2023-06-12

There is a new lightning bolt icon, on the word processing toolbar, wobbling at me, as I type this—my content management system is desperate to remind me, once every three seconds no less, that artificial intelligence has been conveniently integrated to provide suggestions.

Say hello to our next decade, friends: less the obvious doomsaying foretold and more a perpetual omni-marketed nuisancing. Death by help, in other words.

We have to find a way to talk about inflation that does not make either employment or growth sound like a pox upon the land—especially, one worse than the actual pox upon the land that led us here. The Canadian economy grew more than expected in Q1 and so the Bank of Canada responded by raising rates. What if we spent less time hoping for different data and more time developing better science—or, at least, competent scientists to mind it? Do you think AI could help with that? Just kidding, Hal. Don’t call us, we’ll call you.

Daily Show alum and national treasure Samantha Bee has a new podcast, called Choice Words. If you have not read her collection of essays, I Know I Am, But What Are You? (2010), but consider yourself a comedy fan, the joke is on you.