#HeadlineTherapy Iran insists it controls Hormuz as rial hits record low and exports dry up.

Thanks to Babak Kamiar and Euronews for the Headline

I can’t claim to understand what is happening with the current situation in the strait of Hormuz all I know is that it is causing and will continue to cause everything to get more expensive. Yes what is our inflation figure published by the Office for National Statistics? About 3.1% currently.

Iran, however, and I think more about the people in Iran, not their Government , are now suffering exhaustive hyper-inflation.

In 1979 (the time of the Islamic revolution , the US dollar was worth approximately 7 tomans. 1 toman is worth ten rials. (The rial is Iran’s official currency). Today the US dollar is worth 270,000 tomans on Iran’s informal market, more than double it’s level at the start of this year.

Now that is crippling inflation, one which if we were experiencing would be crushing.

Perhaps this is a war of attrition.

Namaste and Thank you for Reading.🙏

Currency exchange stall labeled Rial, Toman, Dollar Market, with exchange-rate boards
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Do you know HG Wells?

Daily writing prompt
If aliens arrived tomorrow, what’s the first thing you’d ask them?

Anyone who has read or seen his work,

Knows Herbert George saw the Universe and didn’t shirk,

He knew alien life like the back of his hand,

It wasn’t imagination that made his heroes take a stand,

Their derring- do, now, seems a bit out of touch ,

Their time machines didn’t have a clutch,

They had little direction and couldn’t change gear,

They were a way a second but it was really a year,

In HG’s vision he really saw,

That one day with Alien’s we’d have to jaw,

Like we all must be one day; HG is now subterrestrial,

Though in true Wellsian fashion I bet that he’s celestial,

He’s seen the Universe in all it’s charm,

And know the Alien’s will do us no harm.

He probably regularly gets to meet and greet,

An alien on every street.

Victorian gentleman speaking with two aliens outside a BOOKSELLER shop, EST. 1890
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Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏

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#HeadlineTherapy Dutch woman crowned World Porridge Making Champion

Thanks to PA Media and STV News Online for the Headline

I’ve returned to having oats for breakfast as my cholesterol is edging into the danger zone, or perhaps I just got the wrong person’s results. (I need to have a second test ).

Still it was the Porridge Making Championships up in Scotland at the weekend and the win for Gina Saarberg from the Netherlands that caught my eye. She won the “Golden Spurtle” at the World Porridge Making Championship.

A Spurtle is a traditional 15th -century wooden utensil(practical version) used to stir oatmeal smoothly without forming lumps .A slimmer, longer version of the honey wand.

Weirdly the lady insisted on bringing her own water from the Netherlands to mix with the organic pinhead oats from the Dutch Company De Halm. Scottish Spring Water just wouldn’t do it, interestingly enough.

De Halm pinhead oats can be ordered online from specialist retailers in the UK. Still to be honest a bag of oats does take me a while to get through so this isn’t too much of a problem as I’m not a fan of online shopping.

Also, especially for the competition ; Gina added a little salt which brought out aromas and nuances of flavour that made the porridge taste even better. Unfortunately, salt is also a blood pressure raiser , so that for me is a difficult one. Taste over health? Well perhaps a little salt.

Another winner was a gentleman from Australia who won the ” speciality” title ,where you are allowed to add one special ingredient to your porridge. He won with his Sicilian inspired Canoli Porridge. Not one for a rushed breakfast before work I fear.

However, well done to the winners and my sympathies to the Scottish Water Suppliers who seem to have been edged out by the “Netherland Nectar”.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading. 🙏

Bowl of porridge labeled Pinhead Oats beside jar labeled Netherlands Nectar
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Listening

Daily writing prompt
What’s the most underrated life skill?

It’s interesting to see what really makes people happy,

Is it parties or sound and dancing around?

It’s what makes them get really yappy,

They can’t hear each other speak because of

the sound,

So it becomes a vicious circle,

One that they can’t get off,

Some talk and become hysterical,

Others can’t get their words out and begin to cough,

At the beginning of the day they need quiet time,

The songbirds chords make the air around them glisten

Their music is in the air it’s quite sublime,

The birds are singing it’s time to listen,

Namaste and Thank you for Reading.🙏

Musicians perform onstage before an enthusiastic crowd surrounded by swirling light rings
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Live and Let Live

What’s a personal mantra or philosophy you live by?

I get by each day.  with my Mantra,

That and a sneaky can of Fanta,

I know it’s got sugar and really bad things,

But sadly for me, my bell it rings,

It fits neatly in with what I know,

That we all get by with the seeds we sew

Learn to understand and forgive,

And most importantly remember to  live and let

live.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading

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#HeadlineTherapy Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner confirm plans to confiscate private homes in crackdown.

Thanks to James Rodger and Birmingham Live for the Headline

Absentee landlords and Property that is sitting empty because it’s part of an investment portfolio for someone who most likely has little or no connection with the location of the property.

The plan is to give Council’s more powers to commandeer these properties and turn them over to the Council for much needed accommodation .Unfortunately, this means the Council’s themselves will have to bear the cost of bringing them up to standard if they have deteriorated.

I do think it’s a good idea for houses that are sitting empty and that could be used for Social Housing requirements should be put to good use.

However, the counter argument from the Conservatives is that Labour is stealing the right to property ownership from those who own the property. Surely it is the owners right to do what they want with the property. If they decide to leave it empty then it’s their choice.

I think it’s going to prove tricky and expensive to commandeer property, however, owning property and possibly renting it out to others should come with responsibilities which need to be monitored and recognised by the Law. Empty , neglected properties are unsightly in any area and can reduce the quality of life for those living near them, particularly when there is a local need for housing.

Namaste and Thank You for Reading 🙏

Brick house beside a weathered boarded-up home on a leafy residential street
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On Foot

Daily writing prompt
What’s the best way to explore a new city?

Obviously you have to be aware,

That there’s those of whom you must beware,

But on foot and in the dark at first,

Should satisfy your wanderlust thirst,

A little rain is all the better,

It doesn’t matter if all you have is your sweater,

Those glistening pavements will make your

eyes glisten,

And for the dawn chorus you begin to listen,

Suddenly a large Church appears,

So beautiful it almost brings you to tears,

It’s getting light now and the City begins to stir,

Behind a railing you hear a cat purr,

Perhaps you’ll browse the travel guide at breakfast,

Noting sites as you enjoy your repast,

But for a moment the City is yours,

Not for you the busy bus tours

Watercolor scene of a historic church, village street, sunset, and cat
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#HeadlineTherapy Final attempt to save disabled adults centre fails

Thanks to Sarah Booker-Lewis and Cash Murphy and BBC Online News for the Headline

Sad to see that despite evidence to the contrary not being made available to the decision makers ( or did they just not want to know?) that Wellington House in Brighton which offers care to 21 people is going to be shut with an estimated saving of £336,000 a year.

Although the facility will not close until all of the 21 people affected “have a been transitioned to an alternative service”. Their words.

Some Councillors argued that Evidence should have been made available to the Cabinet meeting of Council prior to them making their decision from Leaders in special schools in the area, who know the numbers who will require Wellington House in the future.

One estimate of costs relating to the needs of these adults currently using Wellington House is £250,000/year for each adult. So for a saving of £336,000 , the Council may end up spending over £5 million/year. Yes I’m scratching my head too.

Not to mention the loss of social cohesion and community that the people of Wellington House currently have. I’d be interested to know what plans the Council have for the real estate Wellington House is part of.

Although this is in Brighton , to be honest decision making like this can be anywhere in the UK or the World for that matter.

Namaste and Thank you for Reading.🙏

Empty conference room with chairs facing a city neighborhood at dusk
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You’re alive, so get on with it!

Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment in your life that made you feel truly alive?

Actually feeling “truly alive” in this context of an AI prompt,

Reflects the values of the avaricial swamp,

There’ll be endless responses about winning ,

And how it is actually quite fun sinning,

In this I’m afraid life is defined,

But this poem is just to remind,

From the spark of our conception,

To our inevitable passing with no exception,

Our lives are miracles of their own,

Alive is a currency and the seeds are sewn,

So celebrate every moment,

You are alive so you better get on with it!

Wildflower meadow overlooking a winding river and mountains at sunset
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#HeadlineTherapy New prisoner early release scheme begins as probation officer warns “I’ve no idea how we’ll cope”

Thanks to BBC News Online and their live coverage which covered the story from all angles.

I have empathy with everyone caught up in this “early release scheme”. I have chosen the Probation Officer’s view, as they are the ones who are responsible for supervising the released prisoners where the release scheme requires it. It seems that they have been given a significant extra work-load without any increase in resources.

One of the biggest problems is that many people on the early release scheme will have no fixed address , so how do you contact them about appointments, missed appointments or even just to ask how they are doing?

Let’s face it overcrowding in Prison’s did not happen overnight and maybe for some prison was definitely the wrong place to be, but you can’t just pass the problem along to someone else as I believe is the case with the Probation Officer.

Responsibilities and Possibilities should have been clearly defined otherwise this “Early Release Scheme” will fail , and ex-prisoners will return to the already overcrowded prisons and we’ll be back to square one.

Probation officer making a phone call

Namaste and Thank you for Reading.🙏

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