A while back I stopped off to fuel the car and my daughter spied this in the convenience store window:
She said, “Why does the live bait advertisement show a bass chasing an artificial lure?”
This Black Friday, don’t get “fished in” by misleading promos.
Hope you, dear reader, enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving. Until next time.
Book Notes
Haven’t turned a page this week in Chernow’s Washington. But it is still on my stack, as is David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest. I’ve read a little more of the latter.
I’ve moved a little more rapidly through Gary Scott Smith’s Strength for the Fight: The Life and Faith of Jackie Robinson, which I’m enjoying and would recommend.
I’ve also spent time with Wendell Berry’s This Day: Collected & New Sabbath Poems, and read the first two chapters of Trevin Wax’s The Thrill of Orthodoxy: Rediscovering the Adventure of Christian Faith. I would’ve kept going—but the first two chapters are all I had! I received an advance sample and plan to get my hands on the full galley so I can read it and review it.
Sights and Sounds
It’s a holiday week, so I’ve been watching movies. I watched Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001), Death Race (2008), The Courier (2019), and Nope (2022).
I prefer the dystopia of The Running Man (1987) to that of Death Race, unfortunately I wasted time watching The Courier and was rewarded with a terrible ending, and I liked Nope. I’ll be thinking about that movie for a good while to come.
Last Words
On the blog: Ellul with a challenging word on preaching the Word, Tolkein’s definition of a eucatastrophic tale, and Henri Nouwen on intercessory prayer.
Before I go, standard copy.
If you are receiving this newsletter in your email inbox, great! If you are a reader who comes my way via social media but you'd like to subscribe, subscribe here.
Hit play on the tape with the appeal for social media followers, then: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. I’ve thought about shutting all these down. No follow through…yet.
I’m not checking those accounts, but content does push there. If you use social media as your news feed, follow there. Share my stuff, if you like. Maybe those services are for you. They are not for me. I’ve been a happier and less anxious person since I quit checking social media.
Publishers consider social media numbers when extending offers or invites to write. Likes, follows, etc. help a person like me make their way. Lastly, subscribe to the blog by submitting your email to the "Updates to Your Inbox" form in the sidebar. We're at 1,384 across platforms. Help me get to 1,500+.
That's the business.
If you like this post, click the heart and kindly share it with others. If you’re coming my way because someone shared this with you, subscribe.
Be well this week. Bless others.
Best,
BAS
P.S. - It rained in the Ouachita National Forest on Thursday, so I settled here. I did not see any wood apes out this window, but you can bet I was looking.