Abuse of the Author

I have been contacting literary agents about my most recent book, which is historical or religious fiction. To start off, I am using the Manuscript Wish List, which lists some 600 agents. Now out of the first ten agents I contacted from the list, two had cancelled their e-mail addresses, and two were closed to submissions. That makes a 40% failure rate -- due to negligent agents, who put out wish lists that they lose track of. If 40% of an author's time is wasted because agents can't keep track of details which they have strewn about like confetti, that is too much time wasted. OBSERVATION: It is abuse of the author. Once in a while, I tell agents what I think to their practices. The answer is generally: Ooh, ah, but you should have gone to my official website. That is not good enough. It is they who put out their wish list.

Family Photo

A family photo that I came across yesterday. I would guess that this was 1977 (if so, I would be about 17). The brooding spirit in the background is me. I hated the photo at the time, but not any more. You may click on the photo to enlarge.

What It Takes

This post is about the bustle that hardly anyone would notice in a Church -- a vast interaction of small activities. I jotted down some things recently that were mostly created during my own city ministry on Sundays (not weekdays), little by little, over many years -- one-third of these things existed already before my ministry -- about half a dozen still exist now: 

• Door welcome • Bulletins • Bibles in the pews • Bible sales • Sermon outlines • Membership application slips • Pencils • Pre-service singing • Church choir • In-service singing • Greeting in the pews • Hymn books • Flowers • Security alarm • Older Sunday School • Younger Sunday School • "Cry room" • Post-service prayer • Organist and pianist • Doxology • Welcome and notices • Ministry by members • Member reading • Vestry prayer (before services) • Minister greets all churchgoers (after services) • Special prayer (after services) • Vestry time (after services) • Church tea (alternate Sundays) • Verger's duties (various) • Set up amplifier • Suggestion box • Large print books • Church library • General collection • Benevolent fund (occasional) • Holy Communion (occasional) • Wheelchair access (occasional) • Reserved parking

OBSERVATION: This list will surely not be complete. There are at least 30 things here that needed to be attended to most Sundays. All of these needed special attention, even if it was small. It speaks of a vast bustle on a Sunday, all serving the purpose of a thriving Church. Many Churches have this kind of bustle, and few people would really notice.

SA's Church Explosion

Earlier this month, I conducted a leadership seminar for the Bible Institute's Christian Leadership Programme. I devoted the first 30 minutes to the general situation of the Church in South Africa, pre- and post-apartheid. It is no ordinary story! AI has reduced these 30 minutes to an (over-simplified) three-minute video -- it gives a quick impression of what we discussed. AI has titled it "SA's Church Explosion" ... The Bible Institute's website is here: https://bisa.org.za/

Unlawful, Unreasonable, Unfair

This post is about some fairly typical behaviour for South Africa -- which is illegal. I submitted a formal complaint to the Legal Practice Council on 28 October 2025, which is 150 days ago today. As best I am aware, I received no written receipt or reference number to date. If this is true, this "likely constitutes unlawful, unreasonable, and procedurally unfair administrative action", in terms of  the PAJA (2000) Act. OBSERVATION: This is not the New South Africa that many of us -- including, surely, members of the Council -- dreamed about.

Book in the Works

In 2006-2007, I wrote a book which I did not, however, publish. I rediscovered it this year, nearly 20 years later. It was better than I thought -- so I embarked on a revision. DeepSeek AI considers about my revision (first draft):

This manuscript has the potential to be a very significant and controversial work of religious fiction. It could become a landmark work. Its central idea is original, provocative, and thematically rich. 

Fisheye Church Photo

Visitors from Europe are often surprised by how full the Churches are in South Africa. I took this photo recently from the back of an Anglican Church. This photo is taken with an ultra-wide-angle lens which has an almost 180° field of view (180° is side to side).

Encrypted

Today I received two encrypted e-mails -- one from a government department, the other from a major company. The government department, the Department of Justice, sent me a protected document without a password or code to open it. Discovery Health sent me a secure document, again without a password or code to open it. OBSERVATION: If I cannot open their mail -- and I have a good working knowledge of computers -- what are the simple folk supposed to do? I asked them both to re-send in readable format -- or give me a password that works.

Almost 1.5 Million

My blog is romping along to 1.5 million views. It is almost there. All the other influence that I have seems to pale by comparison. What is 100 people in a service, thirty of forty people at a seminar, so and so many books sold, when in a single day, thousands of people read my blog? OBSERVATION: In the last day, hundreds of people have looked in from (each) India, Iraq, Chile, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Russia, Brazil, and many countries besides ... Today, the USA is at the top of my readers' list, but that is not always so.

What's Wrong With a Bribe

In many parts of the world, Christians are likely to be faced with the problem of bribery -- not least in Africa. There may be a lot at stake. If one doesn't pay the bribe, one may lose precious income, one might be repatriated, one may lose a license, and so on. It is tempting then just to pay. Here are some reasons not to (there are more): 

1. No matter which country, it is a criminal offence.
2. Even corrupt governments have checks in place. You could be caught out.
3. Who says a bribe taker is honest? You may not get what you paid for.
4. There are places to turn for help. A minister. A superior. A law clinic. And so on. 
5. Your payment of a bribe makes the next bribe more possible. And
6. The Bible says we should avoid even the appearance of evil. 

POSTSCRIPT: Have I been offered or asked for a bribe? Yes. Several times, as a minister. But it was never a simple ask, or offer. It was always very cleverly done.

Linux on Chromebooks

Which computers have overtaken Apple Macs in popularity? Just over two years ago, I bought a Chromebook. This is a two-sided machine, with Google Apps on the one side, and Linux Debian on the other. According to AI, "Mainline (Linux) kernel support has been steadily increasing, with usable support arriving around 2023." I am not sure which side of the machine I use most. I depend heavily on the Linux side. OBSERVATION: In the 2+ years that I have had a Chromebook computer, Linux functionality has improved, particularly speed. Tens of thousands of Linux programs will run on the Chromebook, including CLI (command line) applications. The image shows Google Chrome, Linux MyPaint, and DOS all running on the same screen.

More Than Conquerors

A businessman once called me from the Church, on his cellphone. He said, “I didn’t know where to run, so I ran to the House of God.” Our caretaker had let him in. I went to the Church to see him. His situation was dire, and he was exhausted. I said to him, “Where is your faith? How did you allow it so to decline? It is our most precious possession. Now you're in a panic! The Bible says that we are more than conquerors. We can lose everything, and still walk tall.” OBSERVATION: I spoke with him, and I prayed with him. He came out the other side just fine. I read today that he is "involved in international projects".

Google Rankings

For reasons perhaps known only to themselves, Google push some posts down the rankings. Far and away my most popular post at the moment is Mystery Musical Instrument -- which I see by the data behind the scenes. However, it is not under my Popular Posts in the right hand column. OBSERVATION: Posts get weighted by Google, so that the ones with the most views may not be seen on the Popular Posts list -- as in this case. This can become annoying where one is running a more serious blog, and selected news and views are suppressed.

No Driving License

Oy vey. This week I drove into our local Driving License Centre without a valid driving license. They pointed this out to me very gently -- then, without me even asking, or knowing what they were up to, they busied themselves with a temporary driving license (shown). OBSERVATION: Often enough, law and order in South Africa is too, too lax -- yet it can work in one's favour, too!

Doing Things With My Books

This year, I have received many requests to do things with my books -- many requests a week. One wants screen rights. Another wants me in a study group. Another wants to feature my book. And so on. I have not answered any of them so far, as these are so often ruses. It is quite possible, however, that there are some genuine ones in the mix. For instance, I looked up the man who wants screen rights. He is indeed a producer, with credits on ... Rotten Tomatoes.

CORRECTION: I originally wrote that I have received "a few" requests a week. I was not paying attention. It is about two requests a day, which would be "many".