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Had a wonderful time speaking at the Montreat College convocation this morning and had a bit of time to enjoy the Blue Ridge Parkway before heading to the airport for my flight home.
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Really wonderful to be back in western North Carolina, if even for just 24 hours, where autumn is just beginning its spectacular entrance.
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A gorgeous day for a hike on the Paul Douglass trail at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
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These are the two books I think about every single time another tech leader warns about the existential risks posed by A.I. while simultaneously developing the technology as quickly as possible.
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In today’s newsletter I mention five things that have recently held my attention.
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My wife is the lead gardener for the community gardens our church cares for on the grounds of a local public elementary school. It’s alway fun to visit this time of year when everything is showing off.
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Last week, on my way through Grand Rapids, I stopped by the Baker Book House to wander the extensive used books stacks. I was lucky to have escaped with just these!
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Some generous friends have lent me their farmhouse for my annual late-summer pilgrimage to northern Michigan. The back porch view has given me plenty of opportunities to practice my nature journaling.
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A few weeks ago, during a day-trip to visit the University of Illinois for our 12th-grader, we stopped into the Jane Addams Bookshop. Madeline L’Engle’s memoir about her marriage to Hugh Franklin was an immediate purchase.
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We made it to the southernmost place in the U.S. yesterday. Everything about the place – sun, wind, waves – was harsh and impressive… and far more moving that I’d anticipated.
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Got up with the sun this morning for an early hike on the Makāula-‘O’oma Trails about 20 minutes up the hill from Kailua-Kona. Lots of unfamiliar (to my Midwestern ears) birdsong, but these red-masked parakeets we’re easy to pick-out above the other chatter.
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We visited Punalu’u Black Sand Beach Beach yesterday and got to share the views with a couple of gorgeous green turtles. I wish I knew how old they are.
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Today began with an early alarm and, after a bunch of hours en-route, ended with dear friends over dinner and a gorgeous sunset on the Island of Hawaii (the big island).
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After our serendipitous breakfast in Sioux Falls last month, @davoh gave me a copy of a book he co-authored about fishing the waters of Appalachia. I’m no angler but the book is fantastic, a reminder of the six years I lived in-between eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.
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Rode up to my favorite patio this morning for some continuing education.
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Magnifica Humanitas: “Technological innovations, including artificial intelligence… must be evaluated by asking a crucial question: Do they truly help individuals and peoples to become more humane and fraternal, while respecting our common home and future generations.”
Anyone else reading this?
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Magnifica Humanitas: “Technological innovations, including artificial intelligence… must be evaluated by asking a crucial question: Do they truly help individuals and peoples to become more humane and fraternal, while respecting our common home and future generations.”
Anyone else reading this?
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Sabbatical has meant I’ve most been away from Chicago this summer. A few days at home means a quiet morning enjoying my favorite cinnamon roll (laminated dough, raisins) on Medeci’s sidewalk cafe.
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Next up, The Glorians. My first time reading Terry Tempest Williams.
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I lugged this 800 page doorstop to Costa Rica, the Black Hills, and just finished it here in northern Michigan. Worth it! Mostly a romp through primary sources by an expert and playful guide, McCarraher’s case about our collective Mammon-worship is hard to deny.
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From the scorching heat of the Black Hills last week to the fall-like temperatures of Lake Ann, MI. The smoke has dissipated and it’s shaping up to be a perfect day for a bike ride on the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.
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There are about 250 bighorn sheep living in Badlands National Park and I was fortunate enough to spend a few minutes with this one yesterday morning.
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If you find yourself driving on I-90 between Sioux Falls and Rapid City, ignore the countless billboards for Wall Drug but don’t miss the scenic loop through the Badlands.
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On my last evening at the Wheaton College Field Station I waded into Rapid Creek at dusk to watch the cedar waxwings enjoy their insect dinner over the water. Tomorrow I begin the drive back to Chicago. It’s been a wonderful week!
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It has been hot in the Black Hills this week. This has meant getting out early which, like this morning’s hike to Buzzards Roost, leads to some quiet and beautiful scenes.
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