Morris Pondfield
@mpondfield.bsky.social
Consultant, Professor, Terps, Ravens plus O's Fan, an early adopter. There is no box.
Why the #AI data-center boom is a job-creation bust
wsj.com/tech/ai-data... via @WSJ
“#Datacenters have rightly earned a dismal reputation of creating the lowest number of #jobs per square foot in their facilities.” #economy #technology
wsj.com/tech/ai-data... via @WSJ
“#Datacenters have rightly earned a dismal reputation of creating the lowest number of #jobs per square foot in their facilities.” #economy #technology
The AI Data-Center Boom Is a Job-Creation Bust
Tech and political leaders tout them as an employment bonanza, but data centers need very few workers in very large spaces.
wsj.com
September 6, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Why the #AI data-center boom is a job-creation bust
wsj.com/tech/ai-data... via @WSJ
“#Datacenters have rightly earned a dismal reputation of creating the lowest number of #jobs per square foot in their facilities.” #economy #technology
wsj.com/tech/ai-data... via @WSJ
“#Datacenters have rightly earned a dismal reputation of creating the lowest number of #jobs per square foot in their facilities.” #economy #technology
“Confronted with evidence of his own failure, Trump announced that he’s changing course and pursuing a more responsible economic direction.
No, I’m just kidding. He’s actually firing the commissioner of labor statistics.”
www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
No, I’m just kidding. He’s actually firing the commissioner of labor statistics.”
www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
Trump responds to his failure to create jobs by firing the U.S. labor statistics chief
Confronted with evidence of his own failures, the president could've changed direction. He instead found it easier to fire his labor statistics chief.
www.msnbc.com
August 1, 2025 at 10:36 PM
“Confronted with evidence of his own failure, Trump announced that he’s changing course and pursuing a more responsible economic direction.
No, I’m just kidding. He’s actually firing the commissioner of labor statistics.”
www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
No, I’m just kidding. He’s actually firing the commissioner of labor statistics.”
www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
"Four kinds of penguins & 29 species of mammals live in the Australian territory—but no humans... Some speculate that the fact the islands feature on the White House’s list at all... is because they ... " econ.st/4jnjuuG
Five crazy Trump tariffs you wouldn’t believe
Saint Pierre and Miquelon earns a dubious honour
econ.st
April 7, 2025 at 3:52 PM
"Four kinds of penguins & 29 species of mammals live in the Australian territory—but no humans... Some speculate that the fact the islands feature on the White House’s list at all... is because they ... " econ.st/4jnjuuG
"No matter how much American politicians yearn for semiconductor self-sufficiency, their AI ambitions will continue to depend on Taiwan and its chipmaking champion." econ.st/4h1WKyJ
The trouble with MAGA’s chipmaking dreams
TSMC will keep making most of the world’s advanced chips at home for years to come
econ.st
February 28, 2025 at 1:45 AM
"No matter how much American politicians yearn for semiconductor self-sufficiency, their AI ambitions will continue to depend on Taiwan and its chipmaking champion." econ.st/4h1WKyJ
"Crazy leaders are hard to predict. Unpredictability creates uncertainty. And uncertainty kills investment and hiring, at home as well as abroad. In trying to win a bigger share of the spoils, brinkmanship ensures there are fewer spoils to be won." econ.st/4hN6gXM
Tariff uncertainty can be as ruinous as tariffs themselves
Whatever its geopolitical merits, the “madman theory” transfers badly to economics
econ.st
February 19, 2025 at 10:54 PM
"Crazy leaders are hard to predict. Unpredictability creates uncertainty. And uncertainty kills investment and hiring, at home as well as abroad. In trying to win a bigger share of the spoils, brinkmanship ensures there are fewer spoils to be won." econ.st/4hN6gXM
May be a tough case to crack....
bit.ly/4ht8LOw
bit.ly/4ht8LOw
Pennsylvania's 100,000-Egg Heist Leaves Local Authorities Scrambling To Find Suspects
The stolen eggs are reportedly valued at about $40,000, which seems low.
bit.ly
February 6, 2025 at 10:28 PM
May be a tough case to crack....
bit.ly/4ht8LOw
bit.ly/4ht8LOw
“The problem is math. Price becomes a choke point. When something is not viable anymore, it just breaks down”
econ.st/4aHmwH1
econ.st/4aHmwH1
How Trump’s tariff turbulence will cause economic pain
Mexico and Canada win a reprieve, but firms remain rattled
econ.st
February 4, 2025 at 2:49 AM
“The problem is math. Price becomes a choke point. When something is not viable anymore, it just breaks down”
econ.st/4aHmwH1
econ.st/4aHmwH1
"it was other factors, including growing population, deepening rule of law & success of non-traded goods that fueled America’s growth. This may all sound technical & academic. Alas, it's Trump who, in his mangling of history & economics, is steering America/world back to a dead end" econ.st/3PS3bsQ
Tariffs will harm America, not induce a manufacturing rebirth
Donald Trump’s pursuit of tariffs will make the world poorer—and America, too
econ.st
January 25, 2025 at 6:40 PM
"it was other factors, including growing population, deepening rule of law & success of non-traded goods that fueled America’s growth. This may all sound technical & academic. Alas, it's Trump who, in his mangling of history & economics, is steering America/world back to a dead end" econ.st/3PS3bsQ
“When things like this happen, people are able to do extraordinary things.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/18/d...
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/18/d...
Restaurant Workers Bring Unique Skills to the L.A. Fire Crisis
Even as it faces economic setbacks of its own, the hospitality industry is stepping up to feed emergency workers and evacuees.
www.nytimes.com
January 22, 2025 at 1:38 AM
“When things like this happen, people are able to do extraordinary things.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/18/d...
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/18/d...
“We have reached the ‘Fartcoin’ stage of the market cycle. Other than trading and speculation, it serves no other obvious purpose and fulfills no need that is not served elsewhere.”
cnb.cx/4aqeamS
cnb.cx/4aqeamS
David Einhorn says we have reached the 'Fartcoin' stage of the market cycle
"We have reached the 'Fartcoin' stage of the market cycle," Einhorn wrote in an investor letter obtained by CNBC.
cnb.cx
January 21, 2025 at 8:38 PM
“We have reached the ‘Fartcoin’ stage of the market cycle. Other than trading and speculation, it serves no other obvious purpose and fulfills no need that is not served elsewhere.”
cnb.cx/4aqeamS
cnb.cx/4aqeamS
"A space twofer took place early Wednesday morning — two lunar missions for the price of one rocket launch." nyti.ms/40xHnsN
SpaceX Will Launch Two New Moon Landers on One Rocket: What to Know
Robotic vehicles from Firefly Aerospace of Texas and Ispace of Japan parted ways early Wednesday after being launched on the same SpaceX rocket. Both are aiming for the lunar surface.
www.nytimes.com
January 15, 2025 at 10:06 PM
"A space twofer took place early Wednesday morning — two lunar missions for the price of one rocket launch." nyti.ms/40xHnsN
"You’re like, ‘What in the world are you talking about?’
The present day, it turns out.
“Everyone stares at their iPhones around the dinner table,' Mr. Dear said. 'We are all living the PLATO life now.”
bit.ly/4fIDlSU
The present day, it turns out.
“Everyone stares at their iPhones around the dinner table,' Mr. Dear said. 'We are all living the PLATO life now.”
bit.ly/4fIDlSU
Donald Bitzer, Unsung Pioneer of Interactive Computing, Dies at 90
In the 1960s and ’70s, he developed the PLATO computer system, which combined instant messaging, email, chat rooms and gaming on flat-screen plasma displays.
bit.ly
December 27, 2024 at 1:04 AM
"You’re like, ‘What in the world are you talking about?’
The present day, it turns out.
“Everyone stares at their iPhones around the dinner table,' Mr. Dear said. 'We are all living the PLATO life now.”
bit.ly/4fIDlSU
The present day, it turns out.
“Everyone stares at their iPhones around the dinner table,' Mr. Dear said. 'We are all living the PLATO life now.”
bit.ly/4fIDlSU
"If a defendant in a political case raises legitimate concerns about the integrity of a case in Mr. Trump’s second term, federal judges can’t bury their heads in the sand and ignore the attorney general’s clear intentions or those of the proposed F.B.I. director."
December 27, 2024 at 12:45 AM
"If a defendant in a political case raises legitimate concerns about the integrity of a case in Mr. Trump’s second term, federal judges can’t bury their heads in the sand and ignore the attorney general’s clear intentions or those of the proposed F.B.I. director."
“The idea of robots and all of those things, while it may be great for garnering headlines, it’s not practical for the vast majority of restaurants.” bit.ly/49P5yWA
Why Is It So Hard to Make a Robot Chef?
Restaurants are experimenting with automation. But in the kitchen, human labor is hard to replace.
bit.ly
December 22, 2024 at 3:32 PM
“The idea of robots and all of those things, while it may be great for garnering headlines, it’s not practical for the vast majority of restaurants.” bit.ly/49P5yWA
“This is, like, a cataclysmic event in the bagel world." bit.ly/3BjDzlg
A Bagel Shop Closed, and the Upper West Side Is Absolutely Losing It
The neighborhood reaction to the sudden closure of a Manhattan bagel shop was intense: “No no no no no no no no no no no!!”
bit.ly
December 13, 2024 at 9:17 PM
“This is, like, a cataclysmic event in the bagel world." bit.ly/3BjDzlg
"But if we stand up to the kakistocracy — rule by the worst — that’s emerging as we speak, we may eventually find our way back to a better world." ― @pkrugman.bsky.social bit.ly/4fdibfl
Opinion | My Last Column: Finding Hope in an Age of Resentment
Where have all the good vibes gone?
www.nytimes.com
December 10, 2024 at 12:27 AM
"But if we stand up to the kakistocracy — rule by the worst — that’s emerging as we speak, we may eventually find our way back to a better world." ― @pkrugman.bsky.social bit.ly/4fdibfl
This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays. — Douglas Adams
December 5, 2024 at 3:07 PM
This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays. — Douglas Adams
"For burned-out social media users like me, joining Bluesky can be a reset—chance to start over on a platform that isn’t engineered to maximize engagement, that isn’t owned by a capricious billionaire or an amoral advertising conglomerate, & that doesn’t treat its users as lab rats." nyti.ms/4g0Cqha
Bluesky Is Turning Into a Strong X Alternative
Bluesky has a hint of the old Twitter magic, but the feeling of freedom it offers might be even better.
nyti.ms
November 22, 2024 at 7:28 PM
"For burned-out social media users like me, joining Bluesky can be a reset—chance to start over on a platform that isn’t engineered to maximize engagement, that isn’t owned by a capricious billionaire or an amoral advertising conglomerate, & that doesn’t treat its users as lab rats." nyti.ms/4g0Cqha
“There’s a lot on the road map, and I’ll tell you what we’re not going to do for monetization,” Graber said. “We’re not going to build an algorithm that just shoves ads at you, locking users in. That’s not our model.” bit.ly/4eO3kro
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber says X rival is 'billionaire proof'
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber told CNBC that the social media app's open design could thwart potential acquisition efforts.
bit.ly
November 22, 2024 at 3:39 PM
“There’s a lot on the road map, and I’ll tell you what we’re not going to do for monetization,” Graber said. “We’re not going to build an algorithm that just shoves ads at you, locking users in. That’s not our model.” bit.ly/4eO3kro
It was my first computer language…
“'The programming language would provide the intellectual building blocks for later software and is still a fundamental tool in teaching computer programming… ‘Now you call it cloud computing.’”
nyti.ms/3CGbYuy
“'The programming language would provide the intellectual building blocks for later software and is still a fundamental tool in teaching computer programming… ‘Now you call it cloud computing.’”
nyti.ms/3CGbYuy
Thomas E. Kurtz, co-creator of BASIC programming language, dies at 96
At Dartmouth, long before the days of laptops and smartphones, he worked to give more students access to computers. That work helped propel generations into a new world.
nyti.ms
November 17, 2024 at 10:34 PM
It was my first computer language…
“'The programming language would provide the intellectual building blocks for later software and is still a fundamental tool in teaching computer programming… ‘Now you call it cloud computing.’”
nyti.ms/3CGbYuy
“'The programming language would provide the intellectual building blocks for later software and is still a fundamental tool in teaching computer programming… ‘Now you call it cloud computing.’”
nyti.ms/3CGbYuy
"The report points out that, for example, in the case of #smartphones, there is virtually no #manufacturing capability in the US, beyond a few refurbishing companies... Instead they'd simply pass the costs on to #consumers" bit.ly/4eC4t5j
If Trump wins, get your tech shopping done fast
60% tariffs on all Chinese goods are going to slam the IT sector
bit.ly
November 17, 2024 at 10:34 PM
"The report points out that, for example, in the case of #smartphones, there is virtually no #manufacturing capability in the US, beyond a few refurbishing companies... Instead they'd simply pass the costs on to #consumers" bit.ly/4eC4t5j