iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

There's still a heavy demand for workers. It's in blue-collar jobs

"In high-demand markets across the country, experienced plumbers, electricians and HVAC technicians are fielding aggressive calls from recruiters. The shortage of skilled technicians in those areas has sent starting salaries soaring into the mid-six figures." www.usatoday.com/story/money/...

usatoday.com

While many Americans fear AI will cause job losses, the demand for skilled trade workers is growing and the talent pipeline is not keeping up.

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Cities Across the US Are Turning Attics, Backyards and Garages Into Housing

"There’s also potential neighborhood pushback to consider. Some residents are worried about construction and increased parking needs clogging their streets. Others might be concerned about how a sudden wave of additional housing could overload local services." www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

bloomberg.com

ADUs are an increasingly popular answer to rental shortages, but their cost and complexity make the economics difficult.

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"The company believes some AI can’t make the nuanced evaluations necessary for shopping handmade and preowned goods, according to a person familiar with the matter." www.wsj.com/cmo-today/ai...

AI Agents Aim to Change Shopping. Some Retailers Are Locking the Doors.

QVC is rolling out the welcome mat for agents. Kate Spade lets them browse but not buy. Amazon blocks them entirely.

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Danny Groner @dannygroner.bsky.social · 21h

omg I have 11 things today. Too many, even for a Friday.

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Been seeing many more Google Meets of late, not Zooms. Never Teams.

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Danny Groner @dannygroner.bsky.social · 21h

"The lady was still swinging the stick. Luca didn’t know what had set her off. It also wasn’t clear where she got the branch — the trees outside the In-N-Out there are all palms." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/25/u...

nytimes.com

The Viral In-N-Out Spatula Hero Is Exactly Who You Imagined He Was

It started as a bizarre late-night standoff behind the counter of a fast food joint. It ended with no injuries — and free burgers.

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Reposted by Danny Groner

Adam Clark Estes @adamclarkestes.com · 22h

It will come as a surprise to no one that middle schools are using AI for companionship and they're lonelier than ever www.vox.com/technology/5...

vox.com

AI found a way to make middle school worse

More kids are using AI for companionship — and it’s making them lonely.

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Danny Groner @dannygroner.bsky.social · 22h

Anecdotal, but the people who reside in Denver in particular believe in remote work more than anyone else.

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Danny Groner @dannygroner.bsky.social · 23h

My wife, a healthcare worker, says she was surprised during her training how often people would show up at the ER at like 2 am on a weekend complaining they weren't feeling well for weeks. Why'd you choose now as the time to get seen? Anyway, a job seeker since February asked for time with me today.

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The Post–Me Too Generation Gets Its Me Too Moment

"Separate from the legal minefield of Jane Doe’s allegations and whether or not she was too inebriated to consent to sexual activity, we feel acutely that basic rules of conduct have been impugned. What does it mean for college boys to cut down an incapacitated woman to a disembodied part?"

nymag.com

The “Cornell Seven” case is changing what my generation thought we knew.

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Reposted by Danny Groner

Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I'm not sure who saw this coming, but so far nearly all the jobs created during the second Trump administration have gone to women.

Line chart titled "So far during Trump's second term, just 8% of all job growth has gone to men" showing change in employment by gender since January 2025. Total nonfarm employment grew by 776,000 jobs through September 2026, with women gaining 711,000 positions (92% of growth) while men added only 65,000 jobs (8% of growth). Women's employment gains accelerated sharply through 2026, reaching 711,000 by September, while men's employment growth remained flat with brief periods of decline, including a drop of 96,000 jobs in February 2026.

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A church’s answer to the loneliness epidemic: Turning a chapel into a taphouse

"Lose wants to turn Mount Olivet’s original chapel, which sits barely used across the street from the main church, into a community gathering space where people of all faiths — or no faith — can gather over a cup of coffee or pint of beer." www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/...

washingtonpost.com

The Minneapolis pastor behind the idea hopes the center can build relationships in a city scarred by loneliness and trauma.

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We took a three-hour woodworking class yesterday as a teambuilding activity. Recommended.

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"What constitutes marketing engineering is in the eye of employers and workers. But many say the remit includes building AI systems to automate marketing tasks like competitor analysis, paid media buying and the creation of personalized ads." www.wsj.com/cmo-today/ma...

Marketers Are Rebranding as ‘Engineers’ to Survive the AI Era

The industry that previously fell in love with job titles like “digital ninja” and “storyteller” has become fascinated with its latest newly minted function: the marketing engineer.

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Timeless, Infamous, Alive: Walking Canal Street

"Residents play ping pong at Seward Park as 20-somethings suck on vapes nearby. In some stores, the present is still just a visitor. You go by an electronics service center with 26 old televisions in the front windows and wonder, how does that place stay in business?" www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

nytimes.com

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Paul Kiernan @pkwsj.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Because the Q never runs in Brooklyn.

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Reposted by Danny Groner

Being forced to watch your campaign ads every time I click on a video doesn't make me want to vote for you.

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Reposted by Danny Groner

Anon Opin @anonopin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Ted Lasso is just Bluey for adults.

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"He had bought his place 50 years ago because no one else wanted it. All the good pasture was already locked away in generational farms whose heirs now lived elsewhere. Now he lived there with his son Bud and Bud’s family, and he appreciated the peace and quiet."

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A Gen Zer at a networking event last night asked me, "Do you know who Alix Earle is?"

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Graphic designers want you to stop with the AI posters

"Tyler said he is more charmed by a small business that takes a do-it-yourself approach to marketing, even if it's a rough-around-the edges hand-drawn poster, because it shows human care." www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2...

usatoday.com

Graphic designers get why businesses are turning to ChatGPT for posters, but they say they lack human touch. Here's what you can do instead.

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"In a world of endless entertainment options, somehow there’s growing demand for impossibly tiny toys. Dorfman says Americans’ enduring appetite for novelty has gotten stronger recently as people seek out the low-tech thrills of earlier eras." www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ca...

All This Man Thinks About Is What He Can Shrink Next. It Made Him a Toy Tycoon.

From 3-inch Super Soakers to mini Rubik’s Cubes, Alan Dorfman is obsessed with turning classic products into tiny, working realities.

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Reposted by Danny Groner

Allison Morrow @amorrow.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"Machchhar, despite being attacked and dealing with an aircraft that was losing altitude, had the presence of mind to open the cockpit door, make an announcement over the public-address system and call for help." Gift link:

The 38-Year-Old Captain Who Fought Off Cockpit Attack on FlyDubai Flight

Machchhar, who didn’t always want to be a pilot, was hailed for his heroism after being stabbed on Flight 1073.

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finance.yahoo.com/economy/arti...

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As I left the subway today, I complimented the woman across from me for the giant blanket she was actively knitting.

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It sometimes feels like the people who find certain, basic, enjoyable activities to be a chore or a bore have programmed AI to replace those things, and they presume that everyone must feel the way they do about shopping, or activities outside of the home, or other people generally.

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Welcome to Q4! A reminder that I have lots of companies to speak to the importance of Q4 on their businesses. DM me.

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The Climate Week people might actually be more irritating than the SXSW people?

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