent. For a minute or two. And reflect on life, try not to think of death, and honour her memory.

And if any of you who read this are religious, please say a prayer for her soul to rest in peace. She was religious too, so I'm sure she'd appreciate it.

Her name was Eleni.

Where not to take your Apple products for repair in Athens

So, unfortunately I had some issues with my macbook.

As I am in Athens, Greece at the moment, I had to find an official Apple retailer, since there are no Apple Stores in Greece.

And so, after reading a couple of reviews, I chose Document.
As someone who has experienced the Apple Stores customer services several times, I cannot help but find Document's customer services bellow average.

Here's why:
-I was told the technician would call me prior to starting the repair, to ask if I was on board with the potential cost. He did not.
In fact, none of the times I was promised a call for an update did I receive one.
-They even changed my OS without asking me.
-I was told my product had more issues than those I was aware of, and again, repair plans were made without my knowledge.
-At first, I was told the repair would be finished within 3-4 days. Then 5-6 days. Then 7-8 days. Which is preposterous. I have never waited for over 2-3 hours for a repair at an Apple Store. I understand this is not an Apple Store, but still, such long time is unacceptable.

If you're on holidays in Greece or for a short period of time, there is absolutely no reason to trust Document with the repair of your Apple products. If on the other hand you're a permanent resident, and you have no other choice... Well, good luck.

Rude hairdresser at Greek salon

I've been wanting to get back to pink/blue and generally unusual hair lately.
However, I know my hair is healthy and want to keep it that way.

So, I've been calling hair salons in Athens to see if they offer what I'm asking for: Olaplex treatments, cruelty free hair dyes and colourful hairdos.

I had a horrific experience with one of them.

I called Salonnuts on a Friday. The guy who picked the phone told me they're too busy and to call on a Monday.
I called on a Monday and I tried to explain what I was looking for.

The guy who picked the phone was so rude to me that I was in shock.
He told me very abruptly he's "not doing colourful hair" and "that's very last year."
He said I should have asked him to do that in 2017 not nearly 2018 (!!!).
I explained I'm not doing it for fashion, but I've had colourful hair for 11 years now.
His rude attitude didn't stop there. He also told me he'd never have a client leave his establishment with colourful hair.
Funnily enough, if you check their Instagram, he has done colourful hair on customers before.
During the phone call he didn't even let me speak properly, he kept on interrupting me and he had a bad tone.

I'm extremely shaken by his behaviour and rudeness. I was sincerely considering going to his establishment to get my hair done, since I read so many positive reviews.

Now I know the reviews were most probably fake, left by friends and family.

Lime Crime

Why do influencers still support Lime Crime? I've never seen a more controversial makeup brand and I'm sincerely curious. It keeps on popping on my suggestions even though I've never liked an image or a post relevant to their products. I also do not buy from retailers who stock their products and don't follow anyone who supports the brand. So, why does it keep popping on my feed? For anyone who doesn't know, a few reasons why you should think twice before you support them:

-They didn't renew their security and left their website vulnerable.

-There was a data breach due to that fact and thousands of people had their details stolen (some even fell victims of identity theft or had their bank accounts compromised -one person had up to 10k stolen).

-They didn't tell their customers until months later.

-The owner threatened, blocked or sued anyone who has criticised the brand.

-There was a huge scandal about them claiming they're vegan and cruelty free when some of their ingredients weren't (they decided to remove those ingredients from their list, but not from their products).

-There were unidentified ingredients in their products. And the FDA had to step in.

-The owner dressed up as Hitler for Halloween.

-The owner had scammed people before creating Lime Crime by faking she'd gather money and donate it to an animal shelter.

-Lime Crime has been accused of repackaging products.

-Some of their products had mold/rust in them.

-The owner has insulted her customers multiple times -publicly.

Sources:

-http://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/news/lime-crime-scandal/

-http://www.revelist.com/makeup/controversial-beauty-brands/7025/1-lime-crime/10

-http://www.revelist.com/makeup/lime-crime-controversies/8202/lime-crime-is-frequently-accused-of-repackaging-products-and-then-denying-it/2

-https://www.bustle.com/articles/187927-the-lime-crime-superfoil-eyeshadows-are-creating-controversy-among-fans-of-the-brand

-https://www.racked.com/2015/9/28/9392021/lime-crime-doe-deere-hated-xenia-vorotova

-http://www.refinery29.com/2015/08/93130/lime-crime-lipsticks-illegal-additives-fda-approval

-http://www.businessinsider.com/lime-crime-warning-from-fda-2015-10

-https://encyclopediadramatica.rs/Doe_Deere

Random Thoughts XXXXXXV

It's not that the older people get they get wiser and figure life out.
It's that they learn to pretend everything is alright and they just become better at that.
Pretending.

Random Thoughts XXXXXXIV

I will never be free

Nudity

Nudity is never vulgar. Nudity is art. Your brain may be vulgar, but a naked body will never be.

"Choose happiness"????

I just watched an interview on Channel 4.
A man was saying that "Life is what you choose it to be, you control how you perceive the world" etc. etc. etc.

I see many people repeating this on social media.
However, these people never include people who suffer from mental health in their message.

Because when you say everyone has a choice, you need to clarify you're talking about people who are mentally healthy.
Otherwise, you're being mentalists (aka ableists towards people who suffer from mental illness).

Why?
Because people who suffer from mental health do not have a choice.
No one chooses to suffer from anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, ptsd etc.
No one.

But people do suffer from those, and other mental illnesses.
And it's definitely not their choice.

So it's all fun and games when you can actually choose to be happy, when you have the ability to control your mind, but it's a nightmare when you don't.

Mental illness is a mentally healthy person's dystopia.

Even though I'm not expecting mentally healthy people to understand, I'd rather they make the clarification that they're addressing fellow mentally healthy persons.

Unfortunately, many people who suffer from mental illness read that stuff and feel guilty for being unable to "choose happiness".

Well, if you suffer from mental health and you read this:
It's not your fault.
It wasn't your choice.
You're not to blame.

.Peace.

Neighbours' Party

My Greek neighbours are partying and reliving the 90s.

They've played mainstream pop and edm for the biggest part, starting from 'techno' (they even played 'Dance with the Devil') and now transcending to psy trans.

Very soon I will wear my plastic choker, denim skirt and faux leather stiletto boots, blue eyeshadow and clear lip gloss, awful small sunglasses, and join them. That was a joke, I'd rather listen to Justin Bieber for a week than relive 90s fashion.

... And we're in the late 80s now. I assume in an hour or two we'll be in the 70s.

I'm keeping y'all updated because I'm sure you're so interested in my neighbours' social gatherings on a Friday night. Oh, no! Now they're listening to some horrible Greek trash music. Damn it, I could handle the shitty 90s and 80s music (Greek tunes included), but I cannot handle skyladika! Thankfully now they moved to Eurovision songs. I mean... I'm not fond of them either, but anything will do if it means I don't have to tolerate skyladika.

Meat substitutes

My favourite 'cook at home' meat substitutes (in no particular order):

1. Linda McCartney Rosemary Sausages

2. Quorn Mozzarella & Pesto Escalopes

3. Linda McCartney Mozzarella Burger

4. Quorn 'Chicken' Nuggets

5. Cauldron Falafels

6. Linda McCartney Meat Free Kiev

7. Sainsbury's Green Vegetable Risotto Kiev

8. Lord of Tofu Spicy Sausage

9. The Vegetarian Butcher Sausage

10. Fry's Vegan Crumbed Schnitzels

Junk Food

My favourite junk foods (in no particular order):

1. Mozzarella sticks with ketchup/bbq sauce

2. French fries with ketchup/mayo/bbq sauce and shitloads of salt

3. Veggie Pizza dipped in garlic sauce

4. Nachos with cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and jalapeños

5. Veggie Souvlaki with yellow sauce

6. Veggie Burger with mayo

8. Crisps bbq/oregano/pizza/cheese/vinegar/cheese and onion flavour

My email address got pwned, what to do?

First of all, are you sure your account has been breached or compromised in any way?

To make sure, check your email address here: https://haveibeenpwned.com/

Now, in the unfortunate event that your email is on the list, well, you're not alone.

I read an article recently on the latest data breach. You can click on it for techy details and how to protect yourselves using password managers and all that fancy stuff.

However, if you don't trust password managers (which is crazy, but your right to) there are a few other things you can do.

I have to clarify I'm not knowledgeable on such matters (security breaches, hacking or whatever), but I possess reason and common sense.

So here follows a small list of steps you can take to protect yourself online:

1. Never use your real name on social media, pornsites and generally anything non work or online shopping or serious stuff related
2. Use a different email address to sign up on social media, a different one for pornsites, a different one for online shopping (and if possible a different one for work related stuff, medical and financial stuff etc.)
3. Never use your real name on email addresses you use for social media, fora, pornsites etc.
4. Never use the same password on different email accounts or any accounts in general 
5. Try to always create strong passwords (including capital letters, numbers and symbols -avoid using your name, date of birth etc.)
6. Never click on emails from untrusted sources
7. Never click on links from untrusted sources 

I understand most of us are lazy af when it comes to those things, so if you have two email addresses, one using your real name, which you use for serious stuff and a fake one for everything else, you should be fine as long as you're careful.

Another option is to get an extension like Blur and use masked emails to sign up for non serious stuff. Then you'll still get emails on your main inbox, but they'll be coming through Blur, and none of your real details will be used. 

I hope this helps!