Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

Yesterday’s news was dominated by the world AI summit conference, attended by politicians and scientists from around the world. US Vice-President Kamala Harris made a speech. Rishi Sunak was filmed in discussion with Elon Musk… The conference was held at Bletchley Park, the principal centre of Allied code-breaking during the Second World War. Alan TuringContinue reading “Artificial Intelligence – AI”

As a schoolboy I was confused by, ‘King Charles walked and talked half an hour after his head was chopped off.’ I knew a bit about the Oliver Cromwell and the Civil War, that Charles 1st was beheaded in 1649, but this gruesome picture stirred my young imagination. Then it was explained to me. TheContinue reading “Punctuation: Confusion & Clarification”

Many months ago, we had our new kitchen. Our old cooker was taken out to the garage where she has stood alone, covered, inactive. We had lots of ideas as to what could happen to her… Yesterday we took her up to the dump. She joined other cookers, washing machines and fridges with whom sheContinue reading “Ideas and Actions”

I’ve been reading ‘Do They Hear You When You Cry’. Fauziya Kassindja was born in Togo. ‘At the age of seventeen she was forced to marry a man she barely knew who already had three wives, and prepare for the tribal ritual of female genital mutilation…’ Fauziya escaped to the United States seeking safety andContinue reading “Seeing the Face, Understanding the Individual”

Yesterday 38-year-old journalist Kate Wills wrote about getting old: ‘Viewing care homes for my dad made me realise how badly we treat our elderly… (one) study found that ageism is rife in the UK, with older people seen as incompetent, hostile and a burden… ageism is not discriminating against people who are different from us,Continue reading “Elderly Mr Men…”

You bared your wrists to the nailsYour brow to the thornsSurrendered, gave it allTook the cup to your lipsAnd drank to the dregsThe judgement meant for me Oh the deep, deep loveOh the cleansing bloodMercy measureless and freeO be still and know, that all is wellThe cross has spoken. As a child I was taughtContinue reading “The Cross Has Spoken”

Lowestoft’s new bridge is progressing. After many years of waiting, most of the bridge has been put in place, approach roads have been built either side… We’re waiting for the final middle bridge section. We’re told that the final span will arrive in January, and the bridge, linking North Lowestoft to South Lowestoft, will finallyContinue reading “The Missing Middle Bridge Section”

I’ve often reflected on the ages and stages of life… different chapters in life’s book, acts in life’s play, carriages in life’s train… I’ve considered Shakespeare’s ‘seven ages of man’… the helpless infant, whining schoolboy, emotional lover, devoted soldier, wise judge, old man, helpless aged… I’ve mused on Ecclesiastes: ‘There is a time for everything,Continue reading “The Human Seasons”

Yesterday I was chatting to my friend Bill. A few years ago, he went into hospital with sepsis, was in an induced coma for a month, caught covid… He talked about what it was like to be in a coma… Bill’s experience reminded me of the end of Jesus’ story of the ‘Prodigal Son’. WhenContinue reading “The Challenge of Paradox”

We’ve been watching the leaves falling from our horse-chestnut tree in our front garden. I spent some time yesterday raking up the leaves, collecting them together into a pile that I shall cover and forget about. Unseen, they will decompose and become wonderful leaf-mould that in the future I can dig into our garden. IContinue reading “The Seen and the Unseen”