David Lidsky's Blog, page 318

More states are adopting laws to protect children of family vloggers

These laws are not geared toward the casual parent who wants to share a picture of their child on Facebook. They’re putting guardrails in place for a form of child labor that has gone wildly unchecked.

Ruby Franke was once one of the most popular YouTube family vloggers, posting videos featuring her husband and six children on her channel, 8 Passengers, that racked up more than 1 billion views.

Democrats are missing the point on Joe Rogan

The argument that the left needs to find its own version of the hit podcaster goes up in smoke upon close examination.

The weeks after an election are open season for pet political theories. An electorate as massive and sprawling as America’s will never swing on just one thing. But that’s no fun to admit. So why not share your one thing—you can be as right as anyone else. But among the Monday-morning quarterbacks of social media, one strain of analysis seems poised to rule them all: that liberals need to find their own version of Joe Rogan. 

What companies are getting wrong about RTO, according to a former Google leader

A former head of talent at Google talks about the rise of strict return-to-office mandates—and how companies could implement them more effectively.

This year has ushered in a more robust return to the office, with companies across industries now putting an end to remote work for most employees. The likes of Amazon, UPS, and Boeing are now requiring workers to be in the office five days a week, along with several banks and finance companies. Walmart has required that corporate employees not only return to the office, but also relocate to the retail giant’s headquarters in Arkansas.

What makes a hero worthy of our attention

They are the ones who demonstrate transparency, vulnerability, empathy, humility, and grit in everything they do. 

Recently, my friend Scott asked me out of the blue:  Is there anyone you idolize? 

How Republican lawmakers will reshape tax policy in 2025

Republicans are likely to fight to keep key components in place for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Although coverage of the 2024 election was dominated by the economy, taxes didn’t get much attention in the run-up to the vote. That’s a bit of a surprise, since 2025 will be a major year for America’s tax system. In fact, the fate of the most significant tax reform in three decades hangs in the balance.

Why you need a digital estate plan and how to create one

So much of our lives is spent online, we need a digital estate plan to cover our virtual assets, from bank accounts to crypto currency.

Chances are good you’ve never considered the need for a digital estate plan. But you’ve definitely experienced the aggravation of forgetting a password to a rarely used site, as well as the answer to the security questions, as well as the password to the disused email account connected with the site.

How sleep tourism became a booming business for hotels

From AI-enhanced smart beds to ‘pillow menus,’ hotels are looking to cash in on sleep as the new wellness travel trend.

Set on a serene campus featuring adobe walls and eucalyptus trees, Canyon Ranch Tucson offers a unique travel experience. This Arizona property is credited with creating the wellness resort concept. But one of its latest trendy offerings isn’t focused on the top-notch spa, excellent cuisine, or hiking trails that tend to get raves from well-heeled travelers.

If AGI arrives during Trump’s next term, ‘none of the other stuff matters’

Future of Life Institute cofounder Max Tegmark on regulating AI, Elon Musk’s potential to be a good influence on Donald Trump, understanding how LLMs think, and more.

More than 33,000 people—including a hall of fame of AI experts—signed a March 2023 open letter calling on the tech industry to pause development of AI models more powerful than OpenAI’s GPT-4 for six months rather than continue the rush toward Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI. “Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable,” stated the letter, which was spearheaded by an organization called Future of Life Institute.

Men: It’s time to disrupt bro code and shut down misogyny

A leadership professor at the U.S. Naval Academy says confronting misogyny demands that we overcome self-doubt, marshal courage, and vanquish anxiety about having our masculinity called into question.

“Your body, my choice.” “Get back to the kitchen.”

ChatGPT vs. Google: Which is more helpful for creativity?

Across a series of experiments, researchers found that ChatGPT does boost creativity, especially in everyday, practical tasks.

Think back to a time when you needed a quick answer, maybe for a recipe or a DIY project. A few years ago, most people’s first instinct was to “Google it.” Today, however, many people are more likely to reach for ChatGPT, OpenAI’s conversational artificial intelligence tool, which is changing the way people look for information.