Low power mode

Here's the plan. (Little help?) Also, 7 other things worth knowing today.

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Vacation plans

Every day when I send the newsletter now, I get a lot of replies like this:

• “Thanks for your email. I am currently out of the office with inconsistent access to email ...”

• “Sorry, I forgot to tell you I'll be out of the office! But, I will be checking messages and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you need immediate assistance...”

• “I will be out of the office on vacation until September 7. Due to past experience, I will delete all unread emails upon my return. Please either email me again when I've returned or else contact [XXXXX] at ...”

Yes, it’s that time of year: V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N. Sure enough, my family and I will be joining all of you auto-responders out there very shortly. I can’t wait.

I overthought quite a bit about what to do with the newsletter while I’m gone. Rather than shut down 100% for two weeks, as some mentors who are probably smarter than me have suggested, I decided to put it into “low power mode” (like on your phone, when it has to run on low battery).

To make that more fun, I’m going to ask for your help. First, let’s explain low-power mode:

1. You still get a newsletter. I’ve been working a extra over the last little while to compile great newsletter stories ahead of time. (Imagine a squirrel collecting acorns, only it’s a guy writing a newsletter.) It’s a combination of new content, and some classic “best of” stories from the past.

2. You don’t get the 7 other things that I normally include every day. Sorry, this is the part that can’t really be done ahead of time, so for 2022 anyway we’re going to suspend that part. I mean, unless I happen to come across something that I really —

Wait, no. Vacation is vacation; allow me to try to set a positive example for once.

How can you help? I’m glad you asked!

First off, especially those of you who have been loyal readers for a long time (but really, everyone), can you suggest some favorite “best of” essays that I should revisit?

I've got a few picked already for sure. (Bonus points upfront for anyone who can tell me ahead of time what August 19, one week from today, is the anniversary of. Hint: it's a story shared in one of my favorite Understandably newsletters of all time).

You can email me these ideas, or post in the comments.

Second, speaking of comments, since the “7 other things” will also be on vacation, I was thinking this might be a good chance to share links that you think other people might enjoy or ought to know about.

(Caveat: Let’s keep it in the overall spirit of the newsletter, and avoid sharing links that are just meant to stir up agita over politics, etc. There’s enough of that everywhere else on the Internet.)

Paradoxically, I think I’d be more likely to mess up my vacation by sneaking away to work on the newsletter if I didn’t think we at least had “low power mode” going in the background.

To be clear, I’m not leaving just yet; I just wanted to ask for some help as I put the final touches together before taking off. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in the comments!

Share your plans

Just for fun, let’s do a quick poll and learn about everyone else’s vacation plans. Are you, or have you already, taken a summer vacation? Feel free to share some of that in the comments, too.

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7 other things worth knowing today

• The FBI search of former President Trump's residence at Mar-a-Largo involved "classified documents relating to nuclear weapons," among other subjects, The Washington Post is reporting. Also, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the DOJ is taking the very unusual step of asking a federal judge to unseal the warrant the FBI used, acknowledging extraordinary public interest. Worth noting that Trump and his lawyers have a copy of the search warrant, and could release it themselves if they wanted to. (WashPost; gifted/free article)

• Wholesale prices fell in July for the first time in two years as a plunge in energy prices slowed the pace of inflation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. I don't know if I'd go as far as this Fortune article that proclaims: "The gasoline dragon has been slain. Inflation is slinking back into its cave as the consumers rejoice." But it's still good news. (CNBC, Fortune)

• The NBA will permanently retire Bill Russell’s uniform No. 6 in honor of Russell’s life and legacy, the league announced Thursday. The number retirement will be across every NBA team in order to ensure “that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. (The Athletic)

• A high-profile Flint water crisis trial against two private engineering companies ended with a hung jury, after eight jurors told the judge they did not believe they could deliver a verdict without putting the mental and physical health of the one holdout juror in jeopardy. (Detroit News)

• North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared 'victory' over coronavirus even as his sister says he was 'seriously ill' with 'high fever.' (Fox News)

• Abby, a mixed-breed poodle that disappeared June 9, was found 500 feet underground in a cave in Missouri, and rescued by spelunkers and fire department volunteers. “We realized it would be hard to get her out because she was too weak to walk,” said Gary Keene, 59, who found the dog while exploring with a small group that included several children. (KELO)

• Sometimes I share a story just for the headline, like this one: "Connecticut mom of 8 is a full-time bagpiper. Here’s how she does it." (Hartford Courant)

Final note: Congrats to reader Andrew Rabuck who got a free year’s premium subscription for being the first to email me (7:27 a.m. yesterday) to flag that I used a Dad Joke twice! Thanks Andrew!

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Thanks for reading. Photo credits: Pixabay & courtesy of Sharon Best. Want to see all my mistakes? Click here. See you in the comments!