1. H5N1 update, per reader request; there is more here.
2. Me on fiscal stimulus on NPR.
3. What is the 11th best job?
4. Can you use hypocrisy to change people’s behavior?
Assorted links
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There is something phishy about a list that puts “software engineer” and “computer systems analyst” at place 4 and 5, but “computer programmer” at 18. I am quite sure that “better paid lumberjack” is also a better job than “lumber jack”.
How is it that “crack whore” didn’t make the bottom 20? (pace Norm Macdonald.)
Accounting as number 10? I’m an accountant, it’s not really that awesome. And why is butcher so low on the list? I could see that being enjoyable.
Surprise surprise. “Mathematician,” “Actuary,” and “Statistician” at the top of a statistical ranking of careers put together by, I’m gonna wager, statisticians.
That list is so silly! I’m still in college and will probably be in one of those “top 20 jobs,” but I think there’s something appealing about working with your hands or being outdoors. Why is it necessarily a negative?
The article on hypocrisy is a nice example of a cultural bias in the media. I’m sure the Catholic Church was shocked, shocked, shocked! by this discovery.
Your NPR comments on “fiscal stimulua” were great! But you seem to want the Federal Government to prop up state and local governments so they can continue business as usual. Perhaps these smaller units of government, like certain sectors of the non-governmental economy, need to contract.
I am an economist, but I wish I was a lumberjack.
That site should be called JobsRatedForPussies.com. Some people actually like physical work, competition, risk, etc. Full disclosure: I’m a physicist (and former volunteer firefighter, I might add). I guess economist beat us out because, as a physicist, there is actually a measure of being right or wrong
The issue of using hypocrisy as a motivator was introduced to me back, I think, Sophmore yera in college in the book, “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert Cialdini
http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/0688128165
I must-read for anyone who wants to succeed in this world, imho.
I use hypocrisy, but other people shouldn’t.
Ted–I believe that “assistant crack whore” got the bottom spot the subsequent year…
As a biologist (#4) who is currently not very happy with his job, I’ve got to say I would find this massively depressing if I took it seriously…
The Federal government shouldn’t just sit still. It’s important to help state and local governments preserve their current budgeting and that task will prove hard enough. We’re all hoping for an economic revival, but the bitter reality is that we will be very lucky simply to hold even and prevent further declines.
I guess you had to throw in some lines encouraging the thieves who steal our tax dollars or they wouldn’t let you on NPR. You don’t really believe that line do you?
You really think we will be lucky if we don’t have declines in state and local spending?… We will be lucky if they cut out the unneccesary spending and we see government budgets SHRINK relative to the GDP…Good job ignoring the trillions wasted on fighting boogeymen around the world as well…I’m sure you NYT, NPR gigs are safe as long as you root for Halliburton, Bechtel and nice fat governemnt budgets….GE might be interested in putting you on air if you keep this up.
“there is no utility in having a physicist in a private enterprise
Really? We have 6 now and just hired another. How is your stochastic calculus? Bone up and hang tight for the next 2 years. Then you’ll be fine.
It seems ranking jobs is a lot like ranking colleges. Sure some have unique advantages, but success is better measured by finding the right fit than by getting in with the “most prestigious” one.
A lot of the NPR comments centered on the concept of low-skilled workers installing solar panels.
There is a reason we don’t have a lot of solar panels right now, they don’t make business sense right now given the costs of electricity. You would need a heck of a carbon tax to make up the difference.
While I am a mild proponent of a carbon tax, it does disturb me that people want to create whole industries employing low-skill workers based only on government policy (even if that policy is trying to avoid a real valued externality).
On the other hand, a mild carbon tax revenue could go to building nuclear fission power plants (which don’t need as many people to build compared with putting solar panels on everyone’s roof).
And perhaps we could concentrate on raising the skills of low-skilled workers, to go do whatever the economy actually values directly (biotech, etc.)
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