Sunshine, clouds and occasional showers again today 22C. After a good night's sleep I got up and made breakfast just after eight. A big crowd gathered in the Mall London today to celebrate the victory of the English Women's football team in the European Championship. Thought for the Day came from there with Lucy Winkett reflecting on the significance and virtue of struggle against the odds and resilience. This has dominated today's news alongside famine in Gaza.
I heard an interesting interview with someone whose name I didn't get, who was critical of information supplied by AI to web browsers. He poured scorn on the idea that AI would evolve to do our thinking for us, observing that paradigm shifting innovation and breakthroughs in human knowledge rely on original, often contrarian thinking about given evidence whose very nature cannot be derived from any existing body of knowledge. While acknowledging the value of powerful tools for processing huge data sets, he likened AI web browser enquiry information digests to ultra-processed food - content of little substance. Important philosophical points to make when the value of AI is promoted with messianic fervour by many in the tech' world.
I spent the morning recording and editing audio for next Wednesday's Morning Prayer, and making the video slide show, while Clare was out shopping in town. I didn't notice the passage of time, so the lunch was not yet cooked when Clare returned home just before one. She bought a couple of hake fillets home with her, so I cooked these in the steamer with potatoes and runner beans given to us in recent days. It only took me half an hour. Last night, green fingered Keith left another huge marrow on our doorstop. As we'd only just started the one he recently gave us, Clare offered it to Gwyddion next door. He was pleased to receive it, as it would give him an opportunity to make marrow jam!
I went out and walked for a couple hours after lunch, and returned when the five o'clock news was being broadcast. After an emergency summer recess cabinet meeting to day, the Prime Minister announced that Britain would be joining France in formally declaring support for UN recognition of a Palestinian State this September. And about time too, I say! It's a conditional declaration of intent, however. It will happen if Israel doesn't expedite aid relief, end hostilities, stop formal annexation of Palestinian territory and accept the necessity of a two state solution that's been on the agenda for the past forty years. It's unlikely Netanyahu's government will agree to this, but the political and diplomatic action will have an impact. The only miracle one could hope for would be the fall of this regime and its ultra conservative backers seeing how irreligious and contrary to the spirit and letter of the Torah their policy has been. We tend to forget how strong is the secular liberal pluralist democracy of Israel, but with insufficient support to govern.
It's been British policy for forty odd years to do this eventually when there's mutual agreement with the Israelis on borders and other issues. It's not happened, due to strong opposition from religious Israeli ultra nationalists to sharing the Holy Land with anyone else. Their reading of Hebrew scripture ignores its admission that Palestine is destined to be a land shared with others as God's chosen but ever rebellious people are unable to live up to the demands laid on them as God's own children. Learning how to share the land and forge a destiny together with others is part of their calling. At least that's how it looks from an external Christian perspective. It's bound to look different to a secular liberal pluralist democratic Israeli, and what it's like to live with the terrible pain and helplessness inflicted by the October 7th Hamas assault.
After supper, we chatted with Rachel for an hour and a half. Then I watched another episode of 'Death Valley', before turning in for the night. Much of this episode was filmed in and around Penarth Pier. Shots taken from the sea were all taken by day at high tide, despite the passage of time in the story. Cheap and cheerful comedy crime drama. But there's nothing else on I fancy watching at the moment.
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