The Weekly Review: Vol VI Issue 18
Good morning peoples,
Or afternoon, evening, or middle of the night. I hope November finds you well!
We’re only a few days into the month, but for some folks, that means they’re focused on getting in some serious writing. NaNoWriMo kicks off every November 1st, and I’m giving it a run for the first time.
When I first started to consider the idea, I wasn’t sure how to use the exercise. I’ve been kicking around the idea of a fictional story for a couple of months. But being a fan of epic fantasy, I couldn’t imagine writing a story that is shorter than 6 books or so. An outline of a story has slowly (very slowly) grown since early summer, but zero actual words have been written. And I haven’t written fiction, ever, apart from a few school exercises.
And NaNoWriMo is no small exercise. The goal is 50,000 words for the month. That works out to an average of over 1,600 words per day for the thirty-day month. Since I try to get in 1,600 words for each issue of this newsletter, it felt like a nice coincidence, and maybe I could spend the month filling in future issues. Seeing as I’ve been averaging 1,600 words every 3 weeks, that would be quite the increase.
So I have no idea where this will lead. All I know is I’ve hit 1,600 words every day so far. Some of it has been dialogue, some this newsletter, some of it sketching out various scenes that may fit into this story that’s building in my head. And some of it (most of it?) will likely never be seen by anyone else.
That’s ok with me. It’s the exercise I’m focused on, as writing has taken a big back seat for the past couple of years. Maybe November will be a kick to get me back into more of a regular routine.
==================================
An update on my Cloudsurfer running shoes
A few folks have asked about these shoes since I first mentioned them, so I’ve been paying closer attention than normal to how I like them. Or don’t.
Overall, they’re a good shoe, and I wouldn’t tell anyone to stay away from the brand. Having said that, I’m not sure I’ll buy another pair. To date, my favourite running shoes have been Brooks Pure Flows and Saucony Clarions. The Cloudsurfer is a nice looking shoe and comfortable, but I have noticed a few drawbacks.
First is the material on the bottom. When you look at the shoes from On Running, the sole is the first thing most people notice. And for my experience, the unique design was not uncomfortable at all. However, it does mean you have less surface area of your foot touching the road. And I found the material to be a little too slippery for my tastes.
I didn’t think much about it around my neighbourhood. We have some gravel roads, some seal coated, and some pavement. And we don’t get a lot of rain. I’ve had a few moments where my footing felt insecure but didn’t think much about it. But when running in Philadelphia recently, the weather was very wet, and I noticed it immediately.
I often run on the trail along the Schuylkill River, and the paved trails are very smooth. Add some serious wind and rain, and the Cloudsurfer’s feel less than safe. Since I run with a small hernia, sudden movements and slipping always get my attention. I haven’t had a bad slip in these shoes, but in the wrong conditions, they feel one misstep away from pain.
One other small complaint about the design of the sole is rocks. You can get rocks stuck in any shoe, but it’s more prevalent due to the gaps in between the wedges that make up the sole.
It’s possible that one of the other models of On would make more sense for me, and I may try one more pair. But I may just stick with other brands as well.
==================================
Items of note
James Somers speaks to the difficulty of truly getting into the outdoors with any sense of sincerity.
Here’s a thought that’s been getting me down lately living in New York. Suppose that I wanted to climb a tree. Where would I go? Do I have to make a plan? Central Park has a lot of trees, but I don’t think you’re allowed to climb those. Maybe there is a business that has gotten permission from the city to take people to trees that are good for climbing, and that will teach you how to do it safely, for $50 with tax and lunch included.
Living on a small acreage right next door to miles of forest, I don’t quite feel Somers’ discord between urban living and nature. But I do empathize with his desire to push back against the artificiality of our modern sense of ruggedness. But, as he alludes to, small steps can bring lasting change.
Hat tip to my Eugene Fedorenko for the link.
How Costco gained a cult following — by breaking every rule of retail
In the complete opposite direction, I enjoyed this look into the rise of Costco some months back.
On first impression, Costco makes no sense. It is a place where you can buy, in the course of one trip, a 27-pound bucket of mac and cheese, a patio table, a wedding dress, a casket, a handle of gin, a tank of gas, a passport photo, a sheepskin rug, a chicken coop, prescription medications, life insurance, a $1.50 hotdog, and a $250,000 diamond ring.
The article goes on to cover the origins of the brand and lists several factors that led to its success. While I appreciate some of these facts (the paradox of choice kills me in regular stores), others can be a source of frustration (try finding an item you liked a couple of months later). But what endears the chain to me most is the treatment of its workers.
The average pay among its 245,000 workers (143,000 full-time, 102,000 part-time) works out to $21 per hour, double the national retail average and nearly 2x Walmart’s going rate. Moreover, 88% of Costco workers receive company-sponsored health insurance.
This is the kind of thing that sways my decision about where to use my purchasing power.
Five Questions about Faith and Works
This was a very nice summary from Kevin De Young on the topic of faith and works. He quotes extensively from Francis Turretin but does a very good job (as he usually does) of breaking down complex arguments into plain English.
Importantly, Turretin argues that sanctification can be understood “passively,” inasmuch as the transforming work “is wrought by God in us,” and also “actively,” inasmuch as sanctification “ought to be done by us, God performing this work in us and by us” (XVII.i.3). This is a crucial point. Sanctification is not understood correctly if we do not understand that God is doing the work in us, and at the same time we are also working. Any theology that ignores either the active or passive dimension of sanctification is getting it wrong.
De Young is the modern writer who reminds me most of C.S. Lewis in his ability to explain the complex in plain terms.
==================================
Quote of the week
Let me risk one more Latin word here: for Hugh this meditation, especially on sacred texts, could best be achieved by ruminatio, a word which may call to mind something rather more highfalutin’ than Hugh intended. For us to “ruminate” is to engage in a pretty dignified, or dignified-sounding, act, but Hugh was thinking of cows and goats and sheep, ruminant animals, those who chew the cud. A ruminant beast has multiple stomachs, the first of which, the rumen, can be used for temporary storage: the animal chews some food and swallows it, sending it to the rumen, but then regurgitates the partially digested lump and chews on it some more. Only after rumination does the food get passed to the next stomach, from which there is no return. Hugh believes this is the perfect model of attentive reading: to read the text, to pass it along to the depths of the mind—but then to call it back for further thought.
Alan Jacobs, The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction
I know, two issues in a row with a quote from the same source. I promise to read something else soon! But I sure like this picture of “attentive reading.” Something I need to improve on, for I find it far too easy to read something, highlight it, and move on, never again to see the words I so enjoyed.
==================================
Currently
Watching: I recently dug into The Spy, another Netflix original series. And I’m very glad I did so. The series, directed by and starring Sasha Baron Cohen, covers the life of Eli Cohen, Massad’s most well known and successful agent.
This piece from Time gives an overview of the series and the real-life story that inspired it. Regardless of whether you worry about absolute authenticity, I’m loving the show (I’ve got 1 of 6 episodes left). The creators nailed the period (1960’s), at least in my mind. And the series conveys itself similarly to all the BBC shows I enjoy so much, where human emotion and social cues are given with such subtlety. Add to this the still present tension between Israel and Syria, the suspense of working undercover at great risk, and the impact of such a life on a spouse and children … I call it much watch TV. Fair warning, there is some nudity and explicit sexual content in episode 5 (which reminds me how much I enjoy the skip forward/backward ten seconds in the Netflix iOS app).
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️, would recommend
Listening: I’ve slowly been getting into the Ad Astra soundtrack by Max Richter.
Reading: I started The Burning White (the fifth and final installment of the Lightbringer series) while on the road. For whatever reason, it hasn’t really gripped me yet despite the fact I’ve quite enjoyed the series.
==================================
Have you read anything recently that inspired you or grabbed your attention? Hit reply and share the details — I’d love to hear about it.
Until next time…