Favorite Rejects 2021-12-30

Dan Federman @TheFederman

TIL they started making reusable, p100-compatible respirators with no exhalation valve, so they filter air in both directions. 99.97% filtration, protects you and others, and likely comfortable for longer wears

dentecsafety.comDentec Safety Specialists Inc. | safety, safety products, safety specialists, coronavirus, virus, surgical mask, N95 disposable respirators…DENTEC SAFETY SPECIALISTS, INC. serves the Canadian occupational health and safety market through our national network of distributor partners assuring prompt service and technical expertise.

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

The standard inactivated polio vaccine that they give to kids has these properties — in a huge outbreak there’s actually a different vaccine they use, but IIRC it took years of additional research to develop it.

Molly Jong-Fast @MollyJongFast

Five very stupid days later

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

wait what?

Noah Smith 🐇 @Noahpinion

This will be a big problem for China; the health consequences of letting up on Zero Covid will be more severe due to the weakness of their vaccine, but the economic consequences of maintaining Zero Covid will also probably be severe...

Prof. Akiko Iwasaki @VirusesImmunity

In terms of public health, CoronaVac 2x is insufficient to neutralize Omicron. Even with CoronaVac 2x plus Pfizer booster, NAb is only 1.4x higher than 2x mRNA alone. Thus, CoronaVac recipients may need 2 additional booster doses to reach levels needed against Omicron. (10/) https://t.co/fkTy9aL6eh

Noah Smith 🐇 @Noahpinion

The one exception is X-Files, which I hate because I think it helped encourage the rise of conspiracy theories and the fragmentation of reality...

The British History Podcast @BritishPodcast

Noah Smith 🐇 @Noahpinion

As Alex Tabarrok notes, people just aren't easily able to mentally envision the difference between 7 years in prison and 50 year in prison, especially in the instant of time before they pull the trigger.

marginalrevolution.comWhat Was Gary Becker’s Biggest Mistake? - Marginal REVOLUTIONThe econometrician Henri Theil once said “models are to be used but not to be believed.” I use the rational actor model for thinking about marginal changes but Gary Becker really believed the model. Once, at a dinner with Becker, I remarked that extreme punishment could lead to so much poverty and h…

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

I would just say I should be paid according to the marginal product of my labor.

The New York Times @nytimes

Asking for salary requirements is a common job interview question which often kicks off a back-and-forth that, for job seekers, is rife with confusion and occasional bouts of regret. Here’s how to answer it. https://t.co/ygJrnDyRP1

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

This is great but IMO people with above-average incomes should also be allowed to choose for themselves how much parking (if any) they want to accompany a dwelling they rent or purchase.

Only In Boston @OnlyInBOS

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has signed an amendment to the Boston Zoning Code to eliminate off-street parking minimums for affordable housing developments where at least 60 percent of the units are income-restricted at 100 percent Area Median Income or below.

DPRK News Service @DPRK_News

DPRK News Service apologizes for interview presenting Frederick Krueger as disinterested expert on child molestation. https://t.co/Y6qBEGkMAM

BBC News Press Team @BBCNewsPR

Statement on interview with Alan Dershowitz https://t.co/MlXkqdJI8u

Noah Smith 🐇 @Noahpinion

Important thread about why SF has more of an unsheltered homeless problem than NYC. Especially note the last tweet, where it turns out SF activists are wary that universal shelter might weaken their push for more permanent housing...

Kim-Mai Cutler @kimmaicutler

A little thread on why homelessness in California is so much more visible than in New York. NY has a legal "right to shelter" because of the Callahan v. Carey consent decree in 1981. https://t.co/xG7E22KHSG https://t.co/yhu3NGUS7M

urbanmountain @urbanmountainv

How walkable is Mountain View? I made a map of the nearest grocery store within a half mile. San Antonio Center is spoiled for choice. But most homes in Whisman and Sylvian Park have no neighborhood grocery.