• Predictions 2023 – How did I do?

    1  Generative artificial intelligence will become significantly disruptive of many sectors this year. Education practices will change quickly as a result of this but education will be but one of many areas of life to be affected.

    Happening all around us (even to people who can’t see it happening around them) – prediction fulfilled.

    2 No progress for those seeking marriage equality in the Church of England. There will be a lot of talk about moving towards some form of official blessings for same-sex couples which would have the effect of thwarting those seeking actual equality, making it more difficult to achieve. Further division amongst pro-gay activists in the Church of England.

    Happening exactly as predicted. The recent developments following the LLF project make equality more even further away – prediction fulfilled.

    3  Indyref 2 will not happen on 19 October 2023 as Nicola Sturgeon had hoped, which is a shame for those seeking to separate Scotland from the rest of the UK as the autumn will be the high water mark for the Indepedence movement. It will be downhill into the next General Election after that.

    Happenning but not quite as I expected. Indryref didn’t happen but Indy polls are indeed riding high. However I didn’t see the mess the SNP would get itself into along the way. Prediction Fulfilled.

    4  Trump and Biden will both declare that they intend to run for the US presidency in 2024 and American politics will continue to be all about Donald Trump.

    Exactly as I said – prediction fulfilled.

    5  Covid recovery remains bumpy, particularly through supply-chain problems due to mismanagement of Covid in China.

    Pretty much as I said – we’ve largely forgotten the supply chain issues that continued from the end of last year into the new year and the spring. Prediction mostly fulfilled.

    6 No conclusive end to the war in Ukraine this year.

    Alas. Prediction fulfilled

    7 Governments in Westminster and Holyrood will announce some kind of “new deal” for the National Heath Service.

    Holyrood here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/programme-government-2023-24/pages/5/

    Westminster: Pay – here https://healthmedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/07/14/government-accepts-recommendations-from-nhs-pay-review-bodies/
    Westminster: Medicines here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-deal-to-boost-nations-health-and-save-nhs-14-billion

    Prediction fulfilled.

    8 – UK Government will not succeed in blocking Scottish Gender Recognition Reform.

    I remain surprised that the Scottish Governnent gave up on this. Prediction not fulfilled.

    9  Liam McArthur’s bill in the Scottish Parliamant to allow doctors to participate in the killing of terminally ill patients will fail to receive parliamentary approval but will receive more support than similar proposals have before.

    Bill hasn’t received approval but hasn’t gone to a vote either. Large levels of support in the media. Prediction partially fulfilled.

    10  Changes announced to the UK honours system, perhaps at the time of the Coronation, to remove references to empire. OBE becomes Order of British Excellence.

    Not happened yet. Prediction not fulfilled.

     

    Result – about 7 1/2 out of 10 this year I think. Not bad.

3 responses to “For the cartoonists”

  1. Christine McIntosh Avatar

    I need a cartoon to accompany my blog post of today. Won’t advertise. You know where it is.

  2. Lee Llewellyn-Thornhill Avatar
    Lee Llewellyn-Thornhill

    Kelvin you are spot on with your post today as always, well nearly always ; ) lol. It is such a sad world when because of a cartoon you get killed, Okay you could say they were offended by the Cartoons contents or rather subject, the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) who is not allowed to be seen in photographs/Art etc though their are apparently pictures that do exsit of the Prophet, but what if it had been the Son of God Jesus or as Muslims see him the Prophet Jesus? I have seen many cartoons mocking God, Jesus etc but on many occasions I have laughed quite literally till I have fell over! It is silly really, if a faith cannot be seen to be able to mock itself at times (And I’m a good Christian who did convert to Islam at one point but came back to Christianity and absorbed Islam into my faith as well, its a beautiful faith) Then if any faith cannot laugh at itself its not a very strong one, I am pretty sure God has a great sense of humour and laughs many a time at the things that go on down here on his creation, if you didn’t you would go mad! right? So with you I stand side by side in memory of these people killed/injured in this terrible TERRORIST attack as do many Muslims from the comments and announcement from various Muslim organisations and we MUST NOT blame ALL Muslims it is an extremely SMALL MINDED group of idiots like in the Christian faith many times who have nothing good to say about humanity because it is different to their view that spoil it for the 99.9% who get along TOGETHER and love EVERYONE. BUT this small MINORITY of murders must not be allowed to fracture faiths and people who live together peacefully day by day UNITED AS ONE because that’s exactly what these small brained idiots want and thankfully we are all standing together to condemn this vile murderous act, People should be free to express an opinion or a cartoon without fear of death or injury and we must hunt down these lunatic fringe who kill because something upset them, I think I’m right when I call these scum Fundamentalists who are in NO WAY Muslim, they bring shame on God/Allah and on the prophet Mohammed(Pbuh) and they are I am sure looking down on these murders with shame and disgust as well as pity for their hatred and shame on humanity and Islam. We must pray for the people massacred in these evil and pointless murders, may their souls rest in peace in Gods care and may God/Allah shine down on our faiths Christianity/Islam and keep us all safe from harm and prevent any hate attacks in reprisals for these wicked murders/injuries on any community and that OUR God brings us all together united as one in condemnation for this senseless and cruel act Amen/Ameen

  3. Trevor James Avatar

    Thank you Kelvin; greetings from Dunedin. I have been debating how we respond to tyranny and the limits that potentially imposes on pacifism – but satire, yes! That has real scope as part of the answer.

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