#HeadlineTherapy Dancers loved practising in this Singapore walkway. Then the complaints came.

Thanks to Kelly Ng and BBC News Online for the Headline

Singapore is a land-scarce country with more than 8,300 people jostling for each (square?)kilometre. Dance studios are expensive , so budding dancers have got used to practising their moves on a public walk way in a train station which very innovatively has floor to ceiling mirrors that reflect the dancers and thus enable them to perfect their “moves”.

It isn’t really unreasonable for normal commuters to complain, to be honest , art is fine , but to have art thrust upon you when all you are trying to do is get through your day can be irritating. The Landowners have frosted the mirrors and so the dancers cannot practice and have had to find another quieter area, with the same big mirrors which unfortunately is less atmospheric.

However, the article is more about how Singapore sees itself, is it too organised?

Should it loosen the controls on use of public areas. I’m not so sure, when there is little space you have to consider everyone needs, obviously don’t waste space but at the same time ensure people’s welfare by having spaces that they can use and are beneficial to everyone, not just dancers.

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John Lewis is having a Sale!

Daily writing prompt
Where would you go on a shopping spree?

In reality a shopping spree is really quite a bore,

Rabid consumption makes me angry and even quite sore,

I look around at all the plastic and crap,

I only went into B&Q to find a tap,

I left the shop having bought three,

Silly girl! I forgot the size you see,

And now I have seven pot plants and a key,

They were doing this weird offer and it was for free,

Get a key cut and have seven hydrangea for me,

It’s hard to say no on something that good,

Although I know I could have and really should,

As I have no space in my house at all,

The cupboards are full and so is the hall

Give them as gifts my sister said,

But with lack of water they are all dead,

So off I go to Next to buy,

More clothes and shoes! My husband will cry,

Just say you like them or shut your face,

I’m only playing my part in this rat race,

If I didn’t buy them then who would?

I did it to help the economy and it felt good,

And finally food shopping now that’s a chore,

I return with shopping bags galore,

Forget the list and the diet plan,

There might be a shortage so buy while you can,

Some would say this is a sorry tale,

But look John Lewis is having a Sale!

Namaste and Thank You for Reading. 🙏

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#HeadlineTherapy Council wins court injunction against travellers.

Thanks to Alex Pope and BBC Online News for the Headline

I’m not a big fan of our Property Obsessed, Not in My Back Yard mentality, with ownership regarded as some sort of badge of Superiority and the belief that a nice view needs protection from unruly rabid commoners.

However, where rules are broken in a “conservation area” and land is bought by person’s unknown in order to set up a place to live in a mobile home and with other touring caravan’s then I think the Council is right to use the Law to stop them.

The area in Buckinghamshire is land purely for agricultural use and the owner had sold some of it on and some was split and sold off at auction to these people who proceeded to get diggers in and make hard standings for their mobile homes.

If the land is for agriculture then it should be used for growing things , there are plenty of new builds going on , to do this in such an underhand way and to ruin land that had been designated as not to be built on is shameful.

These people have cost the Public Purse money in having to take legal action to stop them, as well as clearing up the mess that they will leave. This is no “Romany Tradition” this is trying to live somewhere cheaply and not care about the environment. Thankfully the law has been quite clear on what the land cannot be used for , so hopefully the land will revert back to it’s proper use and maybe someone could grow something or use it to feed animals.

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Middling,Never!

Daily writing prompt
What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance?

I didn’t have a middle name,

My parents thought it quite inane,

To have to think anymore,

Was going to be such a bore,

So once I arrived,

And my birthing I survived,

They thought at first of Monica,

Mum said it was a ghastly moniker,

Baby Books they had in galore,

Until my dad said ” call her Igor”,

By then my mum knew they had to stop,

And one name would be quite enough,

Otherwise it was going to create tension,

No more names they would mention,

So one named Annie I was to be,

Later as it happened in my teenage years I chose to disagree,

And expressed my ire through autonomy,

My signature was so short,

It made my friends and class mates snort,

So being a fan of Blues and Soul,

I added to my name by depole,

And now I’m known as Anna Gloria Etta Betty Aretha BB Bessie Bell,

My parents smile and say what the hell,

It’s a double whammy for them you see,

They were into heavy metal unfortunately,

I told them in no uncertain terms that Anna Megadeth, Slayer Maiden Bell,

Really did not work half as well.

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#HeadlineTherapy Labour whip restored to farm tax plan rebel MP

Thank to Richard Moss and Pamela Tickell of BBC Online News for the Headline

A Cumbrian MP , Markus Campbell-Savours was suspended from the Labour Party for opposing increases to inheritance tax on farmers . The Government at the time was pushing for a limit of £1million on inheritance tax but they have now had a rethink and have decided the threshold of £2.5 million will remain.

Campbell-Savours was caught up in the furore of the Government’s heavy handed approach of insisting that MP’s supported the changes despite farmers ( who make up a significant number of his consitituents) being against it.

He felt he had to vote against the Government, and his Party, and as a result he was suspended and became for the few months of his suspension effectively an Independent MP, without the backing of the Labour Party.

Much has changed within the Labour Party in the last few months, and I for one am relieved that the cult of “Peter Mandleson” has gone and hopefully there is more respect for people who actually do the “right ” thing for their constituents and also the modesty that was expressed by the MP who said that his suspension had not been a pleasant experience and one he does not want to make a habit of doing , though ,representing the wishes of his constituents is what he was there to do.

Such a refreshing bit of news about our Parliament , that there are still people who will stand up against policies they disagree with even at great personal cost.

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That there are hardworking MP’s who stand up for their constituents.

Daily writing prompt
What is the last thing you learned?

I read an article last night about an MP ( British Member of Parliament) who had stood up against an inheritance law which if implemented would have severely affected his constituents. As a result he was disciplined and had a leadership role removed, effectively being demoted. This basically meant his influence in Parliament was greatly reduced and he was acting more or less on votes by himself.

His stand against the “Big Leaders” in his party worked though ,as the changes were not in the end implemented and thus his leadership role was returned to him and he can now be part of the Party he was elected to be in again and work towards the goals he wants to with the backing of others.

Modestly , the MP said that it was unpleasant to be demoted and that he was glad to have been reinstated.

This is so different from the behaviour we are used to seeing within Parliament and I learned that there are hard working MP’s trying to achieve what their constituents want and standing up against great forces that want to make them do as they are told.

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#HeadlineTherapy ‘Could be a lifeline for 2 billion people’: Nobel Laureate builds a machine that harvests water from desert air

Thanks to The Times of India Science Desk for the Headline.

Water for some countries covered in desert is more important than oil to survival. So being able to harvest water from the desert air would be a game changer for drought prone regions and disaster struck populations in need of a clean and regular water supply.

Based on using a metal organic framework (MOF) of porous material which can trap water vapour even in low-humidity environments the system can be powered by sunlight and be totally self sufficent and generate up to 1000 litres of fresh water a day.

The unit collects vapour overnight and produces the water using condensation and heat from the sun during the day.

On the practical side the unit has to be the size of a shipping container to produce enough water to be useful and the materials that make up the (MOF) perhaps are expensive and hard to come by. However, the Nobel winning Chemist who has invented this is addressing these issues with a view to manufacture.

Though perhaps a small unit would be useful for a rescue craft or a outward bound kit, where a small amount of water is needed.

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Do you have any allergies?

Daily writing prompt
What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.

I would say that being asked by a complete stranger about my allergies always makes me extremely nervous. I always say no, but I really don’t know for definite if I or my pet (whom I may be answering on behalf of ) have any or are likely to develop them in the next five seconds.

The context in which I’m asked usually is health related, or pet health related. I jokingly say

“not that I’m aware of”

But all I get is a blank look and

“we’ll get on then.”

They’ve asked the question, they’ve covered their back sides and left me to worry about the unknown. The possibility that one of those weird ingredients on whatever has just been injected into me will turn me into a quivering mass on the floor, gasping for an epi-pen. Or as in the case of my AI Generated Image, not being able to understand what is being said to me by the worried looking medical man.

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#HeadlineTherapy Norwegian influencer buys failed property development in Spain to build ‘self-sufficient’ eco-community

Thanks to Beatriz Olaizola of El Pais 50 Online for the Headline

So what happens to old property developments when they get old and die because they ran out of money, it happens quite a lot, the money flushes around and we wait while someone comes up with a bright idea to resurrect something from the rubble.

The Joya de Planes ( The Jewel of Planes) was one such project with plans for 450 houses beside a reservoir in the mountains of Alicante. Political skullduggery allowed this plot of land to be developed as it was previously owned by a Politician and despite many objections the approval for development was given and disruptive work continued until the property bubble burst in 2008 .The developer had no more funds to complete the work. Under new laws the land has now received protected status due to it’s high environmental value.

Enter in essence a new developer, a Norwegian and her Romanian Husband. They bought the land from a Bank and two private Citizens for an undisclosed sum. They do have plans which they are going to submit to develop an” eco-village”, including a school, shops and even a health centre which will need to be approval in this area of Environmental Interest.

The houses will mainly be attractive to foreigners and the development is likely to take the form of a sort of gated village, separate from the local residents who currently number 700 people. The development has received the support from the local mayor of Planes who also happens to be the deputy chief of the Infrastructure Department of the Regional Government of Valencia.

This project is mainly based on a Social Media Project run by the Norwegian lady who has gendered over 1 million hits and has started selling plots on the proposed development. Little has been agreed by the local villagers.

Surprisingly though the Mayor is already saying that any costs such as street lighting and road maintenance will have to be covered by the New Developers themselves as they local Government will not be able to afford it from their tax revenue.

The development of a Modern Eco -Village is a development by any other name and it remains to be seen what happens to the development and if it does indeed bring any benefits to the local area. Without sound financial backing , I’m not sure it’s going to work.

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Failure Fallacy

Daily writing prompt
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?

We all suffer from failure fallacy even if we don’t always understand the circumstances. To believe in success or failure of anything we need to make a judgement or have an external judge. Infallibility is not possible , so judging is by it’s very nature  open to interpretation.

What is really happening is that we are “doing ” or “trying” and that is never wrong when the reason behind it is to achieve something or improve something both for our own benefit and even better for the benefit of others.

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