Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

On Sunday Russell Cook, nicknamed ‘The Hardest Geezer’, completed his run from the tip of South Africa to the northernmost point of Tunisia. His journey spanned 10,190 miles, 352 days, 16 countries… through rainforests, over mountains, across the Sahara… Why?   Russell, 27, from Worthing, West Sussex, said he’d struggled with his mental health, gamblingContinue reading “Russell, David, Jimi: Heroes – But Why?”

There’s an old fable about a scorpion and a frog… Scorpion wants to cross a river but can’t swim; Scorpion asks Frog to carry it across. Frog’s afraid that Scorpion might sting it. Scorpion promises not to as it would drown if it killed Frog in the middle of the river. Frog agrees to carryContinue reading “The Scorpion and… the Frog, the Turtle, the Saint…”

Last night’s news told us that today there will be a total solar eclipse, visible in North America. Here, in the UK, a partial eclipse may be seen in some parts of the country. This inevitably led to an elementary science lesson describing the correct alignment of sun, moon and earth… the moon moving betweenContinue reading “Living Through Darkness”

There are some Christian virtues that get high profile. We all want love, joy and peace. We think we need them; we pray for them for ourselves and each other. But patience…? When our children were young, we encountered Herbert the Snail. It seems to me this isn’t a children’s song: it’s for everybody! LastContinue reading “Patience (Herbert the Snail)”

At our Singing for Health group yesterday we sung several songs from Rogers and Hammerstein’s ‘South Pacific’. As usual we sang with smiles and enthusiasm. I particularly enjoy the South Pacific song ‘Happy Talk’ Happy talk, keep talkin’ happy talk,Talk about things you’d like to do.You got to have a dream,If you don’t have aContinue reading “Happy Talk”

As a child I lived in Surrey, about 20 miles south of London. Each year we went for our annual holiday – to a nearby seaside resort in Kent or Sussex. Some people went ‘abroad’, overseas, usually across the channel. We didn’t. Abroad originally meant widely apart – a broad distance from each other. ThenContinue reading “A Broad”

Dance to your Daddy my little laddieDance to your Daddy my little man You shall have a fishy on a little dishyYou shall have a fishy when the boat comes in This old folk song, about a hungry boy from a poor family, who knows that ‘when the boat comes in’ he will be fed,Continue reading “When The Boat Comes In”

I first met the notion of ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’ as a teenage student. In my studies in mathematical history I learnt about Sir Isaac Newton, the brilliant mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian and philosopher. Newton wrote, ‘If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants,’Continue reading “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants”

Yesterday… …Unjust-God Discussion: At Men’s Shed we were discussing religion… Getting the penguins into Noah’s ark… Jesus’ virgin birth… Negative childhood experiences of Sunday School… The universe’s size and science… Someone quoted Stephen Fry: ‘The world is very splendid but it also has in it insects whose whole lifecycle is to burrow into the eyesContinue reading “Injustice, Hatred, Forgiveness?”

Yesterday morning Minister-Lou told this story: On June 15, 1815, Napoleon fought Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo. Reports from the front lines were carried by sailing ship to the southern coast of England. From there it was relayed by signal flags to London. When the report was received at Winchester cathedral, the flags speltContinue reading “The Whole Story”