Favorite Rejects 2022-01-08

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

Remember 10 years ago when automation was making all human labor obsolete? Would be convenient to get some of those robots on the job these days to staff the nursing homes, run the schools, keeping moving the shipping containers, etc.

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

One job we really could automate away

slowboring.comAutomate as much traffic enforcement as possibleLet’s welcome our robot overlords

Matt Darling 🌐💸🌇 @besttrousers

I don't want to diminish @edyong209's point about decreased capacity to fight Omicron, but important to keep track of healthcare *hires*, not just resignations. Total healthcare employees are currently at 97.3% of the pre-pandemic level (vs. 97.7% for all other industries).

Ed Yong @edyong209

The most important thing about this surge: It comes *after all the others*, & finds a workforce that’s exhausted, demoralized, & smaller because of waves of resignations. Today’s system can’t handle what it used to handle. It must now handle a LOT. 2/ https://t.co/1OmtMu1mw7

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

People got really mad at my observation that people get mad every time there’s explicit discussion of the statistical value of human life.

Noah Smith 🐇 @Noahpinion

If you want to do Big Tech antitrust, I guess you could go after iMessage.

Hiroshi Lockheimer @lockheimer

Apple’s iMessage lock-in is a documented strategy. Using peer pressure and bullying as a way to sell products is disingenuous for a company that has humanity and equity as a core part of its marketing. The standards exist today to fix this. https://t.co/MiQqMUOrgn

Noah Smith 🐇 @Noahpinion

Hands-on fatherhood has the potential to be a HUGE cultural change for Japan, improving not just family life but also workplace productivity culture.

thelily.comThe paid-leave pioneers: A few Japanese dads have sparked a child-care revolutionThe country’s paternity leave is among the most generous in the world. These men are trying to inspire dads to actually use it.

Noah Smith 🐇 @Noahpinion

NOOOOOO ET TU, BURNING MAN

Jim C. Hines @jimchines

Everyone talks about cats needing enrichment and exercise and play, but you bring one laser pointer to CATS, and suddenly you’re “no longer welcome in the theater.”

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov

The signal amidst the inflation hysteria noise (https://t.co/WgJcz4dun7). It's nearly impossible to overstate how good this news is, or how insane the obsession over modest inflation that may last two years is for such a remarkable & total labor market recovery this time around.

David Beckworth @DavidBeckworth

The Gross Labor Income Gap is almost closed! https://t.co/yL7UszusgI