Hello!
Amazingly, it’s been a full year since I began writing this newsletter. How did it go by so fast? Thanks for subscribing! I always enjoy hearing from you whether it’s to answer the weekly question or just say hi. I’m happy to know that you’re enjoying my weekly missives.
This week I’m going to keep it mostly visual - Nolan and Mia are visiting, so we’ve been busy socializing with them. They’ve just returned from working all summer in the wilds of Idaho, and while there they took a lot of great photos. Rather than me blathering on today, they’ve given me permission to share some of them with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
Certainly these grizzlies are farther away than they look…
Be warned!
Nolan got a new camera for his birthday, an Olympus Tough TG-5. It takes some AMAZING macros, as you will see from here on out!
Look at those eyes!
A moth with a snout:
A Sagebrush Sheep Moth:
A gravity-defying spider:
A very large caterpillar:
I’m a bit jealous. If you’d like to see more of Nolan’s plant and insect photos, and learn what they are, you can follow him on iNaturalist.
That’s it for me today - I’m going to get back to being social. Next week it’s back to normal for me.
Cheers!
Tidbits
Five novelists imagine how it might end for 45.
Remember the articulated wooden snakes they sell in tourist shops? Check out what happens when you take that idea to the extreme - the amazing wooden animal sculptures of Jeff Soan.
That time an ATF agent accidentally led a biker gang…
Making: the usual.
Recently eaten: homemade tomato soup and lamb shanks (not at the same time). We’ve been eating a lot of the food Michael made from the garden, because our freezer is stuffed full and we needed room for more lamb from 3 Sisters.
Reading: yesterday I spend a good chunk of the day reading, and plowed through three very different graphic novels. First, I read Woman World, which came highly recommended - follow Aminder Dhaliwal on Instagram to read the comic (and more). Then I read Saga, Vol. 9 - and will say nothing as I don’t want to spoil anything for anybody that may have yet to read it. Finally, I read The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt: A Tyranny of Truth - which is not a novel, but rather a graphic biography of one of the world’s great thinkers. Very timely.
Videos of the Week
Here’s a couple of videos to help you get into the Halloween mood… musically speaking.
Buzz Buzz Buzz
Creepy!
Question of the Week
Just hit reply to send your answer, and I’ll share it next week. Always anonymous!
There are two months left in the year - what would you like to accomplish during that time?
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Last week I asked you what you think of robots and AI.
I'm hopeful that we follow the Japanese pop culture model rather than the American one: more Astro Boy, less Terminator. But as everything about business leans heavily toward increased monetization, it's likely that tracking bots will overrule the cute-helper mode of robot/AI.
My thoughts on robots and AI...
OUR ROBOT OVERLORDS ARE COMPASSIONATE AND KIND. Thanks for asking.
I love exploring the moment AI hits the uncanny valley. It's interesting to see when this happens. Boston Dynamics has many interesting demo videos on their site and on YouTube. When I taught, sixth grade, we would watch the videos and have discussions about their reactions to the robotic devices being kicked and thrown off balance. I like a measured approach to AI. I see its value as well as the potential long term challenges.
Current Temperature: 54 F (12 C)
Current Humidity: 89%
Wind Gust: 8 mph
Precipitation: 0.00 in (I believe I’ve fixed my precipitation sensor, which wasn’t reading yesterday)
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