The Tokoloshe

I have known people who have seen the tokoloshe (an African demon). I interrogated them, too (which means that I questioned them intensely), and they insisted that they had seen him and interacted with him. Perhaps "insisted" is the wrong word, because they simply explained what happened. Have white people ever encountered tokoloshes? The answer is yes. OBSERVATION: Many people would have a problem with my language here: there are people who claim to have encountered tokoloshes, yes. But tokoloshes? Gemini AI calls them "hallucinations", ChatGPT calls them "folklore", while DeepSeek AI calls them "cultural". But one would anger many people with such talk.

Apollo 8

I fail to get excited about Artemis II circling the moon. My family had just returned from the mission in the Pacific in 1968, when Apollo 8 circled the moon. We watched that on TV -- which we didn't have in the Pacific. Now that seemed to be something to get excited about. OBSERVATION: Artemis II had a diverse crew, a more advanced spacecraft, a longer journey, they say ...

Kouga Vlaktes

This one's just another pretty picture, of the plateau where wife E grew up. I have received a suggestion for the name of the plateau: the Kouga Vlaktes (there is no name on Google Maps). The plants in the foreground are aloes. You may click on the photo to enlarge.

The Plateau

This post shows the isolated plateau where wife E grew up. Marked by a small yellow dot is a corrugated iron structure where she lived as a child, and marked by a small blue dot is a small house which was her parental home in later years. I have had many happy stays on this plateau. I have no name for it. Google Maps does not provide one. Behind me (behind the camera), about 500 metres below me, is the Langkloof, a long valley famous for its apples and pears.

Metaphysical Notes Summary

This one’s about how my metaphysical thought developed. A “metaphysics”, according to ... me is a complete, integrated philosophy:

• 2013. The Philosophical Society of England published a paper that I wrote. Titled Aristotle’s Noun.
• 2013. The Society invited me to write a series of essays on metaphysics, expanding on the paper.
• 2014. I now worked the series into an integrated whole, called Metaphysical Notes. Published by the Philosophical Society of England.
• 2022. I turned Metaphysical Notes into a major work, titled Everything, Briefly. Published by Wipf & Stock.
• 2025. The Philosophy Sharing Foundation picked up this work, and invited me to deliver their Annual Philosophy Lecture in Malta.
• 2025. I published a 10th Anniversary edition of Metaphysical Notes.
• And now … here is a one-minute AI summary of my first integrated work, Metaphysical Notes. Also on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGLGVg-wa8c

Berries

Being at a loss as to what to post today, it's ... berries. It is possible that this is a species of nightshade, and poisonous. I took this photo in our Eastern Cape.

Photographs and Lectures

I'm pleased to have been invited to teach Theology Proper, Homiletics, and World Religions & Cults this coming semester, at a major seminary. I look forward to taking lots of photographs, too! I quite like this black and white photo that I took at Graduation 2025, with a fisheye lens. This is straight from the camera, unedited, so quite a lucky shot. I thought it was an elegant venue.

Lecture Summary

YouTube's median (midpoint) views per video is 41. I wondered what would happen if I put up a video without giving it any publicity at all. I put up the one-minute summary of my Annual Philosophy Lecture in Malta (click here): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndlbR5Jm08s  In five days, it exceeded the magical 41. OBSERVATION: NotebookLM (which is AI) did the summary, which I feel I couldn't beat. It is first class. The original 46-minute lecture is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05QFdi0j2so

No Injection

As a child, I had no injections when I went to the dentist -- the dentist worked without injections in the mission -- and after the mission, I told dentists that I didn't do injections. I forget when I first had an injection from a dentist -- perhaps some years after the mission. This week, I broke a molar in two -- which was major damage. I told the dentist to try it without an injection -- and so he did. OBSERVATION: It was fixed faster, and cost less.

A Typical Conversation

Here's an example of the kind of people who regularly contact me as an author (abridged):

"I just finished reading your book! Would it be alright if I posted a review?"
"I would be delighted if you would."
"I have reviewed your book. I have a suggestion."
"Thank you. Do you have the link?"
"Sorry I didn't remember to save the link. Have you ever thought about a short video trailer?"

OBSERVATION: At this point, it becomes clear that it is more about providing goods and services than enjoying one of my books. What this correspondent may not know is how rapidly anyone at all can create video trailers now with AI.

AI Passport Photo

Failing anything else this evening, this one's just for fun. I asked Domo AI to take my 2010 photograph, straight out of my passport, and animate it. OBSERVATION: Presumably it does not attempt a side angle because it cannot judge by the photo what that would look like.

Pontoon Crossing

I took this photo in 1983, when my late wife Mirjam and I crossed the Orange River on a pontoon at Sendelingsdrift -- a border crossing between Namibia and South Africa. The pontoon is still in operation today, but looks far more sophisticated now. Here, it was just a "tin can".

Lament About Literary Agents

This post is (another) lament about literary agents. I received some good advice once from a New York agent: focus on forward motion. Therefore, I do not let an agent waste my time. Usually, I prepare a query for agents, which is a very short proposal. How then does one find an agent? One can google them. But here is a problem. Their websites are so idiosyncratic that, once one has them, it may be difficult to find the information one needs. Therefore, I use agents' wish lists, which have a standard format. But here there are some problems, too. Agents scatter their information like confetti on multiple wish lists -- often forgetting what they said on the last one -- changing their addresses or submission requirements -- without notification. In reality, this means: an agent may have solicited your proposal, but it may be wasted work -- no apology from them. And bear in mind that, if one uses more than one wish list, one needs to remember who one contacted before. Some agents make high demands. Say, they want a 30-page proposal. I don't waste time with them. Often, they ask that one use on-line forms. Sometimes, they ask one to register to use those forms! Using forms can be a problem, too. Apart from being cumbersome, they may vanish into the æther -- probably all the more so here in Africa. I just don't use them. If an agent says "QueryManager", for instance, I instantly reject them. OBSERVATION: So it is a matter of paging through agents. Reject this one, accept that one -- more or less in equal measure, assuming one has already weeded out incompatible wishes. There are some decent agents.

1.5 Million Views

It escaped my attention yesterday when page-views of this blog shot past one-and-a-half million. Why is my blog popular? DeepSeek AI considers:

"In short: The secret is that Scarborough writes like a real, thinking, feeling human being – not a polished institution. He mixes ministry, memory, complaint, and celebration in a way that resonates with people across cultures, while the internet does the work of spreading it globally."

Should Be Doing This

I'm pleased to have been invited to teach three subjects at Seminary during the Second Semester of 2026 -- World Religions & Cults, Homiletics, and Theology Proper. Thus, out of some 20 faculty members, I shall be one of the busiest. OBSERVATION: I have been approached, too, (informally so far) to present a second leadership seminar this year (see SA's Church Explosion  for something about the first). Wife E, who has seen me in action, says "You should be doing this." The photo shows me in my academic garb last year.