Tom Brown

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I have 274 stories published in 24 collections on the site.
My stories have been read 425999 times and 18 of my stories have been cherry picked.
453 of my 3,085 comments have been voted Great Feedback with a total of 456 votes

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Tom Brown

Born South-African, I went to a dual medium primary school and Afrikaans high school, NG Church mostly and sunday school Methodist. At school achieved top positions in science and mathematics olympiads, after as well completing two years of engineering studies with very good results but I did not graduate, I had to stop due to mental health problems.

Graduating under WK Bartoszek at Unisa, MSc (1997) and Pretoria University, Niko Sauer PhD (2006), formal interests were to be in abstract analysis and broadly in applied mathematics. All of my qualifications were with honours.

I had permanent teaching positions at Unisa and at Wits, however since not having been academically active, and as such absent from formal academic research for very long now, years. Advanced study and research was in Markov operators and stochastic processes; vector valued Laplace transforms applied to semigroups and families of evolution equations (Empathies).
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Unfortunately I have had a history of medical treatment for psychiatric illness with diagnosis of a bipolar mood disorder.

It was very fortunate in that my condition responded very well to medicine it helps if you cooperate and comply, if not, you don't have much of a chance. Also I am totally abstinent from alcohol and other mood altering substances for great many years, it did not accord with my constitution at all. As a chain smoker I also managed to kick the habit, more than a decade smoke-free now, by the Grace of God.

I have always been able to function completely normal and independently in society my isolation was not because of my own doing it was due to circumstances, and has just been getting stricter I seem to have almost no contact outside, save only for AbcTales. My saving grace.

I am  totally isolated and financially barely getting by. 

Although I am still studying mathematics and applications, more popular accessible kind of work, while interested and looking forward to hopefully be active in research or industry again.

God is in the details of the details. God is in the timing of the timing.
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Apart from studies in the natural sciences I am interested in languages and literature in general as well as religion. In high school I majored in German also, and Biology, in the meanwhile I have taught myself French, well enough to read (with a bit of difficulty).

Lately I have been writing more popular general interest essays and also trying for a bit of balance with mathematics and while keeping things understandable for most people.

Thus not involved at all with any social media, and having time for writing, leisure, watching movies, reading fiction, classics mostly, poetry and  music. I miss my friends, and would really love getting outdoors and in nature more.
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Favourite authors are Jules Verne, HG Wells and Jack London, Shakespeare and poets William Blake and Dylan Thomas. I like adventure, science fiction and fantasy movies my all time greatest are the Narnia stories and the Lord of the Rings.

The meal best enjoyed is a breakfast of bacon eggs on toast fried chips with fresh orange juice, and for supper an ox-tail stew. I like eating out romantic. For recreation nature hikes, camping and fishing, listening to good music and reading, classics mostly, and good movies. I love dogs my best one was a Maltese poodle Freddy.

I love rain and lightning thunderstorms and rainbows. As well as writing and publishing here on AbcTales.
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These are my stories!

Keep your feet on the ground and reach for the Stars!

 

 

My stories

Collecting Pocket Calculators

I collect old calculating machines for a hobby, anything, like shop counter adding, specialised scientific calculators, financial ones etc. Any old...

Confusing the Complicated Man

The secret of Archimedes According to the Archimedes buoyancy principle a floating object displaces its own weight in water. The proof it turns out...

Escape of the Boer Swimmers

During the South African War (October 1899 – May 2002) many Boers were taken prisoner and exiled by the British Army. Most of the prisoner of war...

Class of '84

Also your greatest of all advantage in a chess game is to have your opponent underestimate you. Myself don't attend reunions I'm usually busy then,...

Gospel Concert

We went to some gospel concerts at the rugby stadium it was Don Francisco he never asked entrance fees only donations, even for the songs, free on...

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453 of my comments have received 456 Great Feedback votes

1 Vote

strange days

Posted on Mon, 01 Dec 2025

Those were very strange times indeed, and they can come knocking again any time ... with pain and suffering. AIDS isn't a joke either.

I remember at a time "yuppy flu" was so prevalent but now seems agreed it was "depression" after all and...

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Posted in CEPHALALGIA.

1 Vote

the present

Posted on Thu, 04 Dec 2025

Isn't it ironic Rhiannon? Tragic. Reminds us to live in the "now" and the story is like my late mother she also had grand plans for touring the world she saved many years had the money and time and everything but then in the end she passed...

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Posted in An elderly dream

1 Vote

WITS

Posted on Wed, 27 Mar 2024

Once proud heritage, striving for equality and excellence.

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Posted in Brutal Honesty

1 Vote

WITS

Posted on Fri, 01 Nov 2024

I don't understand what it is that makes you think I want something from you?

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Posted in Uncle Justice

1 Vote

Your stories are beautiful Jenny

Posted on Tue, 11 Nov 2025

Your stories are beautiful Jenny, I wish to see much more of Britain and Europe, but I'm not fanatical as my mother was. That was very tragic she worked her whole life to have the funds and oppurtunity to travel and then, just when she retired...

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Posted in Old Man Of Storr

1 Vote

Unbelievable

Posted on Wed, 19 Nov 2025

In SA we don't complain, "we vote with our feet". Don't let the bastards grind you.

All the best – Tom

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Posted in Satin. Part One.

1 Vote

It is really bad

Posted on Wed, 19 Nov 2025

This is really bad the one lot is worse than the other.

Good luck

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Posted in Satin. Part Two.

1 Vote

sweat & rock & roll

Posted on Fri, 21 Nov 2025

I was also excellent with daydreams Jenny but I have to admit yours are intricate sublime beyond belief. Fantastical, how entertaining! I would love to be that guy, your rock star! Though your lap would be a bit small(iish) I think.

I have...

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Posted in Drama Of Pheromones

1 Vote

The fruit

Posted on Sun, 25 May 2025

Thanks Jess. You know a tree by it's fruit –Tom

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Posted in President In Office

1 Vote

mother africa

Posted on Mon, 16 Dec 2019

let african nations whisper thunders
great nations to sing together
our rulers be just and strong
our great people's our time has come

on vast fields happiness on the land
bring our ancient lands and
...

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Posted in Our President

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