Mood and Memory Clinic

05/25/2025

Humanity at Its Breaking Point
The war in Gaza has endured for years, but since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, it has escalated into something far more devastating. What we are witnessing now defies comprehension—a level of atrocity that strips away any remaining illusion of restraint. As with all wars, it is the powerless who suffer the most: those who cannot flee, who have no shelter, no safety.
But this war has become something even darker—it is no longer just a conflict between armed forces. It has become a war on children.
As of May 2025, over 14,500 children have been killed in Gaza since the escalation began, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. UNICEF has called Gaza "the most dangerous place in the world to be a child." More than 17,000 children are now unaccompanied or separated, often because their parents have been killed or detained.
The methods of destruction have shifted from relentless airstrikes to systematic starvation and siege tactics. Since January 2024, the Israeli blockade has severely limited the entry of food, water, fuel, and humanitarian aid. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), famine-like conditions are now affecting nearly 500,000 people, with more than 80% of the population facing catastrophic hunger. Over 1,200 children have died due to malnutrition and dehydration in the last few months alone, many of them under the age of five.
The images flooding social media show children emaciated beyond recognition, infants too weak to cry, toddlers who will never speak or walk. The trauma is not just physical; it is psychological and generational. An entire population is being stripped of its future before our eyes.
Israel’s blockade on aid has one apparent aim: submission. But who is expected to submit? The starving children? The mothers who cradle their dying babies? Or the broken families who have nothing left to give?
Meanwhile, the world looks away. The U.S. government continues to provide billions in military aid to Israel, while its leadership deflects accountability. Trump plays golf. European leaders are busy preparing for their summer holidays. Russia wages war in Ukraine. China strikes mining deals in Africa. All while Gaza’s children are buried beneath rubble, or left to die in makeshift hospitals without supplies, without food, without hope.
Since March, when Israel intensified its campaign of siege and starvation, the crisis has entered a phase the United Nations has described as a “textbook case of genocide.” And yet, silence prevails.
This tragedy also unfolds against the backdrop of cynical politics. Netanyahu, politically isolated, sought favor by escalating the war. At the same time, Trump more concerned with personal triumph flirted with authoritarian regimes like Iran, calculating influence and legacy over human life. In this geopolitical chess game, Palestinian children are the pawns disposable, forgotten.
Arab states, meanwhile, compete to curry favor with the same powers, each angling for influence while the people they claim to support perish without dignity. Gaza is no longer a war zone, it is an open-air graveyard.
I am not appealing to governments. I’m no longer sure humanity, as a collective force, even exists. I do not expect a shift in global policy. I am not calling on institutions, they’ve already made their choices.
But as individuals, we still have a voice.
We can speak. We can share. We can resist this silence. We can honor the lives being lost not with pity, but with action. Because if we allow these children to vanish without witness, then we are complicit, not just in their deaths, but in the death of our own humanity.
I have decided to dignify each child's death by naming what killed them, blockades, bombs, silence, politics, and cowardice. I will not grieve quietly while their bodies are buried under rubble and indifference. I will speak their truth in every room that tries to ignore them. I will make sure their faces haunt every policy, every alliance, every excuse. I refuse to let their lives be erased, and I will resist with every word, every breath, until the killing ends.
One day, I will build a wall greater than any monument bearing the names of fallen soldiers—because these children were soldiers too. Not by choice, not with weapons, but with their lives. Their only battlefield was survival; their only resistance was existing. And for that, they were killed. I will etch their names into the conscience of the world, so no one can look away again.
So let us:
1. Speak with Purpose, Not Just Pain. People connect with purpose. Use your voice not just to express heartbreak, but to invite others into a shared mission:
2. Create a Visible Symbol of Resistance. Turn your words into something tangible that others can contribute to:
3. Use Stories, Not Just Statistics. While numbers are powerful, stories change hearts. Share the story of one child. A digital memorial wall where people can submit names, drawings, messages.

05/07/2025

A Call to Conscience: From the Iranian Diaspora to the Beating Heart of Iran

To every Iranian-American whose soul still aches for the mountains of Kurdistan, the poetry of Hafez, the fire of the revolutionaries, and the silent graves of the fallen — this is for you.

This is a message for those whose hearts still pulse in rhythm with Iran — even from a world away.

We are watching, once again, a cynical play unfold. Donald Trump, master of spectacle and manipulator of narrative, is positioning himself not as a man of peace, but as the central figure in a grotesque theater. For nearly a month, he rained down bombs on the Houthis in Yemen — a brutal campaign filled with indiscriminate destruction. He unleashed the full might of the U.S. arsenal upon a stateless resistance, showing no regard for the innocent lives caught beneath the rubble.

And then, as he prepared for his grand entrance into the Middle East, he halted the bombing — not out of conscience, but for choreography. Standing before cameras, he had the audacity to say something unthinkable: that the Houthis “fought bravely.” After directing a campaign of annihilation, he crowned them with backhanded praise, all so he could present himself as a bringer of peace while military parades were prepared in his honor.

This is not diplomacy. It is performance soaked in blood.

The Ayatollah in Iran — once resolute in his declarations of defiance — first said never to negotiations with Trump. Then he shifted to "no direct negotiations." Now, desperate to preserve the regime, he is bending backward to appease — even to the point of accepting the renaming of the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf, a betrayal of history and identity. The very regime that once shouted Death to America is now whispering accommodations to the same man they once condemned — just to cling to power.

Meanwhile, the atrocities in Palestine grow more harrowing by the day. The world watches as children are buried beneath rubble, as a population is starved and silenced. And yet — where is the outrage? Where are the European voices that once spoke of human rights? Where are the Middle Eastern leaders who once stood for dignity?

Nowhere — because the puppet master, Trump, is once again pulling the strings.

Even in the heart of Europe, injustice continues. Just recently, Iranians were arrested in England, allegedly plotting an attack on a site linked to the Israeli embassy. But what should have been a moment for sober analysis or political reflection was met with silence. No real reaction from European powers — because they are too busy orbiting around Trump's shadow, too afraid to challenge the new axis of authoritarianism.

Let us be clear: we are witnessing the convergence of tyrants. From Washington to Tehran, from Riyadh to Tel Aviv, the goal is not peace — it is profit. The oil, the minerals, the land — all of it is being carved up among those who see our region as nothing more than a commodity to be traded, a battlefield to be used, a people to be broken.

We, the Iranian diaspora, cannot look away. We cannot retreat into the illusion of isolationism while living in the comfort paid for, in part, by the exploitation of our own homeland. We cannot ignore the suffering in Gaza, the repression in Iran, or the hypocrisy of Western powers who arm dictators while preaching freedom.

Now is the time to rise. To speak not just with outrage, but with unwavering love for our people and our heritage. We must not allow our nation’s pride to be reduced to a bargaining chip between criminals in suits and tyrants in robes.

History is watching. Our children will ask what we did in the face of such betrayal. Let the answer be this:

We remembered.
We resisted.
We spoke with the voice of the silenced.
And we refused to let Iran — and justice — be sold.

05/07/2025

ندای وجدان: از ایرانیان دور از وطن به قلب تپنده‌ی ایران

به همه‌ی ایرانیان آمریکایی که هنوز دل‌شان با ضربان کوچه‌های تهران می‌تپد، که هنوز در گوش‌شان صدای حافظ از شیراز طنین دارد، و که هنوز در خواب‌هایشان رنگ‌های غرورآمیز یک تمدن کهن را می‌بینند — این پیام برای شماست.

این پیامی‌ست برای آن‌هایی که قلب‌شان، حتی در هزاران کیلومتر فاصله، هنوز برای ایران می‌تپد.

ما دوباره شاهد اجرای یک نمایش فریبکارانه و شرم‌آور هستیم. دونالد ترامپ — استاد صحنه‌سازی و بازیگر سیاست — خود را نه به‌عنوان پیام‌آور صلح، بلکه به‌عنوان نقش اول یک نمایش خون‌آلود معرفی می‌کند. نزدیک به یک ماه، او بمب بر سر حوثی‌ها در یمن ریخت — حمله‌ای بی‌رحمانه و کورکورانه، بدون تمایز بین نظامی و غیرنظامی. او تمام توان نظامی خود را علیه گروهی بی‌دولت به کار گرفت، بی‌آنکه نگاهی به جان‌های بی‌گناه داشته باشد که زیر آوار مدفون شدند.

و بعد، درست پیش از سفرش به خاورمیانه، بمباران را متوقف کرد — نه به‌خاطر وجدان، بلکه برای صحنه‌آرایی. و در برابر دوربین‌ها، با کمال وقاحت گفت که «حوثی‌ها شجاعانه جنگیدند». پس از آن همه ویرانی، با تحقیر، به آن‌ها مدال شجاعت داد — فقط برای آن‌که خودش را به‌عنوان صلح‌طلب جلوه دهد، در حالی که رژه‌ی نظامی در افتخارش تدارک دیده شده بود.

این دیپلماسی نیست — این تئاتری‌ست غرق در خون.

رهبر جمهوری اسلامی که زمانی با صراحت گفت هرگز با ترامپ مذاکره نخواهد کرد، بعد گفت «مذاکره‌ی مستقیم نه»، و حالا برای حفظ رژیمش، آماده‌ی هر نوع سازشی شده — حتی پذیرش تحریف تاریخی نام «خلیج فارس» به «خلیج عربی». رژیمی که روزگاری فریاد «مرگ بر آمریکا» سر می‌داد، امروز پشت درهای بسته، در تلاش است به همان دشمن قدیمی امتیاز دهد، فقط برای بقای قدرت.

در همین زمان، فجایع انسانی در فلسطین هر روز سنگین‌تر می‌شود. کودکانی که زیر آوار جان می‌دهند، خانواده‌هایی که ریشه‌کن می‌شوند، و جهانی که فقط نظاره‌گر است. صدای حقوق بشر اروپا کجاست؟ خشم کشورهای عربی کجا رفته است؟ رهبران خاورمیانه‌ای که زمانی دم از کرامت می‌زدند، امروز کجایند؟

هیچ‌جا — چون همه چشم به ترامپ دوخته‌اند. عروسک‌گردانی که دوباره طناب‌ها را در دست دارد.

حتی در دل اروپا، ظلم ادامه دارد. اخیراً چند ایرانی در لندن بازداشت شدند — گویا در حال برنامه‌ریزی برای حمله به یک نقطه مرتبط با سفارت اسرائیل. اما این رویداد با چه واکنشی روبه‌رو شد؟ تقریباً هیچ. چرا؟ چون قدرت‌های اروپایی، همگی غرق در سایه‌ی ترامپ‌اند.

باید حقیقت را روشن گفت: ما شاهد اتحاد هیولاها هستیم. از واشنگتن تا تهران، از تل‌آویو تا ریاض — هدف نه صلح است، نه عدالت. هدف منافع است. نفت، منابع، خاک. منطقه‌ی ما برایشان فقط بازاری‌ست برای غارت، میدان جنگی برای نمایش، و مردمانی که می‌توان آن‌ها را شکست و خاموش کرد.

ما ایرانیان دور از وطن نباید بی‌تفاوت بمانیم. نمی‌توانیم به بهانه‌ی انزواطلبی، چشمان‌مان را ببندیم، وقتی که از ثمرات ارزان ظلم بهره‌مندیم. نمی‌توانیم بگوییم «این نبرد ما نیست»، وقتی ریشه‌های ما در همان خاکی است که دارد ویران می‌شود.

اکنون زمان برخاستن است. نه فقط با خشم، بلکه با عشقی عمیق به مردم‌مان، به ایران‌مان، به تاریخ‌مان. نباید اجازه دهیم غرور ایران به یک مهره‌ی معامله در میان جنایتکاران کت‌وشلوارپوش و دیکتاتورهای عمامه‌پوش تبدیل شود.

تاریخ نظاره‌گر است. فرزندان‌مان خواهند پرسید: در برابر این همه خیانت، ما چه کردیم؟

بگذارید پاسخ ما این باشد:

ما فراموش نکردیم.
ما ایستادگی کردیم.
ما صدای خاموشان شدیم.
و نگذاشتیم ایران و عدالت، فروخته شوند.

04/29/2025

100 Days That Feel Like a Century
We’ve survived 100 days of Trump’s presidency, and it already feels like an entire era.
In that time, he has signed 137 executive orders EO, each one carefully engineered not just to govern, but to reshape the emotional battlefield of America.
Some executive orders seem laughable on the surface like “Maintaining Acceptable Water Pressure in Showerheads”.
But make no mistake: every single one serves a deeper purpose. To portray Democrats as weak, radical, elitist, and anti-American. And to paint Republicans as strong, just, and in touch with real America.
Trump’s executive orders tilt the emotional ground hard toward Republicans, tapping into powerful emotional themes: Patriotism, Religion, Family, Energy independence, Freedom
Meanwhile, Democrats are psychologically framed as: Anti-patriotic, Anti-women, Anti-energy, Pro-elite/globalist, Soft on crime, drugs, and border security, Anti-Christian and anti-truth
The Emotional War: Through this strategy, republicans win emotional loyalty by positioning themselves as: defenders of patriotism and pride, champions of fairness and common sense, protectors of faith, family, and tradition, fighters for economic independence and personal freedom
As a result, Trump and the GOP have created a powerful emotional and cultural battlefield where: democrats seem alien, defensive, and out of touch, Republicans feel like defenders of the true American spirit
We need to be smart about these executive orders.
They’re not just political theater or power plays for the cameras; they’re strategic psychological weapons.
Here’s how they work:
Trump signs an order, his base hears it, and it reinforces two things:
A positive emotional connection to him and a negative gut reaction to Democrats
Meanwhile, we hear the same message and often respond with frustration, fear, or defensiveness ,and that only amplifies their emotional momentum.
The more he pushes these messages, the more they grow in moral and emotional power.
They don’t just shape policy, they reshape identity, pride, and perception.
The real question is:
What are we doing to counter this?
What stories are we telling, what emotions are we activating, and how are we moving people — not just to think, but to feel enough to act and vote Democratic?
If we don’t answer that, we’re not just losing a messaging war.
We’re losing the emotional heart of the country.
Yes, his approval is at rock bottom.
He’s backtracking on his promises and floundering on the world stage.
But let’s be clear: this is part of the playbook.
He puts a target on his own back, not because he’s weak, but because he knows we’ll take the bait. And when we focus all our energy attacking him, we lose sight of the one thing that truly matters: Reaching the people with our message.
So, let’s be smarter than that.
Let’s stop pouring our energy into impeachment fantasies, daily outrage, or waiting for him to self-destruct. Every time we attack him personally; we risk making him bigger than he actually is. Instead, let’s focus on what moves people:
Truth, hope, policy that matters , and a vision for the future that makes people want to vote for something, not just against someone. Let’s own the emotions of people and not act defensive and hurt. What do you think?

09/23/2022

06/17/2020

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/video-how-alzheimers-changes-brain #.XujqNNXRRWQ.facebook

This 4-minute video shows how Alzheimer’s affects the human brain and looks at promising ideas to treat and prevent the disease.

03/18/2019

Rebuilding Brain Function. New workshops coming soon:

Identify cognitive changes that are caused by age, head trauma, Stroke, Dementia and other neurobehavioral abnormalities

Target the area of deficit by developing neurocognitive strategies that help to rebuild their cognition

Strengthening the brain skills and increasing the speed of processing

Helping to improve brain function by addressing: neurocognitive brain circuits, Micronutrients and protein buildups that affects Neurogenesis and epigenetics abnormalities.

03/13/2018

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/12/591513777/hearts-get-younger-even-at-middle-age-with-exercise?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180312

As early as your mid-40s, especially if you're sedentary, your heart muscle can show signs of aging, losing its youthful elasticity and power. But moderately strenuous exercise can change that.

07/26/2017

https://www.facebook.com/georgehtakei/videos/1668198069888033/