Blog Archive

A complete archive of all posts published to this blog since September 15, 2017.

Posts

2024-09-11: In Brief Moment Of Lucidity, Biden Endorses Trump - Babylon Bee The stunning incident was the first momentary instance of Biden showing any sense of clarity, coherence, and good judgment, as he paused to put on a “TRUMP 2024” baseball cap during a campaign stop at a …

2024-09-10: It’s 2024 and it took 41 minutes on the phone to cancel my home internet service. And if you cancel three days into a 30 day billing cycle, you have to pay for full service through the entire cycle. Internet service providers are absolute garbage.

2024-09-10: Nation Eagerly Anticipates Two Brightest Minds In Country Meeting In Respectful, Productive Dialogue - Babylon Bee A recent survey showed Americans can’t wait to witness the cordial meeting of two towering intellects when Donald Trump and Kamala Harris gather to …

2024-09-09: Cybertruck Owner Brags About High-Tech Pedal That Makes Vehicle Accelerate When Pressed - The Onion he felt like “some sort cyberpunk bounty hunter” when he used his foot to apply pressure to a lever that increased the vehicle’s speed in proportion to how much he pressed the …

2024-09-09: Divided Mind It’s remarkable how quickly I forget things. Just a few months ago, we started our summer vacation, allowing me to dedicate more of my focus to work tasks throughout the day. Sure, the kids would still ping me throughout the day, but I was able to complete tasks large and small …

2024-09-09: Back to Day One.

2024-09-09: First day of school, cool outside, windows open, everyone’s at their desks. 🍂📘

2024-09-09: Plans - Catholic Husband For I know well the plans I have in mind for you ➕

2024-09-08: End of summer.

2024-09-07: Saturdays are for errands & cleaning. 🧺

2024-09-06: End of an era.

2024-09-04: Philanthropy FTW! The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Just Distributed 5,000 ‘Caution Wet Floor’ Signs To Some Of The Slipperiest Places In The World - Clickhole the Gates Foundation has made it their mission to “slash global slipping rates in half, if not eradicate slipping …

2024-09-02: Cloak - Catholic Husband We imagine grandeur in every action of God, and they are. But in His majesty, God chooses the simple. A piece of humble cloth, wrapped around us, is all that’s needed to protect us from the gravest danger. ➕

2024-08-29: Study: Crows Intelligent Enough To Steal Trinkets, But Foolish Enough To Think Material Goods Will Solve Problems - The Onion Goertz revealed that their findings had also indicated several species of crow were capable of mimicking human speech without understanding that …

2024-08-28: Trump Props Up Trapper Keeper Around Campaign Plan To Prevent Kamala From Copying - Babylon Bee According to sources, a representative from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) gave Harris a stern warning and told her to get back to work. Kamala Harris’s eyes darted …

2024-08-26: Kamala Explains 93% Of Staff Quit Because They Couldn’t Handle The Joy - Babylon Bee “They quit because they are literally overdosing on joy,” Harris explained. “Almost no one on earth can stand being around this much joy for more than a few weeks. It’s …

2024-08-21: Philosopher’s Friends Constantly Pitching Him Ideas For Dilemmas - The Onion Honestly, everybody thinks they can be a philosopher, but just because something metaphysically resonant happened to you doesn’t mean it would make a good dilemma.

2024-08-20: The goal of evil is to divide, separate, isolate, shame, destroy. The goal of Christ is to heal and unite, to harmonize in love. And that’s the great battle that’s always underway. - Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB

2024-08-20: I’m ‘bout to have a good day.

2024-08-16: My favorite morning sky.

2024-08-15: The End Of His Prime: This Man No Longer Has The Fertile Imagination And Boundless Creative Energy To Build His Own Subway Sandwich And Has To Order From The Regular Menu - Clickhole “Let’s face it, building your own sandwich is a young man’s game, and I’m just not young …

2024-08-14: After Two Weeks With Kamala, Tim Walz Announces He Has Signed Back Up With National Guard And Requested Deployment To Iraq - Babylon Bee Though leaving the ticket after only two weeks, campaign staffers report that Walz actually set the record for the longest time any person has …

2024-08-14: Taliban Holds Parade In Honor Of Kamala’s Achievements In Afghanistan - Babylon Bee “We could never have become this strong without Kamala Harris,” said Taliban spokesterrorist Hassan Al-Samir. “Though we were once a rag-tag band of goat herders causing …

2024-08-13: Currently reading: Shadow of Doubt by Brad Thor 📚

2024-08-12: Ruled By Fear: This Man Irrationally Refuses To Fly Despite There Being Almost Zero Chance He Would Ever Wind Up In A Sixth Plane Crash - Clickhole Accidents like the five that have befallen Semple are so rare, in fact, that it’s actually far more likely that he’ll be struck by …

2024-08-11: Taylor Swift Jet Launches Retaliatory Strike On ISIS Stronghold - Babylon Bee At publishing time, sources revealed Swift had already begun writing an upcoming song to take further revenge on the terrorists.

2024-08-03: Can’t Be Good: The Bus Driver Is Currently On A Zoom Call, Not Like A Friend Catch Up Or Anything, Like An All-Hands Meeting For An Entirely Different Job - Clickhole She just shared her screen to show everyone else a spreadsheet and now she’s going on and on about P …

2024-08-02: I’ve spent the last four years putting together a pretty awesome knife collection. I’m thinking about challenging myself to carry a different one each day and review it here on my blog.

2024-08-02: It’s been a long nine days.

2024-07-24: ‘We Applaud Caesar For Doing The Right Thing And Stepping Down,’ Says Senator Holding Bloody Knife - Babylon Bee Cassius and his fellow senator Marcus Junius Brutus, who were both present at a hastily organized retirement party for Caesar, said that the former …

2024-07-23: Activision Announces Release Of ‘Call Of Duty: Moderately Sloped Roof’ - Babylon Bee “This is the most difficult, extreme campaign we have ever made,” said Masterson. “You have to literally crawl on your tummy up a slight slope and not fall down. …

2024-07-23: Dems Pull Off Successful Insurrection - Babylon Bee According to sources, Democratic party elites have worked tirelessly to overthrow the candidate chosen by voters, using everything from donation boycotts to blackmail. “It took everything we have, but we have deposed the …

2024-07-23: Barack Obama Strikes Again - WSJ Opinion As No. 2 in the Biden White House, Ms. Harris was in a key position to witness the president’s decline. Yet she too was happy to keep it from the American people. Now she asks them to trust her with the presidency? Everyone in the room …

2024-07-23: Another Coronation for Kamala - WSJ Opinion Ms. Harris said on Sunday that she intends to “earn” her party’s nomination. That would be a change for a politician who’s floated to the top in a one-party Democratic state with powerful patrons boosting her. The upshot has been that …

2024-07-19: Splish, splash

2024-07-18: ‘Let’s Settle This At The Ballot Box,’ Says Party That Tried To Kick Trump Off Ballots - Babylon Bee “Let me be perfectly clear,” said President Biden. “The idea that political violence, look, this is America, and there is no place for semi-assault, automatic …

2024-07-18: Goliath Claims He Only Lost Because He Fought David On Slightly Sloped Surface - Babylon Bee According to the scroll, the Israelites were quick to point out that the hill David was standing on only had a five-degree slope. The Philistines, however, vehemently maintained that it …

2024-07-14: Quarantining the Conspiracy Swamps - WSJ Opinion Mr. Biden was employing a metaphor, however inapt given our current political distemper. He wasn’t giving orders to anyone to shoot Mr. Trump, and if he wanted to do so he wouldn’t do it in public. Mr. Collins is among those who …

2024-07-14: The Shooting of Donald Trump - WSJ Opinion The near assassination of Donald Trump could be a moment that catalyzes more hatred and an even worse cycle of violence. If that is how it goes, God help us. Or it could be a redemptive moment that leads to introspection and political …

2024-07-13: Dinner in a food hall

2024-07-12: The world is a dangerous place. The trend towards a full-blown gerontocracy is deeply troubling. The American voter is more concerned with getting their team into power than what’s best for the country. The President is largely incoherent, Mitch McConnell freezes, John Fetterman …

2024-07-11: Biden Accidentally Introduces Ukraine’s Zelensky as ‘President Putin’ - WSJ “Now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination, ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said. He quickly corrected himself: “President …

2024-07-09: I just opened the Voice Memos app and found years old recordings of my infant daughters laughing. It made me smile.

2024-07-09: Janet Yellen Reassures Nation That Biden’s Dementia Is Transitory - Babylon Bee Yellen’s statement was endorsed by several White House insiders, including Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, Ashley Biden, James Biden, and Valerie Biden Owens.

2024-07-09: Overflight Dozens of planes fly over us everyday without our noticing, flying to destinations near and far. It’s a small rhythm of life that occurs, often without our knowing. Frequently, I’ll pull up the FlightRadar24 to see what kind of plane it is, and where it’s heading. Many of these …

2024-07-08: How Biden’s Inner Circle Worked to Keep Signs of Aging Under Wraps - WSJ In April, Murray, the high-ranking senator from Washington state, told the Journal that she hadn’t seen a change in Biden’s acuity during years of meeting with him. “He engages in a very personal way, …

2024-07-08: Biden to Congressional Democrats: I’m ‘Running This Race to the End’ - WSJ President Biden dug in Monday, telling a broad array of Democrats that he was committed to “running this race to the end” and that it was time for conversations about changing nominees to stop, as …

2024-07-08: ABC News’ exclusive interview with Biden: Full transcript PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: I’ll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did the good as job as I know I can do, that’s what this is about. (emphasis added) I’m not sure that’s better than, …

2024-07-08: My greatest fear about the future of drone delivery is what happens when the pregnant women find out.

2024-07-08: Andrea Lawful-Sanders, WURD Radio part ways after she used questions provided by Biden’s campaign - CBS Philadelphia A Biden administration official told CBS News Saturday that the White House was not involved in any preparation for the two radio interviews. The official …

2024-07-08: What’s Next - Catholic Husband The growth of our children is the perfect reminder that, while every stage of life has its challenges and frustrations, each stage also has its little joys. These joys can only be found when we ask, “What’s now?” ➕

2024-07-07: These Men Are on the Front Lines of the Abortion-Rights Movement - WSJ “The whole point of our organization is to get guys who are passively pro-choice but would not speak up, show up, donate—to get them to do those things,” said Florida-based Deputy Executive Director Aaron …

2024-07-07: Just about perfect.

2024-07-07: The ‘MAGA Supreme Court’ Doesn’t Exist - WSJ Opinion Democrats denounce the Supreme Court for making the Presidency too powerful, while they also denounce the Justices for stopping Mr. Biden’s unilateral regulatory actions, including his effort to forgive $430 billion of student …

2024-07-07: Biden Aides Wrote Questions for Radio Hosts Who Interviewed Him - WSJ Biden’s aides, grappling with the biggest political crisis of Biden’s career, sought to exert control over the Wednesday interview. “I was sent eight questions to choose from,” Lawful-Sanders told The Wall …

2024-07-07: Publishing is the best part of writing. 👨🏻‍💻

2024-07-07: Exploring new rails 🚉

2024-07-06: Readers Humans make progress and prosper when they learn new things.1 I entered the workforce in the golden age of online leadership tutorials. It was 2014 and voices like Michael Hyatt, Jon Acuff, and Jeff Goins were breathing new life into business blogging and podcasting. They …

2024-07-06: Elderly Surgeon Assures Patients He’s Still Lucid Between 10 A.M. And 4 P.M. - Babylon Bee Despite the sudden calls from nursing staff for Dr. Williams to retire due to his mental decline, he has thus far steadfastly refused. “Nothing but the Lord Almighty could make me …

2024-07-06: The chaos of logbooks is always irritating to me. When I’m done, though, the sense of accomplishment is always very real.

2024-07-05: JPMorgan Warns Customers: Prepare to Pay for Checking Accounts - WSJ Lake said Chase is planning to pass on the costs of higher regulation and charge customers for a number of now-free services, including checking accounts and wealth-management tools, if the rules become law in …

2024-07-04: Biden and Democrats Have Truly Worked to ‘Beat Medicare’ - WSJ Opinion Joe Biden’s history of seeking to abolish Medicare goes all the way back to 1975. That year, the then-freshman senator introduced so-called “sunset” legislation to terminate within six years “all provisions …

2024-07-04: 4th of July carry.

2024-07-04: Biden’s Frailty Isn’t Breaking News - WSJ Opinion In the run-up to the South Carolina primary that set Mr. Biden on a path to the nomination, I saw him at several events. At a small community center in North Charleston, S.C., Mr. Biden was scheduled to speak on his housing plan …

2024-07-04: Special guest on today’s podcast: Mary, the Mother of God

2024-07-04: My absolute favorite time of day is in late afternoon, when everyone naturally and simultaneously trends towards rest. The busy, noisy, loud house reverts to the stillness of early morning, and all is quiet. 🏡

2024-07-04: Episode 267: Fireworks I catch up with the kids to hear all about their late night. 🎆

2024-07-04: Happy Birthday, America! 🇺🇸

2024-07-03: Summer nights

2024-07-03: Man Successfully Corrects Someone’s Grammar But Oh No! Now He Doesn’t Have Any Friends! - Babylon Bee What, was I supposed to just let it slide and keep going with the conversation? Here I stand — my conscience is bound by the Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar and …

2024-07-03: That escalated quickly. How is it July already?

2024-07-03: Rediscover Philosophy Hanging above my desk, just above my line of sight, hangs my degree in Philosophy. It’s been more than a decade since I walked across that stage, and though it is always before me, it more or less blends into the scenery of my office. I use my degree in almost every moment of …

2024-07-01: Liberty - Catholic Husband Too much time is wasted scrolling, being anxious about a polarized society, or fretting about far off problems. The solution is not a moonshot to bring the whole world together with this one weird trick. The solution is to be the best version of …

2024-06-30: Top Democrats Urge Party to Stand Behind Biden - WSJ Pelosi said Biden had a bad night but that he remains sharp and his record paints a contrast with a potential second Trump term. “We see Joe Biden up close. We know how attuned he is to the issues, how informed he is,” she …

2024-06-29: Arthur Brooks, writing in his book, Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier The macronutirents of happiness are enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose. The first is enjoyment. This might sound like pleasure-“feeling good.” However, this …

2024-06-29: Cheerful contrast.

2024-06-29: Currently reading: Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks 📚

2024-06-26: Biden Wants to Be Tough With Russia and Iran—but Wants Low Gas Prices Too - WSJ In another example of the collision of foreign and energy policies, earlier this year, Washington asked Ukraine to stop attacking some Russian refineries with drones after the damage rattled global …

2024-06-24: USA vs. Canada: A Fair And Unbiased Comparison - Babylon Bee Population Density Canada: Most people try to live as close to the US as possible USA: Most people try to live as far away from Canada as possible Winner: USA

2024-06-24: Pausing to Advance - Catholic Husband Most weeks I delete it from my list, without having done the work, sometime the following week. The reason is as simple as it is predictable. Something came up. The irony is that by not taking the time to get organized, by not pausing to …

2024-06-23: A Dire Warning: Marine Biologists Are Sounding The Alarm That If Any More Red Lobsters Shut Down There Will Soon Be So Much Lobster Mass In The Ocean That Sea Levels Will Rise 20 Feet By 2025 - Clickhole Environmentally minded consumers can still have an impact by eating at the …

2024-06-17: Play-Based Childhood Giving our children their devices as on-demand babysitters is the easiest thing to do. Fighting for them, protecting their innocence, and giving them the gift of a play-based childhood, although objectively harder, is objectively the right thing to do. It’s …

2024-06-16: Today I’ve consumed American, Italian, and Icelandic water. What a time to be alive. 💧

2024-06-16: Quiet afternoon on the ramp

2024-06-15: Put in the work.

2024-06-14: My Headspace playlist is really awesome for deep work.

2024-06-14: I really love the slow pace of Friday afternoons in summer.

2024-06-13: Adoremus in aeternum Sanctissimum Sacramentum.

2024-06-10: Episode 266: Vacation Bible School It’s the first day of VBS for the three big kids. They were an explosion of excitement at pick-up. We sit down to find out what they did today.

2024-06-10: Love Song for the Bride by Brother Isaiah 🎼

2024-06-10: Priorities - Catholic Husband Whether we set them intentionally or not, priorities are guiding our actions. Even if you set out with a solid plan, it’s easy to become overcome by events. ➕

2024-06-09: FICA Every worker remembers the dread of receiving their first paycheck and seeing just how much Federal and state tax authorities intercept between their gross and net. Federal and state income tax withholding are a part of the withholdings, but another big chunk is for Social …

2024-06-09: Go in peace.

2024-06-08: Episode 265: Bike Riding I catch up with Benedict to hear about his summer plans.

2024-06-08: Rough Seas On his first day in office, New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg issued a memo to his staff outlining which crimes were no longer to be prosecuted in the City of New York. Among them were marijuana misdemeanors, trespassing, prostitution, and some types of burglaries. …

2024-06-06: Trump Verdict Makes Everyone Look Bad - WSJ Opinion Team Biden also needs to realize that Mr. Bragg’s prosecutorial shenanigans have caused some GOP Trump skeptics to flip. One such Trump doubter told me the verdict was “the last straw,” convincing her that Democrats “do not …

2024-06-05: Currently reading: The Phantom of the Colosseum by Sophie De Mullenheim 📚

2024-06-05: I get why hospitals require pre-payment for services, but their estimating ability is terrible. The mistake is always in their favor and they are notoriously slow in refunding overpayments.

2024-06-03: Four-ship for Mass.

2024-06-02: Currently reading: Millionaire Mission by Brian Preston 📚

2024-05-31: Book Review: Going Infinite 📚 The story of Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX captured global headlines for 18 months, and as a lover of financial news, I followed the stories pretty regularly. I assumed that because of this, I’d enjoy the Michael Lewis book that dove into the story. I was wrong. SBF is pretty much a …

2024-05-30: The big day is here.

2024-05-28: Added Security: You Now Need To Ring A Bell To Get A Target Employee To Unlock The Cabinet Containing The Employee You Need To Unlock The Cabinet Containing The Deodorant - Clickhole In order to unlock the cabinet containing the second Target worker, the first Target worker …

2024-05-27: A Blast of Trumpets - Catholic Husband But when you are at Mass, and the entrance procession is welcomed with a trumpet blast, your mind is immediately pulled to Psalm 47 or St. John’s descriptions in Revelation. It becomes so easy to imagine the triumph of Jesus Christ mounting …

2024-05-26: Is Your Company’s 401(k) Match Unfair? - WSJ Nearly half of the $200 billion companies contribute to workers’ 401(k)s goes to the top 20% of earners, research by Vanguard Group found. The lowest-earning workers get 6% of the money. Interesting concept of fairness. A group of …

2024-05-26: Book Review: Artemis Fowl 📚 Artemis Fowl is a book series that Alison read as a child, although I never did. Benedict got the first one for his birthday and has devoured them all. He begged me to read them, too, and many of his references come from the book. I finally made it through the first book in the …

2024-05-23: Philosopher 2, attorney 0.

2024-05-20: FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg to Resign Following Report Detailing Sexual Harassment at Agency - WSJ Gruenberg plans to stay until successor is confirmed, avoiding scenario that would leave a Republican as acting chairman Accountability* (but only when politically convenient)

2024-05-20: Breathing Room - Catholic Husband While true that impulse shopping feels good, so does a lack of chaos. I aspire to a boring, predictable financial life where the system mostly runs on autopilot. I want a financial life that allows me breathing room to make decisions, where I …

2024-05-13: Monday morning, when I eat breakfast: ☀️ Monday morning, when I open my email: 🌪️

2024-05-13: Suddenly There Aren’t Enough Babies. The Whole World Is Alarmed. - WSJ Erica Pittman, a 45-year-old business banker in Raleigh, N.C., said she and her husband opted to have only one child because of demands on their time, including caring for her mother, who died last year after …

2024-05-13: IOUs - Catholic Husband We are not robots and none of us are on a perfect hockey stick growth trajectory. Long-term goals require long-term commitment, but missing a month or two or six on saving towards a 30-year goal is not going to make you miss the goal. It’s a small time …

2024-05-12: Finished reading: Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by Michael Lewis 📚

2024-05-12: Clean house, still raining outside, and curled up on the couch in my office with a book. Good Sunday. 📖

2024-05-12: Lofi beats for a rainy Sunday morning. ☔️

2024-05-06: Do it Well - Catholic Husband Every job has its lessons to teach us, and connections to make, which carry us forward to our next endeavor. Whatever it is that you’re doing today, especially if it’s not the work you wish to do for the rest of your life, do it well. ➕

2024-05-05: At a barbershop for the first time in more than 4 years. 💈

2024-05-04: A Tale of Three Universities - WSJ Opinion The University of Florida took a different approach. In a statement Monday evening, the school said protesters who engaged in prohibited activities would face a trespassing order and an “interim” suspension from the university. “This is …

2024-05-04: Trump’s Finger Hovers Over ‘Send’ Button As He Ponders Whether Sick Burn Worth Another $10,000 - Babylon Bee At publishing time, Trump had reportedly asked if he could go ahead and pre-pay for all the sick burns he planned to unleash next week.

2024-04-29: Custom Parenting - Catholic Husband Many young adults today shun parenting and its many burdens and challenges. Indeed, parenting is the hardest commitment that any of us can make, on par with marriage. It’s a life-long commitment, to will the good of the other, to build an …

2024-04-27: CEO Tim Cook Straps On Apple Vision Pro To Enjoy Alternate Reality In Which People Buy Apple Vision Pro - Babylon Bee The global tech giant’s venture into virtual reality was met with lukewarm public interest, leaving Cook to escape this world and use the company’s …

2024-04-23: America Honors Earth Day By Recycling Used Presidential Candidates - Babylon Bee “Most old presidential candidates get tossed in the trash can to be sent to a landfill to slowly decompose until they’re forgotten and irrelevant. It’s time for a new way,” …

2024-04-22: Pray, Now - Catholic Husband We need, and benefit from, all types of prayer. Group prayer, liturgical prayer, family prayer, and private prayer, it all places our day on pause and elevates our selves to communion with the God who created us. So there’s no point in designing the …

2024-04-15: Above All Things - Catholic Husband Regardless of our time, circumstance, or difficulty, the solution almost always is to love God above all things. If we love Him first, as we were made to do, all good things will certainly flow from it. ➕

2024-04-11: The IRS Is Here to Help With Direct File. Oh No - WSJ Opinion Sen. Warren is selling Direct File as an alternative to “greedy, reckless” tax preparation firms. It’s a scandal the tax code is so complicated it requires such help, but that’s the fault of Congress.

2024-04-11: Op-Ed: If Jesus Supports Forgiveness, How Can Christians Not Support Robbing Poor People To Pay For My Journalism Degree? - Babylon Bee If you really believe Jesus paid the debt for your sins, you must also believe in paying the tuition for my “cultural experience” …

2024-04-09: NASA Sends Rover To Search For Intelligent Life On ‘The View’ - Babylon Bee “So far, our sensors have detected nothing.”

2024-04-09: Democrats Play Into Hamas’s Hands - WSJ Opinion You’d think the U.S. never made a mistake that killed civilians in wartime. They ignore the Hellfire missile attack that killed seven children as the U.S. sought to avenge the deaths of 13 Americans in Kabul as Mr. Biden pulled …

2024-04-08: Biden’s Latest Lawless Student Loan Forgiveness - WSJ Opinion Mr. Biden’s new loan forgiveness is still illegal. The High Court stressed that student loan forgiveness is a major question that requires clear authorization from Congress. But Mr. Biden seems to believe he can jam …

2024-04-08: I’m now 100% obsessed with garlic & herb butter. 🧈

2024-04-08: Doesn’t do it justice.

2024-04-08: Episode 264: Totality We had a clear view of the total solar eclipse this afternoon. The kids share their observations throughout the experience. 🌑

2024-04-08: The eclipse has begun. Good visibility, pretty cool to see. 🌑

2024-04-08: Mercy, Not Justice - Catholic Husband The Sacrament of Reconciliation is not a sacrament of justice, but of mercy. In a true encounter with the risen Christ, out of total love for us, He forgives our worst failings so that we might be with Him forever. That is an unfathomable …

2024-04-04: Biden Exploits a Tragic Israeli Mistake - WSJ Opinion Mr. Biden also seems to have forgotten his own mistaken missile strike. When the President’s Irish goodbye from Afghanistan was spoiled by a suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. troops, he ordered retaliation against ISIS-K. …

2024-04-02: 9 Other Groups That Desperately Need Their Own Day Of Visibility - Babylon Bee Meghan Markle: Living in relative obscurity as a television actress and member of the British royal family is lonely and heartbreaking and will soon be documented in a heavily promoted Netflix series. …

2024-04-01: How is it that no one has solved Parental Controls on computers/devices by now?

2024-04-01: Sequence - Catholic Husband Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous: The Prince of life, who died, reigns immortal. ➕

2024-03-28: The Triduum begins.

2024-03-28: Gone Gray Over the years, I’ve read many articles and books that discussed strategies for minimizing phone use. Really, to even call them phones today is a disservice. Our cell phones are now computers that also happen to be able to make calls. Cal Newport, in his book Digital Minimalism …

2024-03-27: Robot of the day.

2024-03-26: Trump-Friendly Truth Social Board to Decide When He Can Cash In - WSJ Shannon Devine, a spokeswoman for Truth Social’s parent, said in a statement that this article is “clearly the latest in a long line of sloppy, poorly researched hit pieces on Truth Social by The Wall Street …

2024-03-25: At Your Altar - Catholic Husband Benedict and Felicity have attended Mass weekly and, to varying degrees, participated. But there’s nothing like serving at the Altar and seeing the liturgy up-close, physically participating, to make it all possible. Together, in their ways, …

2024-03-21: I set up a business phone line on my cell phone today. I bought my number from one company, ported it to a service, and activated in less than 15 minutes, from my desk, without talking to a single person. Incredible! 📱

2024-03-20: Episode 263: Taekwondo I catch up with White Belt Benedict to find out what he’s been up to at Taekwondo and the big event tonight. 🥋🇰🇷

2024-03-19: Happy 11th birthday to my blog, Catholic Husband! 🎂

2024-03-19: For the first time in my life, my drivers license expired.

2024-03-18: Renew, Refresh - Catholic Husband We are material beings, but we’re also spiritual beings. As the house needs cleaning and refreshing, so too does the soul. ➕

2024-03-17: Sunday night sunset.

2024-03-16: Rainy Saturday. ⛈️

2024-03-12: JetBlue, Spirit Airlines Call Off $3.8 Billion Merger Deal - WSJ Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday that the companies’ decision to abandon the deal, instead of trying to appeal their trial loss, further showed the government was right to challenge the transaction. …

2024-03-11: Currently reading: Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by Michael Lewis 📚

2024-03-11: Frozen - Catholic Husband No one has a right to another person. This is a foundational principle that we wield to battle, in law and life, the evils of slavery, racism, sex trafficking, torture, and kidnapping. ➕

2024-03-10: Finished reading: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer 📚

2024-03-09: Saturday at the Symphony. 🎼

2024-03-07: President Biden’s State of the Union Address 2024 – Analysis and Updates - WSJ Taxpayers at all income levels received tax cuts, on average, with the biggest benefits as a share of income going to people in the 95th to 99th percentiles, according to the Tax Policy Center. …

2024-03-04: Mainstream Media Warn If Trump Is Elected He Might Indict His Political Enemies, Imprison Detractors, And Rig Elections In His Favor - Babylon Bee “We have to bend or break every moral and ethical rule in existence to keep Trump from breaking the rules.”

2024-03-04: John Kerry Is Stepping Down as Climate Envoy at Age 80. He Isn’t Going Quietly. - WSJ Then Kerry plans to hit the road as a private citizen, dropping in on a major oil-industry conference in Houston to press energy executives to join the ranks of other business leaders throwing …

2024-03-04: Supreme Court Rules Donald Trump Can Stay on Colorado Primary Ballot - WSJ The court unanimously agreed that Trump should appear on the ballot Illegitimate court. The group behind the challenge, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said that Trump won on …

2024-03-04: Talent - Catholic Husband … these parables put on full display the genius of Jesus that can only be attributable to the omniscience of God Himself. In a backwater, dusty, hot town 2,000 years ago, Jesus crafted a parable that was readily understood by his illiterate …

2024-03-01: IRS puts 125,000 high-income individuals not filing tax returns on notice, to recoup millions owed - WTOP IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel told reporters on Thursday that notices are going out to 25,000 individuals with more than $1 million in income, and 100,000 notices to people …

2024-03-01: Prediction: FDIC seizes New York Community Bank at market close, reopens Monday under new ownership.

2024-02-29: A bit of an odd day.

2024-02-26: I will occasionally get behind on posts for Catholic Husband, but I always catch back up. Unfortunately, that means some posts don’t get the attention they deserve. Here are two recents that I enjoy that were published slightly behind schedule: ⍟ 6,570 (February 19, 2024) ⍟ …

2024-02-26: Pentagon Finds It Properly Handled Austin’s Hospitalization - WSJ The Pentagon found it did nothing wrong in deciding to not immediately inform President Biden or legislators of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s whereabouts when he was hospitalized earlier this year, finding in …

2024-02-26: More Important Things - Catholic Husband My children need to complete their school assignments, but they don’t have to do them between set hours or certain days. School is essential; so is being outside, imaginative play, and family exercise. ➕

2024-02-25: AT&T to Reimburse Customers Struck by Outage - WSJ A $5 credit to eligible accounts will appear within two billing cycles, the company said. Mindblowing generosity…talk about paying it forward!! The cost of reimbursement is “fully manageable while achieving the 2024 …

2024-02-25: Americans have racked up a trillion dollars in credit card debt. That’s actually OK - WTOP News The issue with those figures is that they don’t factor in that about 55% of borrowers repay their balances in full each month What’s 30% of $500B?

2024-02-25: Made my first PlaneDocs delivery today!

2024-02-23: Hunter Biden Shows Joe Is No Longer in Control of the Plot - WSJ Opinion With Jenga pieces flying all about, with further upsets yet to be named, an election of Nikki Haley vs. Ms. Harris isn’t out of the question—or the GOP’s Ms. Haley vs. any of the hale-and-heartier Democrats …

2024-02-23: Elon Musk and Donald Trump Cases Imperil the Rule of Law - WSJ Opinion In Delaware, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of the Court of Chancery ordered the unwinding of five years of Mr. Musk’s incentive-based compensation at Tesla, which had been approved by 80% of the company’s …

2024-02-23: Biden’s Student Loan Boast: The Supreme Court ‘Didn’t Stop Me’ - WSJ Opinion But worst of all is Mr. Biden’s blatant rejection of the law, even after the Supreme Court called him out. Is it any wonder that GOP voters don’t take Democratic alarms about losing democracy seriously? …

2024-02-23: Stay-At-Home Mom Lets Loose, Mixes Lights And Darks On Cold Wash Cycle - Babylon Bee As of publishing time, Becky reportedly was heard singing sassy jazz songs from the laundry room while she brazenly threw unmatched socks into her kids’ laundry bins while cackling like a …

2024-02-23: 70° and sunny.

2024-02-23: All of my appliances sing a slightly different song when they complete their cycles. Laundry day is both melodic and confusing. 🧺

2024-02-23: Early voting is a wonderful thing for parents! 🇺🇸

2024-02-23: Crystal Mountain Alison and I think of vacation in the same way. While some people prefer new adventures and exploring new cities, we like to go to the same places to do the same things. We’ve just returned from our third annual trip to Crystal Mountain ski resort in northern Michigan, and this …

2024-02-22: Can Loose Lips Sink an Alliance? - WSJ NATO calls itself the most successful military alliance in human history, and that isn’t hollow bragging or crass marketing. Never before have so many countries, representing almost one-eighth of the world’s population, pledged to protect …

2024-02-22: Oh the hours of entertainment that children can get from a single big box. 📦

2024-02-22: I hate that Apple is automatically using AI to generate transcripts for all podcasts on Apple Podcasts. We’re in the very early innings of AI, and the idea that I can’t opt-out from its use on my intellectual property is wrong.

2024-02-22: Episode 262: Ski Trip Back from vacation, we catch up with the three skiers. ⛷️

2024-02-22: I’ve been trying to use Brick when I’m downstairs and away from my computer. More refinements to be done to my blocked apps, but I like the workflow. Much better than messing around with ScreenTime settings.

2024-02-22: Refrigerator robots.

2024-02-22: Book Review: Dead Fall 📚 I finally did it. After nearly five years of reading, I finally made it through the full Scot Harvath series. This is, to my knowledge, only the second full series of books that I’ve read. The other, of course, being The Chronicles of Narnia. Although many of the Brad Thor …

2024-02-20: Currently reading: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer 📚

2024-02-19: 6,570 - Catholic Husband It’s easy to get bogged down in the daily repetition, but when I take the view that I have 6,570 days to build our relationship, and tomorrow it’ll be 6,569, perspective shifts my decisions. Grace becomes easier, new adventure becomes more alluring, …

2024-02-18: Dave Ramsey Advises Trump To Use Snowball Method, Pay Off Smallest Legal Judgment First - Babylon Bee At publishing time, Trump had reportedly hung up on Ramsey after Ramsey yelled, “SELL THE STUPID PLANE!”

2024-02-17: Nothing beats your own bed. 🛌

2024-02-15: Snowy day ⛷️

2024-02-15: Currently reading: He Leadeth Me by Walter J. Ciszek, S.J. 📚

2024-02-13: Snowfall. ❄️

2024-02-12: Contend - Catholic Husband If you find yourself in line for Confession this Lent, lamenting your usual roster of sins, remember the line that you’re in. You haven’t given up; you’re still in the fight. God doesn’t want us to surrender to our failures, and He doesn’t want us to …

2024-02-08: Finished reading: Dead Fall by Brad Thor 📚

2024-02-06: Tucker Carlson Says He Is Interviewing Russian President Vladimir Putin - WSJ “Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine, or what his goals are now,” Carlson said in the video. “They’ve never heard his voice. That’s wrong. Americans have a right to know all they can …

2024-02-05: Book Review: Rising Tiger 📚 I’m almost caught up on the Scot Harvath series and continue to enjoy new geopolitical dynamics that match the times. In this book, the India-Pakistan-China conflict is explored through a riveting plot line. There are few better ways to end my work day than an evening reading …

2024-02-05: Start Now - Catholic Husband First thing in the morning, tomorrow will be waiting with its pristine beauty, like a fresh driven and completely untouched snow, the exact right jumping off point to live the life I want to live and be the man I would like to be. ➕

2024-02-04: Currently reading: Dead Fall by Brad Thor 📚

2024-02-04: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - USCCB Daily Readings Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35

2024-02-03: Finished reading: Rising Tiger by Brad Thor 📚

2024-02-02: Slowly, but surely, we’re pushing the boundaries of trying to escape reality. Humans have always sought these escape, but we’re taking it way further than any previous generation has ever attempted. This isn’t just seeking blissful escape, this is a rejection of …

2024-02-01: Biden Names Elmo New Press Secretary - Babylon Bee “Elmo is so happy to be here! Elmo loves talking about Iran! Hahaha!” said Elmo as he hosted his first press conference. “Elmo loves new friends! Peter, do you want to be Elmo’s friend??”

2024-01-31: Biden to Visit East Palestine, Ohio, One Year After Train Derailment - WSJ The trip would mark the first time Biden has visited the site since the accident devastated the small Ohio town Consoler-in-Chief

2024-01-30: Intelligence Reveals Details of U.N. Agency Staff’s Links to Oct. 7 Attack - WSJ Six United Nations Relief and Works Agency workers were part of the wave of Palestinian militants who killed 1,200 people in the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust, according to the …

2024-01-29: Platitudes - Catholic Husband The books of the Bible in the Canon of Scripture were written in adverse conditions, persecutions, war, violence, abject poverty, and even scandal. But the hope that they convey, encourages us to rise above the current circumstance and see God’s …

2024-01-26: The Trump-MAGA Purge - WSJ Opinion “Nikki ‘Birdbrain’ Haley is very bad for the Republican Party and, indeed, our Country,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday on his social-media site. “Anybody that makes a ‘Contribution’ to Birdbrain, from this moment forth, will be permanently barred …

2024-01-25: Trump Adviser Peter Navarro Gets Four-Month Sentence for Defying Jan. 6 Committee - WSJ “You were more than happy to talk to the press about what you did… but not go up to the Hill to talk to Congress,” the judge said. Hunter? The Justice Department had suggested a six-month …

2024-01-24: Book Review: Black Ice 📚 Another great book in the Scot Harvath series. We’re out of the doldrums and Scot is back on the initiative. It was fun to again explore Scandinavia and learn a little more about the region. The plot was excellent, too, with great complexity that weaved together to make for an …

2024-01-24: The Money-Market Bonanza Is Over. So Is Now the Time for Stocks? - WSJ The S&P and Dow both hit records Tuesday, making further gains from here difficult. Why did the editor allow this line to be published? The S&P 500 set more than 1,000 record highs between 1950 and …

2024-01-23: The Labor Union That Defeated Amazon Is Fighting for Survival - WSJ The union is “dealing with a lot of institutional failure—failure of the labor law and failure of American businesses to really accept unionizing without putting up a battle,” said Wilma Liebman, formerly chair …

2024-01-23: The GOP Wants Pure, Uncut Trumpism as Haley’s Path Forward Narrows - WSJ What the GOP’s most loyal voters want, it seems, is pure, uncut Trumpism—with all the baggage and ideological divergence from traditional conservatism that entails. I’m old enough to remember when Trump …

2024-01-23: Gracious Trump Runs Out To Welcome Prodigal DeSantis Back Home - Babylon Bee “This son of mine was dead, and boy, was he so dead, I mean really, really dead, believe me. But now, he is alive again; he was lost and is found. He was Meatball, but now he is Ron. He was …

2024-01-22: Daily Burn - Catholic Husband You will encounter stress and temptation every day. The only question is, will you have enough gas in the tank to fly right past it? ➕

2024-01-21: The 2024 Republican Choice - WSJ It also isn’t clear Mr. Trump could attract first-rate advisers. The lure of power is strong, but anyone who takes a job had better have a lawyer on retainer. No conservative who wants a career in the law is likely to accept a job in the White …

2024-01-19: Tim Scott to Endorse Trump for GOP Nomination, in Blow to Haley - WSJ The endorsement is another sign of the difficulty Haley faces in a party that appears to be coalescing behind the former president. Mistake.

2024-01-17: Currently reading: Rising Tiger by Brad Thor 📚

2024-01-17: Apple Changes Its App Store Policy. Critics Call the Moves ‘Outrageous.’ - WSJ Apple’s new fees have drawn sharp criticism from the app-developer community, with opponents arguing the 27% commission the company will now impose on in-app purchases made through alternative payment …

2024-01-17: Aide to Lloyd Austin asked ambulance to arrive quietly to defense secretary’s home, 911 call shows - WTOP News “Can I ask, like, can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Um, we’re trying to remain a little subtle,” the aide said, according to the recording. Is it …

2024-01-15: Chasm - Catholic Husband Our priests need the full grace and benefit of our Eucharist Lord to strengthen them to fulfill the high calling of their vocation in the midst of a broken, dark, and hostile world. So, too, do the laity. ➕

2024-01-14: Finished reading: Black Ice by Brad Thor 📚

2024-01-12: Glaring Questions Remain Over Defense Secretary Austin’s Transfer Of Authority - The War Zone “We’re not going to track the GPS coordinates on somebody’s mobile phone in the administration and we’re not going to plant a microchip in their neck like they’re a …

2024-01-11: Hertz Selling 20,000 EVs in the U.S., to Reinvest in Gas-Powered Vehicles - WSJ Hertz said Thursday that it would sell about 20,000 EVs in the U.S., and use some of the proceeds to purchase internal-combustion-engine vehicles. The company in a regulatory filing cited weaker …

2024-01-08: Biden Backs Defense Chief Austin, Won’t Take Resignation if Offered - WSJ “There [are] no plans, or anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continuing the leadership that he’s been demonstrating,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told …

2024-01-08: A little fun at tea time. 🦩

2024-01-08: Biden Has a Second-Term Wish List. Congress Could Spoil His Plans. - WSJ “Donald Trump’s campaign,” Biden said on Friday, “is about him, not you.” Completely true. It’s a campaign solely built on hubris and rehashing the 2020 election by a confused old man who refuses to step …

2024-01-08: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s Hospitalization Deepens Mystery of His Absence - WSJ He has by design kept a low profile in the Biden administration. He certainly has kept a low profile since the strategically brilliant and historical airlift that was the Afghanistan …

2024-01-08: Unraveled - Catholic Husband While deeply sad, the unraveling of this universal human experience represents a core sickness in society. It’s the acceptance of the idea that a child’s life, their existence, presents an obstacle to happiness or fulfillment. This is dangerous. ➕

2024-01-07: Daddy’s Home 2 🍿

2024-01-07: Late Sunday snack.

2024-01-07: Book Review: Near Dark 📚 Thor’s change of direction, which began in Backlash, continues in Near Dark. Scot Harvath continues to heal and recover from the recent trauma, as he’s hunted by a vindictive figure from long ago in the series. This was another fast read as I get closer to finishing the series …

2024-01-07: ‘You Know, These Fine Citizens May Really Have A Point And I’d Like To Learn More About Their Cause,’ Thinks Driver Blocked By Protesters For 3 Hours - Babylon Bee “This is truly a brilliant tactic,” he said. “I never would have considered …

2024-01-07: Claudine Gay Gives Tearful Resignation Speech Entitled ‘Gettysburg Address’ - Babylon Bee Sources say the crowd was moved to tears by the time the speech concluded. “I have concluded that because of the Watergate matter I might not have the support of the …

2024-01-02: Currently reading: Black Ice by Brad Thor 📚

2024-01-02: Harvard President Claudine Gay Resigns After Plagiarism Allegations, Campus Antisemitism Backlash - WSJ Gay has requested four corrections on two academic papers and is updating her dissertation in three spots I guess you can’t have a president who plagiarizes tell your …

2024-01-01: Finished reading: Near Dark by Brad Thor 📚

2024-01-01: Trailhead - Catholic Husband Plans are great things, but life doesn’t move in a linear fashion. Demands on our time, focus, and attention ebb and flow. Major projects, illnesses, and even just a bad night’s sleep knock us little by little off course. Slowly, over time, we …

2023-12-31: A year of fits and starts, but I got it done.

2023-12-31: Year in Books: 2023 Here are the books I finished reading in 2023.

2023-12-29: Detroit Pistons Relegated To WNBA - Babylon Bee WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert welcomed the new addition to the league. “We’re thrilled to add such a storied basketball franchise,” she said. “Fostering disinterest in the fanbase and showcasing …

2023-12-29: Francis Collins Has Regrets, but Too Few - WSJ Dr. Collins continued: “So you attach infinite value to stopping the disease and saving a life. You attach a zero value to whether this actually totally disrupts people’s lives, ruins the economy, and has many kids kept out of …

2023-12-28: I love the way the tops of the trees are stretching to grab the last few rays of sunlight.

2023-12-27: Apple Wins Temporary Reprieve as U.S. Court Pauses Watch Ban - WSJ Apple won a temporary reprieve for its $18 billion smartwatch business after a U.S. appeals court on Wednesday paused a federal agency’s import ban on most of its watch models. We must protect the world’s most …

2023-12-27: Book Review: Backlash 📚 For the first 17 books in the series, Brad Thor adopted a “ripped-from-the-headlines” approach to his annual installments in the Scot Harvath series. It was enjoyable, but also a bit expected. With Backlash, Thor flipped the script. The hero, who up until this point in the series …

2023-12-26: Currently reading: Near Dark by Brad Thor 📚

2023-12-26: It looks like my end of year web design project for 2023 is adding a color nav bar to my website!

2023-12-26: Episode 261: Christmas Trains Benedict introduces a (mostly) new tradition.

2023-12-26: Finished reading: Backlash by Brad Thor 📚

2023-12-26: Where Americans Invested Their Money in 2023, in Six Charts - WSJ Investors have piled into far-reaching corners of global markets, driving a rally spanning stocks, bonds, gold and even cryptocurrencies. Yields on risky corporate bonds have fallen to some of the lowest levels of …

2023-12-25: Currently reading: Backlash by Brad Thor 📚

2023-12-25: Stillness - Catholic Husband The message is simple. Though our hearts may yearn to be known, respected, desired, honored, praised and consulted, the slave is not greater than his master. We are called to live simple, quiet lives, fulfilling the high duty of our vocation, loving …

2023-12-25: All is calm, all is bright. Merry Christmas!

2023-12-24: What my daughter does when I tell her to put away her shoes. 🥿

2023-12-24: Finished reading: Spymaster by Brad Thor 📚

2023-12-24: The stockings were hung by the chimney with care 🎅🏻

2023-12-23: We Aren’t Posting on Social Media as Much Anymore. Will We Ever? - WSJ The reasons are varied: People say they feel they can’t control the content they see. They have become more protective about sharing their lives online. They also say the fun of social media has fizzled. …

2023-12-21: First day of winter. ❄️

2023-12-21: Conservative Bishops Push Back Against Pope Francis on Same-Sex Blessings - WSJ Francis didn’t mention the policy on blessings, but called for vigilance “against rigid ideological positions that often, under the guise of good intentions, separate us from reality and prevent us …

2023-12-20: Book Review: Use of Force 📚 After reading my first Brad Thor book in 2019, I’ve almost completed my goal of reading the entire _Scot Harvath_ series. Like a great Bond movie, I still love how the storylines take me to different locales around the world. Use of Force centered on the Mediterranean with …

2023-12-20: Episode 260: Two Front Teeth Just in time for Christmas, Felicity has lost her two front teeth. 🦷

2023-12-20: Statement of USCCB on Vatican’s Document Addressing Pastoral Blessings - USCCB “The Declaration issued today by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) articulated a distinction between liturgical (sacramental) blessings, and pastoral blessings, which may be …

2023-12-19: I love the look of contrails at sunrise.

2023-12-18: Currently reading: Spymaster by Brad Thor 📚

2023-12-18: Vatican Issues Guidelines for Same-Sex Blessings - WSJ The pope’s letter and Monday’s guidelines supersede a 2021 Vatican statement that prohibited blessings for gay couples on the grounds that God “cannot bless sin.” God is always changing His mind on what is sinful and what …

2023-12-18: Counterfeit Sacrament - Catholic Husband Today, in the midst of the smoke, fog, and confusion around marriage comes Francis, shrouded in the authority of his office, wearing the distinctive white robe of the papacy, to place a bomb right in the middle of the Sacrament of Holy …

2023-12-17: Finished reading: Use of Force by Brad Thor 📚

2023-12-17: Decoration station. 🎄

2023-12-17: Episode 259: Decorating Cookies With 8 days until Christmas, it’s time to get our Christmas Cookies decorated and ready for shipping. 🎄

2023-12-16: There’s something magical about reading a contract in its entirety. Reading can save you a lot of money. 💵

2023-12-16: Best Christmas Gifts For Christians Of Each Denomination - Babylon Bee Catholics: A bumper sticker that says “Miss me yet?” with a picture of Pope Benedict.

2023-12-16: ‘It’s A Great Time To Buy A House,’ Says Realtor Who Gets Paid If You Buy A House - Babylon Bee “Not only is it a perfect starter home, it just suits you and your family’s needs perfectly! There’s great schools nearby and no crime. Also, this …

2023-12-15: A photo has been removed — can I still use it? - Unsplash Please keep in mind our photos are provided on an “as is” basis, so any liability for continued use of a removed photo remains with you. And that’s why you can’t trust Unsplash.

2023-12-15: Markets are Rallying. How to Make the Most of Them. - WSJ Stocks have erased almost all their losses since the beginning of 2022, when the Federal Reserve began its campaign of interest-rate increases. PSA

2023-12-15: He’s Wanted for Wirecard’s Missing $2 Billion. He’s Now Suspected of Being a Russian Spy. - WSJ While running Wirecard, Marsalek helped the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, and the SVR, its main overseas spying organization, pay intelligence officers and informants …

2023-12-15: Book Review: Foreign Agent 📚 Another great Brad Thor read. I mentioned this in a previous review, but I really enjoyed getting to explore fictional dynamics across a broader spectrum of geopolitics. This was a relaxing read for the end of the year and I’m looking forward to rolling on to the next one. Would …

2023-12-15: Soft morning light.

2023-12-12: Currently reading: Use of Force by Brad Thor 📚

2023-12-12: Episode 258: Lost Everyone has lost something.

2023-12-12: It must be the end of the year. I’m getting inspired to start big web projects and overhaul my file-based organization.

2023-12-11: Finished reading: Foreign Agent by Brad Thor 📚

2023-12-11: Some Greater Glory - Catholic Husband Glory in ancient times was often found in battle. Seeking it, men marched to foreign lands, though a large number died of communicable diseases before taking the field. They braved harsh weather, rough terrain, scant food, and the great …

2023-12-09: Penn President, Board Chair Resign After Furor Over Comments on Campus Antisemitism - WSJ Private colleges generally aren’t bound by First Amendment protections, but many have crafted codes of conduct that track constitutional guarantees for free speech—including the expression …

2023-12-07: Alaska Airlines Pilot Accused of Trying to Cut Engines Midflight Avoids Attempted Murder Charges - WSJ one count of endangering an aircraft in the first degree and 83 counts of recklessly endangering another person The attempted murder theory never matched the facts. This is a …

2023-12-07: It’s email marketing list unsubscribing season. 🎄

2023-12-05: Venezuela Ramps Up Threat to Annex Part of Guyana - WSJ The U.S. in October eased economic sanctions in exchange for democratic reforms, which Caracas has yet to make. And now, this.

2023-12-05: Fraud has made major purchases a total pain.

2023-12-04: Binance and the End of Crypto’s Dream to Escape From Government - WSJ What does crypto have to offer—beyond clunky, wasteful and overly complicated technical systems—if it abandons its aspirations to operate independent of government oversight? The probable answer is: not much. …

2023-12-04: Just War - Catholic Husband Although armed conflict should always be a last resort, it’s a lawful tool for the defense of a nation. There are circumstances when, for the defense of innocents and the survival of a nation, war must be prosecuted. When that point is reached, when …

2023-12-03: Swiss precision.

2023-12-01: Squirrel Wearing MAGA Hat Seen Scampering Away From Falling National Christmas Tree - Babylon Bee Former House Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger have traveled to D.C. to personally join in the hunt for the violent revolutionary

2023-11-29: Pope Francis Punishes Conservative U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, One of His Most Vocal Critics - WSJ Pope Francis is punishing one of his most vocal conservative critics in the Catholic hierarchy, U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke, by taking away his stipend and rent-free apartment in …

2023-11-28: Book Review: The Billion Dollar Spy 📚 I’ve always loved espionage, and I was excited to pick up this well-reviewed book. Unfortunately, I found the content mostly dry for at least 85% of the book. I can’t put my finger on where it all went wrong, perhaps it was the rote blow-by-blow storytelling. Setting aside the …

2023-11-28: Nikki Haley Backed by Koch Network in Bid to Block Trump From 2024 GOP Nomination - WSJ the latest sign some big donors are moving her way in a long-shot bid to block former President Donald Trump from winning the GOP nomination Long shot? Polls are one thing, pulling the lever …

2023-11-27: Buybuy Baby Is Back—and Opening Stores Again - WSJ The new owners of Buybuy Baby recently reopened 11 stores, betting that many expectant parents still prefer to shop for strollers, cribs and car seats in person.  I hate this branding, but physical stores are so critical for …

2023-11-27: Aslan’s Roar - Catholic Husband Whenever the forces of evil are on the march, and victory in their grasp, Aslan always returns in great glory. With a single roar, he marks a return to reality as the force of his voice destroys all who oppose him. ➕

2023-11-26: Finished reading: The Billion Dollar Spy by David E. Hoffman 📚

2023-11-25: Son is a pretty good packer.

2023-11-25: Wouldn’t be a drive home from vacation without 90% of smooth travel and the last 10% absolutely grinding, dark, and raining.

2023-11-25: New day dawning.

2023-11-22: Call me Captain.

2023-11-22: Washington Quietly Scrapped a Plan to Save Homeowners Thousands of Dollars - WSJ Fannie and Freddie generally require it on the loans they purchase from lenders. The policy, known as “lenders’ title insurance,” typically costs the borrower around 0.5% of their loan amount, so it …

2023-11-22: Sunrise at the lake.

2023-11-21: Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao Agrees to Step Down, Plead Guilty - WSJ Changpeng Zhao is scheduled to appear in Seattle federal court Tuesday afternoon and enter his plea, according to court records unsealed Tuesday. The two biggest names in “safe” crypto, convicted on federal …

2023-11-20: OpenAI Employees Threaten to Quit Unless Board Resigns After Sam Altman Was Fired as CEO - WSJ The future of OpenAI was in jeopardy Monday, as the vast majority of employees threatened to quit if the board that fired the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, didn’t resign itself and …

2023-11-20: Cave exploring.

2023-11-20: Moment of Conversion - Catholic Husband Those they may be fleeting, grabbing hold of these turning points is critical. We are large ships, and turning is never easy. Incremental progress is the tried and true way to success. ➕

2023-11-19: A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. Matthew 25:14

2023-11-19: ‘We Cannot Be Associated With Elon Musk,’ Says Tim Cook While Shaking Hands With Brutal Chinese Dictator - Babylon Bee “I refuse to allow my morally pristine corporation to be associated with disreputable characters like Elon Musk,” said Cook while …

2023-11-18: My favorite kind of driver is the one who goes 10-under in the left lane, and then in a construction zone goes 15-over.

2023-11-17: Currently reading: Foreign Agent by Brad Thor 📚

2023-11-17: Seen on the fence.

2023-11-16: Episode 257: Redacted The contents of this episode are for authorized listeners only.

2023-11-16: When children get hold of the newspaper, every picture gets a mustache.

2023-11-16: 45 Things Trump Is Promising For His Second Term - Babylon Bee Make the southern border an epic American Ninja Warrior course so only the best ninja warriors get into the country We need more ninja warriors in this country.

2023-11-15: Post-Reconciliation views.

2023-11-15: Man’s Day Sure Would Brighten Up If An A-10 Warthog Would Fly Overhead Right About Now - Babylon Bee Participants in the study reported an average increase of 87% in happiness level whenever an A-10 made its presence known. One respondent commented, “I could be stuck …

2023-11-15: Misty morning.

2023-11-14: Episode 256: Origami Some of my students have enrolled in an elective.

2023-11-13: South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott Suspends Republican Presidential Campaign - WSJ Scott’s exit follows the departure of former Vice President Mike Pence who left the GOP field last month after also struggling to gain traction. A positive sign that the mistakes of the 2016 primary …

2023-11-13: Breaking Faith - Catholic Husband Throughout Church history, there are many periods when the Church falls into disrepair, and the responsibility to right the ship falls to those outside of the highest echelons of authority. As the ironies pile up, one of the most clear examples …

2023-11-12: Pope Francis Fires Bishop For Being Too Catholic - Babylon Bee “Bishop Strickland had the incredible audacity to actually teach the Catechism of the Catholic Church,” said Cardinal Robert McElroy. “Like, even the really unpopular parts about gender and …

2023-11-12: Cain Calls For Ceasefire After Killing Abel - Babylon Bee “It’s time to put a stop to the senseless violence,” said Cain as he checked Abel’s pulse to make sure he was dead. “Everyone can lay down their weapons now!”

2023-11-11: Episode 255: Benedict Press A new business opened up this summer and ChetCast has the exclusive!

2023-11-11: First Knife Mod After nearly four years as a collector, I finally completed my first knife mod. Benchmade Bugout with Fat Carbon Nebula scales This Bugout was the first knife in my collection, bought two weeks before COVID hit. I hated the FRN scales and so I almost never carried it. Now it’s …

2023-11-11: Pope Francis Fires Conservative U.S. Bishop - WSJ The cardinal’s statement on Saturday said that the Vatican investigation had been “an exhaustive inquiry into all aspects of the governance and leadership” Pope who lets Chinese Communist Party appoint its own bishops fires …

2023-11-06: Love the Path - Catholic Husband Every step of a marathon is not a joy, but crossing the finish line always is. ➕

2023-10-30: Foretaste - Catholic Husband Life is not easy, and in moments of stress, exhaustion, and temptation, failure is the path of least resistance when we lose sight of where we’re aiming. There’s a forever of calm and peace waiting for us if only we choose it. ➕

2023-10-23: A Job Well Done - Catholic Husband No matter what your role is in the division of labor, if you’ve done your best work and helped others, then that’s a job well done. ➕

2023-10-17: Fed to Propose Lowering Debit-Card Swipe Fees - WSJ A section within the 2010 Dodd-Frank law called the Durbin amendment gave the Fed the power to set caps for banks and other financial institutions with $10 billion or more in assets. This rule killed debit card rewards and …

2023-10-17: Palestinian Lives Matter, Except to Hamas - WSJ Opinion Blaming Israel for these civilian casualties amounts to denying the Jewish state its right to self-defense. It means that Hamas can launch attacks on Israel with the goal of slaughtering women and children, but Israel can’t …

2023-10-17: Nobody for Speaker of the House - WSJ Opinion What kind of an idiot mutineer takes over the man-of-war, tosses the captain overboard, and then spends two weeks pulling ropes at random, hoping like hell that the thing will somehow drift ashore before the supplies run out?

2023-10-16: Fresh Start - Catholic Husband We get so few fresh starts in life. When they do come alone, it’s best to seize them. ➕

2023-10-15: Automakers Have Big Hopes for EVs; Buyers Aren’t Cooperating - WSJ Still, many consumers are reluctant to make the switch, deterred by high sticker prices and the inconvenience of driving a vehicle that has a limited range and needs regular recharging. No one could’ve seen this …

2023-10-13: Steve Scalise Quits House Speaker Race - WSJ More than 150 lawmakers from both sides of the aisle managed to come together for a brief moment of unity in the evening at a vigil held on the Capitol steps for the victims of violence in the Middle East following the terrorist …

2023-10-09: Every Single Thing - Catholic Husband I’ve had to physically touch every single item that we own, and decide on a new place to store it. We grow numb to the magnitude of our property, to the amount of stuff that resides inside our four walls. We have everything we need, …

2023-10-03: Beautiful ending.

2023-10-02: Pope Francis Softens Vatican’s Ban on Blessing Gay Couples - WSJ The pope suggested that such blessings should remain an unofficial practice, writing that such exercises of “pastoral prudence in certain circumstances need not be transformed into a norm.”  Counterfeit sacraments.

2023-10-02: Natural Conclusions - Catholic Husband Everything in my life is about to change, as we set off on a new adventure. As I look back and the years that we’ve been in our current town, I start to see the good in things again. Those ordinary moments that shaped our family, the …

2023-09-29: Episode 254: C90GT At the airport, from inside a plane.

2023-09-25: We still haven’t solved extended power outages.

2023-09-25: Bend, Don’t Break - Catholic Husband The only way to succeed each day is to inject plenty of flexibility. There may be an “ideal” time to get something done, but there are also plenty of other acceptable times, too. ➕

2023-09-18: Walmart pickup order missing three items. Chatbot doesn’t give you the option to report an item missing from order, so you have to call in. 10 more minutes of my life wasted to fix their mistake. Not great.

2023-09-18: Scriptural Confession - Catholic Husband Despite my failings, God always reminds me of the unfathomable depths of His mercy, greater than any sin I may commit. And if I doubt, I can read the words He spoke to the prophet Malachi thousands of years ago and half a world away, as …

2023-09-16: …put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. Malachi 3:8

2023-09-12: At this point, the “Buy Apple or Die” marketing line is gauche.

2023-09-12: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Launches Formal Biden Impeachment Probe - WSJ Democrats have painted the probe as unfounded and an effort to get political payback. Huh.

2023-09-08: Georgia Special Grand Jury Recommended Charges Against Lindsey Graham, Others in Election Probe - WSJ recommended that South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham be indicted, as well as former Georgia Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler Wreckless, unserious, dangerous stunt.

2023-09-06: How is it that websites still struggle with Safari?

2023-09-04: Potential Energy - Catholic Husband We can’t always see the change happening, especially within ourselves. The only thing that we can perceive is our daily actions, and the trajectory that they send us on. ➕

2023-09-03: Late summer storms.

2023-08-28: The Genius of Mass - Catholic Husband For one hour a week, we have to do none of that. We don’t have to worry about the report that’s due, the sink overflowing with dishes, or the cars that we haven’t waxed in nine months. It’s the one protected hour when we can finally rest. ➕

2023-08-25: Bicyclist Wants To Be Treated Like A Car But Also Be Able To Just Kinda Break The Rules When He Wants To - Babylon Bee The man then continued riding directly in the middle of the road at 15 miles per hour even though the speed limit was 65. Sources say Skuzz then ran three …

2023-08-21: Bottomless Tasks - Catholic Husband Life is impermanent, always ebbing and flowing. By definition, you’ll always be ahead of your work or behind it. Adding more hours to your schedule will get more done, but is unlikely to have an overall meaningful impact. ➕

2023-08-16: There’s nothing like the first breath of fall at the end of a hot summer. 🍁

2023-08-15: Book Review: My Father’s House 📚 I almost always read nonfiction books. I was in the Apple audiobooks section and this one was in a summer reads sale. The cover art drew me in, and when learned that the story was a WWII espionage thriller, I couldn’t resist. My Father’s House is a novel that, only after …

2023-08-14: Legal challenges to Biden’s student loan plans have borrowers anxious ahead of payment restart - The Hill This lawsuit is nothing but a desperate attempt from right wing special interests to keep hundreds of thousands of borrowers in debt, even though these borrowers have earned …

2023-08-14: Disrupt - Catholic Husband To grow as a person, as a spouse, as a parent, and as a Catholic, we must continuously disrupt the lifestyle choices that hold us back. It’s a well-worn concept, one that St. Francis took to fanatical levels. It’s what Pope Francis meant when he …

2023-08-13: 75 Hard Yesterday, I completed the 75 Hard challenge. Since mid-winter, and through much of spring, I had a sense of being adrift. I was working a lot, walking infrequently, not praying much, and almost always 30–45 minutes late to bed. This unregulated, unmoored feeling was disquieting, …

2023-08-13: New coffee day ☕️

2023-08-12: ♠

2023-08-11: I bought the Relient K album Forget and Not Slow Down the day it came out in 2009, my senior year of college. Listening it today, I’m taken back to fall on campus in Ohio fourteen years ago. Incredible music.

2023-08-11: Merrick Garland Names David Weiss as Special Counsel in Hunter Biden Investigation - WSJ Garland said Weiss on Tuesday had told him that his investigation had “reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel, and he asked to be so appointed.” At least …

2023-08-10: Joe Biden Officially Wishes Student Loans Away By Blowing On Dandelion - The Onion I realize that student debt cancellation has failed in the past, but if need be, I will make this same wish when I blow out the candles on my birthday cake this year.

2023-08-10: Letters

2023-08-10: Finished reading: My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor 📚

2023-08-07: Inconvenience - Catholic Husband When we let inconvenience loom large in our minds, we miss an opportunity to sharpen ourselves. We let a tiny detail derail our whole day. We welcome defeat without the least bit of resistance. Inconveniences happen; we choose our response. ➕

2023-08-06: U.S. Warns of Trade Fight Over Canada’s Digital-Tax Plan - WSJ Freeland said that Canadian officials remain in talks with their Group of Seven counterparts about a compromise whereby Canadian interests “can be protected and recognized.” Which one is Canada, again?

2023-08-06: These Financial Advisors Say ‘No Thanks’ to Helping Rich Clients Get Richer - WSJ Advisers like Dole said making rich people richer as the sole goal of their work makes them uncomfortable. Please signal the next time you’re about to get out of your lane.

2023-08-04: Currently reading: My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor 📚

2023-08-03: Report: U.S. Will Now Need A Co-Signer To Purchase A Used Ford Taurus | Babylon Bee “Wow. I had no idea that spending $15 trillion dollars that we didn’t have was an issue,” said Senator Chuck Schumer.

2023-08-02: Book Review: Code of Conduct 📚 After a slow start to the year, I’m rolling through these books! Brad Thor’s series is almost a ripped-from-the-headlines style. I’m committed to reading the Scot Harvath Series from start to finish, but am glad to finally be catching up to current times. This book was published …

2023-08-01: Done.

2023-07-31: Limitless - Catholic Husband Let go of the false messages that you tell yourself. Be bold enough to break out of your element and experience the serendipity of newness. Reengage the spark of curiosity of your younger self. Climb higher summits, explore new horizons, dream of new …

2023-07-30: Finished reading: Code of Conduct by Brad Thor 📚

2023-07-30: Aide Pushes Cart Through Halls Of Congress Yelling ‘Bring Out Your Dead!’ - Babylon Bee “I’m getting better!” shouted Dianne Feinstein as her aides tossed her into the wheelbarrow. “I think I’ll go for a walk!”

2023-07-30: Are You At A Nursing Home Or The U.S. Senate Chamber? 9 Clues To Look For - Babylon Bee Nursing Home: Residents call out “Bingo!” to win money Senate: Residents call out “Aye!” to spend your money

2023-07-25: MAGA Republicans Convene In Underground Lair To Turn Planet’s Heat Dial Up Three More Notches - Babylon Bee The evil horde of MAGA supporters exploded into another round of malicious celebration as they all agreed to once again make the weather just slightly warmer than …

2023-07-25: Book Review: Atomic Habits 📚 With over 112k 5-star rating on Amazon, there’s clearly something here. James Clear crystalizes his understanding of the psychology of habits into a useful field manual. The books was thoughtful, logical, and well laid out. Even Clear would admit, there’s no great secret. Success …

2023-07-25: What happens when children are left unattended with the dog.

2023-07-24: Book Review: Colditz: Prisoners of the Castle 📚 Ben Macintyre is my favorite historian/author, and he did not disappoint in this one. The story of POWs often goes untold, except for a few anecdotes here and there. The entire book focuses on an ancient castle used in Germany for the “worst of the worst” Allied prisoners. Those …

2023-07-24: Fifty-Four - Catholic Husband If we want to build a strong habit of prayer, we have to commit and sustain our good works, especially on days when it’s not easy. ➕

2023-07-23: Currently reading: The Billion Dollar Spy by David E. Hoffman 📚

2023-07-21: Finished reading: Prisoners of the Castle by Ben Macintyre 📚

2023-07-19: Trump Indicted For Murder Of Tupac - Babylon Bee Authorities now believe Trump fired a Glock .40-caliber pistol from the backseat of a white Cadillac while also somehow driving it. Justice never rests.

2023-07-19: Trump Campaign Hoping To Lock Up GOP Nomination With Third Indictment - Babylon Bee “KEEP THESE FABRICATED INDICTMENTS COMING,” Trump said in a post to his Truth Social account. “THESE INDICTMENTS GIVE ME STRENGTH. I EAT THEM FOR BREAKFAST WITH MY EGG …

2023-07-17: Restart - Catholic Husband The best way to succeed in any plan, program, or life change agenda is to start small, and start today. ➕

2023-07-16: FDA Acknowledges Harm of Oral Contraceptives While Its Own Panel of Advisors Push to Make Drug Available Without Prescription - USCCB Fertility is a gift, not a disease. Contraceptives exist to suppress the healthy functions of human reproduction. The mounting evidence of the …

2023-07-16: Paying Student Loans Again Could Feel Like a 5% Pay Cut - WSJ Yannelis and his co-authors found that from April 2020 to November 2022, borrowers whose payments were paused took on 3%, or $1,200, more in credit-card, mortgage and auto-loan debt than borrowers whose payments …

2023-07-14: EPA Launches Green Bank for Climate Funding in Low-Income Areas - WSJ This cash is seen as critical for funding key areas such as battery storage, electric-car charging and building upgrades that often struggle to attract private-sector funding, particularly in low-income areas. …

2023-07-13: Finished reading: Atomic Habits by James Clear 📚

2023-07-13: Scholars Believe Explosive Growth Of The Early Church Was Due To Christians Being Allowed To Eat Bacon - Babylon Bee “Save yourselves from this crooked generation! Believe in Jesus, the Messiah! And also, I had a dream last week and we can totally eat bacon now!” …

2023-07-12: CPI Report Shows Inflation Eased to 3% in June - WSJ So-called core consumer prices, which excludes volatile food and energy categories, rose 4.8% I’ve loved this magic! Media and politicos each month review the difference between core and consumer price index inflation, then …

2023-07-12: They Had Great Credit Scores. Then They Retired - WSJ living on a fixed income and paying off old loans can lower a score, said Ethan Dornhelm, vice president of scores and analytics at FICO. Deleveraging is a significant credit risk in the funhouse mirror world of FICO logic. …

2023-07-10: Book Review: Soundtracks 📚 This book came out more than two years ago, and I was part of the pre-order. I just got around to reading it. Oops. I bought the hardcover and listened to the Audiobook. Although I love listening to Jon Acuff and his humor, the book design is so beautiful that I wish I’d had the …

2023-07-10: Trust - Catholic Husband We all have prayers to which the answer is a resounding, “No.” Disappointed as we may be, in time, the things that we asked for are forgotten. It’s prayers that were answered, and the gifts granted to us that are beyond our limited imaginations that …

2023-07-09: Embarrassing: Scientist Invents Lab-Grown Beef Only To Realize Cows Exist - Babylon Bee “I’m all set to announce to the world that we invented beef, when all of a sudden, it dawns on me - cows are beef. There are literally huge slabs of beef walking all over the …

2023-07-09: Hottest Days Ever? Don’t Believe It - WSJ Opinion It isn’t plausible to characterize Earth’s warming in a single average number, especially when we don’t really know what that number is today, much less from 125,000 years ago.

2023-07-09: Millions of People Booted From Medicaid After Pandemic - WSJ Enrollment in the health program for the low-income and disabled grew to 95 million during the pandemic, as states stopped checking to make sure people were eligible. Now states have started checking again, and more …

2023-07-09: Banks’ Newest Fed Headache: Nonstop Instant Payments - WSJ Under an existing system called ACH (automated clearinghouse), transactions typically take several days to settle. That can be frustrating for those waiting to receive their funds but often benefits banks that use the …

2023-07-08: Finished reading: Soundtracks by Jon Acuff 📚

2023-07-07: Consumers to Face New Limits on Private Short-Term Health Insurance - WSJ Under a proposed rule, the administration aims to limit short-term health plans to three months, or four months if consumers opt to extend them Isn’t it wonderful when government bureaucrats, who rail in …

2023-07-06: Everyone Wants Interest on Their Deposits. That’s Bad for Main Street Banks. - WSJ The Fed’s hikes and the failures of a trio of midsize banks are prompting once-loyal customers to pull their money out of checking accounts that pay no interest. Low interest checking accounts …

2023-07-04: Sparklers 🇺🇸

2023-07-04: Finished reading: Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less by Michael Hyatt 📚

2023-07-03: Free - Catholic Husband Our freedoms allow us to work, associate, play, and pray as we so choose. It’s a freedom that few other humans, outside the ruling class, have experienced. ➕

2023-07-01: Currently reading: Soundtracks by Jon Acuff 📚

2023-07-01: What the Supreme Court’s Rejection of Student-Loan Forgiveness Means for You - WSJ Millions of Americans will have to prepare to repay the entire balance of their student debt now that the Supreme Court has overturned President Biden’s loan-forgiveness plan. Weird, that’s …

2023-07-01: Report Blames Top Biden Officials for Failures During Afghanistan Exit - WSJ U.S. Embassy staff in Kabul were so concerned in the months leading to the pullout that they sent a rare classified dissent cable warning that the Taliban’s advance was coming sooner than the …

2023-07-01: Supreme Court Strikes Down Biden’s Student-Loan Forgiveness Plan - WSJ As a presidential candidate in 2020, Biden said he would pursue legislation to erase $10,000 in student debt per borrower. Once in office, however, he confronted a gridlocked Congress where neither Democratic …

2023-06-30: Why does every website have auto play videos now? I just want to read.

2023-06-30: They got your vote twice, and all you got was a lousy student loan payment. 🤡🤡🤡

2023-06-29: Harvard To Get Around Affirmative Action Ban By Asking You Whether You Prefer BBQ, Ranch, Or Soy Sauce - Babylon Bee Admissions faculty at Harvard was devastated today upon hearing the news that they could no longer use racial discrimination to turn their school into a diverse …

2023-06-27: “But, look, 13 million jobs, again, when you think about how Americans feel better about their personal finances, that is important. When you think about wages are going up, when you think about the really good paying, millions of good-paying jobs, union jobs that his …

2023-06-27: The Espionage Act’s Ugly, Un-American History - WSJ Opinion The U.S. must prosecute spies and protect national secrets, but the Espionage Act isn’t necessary to do so. More than a dozen more-specific federal statutes criminalize spying, hacking and misuse of government records. …

2023-06-27: EV Startup Lordstown, Once an Ohio Town’s Savior, Files for Bankruptcy - WSJ Lordstown once said it would produce hundreds of thousands of vehicles in the former GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio, but so far it has made only a handful of trucks. The company’s market capitalization has …

2023-06-26: A sense of trepidation overcomes me when I first open my inbox in the morning. 📥

2023-06-26: More | Catholic Husband The real problem is that we’re reaching for the wrong “more.” We seek a net increase in the quantity of our possessions and social stature. We should instead be investing our energy into a life of the good mores. ➕

2023-06-25: Hunter Biden’s ‘Fair’ Tax Share - WSJ Opinion The IRS team recommended that Hunter be prosecuted on felony charges of tax evasion for 2014 and false tax filings and a misdemeanor charge for 2015 of failure to pay tax. Yet because the U.S. Attorney waited so long to make a …

2023-06-25: Episode 253: The Director In a ChetCast exclusive, up-and-coming film director Benedict sits down for a rare interview to share his creative process, inspirations, and film recommendations.

2023-06-25: Toyota’s ‘Prone-to-Tears President’ Taps the Brakes on EVs - WSJ Toyoda’s perception of himself as facing off with disparaging elites mirrors how he talks today about the auto world’s transition to electric vehicles. In December, Toyoda said he was standing up for a “silent …

2023-06-23: Why You Shouldn’t Always Tell Your Bank How Much You Make - WSJ A higher credit limit is generally good for your credit score, since you will be using a smaller share of your available credit, he said. (That might not be ideal if you think a higher limit will tempt you to …

2023-06-22: Four hours of internet outage can either be a complete disaster or rocket fuel for productivity. 🚀

2023-06-22: U.S. Offers India Drones, Jet Engines to Lure It From Russia - WSJ “Ultimately, the question of where politics and the question of democratic institutions go in India is going to be determined within India by Indians,” Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told …

2023-06-21: Episode 252: Summer Solstice It’s the first day of summer! The kids share their goals for the season, and how they’ll spend their extra daylight.

2023-06-21: Tongues Of Fire Come To Rest On Biden And Fetterman As They Speak In Unknown Languages | Babylon Bee At publishing time, the nation’s foremost theologians were still hard at work searching for anyone with the spiritual gift of interpretation to translate what Biden and …

2023-06-21: Sixth Guy Kicking Himself For Leaving The Company Before Five Guys Hit It Big | Babylon Bee “I can’t believe I didn’t stick around,” said Mark Calloway, a close friend of the Murrell family that started the restaurant chain back in 1986.

2023-06-19: Fatherless | Catholic Husband Instead of minimizing their importance, or treating them like feckless children, we should celebrate fathers who have laid down their lives in humble service of their families. ➕

2023-06-17: Teamsters Vote to Authorize UPS Strike as Contract Talks Continue - WSJ The union has said that a two-tier system of drivers allows UPS to use lower-paid workers to deliver packages on weekends, curbing delivery costs. They must have a crack research team!

2023-06-17: The IRS Makes Another House Call - WSJ Opinion When an officer called Mr. Haus, Mr. Haus identified himself as an IRS agent but said Haus wasn’t his real name. He had used an alias. A federal law enforcement, supposedly conducting a legitimate knock-and-talk, lied about his …

2023-06-16: Currently reading: Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less by Michael Hyatt 📚

2023-06-16: Crypto Leaders Call For Infusion Of 20 Million Dopes To Stabilize Market | The Onion “We’re calling for millions of bozos to be infused into the crypto market to stave off collapse and assure investors their money is safe,” said Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire

2023-06-16: Episode 251: What’s Up? We’ve had a busy few months! I gathered the kids during a power outage to see what they’ve been up to.

2023-06-16: Biden Announces By 2025 All Wildfires Must Be Electric | Babylon Bee The President hailed the move as another major step forward in his administration’s ongoing commitment to spend as many federal dollars on completely normal, practical, common-sense climate initiatives as …

2023-06-14: King Solomon Lovingly Assures Wife She’s One In A Thousand | Babylon Bee King Solomon initially kept track of his wives by their most notable physical characteristics. “Okay, that one is flock-of-sheep-teeth,” said King Solomon. “That one is goats-of-Gilead …

2023-06-14: Sad Trump Says He Was Just A Few Document Boxes Away From Building Really Cool Fort | Babylon Bee “He’s a developer at heart,” said one member of the Trump team. “A border wall, an impressive resume of defeating impeachments and indictments, a fort made …

2023-06-12: Symbiosis | Catholic Husband Every family has their defined roles, each member taking on a share of the tasks required to keep the household running. But in times of stress or crisis, those roles can be up for grabs. This is an undersold and poorly remembered attribute of …

2023-06-09: A Destructive Trump Indictment - WSJ Opinion It was once unthinkable in America that the government’s awesome power of prosecution would be turned on a political opponent. That seal has now been broken. It didn’t need to be. However cavalier he was with classified files, Mr. …

2023-06-08: Trump Indicted For Keeping Classified Documents In Mar-A-Lago Instead Of Somewhere Secure Like The Trunk Of A Corvette | Babylon Bee Former President Donald Trump has officially been indicted by the federal government on seven counts of not storing highly classified documents in …

2023-06-08: White House Prepares for Possibility Supreme Court Could Kill Student Loan Forgiveness Plan - WSJ Biden administration officials are quietly planning for the possibility that the Supreme Court could strike down President Biden’s sweeping student loan forgiveness program An …

2023-06-08: Scholars Believe Noah Made Rookie Mistake Of Washing The Ark The Day Before It Started Raining | Babylon Bee “Finally done!” Witnesses heard Noah say. “Now I’ll clean her up real nice, and she’ll be ready to show off.”

2023-06-05: iOS 17 Can Automatically Clean Up Verification Codes That Clog Up Messages App - MacRumors Finally!

2023-06-05: Empty | Catholic Husband It’s not a mistake for a father to share a piece of his identity with his family. My sense of emptiness comes not out of a dark place, but out of a place of truth. In a world where children are seen as an accessory, I sense my children’s essential …

2023-06-04: Mission Impossible: 3 🍿

2023-06-03: Report: Sandbag That Tripped Biden On Stage Also Participated In Jan 6 Capitol Riot | Babylon Bee “We have also found a lengthy manifesto written by the sandbag,” the source said. “We will not be releasing the manifesto to the public due to the potential damage …

2023-06-01: Senate Votes to Block Biden’s Student-Debt Relief Plan - WSJ The Senate voted 52-46 Thursday to approve a Republican-led proposal to block President Biden’s hotly debated student-debt forgiveness plan, setting up an expected veto. Congress has spoken, clearly.

2023-05-30: Currently reading: The Legacy Journey by Dave Ramsey 📚

2023-05-29: Quiet - Catholic Husband Life with small children is never easy, but it’s always full of great meaning and beauty. I’ll enjoy the quiet time ahead, focusing on what needs to be done. But I’ll look forward to when my children return, and things are less quiet. ➕

2023-05-28: If your projector screens have a more prominent place in your parish than the Tabernacle, you’re doing it wrong.

2023-05-22: New Beginnings - Catholic Husband We’re starting to take things off the wall, preparing for painting and putting the house on the market. As I took that first hook out of the wall, I felt that moving feeling that filled my childhood. As the fresh paint dried, my nose …

2023-05-17: IRS Weighs Creating a Government-Run Tax-Prep Option - WSJ “It’s problematic that we instead provide it through these private corporations that prey on people and extract profits from taxpayers that are just fulfilling that civic duty.” No one has to use paid software, the …

2023-05-15: Garage Doors - Catholic Husband The pile continues to grow, but instead of trying to fix the problem, I’m just letting it be. It’s an exercise in patience, especially since it’ll be another two weeks before the door is fixed. For now, things are broken, and accepting the chaos …

2023-05-10: Some Buy Now Pay Later Users Face Rejection - WSJ In December, Sezzle launched a service it says helps lower transaction costs and avoid loan losses: Pay-in-Full. A customer gets retail perks, but the customer buys now and pays now. Fascinating! Tell me more!

2023-05-10: FDA Advisers Back Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill - WSJ The panel of FDA advisers voted 17 to 0 on Wednesday that there was enough evidence for the agency to approve the medication’s sale over-the-counter. Unanimous. Just like Tylenol, only the effects last forever. The …

2023-05-08: Checkpoints - Catholic Husband I want to have checkpoints sprinkled throughout our day, with short opportunities for prayer. In a way, it’s like water stations along a race route. I never want us to be too far from prayer. ➕

2023-05-03: ObamaCare, Zombie Banks and JPMorgan - WSJ Opinion Ended was a distinct Carter-Reagan-Clinton era in which, in select but significant arenas, government actually approached problems rationally. It tackled failing policies from a perspective of replacing bad incentives with good …

2023-05-02: Patients Lose Access to Free Medicines Amid Spat Between Drugmakers, Health Plans - WSJ Growing numbers of people with insurance must also pay a sum, called a deductible, at the start of each year before their health plan will start reimbursing for drugs. This is a direct …

2023-05-01: U.S. Covid Vaccine Mandates to End May 11 for Federal Workers, Others - WSJ The White House plans to end the Covid-19 vaccine requirements for federal workers, federal contractors and international air travelers on May 11, as the pandemic public health emergency ends.  Good …

2023-05-01: Fruits of Labor - Catholic Husband St. Joseph was a tradesman who had a very hard life. He’d walk miles each way to job sites, work in the hot and dusty climate of the Middle Easy, and carefully craft raw wood into finished products using simple tools. He labored during the day, …

2023-04-29: Spinning Federal Mortgage Fees - WSJ Opinion The American Enterprise Institute looked at default rates of Fannie/Freddie owner-occupied 30-year fixed rate purchase loans acquired in 2006-2007 and found that among borrowers with credit scores between 720 and 769 and 20% down …

2023-04-28: Fauci Says He Never Locked Anything Down And Has Never Heard Of COVID - Babylon Bee “COVID? I’ve never even heard of such a thing! What is COVID? That sounds made up!”

2023-04-27: It’s truly incredible how a child in 1st grade can go from illiterate to a strong reader in 26 weeks. 📚

2023-04-27: McCarthy Gets a Debt-Ceiling Win - WSJ Opinion The plan also cancels the President’s student loan write-off and blocks a proposal to cap borrower loan payments at de minimis levels, which combined would save $460 billion from 2023 to 2033. A White House press release claims …

2023-04-24: The Idea - Catholic Husband This sea change was all possible because of Jesus’ simple philosophical idea that changed everything. It’s the idea that built the modern world. ➕

2023-04-22: Fidelity and State Street Push to Make 401(k)s More Like Pensions - WSJ The income-producing funds are coming to market a few years after Congress made it easier for employers to offer annuities in 401(k) plans. The law protects employers that follow certain procedures from …

2023-04-22: Biden Administration Considers Tougher Regulation of Money-Market, Hedge Funds - WSJ “The authority for emergency interventions is critical. But equally as important is a supervisory and regulatory regime that can help prevent financial disruptions from starting and spreading in …

2023-04-22: FAA Acting Chief Billy Nolen to Depart - WSJ Mr. Nolen’s planned departure comes as the agency faces challenges including a spate of serious near-collisions at U.S. airports and failing technology that earlier this year ground U.S. air traffic to a halt. But we can all at least …

2023-04-21: Biden’s Second-Term Mistake - WSJ Opinion But asking the country to elect a man who is 80 years old and whose second term would end when he is 86 is a risky act that borders on selfish. It’s impossible to know Mr. Biden’s real physical and mental state because the White House …

2023-04-17: Apple Card’s new high-yield Savings account is now available, offering a 4.15 percent APY - Apple To build on their savings even further, users can deposit additional funds into their Savings account through a linked bank account, or from their Apple Cash balance. Why didn’t …

2023-04-17: It was fun to collect, but now it’s time to cash in

2023-04-17: Transform - Catholic Husband If God can work all of that good through a random anonymous fisherman, what good can he accomplish through my participation in his Divine Plan? ➕

2023-04-15: Peppa Pig’s Family Vacation Ruined By Jesus Healing Demoniac At Nearby Cemetery - Babylon Bee “Mommy Pig, why is Auntie Pig screaming and running into the sea?” asked Peppa Pig.

2023-04-12: High Energy Costs Threaten Climate Goals, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm Warns - WSJ “People still have to be persuaded that the cost of clean is cheaper,” she said. “They have to see that in real terms.” Yes, show me that it’s cheap and abundant, and I don’t care how power …

2023-04-10: Ads make the internet ugly.

2023-04-10: Summits - Catholic Husband In every journey, and along every path, we find waypoints as we struggle to reach our ultimate destination. Then, when we’ve reached the summit and accomplished our mission, we look out to see God’s creation from a whole new vantage point, and the new …

2023-04-09: Currently reading: Code of Conduct by Brad Thor 📚

2023-04-09: Book Review: Act of War 📚 As I get deeper into the Brad Thor series, I’ve let go of how closely the stories mirror reality and just enjoy the ride. This one was pretty sinister, but well done. I’m looking forward to the next one. Would I recommend: YES ISBN: 978-1982148430

2023-04-09: Happy Easter!

2023-04-09: When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. (John 20:6-7) Annual reminder that Jesus’ first priority after rising from the dead …

2023-04-08: Credit Card Rewards Are Heading Toward a Crisis - WSJ “High-FICO cardholders on average earn money with the use of reward cards while low-FICO cardholders on average lose money,” they wrote. Overall, the study found that rewards cards drove a $15 billion annualized …

2023-04-03: Homeostasis - Catholic Husband Homeostasis is the resistance we experience to our good work. Why do we not do the things that we ought to do? Why do I hit snooze for 45 minutes extra sleep when I know a morning workout will set my day up for success? Why do I scroll YouTube when …

2023-04-01: Mike Lindell Draws Sword, Cuts Off Ear Of Officer Attempting To Arrest Trump - Babylon Bee “There, good as new!” Trump told Officer Sam Malchus. “Even better than new, if you can believe it. You probably have super sonic hearing now. All thanks to me, your …

2023-03-30: Pandora’s Donald Trump Prosecution - WSJ Opinion The danger for America is the precedent this prosecution sets. Mr. Bragg is busting a political norm that has stood for 230 years. Once a former President and current candidate is indicted, some local Republican prosecutor will …

2023-03-30: Elon Musk’s Move to Monetize Twitter’s Blue Check Mark Riles Celebrities - WSJ Twitter Inc.’s plan to remove legacy blue check marks for verified accounts heralds an end to a longtime social-media status symbol and is prompting complaints from some of the platform’s celebrity …

2023-03-29: The FDIC’s Sweetheart Bank Deal for SVB - WSJ Opinion The losers in this sweetheart deal will be other banks (and their customers) that will have to pick up the estimated $20 billion cost to replenish the deposit insurance fund. That’s about 15% of the entire fund. By …

2023-03-27: The Simple Path to Holiness - Catholic Husband In these mundane, rote, and mediocre tasks, I’m giving of myself. While I make the breakfast, the children laugh. When I help with homework, their minds unlock. When I’m doing the laundry, they’re free to run and play. ➕

2023-03-26: Student-Loan Forgiveness Plan Faces Fresh GOP Resistance - WSJ Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, called the GOP effort “callous and uncaring” and promised to oppose it.  Says the man who just spent $6T that we don’t have?

2023-03-22: Democrats Vow To Arrest As Many Political Opponents As It Takes To Defeat Fascism - Babylon Bee “Fascism is a clear and present danger in this country,” began Senator Chuck Schumer, “and the only way to defeat it is with a corrupt, all-powerful police state …

2023-03-22: Few people know this, but “Walmart” is an acronym for “every cart is broken.” 🛒

2023-03-22: Donald Trump Grand Jury Is Called Off for Wednesday - WSJ In case you’ve ever wondered why grand jury proceedings are supposed to be secret. All this “will they?” “Won’t they?” is prejudicial to the defendant. Then, if there’s no indictment, the target gets tarred for no good …

2023-03-20: It’s kind of poetic that 15 years of financial regulatory decisions have only served to ignite the current crisis.

2023-03-20: Ten - Catholic Husband This body of work represents something intimate; it’s the place where my deepest thoughts come to the fore. This is a nice place for me to be and to write, and I hope that in another decade, I’ll share a similar reflection in a post titled, “Twenty.” ➕

2023-03-18: What Gets Lost When You Rescue Markets - WSJ The attempt to eradicate failure from the financial system, of course, is part of modern society’s broader push to make life itself riskless and idiot-proof, with indestructible baby strollers, child-resistant drug packaging, almost …

2023-03-14: Remarks by President Biden on Maintaining a Resilient Banking System and Protecting our Historic Economic Recovery - The White House Third, investors in the banks will not be protected. They knowingly took a risk and when the risk didn’t pay off, investors lose their money. …

2023-03-13: Calm - Catholic Husband I need to find calm in the chaos throughout the day. I need to process the cacophony of my household not as a noisy abyss, but as a symphony of joy. These are the sounds of life, of joy, and of youth. ➕

2023-03-12: SVB, Signature Bank Depositors to Get All Their Money as Fed Moves to Stem Crisis - WSJ The government’s bank-deposit insurance fund will cover all deposits at the two banks, rather than the standard $250,000. Federal regulators said any losses to the government’s fund would be …

2023-03-12: Investor Relieved He Pulled Money Out Of Crypto And Put It In The Bank For Safekeeping - Babylon Bee “Really dodged a bullet there,” said Mr. Sandlin. “Cryptocurrency was getting too risky. You never know when one of these currencies will just suddenly go …

2023-03-06: Ukraine Asks Merrick Garland To Leave As They Already Have Enough Corrupt Government Officials - Babylon Bee Sources say the Attorney General stammered in response, citing his lengthy rap sheet which included sending the FBI after parents who protest at school board meetings, …

2023-03-06: Start with Listening - Catholic Husband Prayer takes many forms, but perhaps it would be wise for us to slow down, take a moment, begin with Scripture, and then listen. ➕

2023-03-03: Biden’s ESG Veto Is Revealing - WSJ Opinion The rule would drive more savings into ESG funds that typically charge higher fees by letting retirement sponsors offer them as default options in 401(k) plans. Workers can opt out of default plans but usually don’t. Why isn’t Mr. …

2023-03-03: To Catch Up On Today’s News, Man Just Reads 2-Year-Old Posts On Conspiracy Blog - Babylon Bee “When I did some research, I realized all the conspiracy theorists were exactly two years ahead of the media in reporting the facts,” said Rorch while pulling up …

2023-03-02: Tweetbot and Twitterrific updated with option to opt-out of subscription refund – Six Colors it’s also kind of awkward, given that the money comes out of the pockets of those independent app developers like Tapbots and The Iconfactory, who got just as much of the short end of …

2023-03-02: Senate Votes 50-46 to Reverse ESG Rule for Retirement Funds - WSJ Advocates say that addressing climate change, improving corporate governance and encouraging diversity can boost profits. The data says ESG is another way for Wall Street to fleece the retail investor. ESG funds …

2023-03-01: Navy to rename USS Chancellorsville for former slave Robert Smalls - Task & Purpose Implementing the Naming Commission’s renaming plan is expected to cost the Defense Department roughly $62.5 million, according to the commission’s final report.

2023-02-28: Biden’s Regulatory Deluge - WSJ Opinion The Constitution grants the power to make laws to Congress, not agencies. But in calendar 2021, Mr. Crews notes, agencies issued 3,257 rules, including 105 last-minute Trump rules, while Congress passed 143 laws. Last year they added …

2023-02-28: The Gaslighting of East Palestine - WSJ Opinion Today’s fear is the price Americans are paying for the public-health authorities’ response to Covid. So many things experts claimed in the name of science—from the efficacy of masks to the shortcomings of natural immunity—turned …

2023-02-27: Preparation - Catholic Husband Prayer strengthens our relationship with God, breaks our hearts of stone, and opens our minds to the will of God. Fasting removes obstacles to holiness in our lives. It breaks the power of mindless rhythm and shakes us awake, calling us back to the …

2023-02-25: Biden Draws Distinction Between Classified Documents Found at His Homes and Trump’s - WSJ He was apparently referring to a widely circulated photo showing documents that federal agents had laid out; the image didn’t represent how Mr. Trump kept the papers.  This is the first …

2023-02-22: Pentagon Spent At Least $1.5 Million on Missiles to Down Three High-Altitude Objects - WSJ That figure is only for the four AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles used to bring down the objects over Alaska, Canada’s Yukon territory and Lake Huron. It doesn’t include the cost for Navy, Coast …

2023-02-22: Donald Trump Visits Ohio Train-Derailment Site, in Early Salvo of 2024 Race - WSJ President Biden was briefed on conditions in East Palestine while he was rallying Europe to Ukraine’s aid in Warsaw, Poland, while former President Donald Trump visited the disaster site Wednesday …

2023-02-21: Crypto Still Draws Everyday Investors Hoping to Strike It Rich - WSJ Some individual investors’ enduring enthusiasm for crypto stems in part from a sense that traditional routes to wealth are blocked off, say investors and researchers who study their behavior. Those everyday …

2023-02-20: All on the Field - Catholic Husband The truth is, if I leave everything on the field, all things will be done well. It means I’ve woken up early and taken the time that I need to train my body and prepare myself for the day. It means my family has eaten, learned, prayed, and …

2023-02-19: Sixth Grader Swears His Science Homework Was Blown Up By A Sidewinder Missile - Babylon Bee Though Jared had never been a problem student, his teacher found his outlandish excuse difficult to believe. “I’ve been a schoolteacher for over 30 years,” said Carla …

2023-02-14: The Junk Economics of ‘Junk-Fee’ Politics - WSJ Opinion There’s no such thing as a free financial product. If regulators limit one source of revenue, businesses will find another to cover their costs. That is one lesson from the Dodd-Frank Act, which limited debit-card fees that …

2023-02-13: Ski Trip - Catholic Husband This trip, more than anything, emphasizes the importance of play. For the child’s brain, play is equivalent to work. It’s necessary and helps with overall growth and development. For adults, play is still important! It’s the best form of stress …

2023-02-12: Super Bowl Flyover Featuring All Female Pilots Running 20 Minutes Late - Babylon Bee “Believe me, we will step on the gas and show everyone some woman power just as soon as we can! Until then - wait, hold on now - did we all just show up in the same flight outfit??” …

2023-02-09: To Cover Rising Costs, Hunter Now Charging 15% For The Big Guy - Babylon Bee At publishing time, Hunter offered to sweeten the deal with the CCP by adding a pile of classified documents from the junk drawer.

2023-02-07: I have 50 unread emails. Not great.

2023-02-07: U.S. Air Defenses Failed to Spot Earlier Chinese Balloon Intrusions, General Says - WSJ “This gave us the opportunity to assess what they were actually doing, what kind of capabilities existed on the balloon, what kind of transmission capabilities existed,” Gen. VanHerck added. …

2023-02-06: Obedient to Prayer - Catholic Husband If I were to sketch out a schedule for my ideal day, there would be several opportunities for prayer sprinkled throughout. No matter where I was in any given day, I’d only be a few hours away from a pause. The positive benefits of prayer are …

2023-02-05: China Assures Warships Heading For Taiwan Are Just Meteorological Warships - Babylon Bee “We have learned much about the weather in Hong Kong, and now it’s time to study Taiwan. The Chinese Communist Party appreciates America’s patience while we battle climate …

2023-02-03: Biden Says He’ll Shoot Down Chinese Spy Balloon As Soon As He’s Done Letting It Spy - Babylon Bee At publishing time, Eric Swalwell had been seen approaching the spy balloon and asking for its number.

2023-02-03: The Market Tanked, but Americans Kept Piling Money Into Their 401(k)s - WSJ About 90% of investors in the 401(k)-style retirement plans administered by Vanguard Group maintained or increased their savings rate in 2022. And trading activity fell to a two-decade low among …

2023-02-03: A Consumption Tax Is the Shock Our Broken System Needs - WSJ Opinion Others complain that the rate will be high. An effective 30% consumption tax, added to state sales taxes as high as 10%, could add up to a 40% or greater rate. But taxes overall must finance what the government …

2023-02-01: Biden Shows Off New Electric Car That Can Hold Over 17 Boxes Of Classified Documents - Babylon Bee “I can get all of these top-secret files to my beach house on a single charge! Not a joke!” said Biden, cruising up Pennsylvania Avenue. “Wait, weren’t …

2023-02-01: Biden Administration to Propose Rule to Lower Credit-Card Late Fees - WSJ “Many Americans believe these fees are just plain wrong,” CFPB director Rohit Chopra said Tuesday in a preview of the late-fee proposal. Except they haven’t voted with their wallets and switched cards or …

2023-01-30: Biden Proposes End to Moral Exemption for Birth-Control Coverage - WSJ The Biden administration proposed an end to an exemption allowing health plans to exclude coverage of no-cost birth control on moral grounds Isn’t having a Catholic president so wonderful? This proposal …

2023-01-30: Work from Home Dad - Catholic Husband It’s a daily challenge to balance my responsibilities at work and at home, but my children and I now share a special bond. I get to involve them in my work. They see what I do, got with me to visit customers, and get to share my love of …

2023-01-28: Local Church Turns To Robo-Greeters To Combat Volunteer Shortage - Babylon Bee At publishing time, attendance at the Cornerstone Calvary Community Congregation City Church had seen a bump in the demographic of boys age 5-13

2023-01-25: I’m owed a refund, but the IRS tried to charge me a $7 underpayment on estimated payments penalty. I had the data to support the annualized method, so the penalty went away. Still, there’s a penalty for underpaying the taxes that you don’t owe?

2023-01-25: Biden Claps In Amazement After FBI Agent Pulls Classified Document From Behind His Ear - The Onion At press time, sources confirmed the federal officer had responded to the president’s calls for an encore by pulling a pair of handcuffs from his sleeve.

2023-01-25: The State Wealth-Tax Alliance - WSJ Opinion Including federal levies, this means politicians would take half of every dollar in investment earnings. You take all the risk, the politicians get half the gain. The legislators say their plans will fund social spending, but they have …

2023-01-25: McCarthy Kicks Two Democrats Off House Intelligence Panel - WSJ “I think it’s just another body blow to the institution of Congress that he is behaving this way, but it shows just how weak he is as a speaker that he has to give in to the most extreme elements of this …

2023-01-23: White House Proudly Hangs ‘1 Day Without Classified Documents Discovered At President’s House’ Sign - Babylon Bee Sources in Washington confirmed there will be a ceremony and a few remarks by the President this evening to celebrate the occasion. The ceremony …

2023-01-23: I will never understand people who pump gas while their car is running.

2023-01-23: Banks Plan Payment Wallet to Compete With PayPal, Apple Pay - WSJ Wells Fargo & Co., Bank of America Corp., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and four other banks are working on a new product that will allow shoppers to pay at merchants’ online checkout with a wallet that will be …

2023-01-23: Permission to Push - Catholic Husband The best way to get back to a manageable pace is to push due dates. There are some tasks that are true priorities, but most can be accomplished in the reasonable near future. Getting behind is normal, so rescheduling overdue tasks to be …

2023-01-22: Amazon to Wind Down Charity-Donation Program AmazonSmile - WSJ “After almost a decade, the program has not grown to create the impact that we had originally hoped,” Amazon said in an email to customers enrolled in the program. Perhaps if they hadn’t appointed Ebenezer Scrooge …

2023-01-21: The Power of “Pre-Day” Journaling - Day One Pre-day is the early morning before the rest of the world wakes up. It’s one of the quietest times of day, allowing your mind to breathe, think, process emotion, and prime your mental state to thrive in the coming hours. 

2023-01-21: Man Pops Car Hood, Thus Exhausting His Knowledge Of How Cars Work - Babylon Bee A neighbor stopped by after seeing the open car hood and offered assistance by standing next to Snodgram and staring at the clicking engine. He then went the extra mile by suggesting they close the …

2023-01-21: First Bank Account Hard to find for kid, Managed and got it open. He’s up and running!

2023-01-21: Yum.

2023-01-21: Just opened my son’s first checking account and Roth IRA. He’s pretty excited!

2023-01-20: Heavy Maintenance I don’t look forward To car repairs with the kids. Tired, but was good.

2023-01-19: First Paycheck First day on the job, Son finished project, got paid. Very big smile!

2023-01-19: I quit Twitter five years ago because it was a joyless place. Not sure why it’s taken everyone else this long to figure that out.

2023-01-19: Alec Baldwin to Be Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter in Fatal ‘Rust’ Shooting - WSJ Prosecutors plan to charge Alec Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the movie “Rust” in New Mexico in 2021, the district attorney in …

2023-01-19: Ph.D. Students of the World, Unite - WSJ Opinion In the private economy, unions face limits on their demands lest they bankrupt their companies and end up unemployed. Government unions, by contrast, often sit on both sides of the bargaining table since politicians who negotiate …

2023-01-18: Griddle Smoke Bacon on griddle; Good dinner plan, but then smoked. Alarm sounds; eat out?

2023-01-17: Low Pressure Unusually long, Won’t build in until Thursday. Will be a long week.

2023-01-16: Marketing Associates Cute in their polos, They are part of Daddy’s team. And a great logo too!

2023-01-16: Medical Residents Unionize Over Pay, Working Conditions - WSJ “When there’s extra work, the burden falls on us,” Dr. Kaur said. Welcome to Medicine? The quality of a physician is directly related to the amount they were challenged in residency. Easier residency experiences …

2023-01-16: Work or Workout - Catholic Husband The truth is, I work better when I’ve exercised. Sleeping in gets me an extra 60 or 90 minutes of sleep, but those precious minutes don’t make nearly as big of an impact as waking up on time does. ➕

2023-01-15: Late Errands Long, quiet Sunday. Took nap, then ran some errands. Nice to take it slow.

2023-01-15: If you don’t have cold brew, or you don’t have heavy whipping cream, you’re not a coffee shop.

2023-01-15: Finished reading: Act of War by Brad Thor 📚

2023-01-14: Family Grocery Shopping Went inside, so strange; In a group, even stranger! Delicious dinner!

2023-01-14: Kamala Harris Assures Public No One Has Given Her Single Classified Document - The Onion “Please take comfort when I say I have no security clearance, on any level. My key fob doesn’t even work most days, and I have to text someone on my staff to come let me in. Yesterday, I …

2023-01-13: Done on Friday Accomplished rare feat, Work and school done by Friday. The weekend is ours!

2023-01-13: Crypto.com Cuts 20% of Staff, Citing Economic Hurdles and FTX Collapse - WSJ Crypto.com is cutting a fifth of its global workforce, in a second round of layoffs in six months Fortune doesn’t favor the brave.

2023-01-13: Christmas gift from Alison, a reusable tea bag.

2023-01-13: FAA Pilot-Alert System Breakdown Followed Years of Warnings - WSJ Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D., Calif.), who has advocated for overhauling the FAA’s Notam system, said modernizing its content and technology go hand in hand. “The pilots, the users, tend to not rely on it as much …

2023-01-12: Read Aloud Kid Son picked up a book, Sisters sat; he read aloud. A pretty cool thing.

2023-01-12: Is there anyplace that Biden didn’t stash classified docs? Bottom line: either we’re classifying way too many documents, or we’re not doing enough to hold people accountable for mishandling them. Probably a bit of both.

2023-01-11: Cleaned Up List Task list overflows, Afternoon to clean it up. Start back at zero.

2023-01-11: What is a NOTAM? - Federal Aviation Administration Changed the acronym NOTAM from Notice to Airmen to the more applicable term Notice to Air Missions, which is inclusive of all aviators and missions. Thank goodness the government is focused on the issues that really matter.

2023-01-10: No Energy Completely wiped out, Schoolwork left undone. Kids glad. Early bed tonight.

2023-01-10: Classified Documents Found at Biden’s Vice Presidential Center - WSJ Earlier this year in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Mr. Biden offered his reaction to the news that Mr. Trump had taken classified materials from the White House, characterizing Mr. Trump’s actions as …

2023-01-09: Win Some, Lose Some So many hours, Can do some work, but not all. Always tomorrow.

2023-01-09: Beautiful sky.

2023-01-09: Create Beauty - Catholic Husband But when we look up from our screens, when we behold the world around us as it truly is, there’s nothing but beauty. Colors, textures, weather, and creation changes from moment to moment. ➕

2023-01-08: Mass, Live Sunday morning, up. Back at Church; this is quite nice! See you all next week.

2023-01-07: Yard Games Got as Christmas gifts, All played outside together. Kids beat me; no shock.

2023-01-07: Lego Introduces First-Ever Affordable Lego Set - Babylon Bee Motivated by worldwide economic stagnation, engineers at Lego headquarters in Billund have developed the first-ever affordable LEGO® set: a single brick that retails for a meager $9.99.

2023-01-07: Remaining Avengers Team Up To Battle Snow Plow - Babylon Bee Using Hawkeye’s accident as a rallying cry, the Avengers vowed to defeat the evil Snow Plow and complete the job of clearing the driveway of Hawkeye’s ski retreat.

2023-01-07: AOC Asks Why We Need A House Speaker Since Everyone Already Has Headphones - Babylon Bee The room fell silent as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle turned to listen to Ocasio-Cortez’s wisdomly soliloquy as she described how the whole world surely receives piles of nice …

2023-01-06: Lots of Errands Brutal scheduling, Bunching is good, but come on! Can’t do all at once.

2023-01-06: Military to proceed with changing names of bases honoring Confederate generals - WTOP The bases are the largest items the Naming Commission recommends renaming, but it has also listed more than 1,000 items in the military’s inventory that should be renamed, removed, or modified. …

2023-01-06: Celsius Network Wins Ownership Rights to Customer Crypto Deposits - WSJ A bankruptcy judge ruled that digital coins deposited in Celsius Network LLC’s interest-bearing accounts belong to the firm, ruling against thousands of customers and deciding a key legal issue in …

2023-01-05: Teaching Math Third grade math lessons, I learned poorly the first time. Now I’m the class ace!

2023-01-05: Episode 250: Poetry & Stories We’re back to school in the new year. The kids stop by to share some of their recent school work.

2023-01-04: Retail Fraud Bought a new car seat. Got home, wrong one inside. Darn. To the store I go.

2023-01-04: DocuSign is a very nice tool.

2023-01-04: New for 2023, Applied Bioethics Magazine is free to read on the web. Enjoy! ⚕️

2023-01-03: Order Restored Messy for a week, Kids pitched in, house all cleaned up. Back to normal ops.

2023-01-03: This is a new post.

2023-01-03: Clowns Debate Who Will Be Elected Next King Of The Clowns - Babylon Bee At publishing time, voting was further delayed after a clown brawl broke out.

2023-01-02: Knocked-Out Woke up, stomach hurt! Stayed in bed all day; not good! Better by night time.

2023-01-02: The Bible in a Year - Catholic Husband Following the narrative of the story, and watching the puzzle pieces slowly come together, one day at a time, was the perfect way to study, explore, and discover the Bible. All it takes is showing up every day, and pressing play. ➕

2023-01-01: YouTube Mass All the same words, prayers, Lesser experience, tho. Need to get healthy!

2023-01-01: Currently reading: Catechism of the Catholic Church by Ascension Press 📚

2023-01-01: New year, day 1.

2022-12-31: Book Review: The Great Adventure Bible 📚 It took much longer than it should have, but I finally read God’s book. Using the _Bible in a Year_ podcast, I methodically worked my way through the entire Bible. The great thing about the reading plan that I chose is that it focused on a narrative, rather than attempting to …

2022-12-31: A Bit Much Just a single month, Three different viruses. Yuck. Hopefully the end!

2022-12-31: The Trump Tax Return Precedent - WSJ Opinion Mr. Trump appears to have hired legions of lawyers to exploit every possible loophole in the tax code. If Congress doesn’t like that, it can rewrite and simplify the code. But that would strip the Members of their power to do favors …

2022-12-31: Episode 249: Sewing Tips The house is finally clean, so I catch up with Felicity and Benedict who are working on a few of their favorite presents.

2022-12-31: Finished reading: Holy Bible: The Great Adventure Catholic Bible by Ascension Press 📚

2022-12-31: Made it to the finish.

2022-12-30: Work or Clean Messy house, and yet, Would like the weekend off. So, Work now, tidy then.

2022-12-30: Trump Thanks Dems For Releasing Best, Most Beautiful Tax Returns Ever - Babylon Bee “Nobody takes more withholdings than me! Everyone says so. Big, beautiful withholdings - no one else is smart enough. Lots of losers can’t figure out how to pay less taxes, but …

2022-12-29: Dumb Design Car seat can’t be cleaned; You had one job, you losers! This does not make sense.

2022-12-29: Just passed 7 years of journaling every day. 📓

2022-12-28: Sick Kids Been sick for a month, May I propose we just not? Ready for a break.

2022-12-27: Morning Sewing Christmas sewing kit, So why not sew this morning? She made rapid gains.

2022-12-26: Reading Under Tree Freezing cold outside, Son chooses books under tree. Looks like jacket helped.

2022-12-26: Silent Night - Catholic Husband A silent night, a holy night, in a cave in a rural town, an anonymous family witnessed the singular event that changed all of human history. In those ordinary moments, they thought not of the challenges ahead, but of the peace and quiet joy of the …

2022-12-26: Health insurance ❌ healthcare. Health insurance is a contract to cover the personal financial liability risk of receiving medical services. Healthcare is medical services provided by a licensed professional.

2022-12-25: Christmas dinner grilling.

2022-12-25: Sitting on the Stairs A quiet start, then, Kids come down the stairs. Party! A joyous morning.

2022-12-25: Quiet start to Christmas.

2022-12-24: Christmas Eve Clean-Up Santa hates a mess; That’s how I was raised. We cleaned, Now house is ready! 🎅🏻

2022-12-24: Silent night, holy night

2022-12-24: The House Pretends to Call in Sick - WSJ Opinion Members sign a letter, available on the House clerk’s website, that says they are “unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency,” and designate a colleague to cast their …

2022-12-23: Cascade of Errors Dinner: power out. Later, back on. But, oh no! Pipes are frozen!

2022-12-23: Power is out, fire is on.

2022-12-23: Christmas Tree Lot Guy So Ready For Annual 46-Week Vacation - The Onion Martin went on to stress the importance of mental health on the job, advising anyone in his line of work to make sure they take all of their 300-plus days off each year.

2022-12-23: 10 Awesome Christmas Gifts For Your Homeschooled Child - Babylon Bee A book of small words: To help them learn how to talk to all the illiterate kids their own age.

2022-12-23: Still haven’t used Stage Manager.

2022-12-22: Target Drive-Up Just needed one thing. Drove over, every spot full! Well, never mind then.

2022-12-21: Order Placed A new business line, All the dots almost complete. This is happening.

2022-12-20: Brother Reads Around town errands, Son reads aloud to sisters. They are all quiet!

2022-12-20: I’m glad that we’ll get to see the Trump tax returns, but this has been an awful episode. First, the facts are now in evidence that the Committee used spurious legal justifications to get them. They may have been entitled to them under law, but hiding behind the fig leaf of …

2022-12-20: House Committee Voted to Release Trump’s Tax Returns: Live Updates For those wondering, the pizza is from Matchbox, a chain with a location several blocks away in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Excellent taste! 🍕

2022-12-20: I love the strong feeling of restful conclusion that the final two weeks of the year bring.

2022-12-19: One Day Laundry A rare feat is done; Laundry run, folded, away, All in just one day!

2022-12-19: Equifax, a private company, scooped up reams of my private data, without my consent, and sold it to innumerable third-parties without compensating me. Through gross negligence, they were hacked, a breach that went undetected for weeks. As settlement for their reckless behavior …

2022-12-19: The Year It’s Been - Catholic Husband As the calendar turns over to another year, it’s the perfect reminder to check ourselves. Are we using these moments well, or do we need to yet again set down the things that are holding us back and embrace the daily rituals that take …

2022-12-19: Toyota Chief Says ‘Silent Majority’ Has Doubts About Pursuing Only EVs - WSJ “Because the right answer is still unclear, we shouldn’t limit ourselves to just one option,” Mr. Toyoda said. Over the past few years, Mr. Toyoda said, he has tried to convey this point to industry …

2022-12-18: Decorating Cookies Precautions taken; Doesn’t matter, a big mess! Beautiful mess, tho.

2022-12-18: Vatican Dismisses U.S. Antiabortion Activist From Priesthood - WSJ The statement didn’t specify the infractions for which Mr. Pavone was being disciplined but said that he had been “given ample opportunity to defend himself” and to “submit himself to the authority of his …

2022-12-18: Christmas cookie day. 🎄🎅🏻

2022-12-17: Clean House A daily struggle, Keeping the mess in check, away. Done; satisfying.

2022-12-17: Pre-dawn is my most productive time block. 👨🏻‍💻

2022-12-16: Gate Comes Down Small girl growing up, Master of the stairs up and down. Top gate came down. Nice!

2022-12-15: Rest is Best Three of four are sick. Calling it; take the day off. No day off for Dad.

2022-12-14: Hello, Neighbors Moved in years ago, Finally met my neighbors. They were pretty chill.

2022-12-13: DOJ Arrests Sam Bankman-Fried For Running Out Of Bribery Money - Babylon Bee Republicans criticized Democrats for blatantly seeking bribes by invading the personal space of Mr. Bankman-Fried for more bribe money, insisting that crypto coins were inside the computer. They then …

2022-12-13: Office Christmas Party My first one in years. Kids had a wonderful time; All made some new friends.

2022-12-12: Push Through Mondays are busy. Laundry, school, work must be done. Glad when it’s over.

2022-12-12: The Prodigal Son - Catholic Husband I think it reminds us of the relationship that God wants with us. He doesn’t just want us to pray, but to pray actively. He doesn’t want us to just go to Mass every week, but to go joyfully. He doesn’t want us to just pick up our cross, but to …

2022-12-11: Inside Internet A stroke of genius And some physics. We did it! Cable runs inside.

2022-12-11: Being a homeowner feels so great. 🏡

2022-12-10: Soft Morning Glow Hard to start early, Christmas tree is nice in dark, Metaphorically.

2022-12-09: Coffee Shop Work Kids and Dad sit down; They do school, I do my work. Coworking remotes.

2022-12-09: Biden Bails Out the Teamsters - WSJ Opinion Democrats are calling Republicans stingy for refusing to spend more on Covid, including treatments for the uninsured. But Democrats appropriated a mere $24 billion for vaccines and treatments in last year’s Covid bill and none in the …

2022-12-09: Three homeschool kids, a toddler, and a self-employed remote worker walk into a coffee shop… ☕️

2022-12-09: Morning prayer by the soft light of the tree. 🎄

2022-12-08: I Piano Little girl climbs up, Plays keys with joy and delight. Look! I piano!

2022-12-08: Russia Releases Brittney Griner From Penal Colony in Prisoner Swap Deal - WSJ Women’s basketball star Brittney Griner has been released by Russia from a penal colony, President Biden announced Thursday, in a negotiated prisoner release deal that exchanged her for Russian arms …

2022-12-07: Fast Errands City appointment. Ran errands while I was there. Faster without kids.

2022-12-07: Congressional Negotiators Start to Run Out of Time on Full-Year Spending Bill - WSJ The National Defense Authorization Act bill, unveiled late Tuesday, would also rescind the requirement that members of the military be vaccinated against Covid-19 Makes a bad decision, worse. …

2022-12-07: Back at my desk, and way behind. 🏃🏻

2022-12-06: Flu, Day 3 Almost over hill, “Good thing you got the shot!” Yeah, Not that much better.

2022-12-05: Flu, Day 2 Woke up much past two; In bed for the day again. Try again Tuesday?

2022-12-05: Time to Care - Catholic Husband Like the oxygen mask on the airplane, we need to take a moment to secure our mask before we help others. The same is true for our daily lives. We must eat, pray, exercise, and relax, or we’ll be hopeless when managing the daily stresses of caring …

2022-12-04: Flu, Day 1 Woke up; huh, not great. Maybe just take a nap? Yeah. Down and out for day.

2022-12-03: Train Rides Again Three years since last time, Kids didn’t forget a thing. Fun time had by all.

2022-12-03: Polar Express.

2022-12-02: Toy Closet Showdown The place was a mess. Kids couldn’t hang; Dad stepped in. Cautionary tale.

2022-12-02: Here’s your first look at the new B-21 Raider stealth bomber - Task & Purpose When the Air Force pulled the curtain on its new B-21 Raider stealth bomber on Friday, it became the first new bomber revealed since the B-2 Spirit was rolled out in 1988.  The B-21 has …

2022-12-02: I think its incredible that no one on YouTube has ever paid interest on their credit cards.

2022-12-02: Book Review: Hidden Order 📚 I’ve been so slammed with work this year that my reading time has taken a serious hit. I wanted to get back into it and read alongside my kids, but the nonfiction books just seemed too boring to me. So I decided to go with this thriller instead. Thor is getting pretty dark and …

2022-12-02: Boeing Races to Win Congressional Reprieve for New 737 MAX Models - WSJ Without a deadline reprieve, Boeing said in a securities filing that it might cancel both planes, resulting in further financial hits. Airlines have said they prefer common cockpit types for their 737 …

2022-12-01: Side Spigot No spigot by cars, Long hose just to wash. Not good! Two years, but now fixed.

2022-12-01: End Vanguard’s ESG Meddling With Utilities - WSJ Opinion Asset managers like Vanguard then use their clients’ assets—not their own—to “accelerate the transition.” This is the real problem.

2022-12-01: My son, on his own, decided to make a contribution to our Christmas decor. 🎄

2022-12-01: All of the erasers on my children’s pencils are almost 100% used. I guess that makes them good students; willing to swing for the fences and try, then fixing their mistakes. ✏️

2022-12-01: Rising Tether Loans Add Risk to Stablecoin, Crypto World - WSJ Tether has also left it unclear whether any of its loans are to related parties, which can be a red flag for investors. Tether’s reports used to say that none of the loans were to affiliated entities. However, it …

2022-11-30: Walmart Shoppers I order, they shop. Pickup in seconds; they load. Such a load off; thanks!

2022-11-30: Tweetbot Maker Tapbots Working on ‘Ivory’ Mastodon App - MacRumors Ivory has a design that is quite similar to Tweetbot at the current time, offering access to a timeline, @ mentions, search, profile, and other options. These guys are really great at making apps, …

2022-11-30: Finished reading: Hidden Order by Brad Thor 📚

2022-11-29: One Day Laundry Unusually rare, Laundry done, away: one day. Don’t expect to last.

2022-11-29: Ten (2022)

2022-11-28: The Toddler & The Button “Press button, Daddy?” “Yay! Press button! I win! Woo!” Oh, small, simple joys.

2022-11-28: True Gratitude - Catholic Husband Amid this pause, we collectively take a breath and focus on gratitude. This year, my thoughts are turning more towards true gratitude. It’s simple, and right, that I should be thankful for the many helping hands in my life, or the relative peace …

2022-11-27: Tree Decorating Lights strung on the floor, Plugged in. Tempting to resist, Got a good pic, tho.

2022-11-27: Vatican Says China Broke Agreement on Bishops - WSJ Since 2018, neither Beijing nor the Vatican has ordained bishops without the consent of the other side. Only six bishops have been ordained in the same period, while some 40 dioceses in China still have no bishop. Job well …

2022-11-26: Attic Nice when it’s cool out, Though a big job left undone. Maybe in the spring?

2022-11-26: Shock of color.

2022-11-26: Vatican Tells Catholics How to Make ‘Faith-Consistent’ Investments - WSJ They call for “proactive positive investing” in industries such as renewable energy and microfinance. These guidelines are a paradox. Don’t invest in fossil fuels, which has lifted billions out of poverty …

2022-11-25: Remote Work Went to the office; No internet. Coffee shop: Math, business, & play!

2022-11-25: FAA: Pilots should be capable of flying aircraft manually when needed “Multiple crashes have shown a need for pilots, who might switch on autopilot soon after takeoff, to sharpen their abilities to fly without automation in case they have to take over during an …

2022-11-25: Backers of Farmworker Visa Overhaul Make Year-End Push for Immigrant Labor Deal - WSJ A bill providing a path to citizenship for about one million farmworkers—and creating a capped number of new year-round visas—passed the House in March 2021, with the support of 217 Democrats …

2022-11-25: Internet down at the office, so impromptu work/school session at the local coffee shop.

2022-11-25: Ukrainian Hospital Stymied Russians With Defiant Doctors and a Fake Covid Outbreak - WSJ By August, Russian soldiers were showing up at hospitals in droves, complaining of headaches or back pain in hopes they’d get sent home. “One guy said he had problems with his knees,” said …

2022-11-24: Relaxing Thanksgiving Work in the morning, Rain throughout the day. Cozy, Warm Thanksgiving meal.

2022-11-24: Currently reading: Hidden Order by Brad Thor 📚

2022-11-24: Thanksgiving table.

2022-11-24: Gentle music in the background, heavy rain in the vicinity, working away on my websites at my desk. This is true relaxation!

2022-11-24: Episode 248: Thanksgiving Jokes I stop by the kitchen to talk to the chefs and see how dinner is coming along.

2022-11-24: I’ve got that very deep feeling of rest and relaxation that comes with the end-of-year holidays. Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃

2022-11-23: U.S. Poised to Grant Chevron License to Pump Oil in Venezuela - WSJ The developments come just ahead of new Western sanctions on Russian oil that threaten to tighten global supplies and lift prices. The Biden administration’s move to ease sanctions on Venezuela has been seen as …

2022-11-23: I don’t know what happened to Safari in this year’s upgrade cycle, but I just switched my default browser to Brave.

2022-11-22: Biden Administration Extends Pause on Federal Student Loan Payments - WSJ Payments were set to resume Jan. 1, but they now will resume 60 days after litigation over the loan-forgiveness program is resolved or the program is implemented. This is the final, final final extension. …

2022-11-21: Enjoy Today - Catholic Husband Each day may not feel like a gift, but they all have little treasures buried deep inside. The way to find the treasure is to be present, and dig. It may be a funny quote from one of your kids, a completed project at work, or just one of your …

2022-11-19: Saturday fire.

2022-11-18: FTX Fraud Scandal: Here’s What You Should Know - Babylon Bee A quick Google search revealed that FTX stands for Futures Exchange, which is apt because its customers exchanged their future financial security for meaningless cryptocurrency.

2022-11-14: Torrents of Mercy - Catholic Husband There is no limiting principle to God’s mercy; that’s one reason it is so unfathomable. How can God forgive such grievous offenses? How can He continue to put up with our habitual sin, our failure to course correct, and our inability to live …

2022-11-10: Fetterman Realizes American Dream Of Living With Parents Til You’re 50 And Then Getting A Government Job - Babylon Bee Fetterman waved solemnly to his parents as he packed up his things before he remembered he doesn’t start his congressional term until next year. He …

2022-11-10: It Takes Too Long to Count Votes - WSJ Opinion Florida managed to count seven million votes within hours Tuesday, in part because it preprocesses incoming mail ballots and has an Election Day deadline. So far the U.S. has been Las Vegas lucky in avoiding a mail vote debacle, but …

2022-11-07: Moving in Together Doesn’t Match the Financial Benefits of Marriage, but Why? - WSJ “We’re already saving a lot of money and splitting the cost on most things,” she said. “I don’t understand how married couples are accumulating wealth in a way we’re not doing.”  Because married …

2022-11-07: Donald Trump Rallies for … Donald Trump - WSJ Opinion But his focus on his own prospects, and criticizing his fellow Republicans even before a crucial midterm election, is one more reminder that Mr. Trump’s only abiding principle is what’s good for Donald Trump. Good …

2022-11-07: Constant Renewal - Catholic Husband Impermanence is the nature of life; things are always in motion and changing. Embracing a mindset of constant renewal inspires a sense of exhaustion, but also one of hope. ➕

2022-11-03: Suspect in Paul Pelosi Assault Lived in U.S. Illegally, Immigration Officials Say - WSJ The man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer is a Canadian citizen who has been living in the U.S. illegally since 2008, immigration officials said …

2022-11-03: Doctors Should Prescribe Opioids for People in Pain, CDC Says - WSJ Federal officials said inflexible rules around the prescription of opioids have harmed some patients, urging doctors to exercise compassion in alleviating pain. After a decade of intrusive criminal prosecution …

2022-11-03: Election Deniers The President got on to Election Deniers last night. Good on him, he’s 100% right. Election deniers are just thirsty for power and a threat to our democracy, falsely perpetuating the “Big Lie.” He said, in part, You know, American democracy is under attack …

2022-11-02: 15 Job Qualifications To Work For The Fed - Babylon Bee Must be able to call a hundredth of a percent “one basis point” to sound smarter

2022-11-02: After Ignoring Attacks On Churches & Pro-Lifers, Media Decides Political Violence Worth Covering Again - Babylon Bee “To anyone who doesn’t speak out against this politically-motivated attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, I will say only this: …

2022-10-31: Overrun - Catholic Husband The feeling of being overrun with sin is a tool of the devil. As CS Lewis masterfully illustrated in The Screwtape Letters, if we can be simply worn down to the point of giving up, then darkness wins. While we may feel overrun, we can never be made to …

2022-10-30: Michigan’s Education Failure - WSJ Opinion Ms. Whitmer says children were out of classrooms only three months, but she may be suffering from her own math deficit. Many of the districts that stayed closed the longest, including Ann Arbor, Lansing, Kalamazoo and Detroit, have …

2022-10-24: Will a Heat Pump Save Money on Your Energy Bill This Winter? - WSJ Heat pumps are a potential solution. Heat pumps are a great choice for people who love tepid air and frigid homes! It’s like fighting a forest fire with a hair mister.

2022-10-24: The Emperor Has No Clothes - Catholic Husband The truth is, people respect those who admit their faults and make corrections. Silently, we all wish that we had the courage to do the same. Events can transpire outside our control, but if we refuse to pick up the mantle and get to …

2022-10-21: President Rumpelstiltskin - WSJ Opinion Mr. Biden also neglected to give any credit to the hard-pressed American taxpayers who kicked in an additional $850 billion in revenue in fiscal 2022. Individual income-tax payments rose 29%, or nearly $600 billion. And that was all …

2022-10-21: Dad Has Family Arrive At Airport Before It’s Even Built - Babylon Bee Pro Dad and savvy world traveler Chip Dunnings is taking his family on vacation, and to avoid missing the flight, has made sure the family shows up packed and ready to go before the airport is even …

2022-10-19: Biden’s Top 2023 Priority: Abortion - WSJ Opinion Not lowering the price of gas or home heating (see nearby), not rebuilding U.S. defenses, and not easing his regulatory onslaught amid what economists now say is a likely recession in 2023. No, job one in year three of the Biden …

2022-10-17: Jill Biden To Dress Up As Real Doctor For Halloween - Babylon Bee sources also confirmed that President Biden will be dressing up as a President with an approval rating above 40%.

2022-10-17: Share Your Best Work - Catholic Husband The truth of the matter is that you are your worst critic; it’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, your critiques push you to work when you feel uninspired, and to chisel down your ideas, leaving only your very best. On the other, it …

2022-10-13: Mortgage Rates Hit 6.92%, a 20-Year High - WSJ A buyer that earns the median household income and puts 20% down could afford a home costing roughly $339,000 this week. That buyer could have afforded a home costing almost $449,000 in January The cost of Fed inaction and reckless …

2022-10-11: Saudi Arabia Defied U.S. Warnings Ahead of OPEC+ Production Cut - WSJ U.S. officials called their counterparts in Saudi Arabia and other big Gulf producers with an urgent appeal—delay the decision for another month Yeah, come on guys, just delay until November 9th! Saudi …

2022-10-10: The Sexualization of Everything - Catholic Husband True human connection is authentic, emotional, and comes out of a deep desire for community. Our sexuality is an integral part of who we are, but it’s not a prerequisite for having a meaningful human relationship. ➕

2022-10-08: Congress Likely to Change Rules for IRA Catch-Up Contributions - WSJ “These changes to the catch-up contribution rules are designed to encourage people to save for retirement,” says Sarah Brenner Why not encourage all people to save for retirement? This two-tier system makes …

2022-10-04: Trump’s ‘Death Wish’ Rhetoric - WSJ Opinion Five weeks from Election Day, Mr. Trump could be working and spending money to elect a GOP Congress, or to help his home state of Florida recover from Hurricane Ian. Instead he’s attacking Mr. McConnell and his wife as part of a …

2022-10-03: Balance - Catholic Husband My days are stuffed with tasks, to-dos, school, and work, but I’m also feeling incredibly fulfilled. I see progress in my professional life and progress in my children, but as a result, my health has fallen by the wayside. ➕

2022-09-29: Six States Sue to Block Biden Student Debt Cancellation Plan - WSJ “Republican officials from these six states are standing with special interests, and fighting to stop relief for borrowers buried under mountains of debt,” said Abdullah Hasan, a White House spokesman. Special …

2022-09-27: Hero: DeSantis Flies Hurricane Ian To Martha’s Vineyard - Babylon Bee “I’ll tell you what, hurricanes have been tormenting Florida for too long. Not on my watch!” said DeSantis to a crowd of screaming fans. “So you know what? We’re gonna load …

2022-09-26: Congress Signs Up For $40 Billion Per Month Ukraine+ Subscription - Babylon Bee To avoid fighting over further spending bills, Congress has opted instead to sign up for the brand new subscription service Ukraine+, which only costs $40 billion per month. I think this is money …

2022-09-26: Episode 247: NASA We took the kids on a surprise trip to NASA. They join me on this beautiful fall morning to discuss what they learned.

2022-09-26: Plese Destroy - Catholic Husband It was the perfect teachable moment. We talked about how what he was doing, destroying the paper that had his sins written on it, is precisely what just happened to him in Reconciliation. God tore up his sins, never to remember them. ➕

2022-09-25: Toyota Engages With Critics of Its EV Push - WSJ Toyota has said it believes hybrids can reduce carbon emissions while the battery supply chains and charging networks necessary to support big fleets of EVs are built globally over the coming decades. Hybrid cars—which made up …

2022-09-22: Joe Manchin Releases Bill to Speed Up Energy Projects as Lawmakers Balk - WSJ Sen. Jeff Merkley (D., Ore.) and several Democratic colleagues are pushing Mr. Schumer to keep the spending package and permitting package separate, stating in a letter that environmental issues …

2022-09-21: New York Attorney General Sues Trump, His Company on Fraud Allegations - WSJ A spokeswoman for the Trump Organization called the complaint “the culmination of nearly three years of persistent, targeted, unethical political harassment.” This professional vendetta that James …

2022-09-20: Legal Challenges to Student Loan Forgiveness Loom Before Midterms - WSJ Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.). Republicans “will take their case to court because, like it is with abortion, they know that can’t win with the public generally.” Has the Senator heard about the pot and …

2022-09-19: The Pope Abandons Cardinal Zen - WSJ Opinion On a return flight from Kazakhstan Thursday, the pope suggested this is no accident. When a reporter asked about Cardinal Zen, the pope offered not a word of support, noting only that the cardinal “says what he feels” despite knowing …

2022-09-19: A Single Spark - Catholic Husband That’s the funny thing about inertia; it’s so hard to overcome, but is completely broken by a singular step. Once you’re on the other side, momentum builds, and you start to wonder why it was ever able to hold you back. ➕

2022-09-18: Father Living His Best Life During Those 3 Hours On Saturday Morning When He’s The Only One Up - Babylon Bee Every Saturday morning, Walker’s able to do things he can’t do at any other time of the week. He reportedly plays one of the 767 Steam games he owns for …

2022-09-18: Walmart, Target Urge Lawmakers to Pass Bill Taking Aim at Visa, Mastercard Fees - WSJ In a letter this week to all members of Congress, the merchants said the proposed legislation would increase competition, leading to a reduction in the fees they pay when they accept credit …

2022-09-17: It’s always a good day when I get to climb into an airplane.

2022-09-17: The Man From Rivian Who Wants to Change How We Buy Cars - WSJ Dealers and state lawmakers who oppose Mr. Chen’s efforts say that independent dealerships play a critical role in the car-buying process, helping to create competition between franchises that ultimately keeps prices …

2022-09-16: A Sanctuary City Spectacle - WSJ Opinion This political moralizing is easier than actually doing something about the border. And, by the way, the federal government is also sending buses with migrants to northern cities, as New York’s Mayor Adams has acknowledged. Many migrants …

2022-09-15: Martha’s Vineyard Lovingly Welcomes Immigrants To Any Other Part Of America - Babylon Bee Several media outlets were on the scene as migrants were caringly herded back onto the buses by people wearing Brunello Cucinelli boat shoes and cashmere sweaters, who afterward ran …

2022-09-14: NASA Johnson Space Center We took our kids on a surprise trip to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for a chance to tour the museum. It was incredible to see these feats of human innovation on display. We touched a piece of the moon, learned about the progression of the US space program, and saw how …

2022-09-14: Boeing 747 carrying Space Shuttle Independence

2022-09-13: U.S. Inflation Eased Slightly to 8.3% in August - WSJ So-called core CPI, which excludes often volatile energy and food prices, increased 6.3% in August from a year earlier, up sharply from the 5.9% rate in both June and July—a signal that broad price pressures strengthened.

2022-09-12: Trump Voters Put Biden Signs In Their Yards So That The FBI Will Pass Over Them - Babylon Bee Fears have grown among conservatives as they have watched the Biden administration unleash a series of devastating plagues on the United States, including crushing inflation, oppressive …

2022-09-12: Freedom Squandered - Catholic Husband Freedom is not free, and even now, there are Americans standing guard around the world, separated from their friends and family, maintaining our peace and security. This is a flawed, but great nation, an experiment worth defending. A house …

2022-09-11: Never Forget 🇺🇸

2022-09-10: Solid start.

2022-09-09: Democrats for MAGA Republicans - WSJ Opinion By one estimate, Democrats have spent more than $40 million helping 2020 election skeptics win GOP primaries, even while fretting about them as a “threat to democracy.” They’re happy to gamble on that threat because their real concern …

2022-09-09: Policies Pushing Electric Vehicles Show Why Few People Want One - WSJ Opinion We constantly hear that electric cars are the future—cleaner, cheaper and better. But if they’re so good, why does California need to ban gasoline-powered cars? Why does the world spend $30 billion a …

2022-09-09: Democrats Were the First Election Deniers - WSJ Opinion On the House floor in 2005, the ranking Judiciary Committee Democrat, Rep. John Conyers (D., Mich.), presented the case for awarding Ohio to the Democrats, claiming “electronic machines transferred” votes from Mr. Kerry to …

2022-09-08: UPS is very bad at logistics.

2022-09-07: Biden Is Angry but Not Serious - WSJ Opinion Mr. Biden sounded like an overwrought sophomore by pretending that MAGA Republicanism presents a similar existential threat to democracy, and the next day he showed that even he didn’t believe his own claim that all Trump supporters …

2022-09-07: Biden’s Student-Debt-Forgiveness Plan May Cost Up to $1 Trillion, Challenging Deficit Goals - WSJ could cost as much as $1 trillion, according to budget analysts, challenging the administration’s efforts to scale down the federal deficit. First, the price tag keeps climbing and …

2022-09-06: How slow is UPS Ground? It will take 3 days for them to deliver me a package that is currently 1 hour away from my house.

2022-09-06: Liz Truss’s Inheritance: A U.K. Economy on Its Knees - WSJ Already struggling with a record backlog of 6.6 million patients waiting for treatment following the Covid-19 crisis, analysts say the National Health Service is showing severe signs of strain. People suffering strokes …

2022-09-06: Nutrition Advocates Push for Front-of-Package Labels That Highlight Fat, Sugar Levels - WSJ “People just don’t have the patience or the time to be detectives at store shelves, hunting for data that may be somewhere on the package,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.), one …

2022-09-05: That moment when you pray the Rosary on the Hallow app, and Mark Wahlberg is leading, and it’s everything you expect it to be.

2022-09-05: Homeschooling - Catholic Husband There are many things to be said about homeschooling, but I think the simplest takeaway that I have is this. I like that my children are receiving a liberal arts education, starting from Day One of Kindergarten. ➕

2022-09-04: Look Who’s Rushing Covid Vaccines Now - WSJ Opinion Democrats and the public-health clerisy denounced President Trump for rushing Covid vaccines. They’ve been curiously quiet about the Food and Drug Administration’s gunshot approval last week of revamped booster shots with no …

2022-09-03: Another Week, Another Leak at the IRS - WSJ Opinion Democrats recently handed the IRS $80 billion in new funding in full knowledge of these shortcomings. Not to fix them, mind you. The legislation spends $4.8 billion on modernization but nearly 10 times as much on its top …

2022-09-03: Midterm Elections to Decide Fate of Biden’s Tax Agenda - WSJ “The president’s economic vision is about continuing to deliver for middle-class families, while congressional Republicans’ agenda is to sell those families out with more tax welfare for rich special interests,” said …

2022-09-02: Veterans Affairs to Provide Abortion Services for Health Dangers, Rape and Incest - WSJ The Department of Veterans Affairs, for the first time in its history, will provide abortion services and counseling to veterans in cases of health dangers, rape and incest, even at federal …

2022-09-01: Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and its fabulous price controls on prescription drugs for Medicare, the pharmaceutical company that has provided my monthly migraine medication for $0 out-of-pocket since 2020 has dramatically curtailed the program and now my …

2022-09-01: Ten (2022)

2022-08-31: Trump Parts Hudson River Leading Exodus Of New York Republicans To Florida - Babylon Bee New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently informed New York Republicans that they’re not welcome in her state. But lo, a chosen one of burnt papaya hue, Donald Trump, approached her and …

2022-08-31: This is a cool job. 🛩

2022-08-30: Guys Who Just Finished Burying Ananias Really Annoyed About Sapphira - Babylon Bee Peter apologized but insisted the trio also handle Sapphira’s burial. “I think it’s more poetic this way,” he insisted.

2022-08-29: Behold, Your Mother - Catholic Husband Holding Mary in this place of honor is not an invention of the Church or a theological musing, but Catholics taking seriously the truths entrusted to us in Scripture. Mary is our mother, and we treat her with the love and respect that she …

2022-08-28: The IRS Wants to Sell You on Its ‘Service’ - WSJ Opinion This month Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Robert Menendez and Rep. Abigail Spanberger cosigned a sternly worded letter to the IRS urging more responsiveness to taxpayers. Never mind that all three voted for a bill that funded …

2022-08-28: Sunday clouds.

2022-08-28: Joel Osteen Releases New Edition Of Bible With All Words Redacted - Babylon Bee Osteen had teased an update to The Redacted Study Bible where he’s gone ahead and de-classified the words “favor”, “victory”, “riches”, and …

2022-08-28: Wife Hands Husband Target Receipt With Classified Purchases Redacted - Babylon Bee “I’m being as transparent as I can at this time,” she assured her husband as he looked over the receipt, which was almost entirely just black bars save for the Target logo and …

2022-08-28: Biden’s Student-Loan Forgiveness Makes Reform Urgent - WSJ Opinion To capitalize on previous expansions of federal student-loan programs, universities have added more than 9,000 new master’s degree programs over the past decade. More are sure to come, even though research shows …

2022-08-27: Secret Service Seizes $286 Million in Stolen Covid-19 Relief Funds - WSJ The overall amount of fraudulently obtained Covid relief funds may reach $100 billion, the Secret Service said in an estimate released in December. Roughly the same amount of deficit reduction we get from …

2022-08-26: Google Says Maps, Searches Will Identify Clinics That Provide Abortions - WSJ “We’re now rolling out an update that makes it easier for people to find places that offer the services they’ve searched for, or broaden their results to see more options,” a Google representative …

2022-08-25: Is Summer over yet? ☀️

2022-08-24: Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan: Who Qualifies, and How Much Debt Will Be Canceled? - WSJ What if I’ve already paid off my loans? As of the end of last year, fewer than 1.2% of borrowers continued making payments on their student loans, Mr. Kantrowitz said. But some of the …

2022-08-24: Every US adult getting student loan “forgivness” has now received $13,600 in no strings attached transfer payments in the past two years. But, you know, we really can’t afford a Navy that will stand up to China.

2022-08-24: I resent being financially responsible for someone else’s lifestyle choices.

2022-08-24: Washington’s Mar-a-Lago Prosecution by Leaks - WSJ Opinion In other words, “a person briefed on the matter” can leak details about the investigation to the press that the public is supposed to credit as true. But the actual “court filings and its work,” in Mr. Garland’s phrase, …

2022-08-23: Student Loan Forgiveness Is an Inflation Expansion Act - WSJ Opinion The reports say Mr. Biden will cancel $10,000 in debt for borrowers making $125,000 or less a year. That would cost about $300 billion this year, and $330 billion over 10 years, says the Penn Wharton Budget …

2022-08-23: White House Planning Student-Loan Announcement Wednesday - WSJ about his proposal for dealing with student-loan debt, according to people familiar with the matter. Get out your checkbooks.

2022-08-23: A Group of Apple Employees Protests Company’s Three-Day-a-Week Office Policy - WSJ The employees who want more flexible work arrangements had compelling reasons, the petition said, including disabilities, health concerns and the fact that some of them are happier and more …

2022-08-22: I love a rainy day.

2022-08-22: Come Let Us Adore - Catholic Husband Adoration is an opportunity to enter into God’s rest. It’s a chance to give ourselves permission to not worry, to not fret, to not be concerned with the stresses of our daily lives, but to pause and encounter the eucharistic Christ. ➕

2022-08-21: Children Are Priceless - WSJ Opinion But children aren’t merely cost centers. Even ignoring human affection and thinking in the most utilitarian terms, children are assets—to the families who raise them, to the nation in which they are born, and to the world to which they will …

2022-08-21: Liz Cheney and Her Unhappy Choice Among Liars - WSJ Opinion Offhand, only one lie heard in normal, everyday American discourse seems to me close in size to Mr. Trump’s 2020 lie, and that’s the routine, universally affirmed lie, which is nowhere found in the science, that climate …

2022-08-21: Even evil robots deserve a day at the links.

2022-08-20: This Is Your IRS at Work - WSJ Opinion In 2010 Congress passed the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, which was supposed to identify wealthy Americans using undisclosed foreign accounts. Congress’s Joint Committee on Taxation said this would raise some $9 billion in revenue by …

2022-08-20: Celsius Spent $40 Million on Crypto Mining in First Two Weeks of Bankruptcy - WSJ But Celsius expects the mining operation to start turning a profit by January They can’t afford redemptions, so they decide to spend 24% of free cash on a loss leader that won’t be profitable for …

2022-08-20: Golfer Buys New Driver So He Can Hit The Ball Farther Into The Woods - Babylon Bee Jefferson O’Malley recently purchased a $1,000 driver that would “totally fix his game.” Sources confirm that the club has indeed improved his ability, as he can now hit the ball …

2022-08-19: Biden Plan Would Return Student Loan Borrowers in Default to Good Standing - WSJ “Access to federal student aid can provide a pathway for additional education, which can help these borrowers compete in the job market and ultimately improve their ability to fully repay their …

2022-08-19: Toyota Executive Warns EVs Face Obstacles to Wider Adoption - WSJ “I don’t think the market is ready for what the rhetoric is saying,” Mr. Hollis said. And it’s going to be incredibly painful for car makers and shareholders if this bet on the farm sours.

2022-08-19: Catholics Unveil High-Capacity Assault Rosary - Babylon Bee Sources indicate many were able to use an advanced telescopic sight to aim thoughts and prayers at friends and family up to 400 yards away. Swiss Guards deployed in Vatican City have advised Catholics not to aim the new …

2022-08-19: Overweight Man Reassures Doctor That His 8.5% Weight Inflation Is No Longer A Problem As His Weight Inflation This Month Is 0 - Babylon Bee “In fact, my doctor was expecting my weight gain to be up by 8.7%, but boy did I prove him wrong! My weight gain is only up 8.5% for …

2022-08-18: Son’s alligator.

2022-08-18: Brian Stelter to Leave CNN After Cancellation of ‘Reliable Sources’ - WSJ Brian Stelter, the host of CNN’s Sunday morning show “Reliable Sources,” is leaving the network following the cancellation of the long-running media news show, the network said Thursday. I’m all about …

2022-08-18: Google Workers Press Company to Stop Collecting Abortion Data - WSJ The petition, signed by more than 650 workers, also called on the company to remove search results for crisis pregnancy centers, which it said were misleading to those seeking abortions. Crisis pregnancy centers …

2022-08-18: Cheney, Trump and the GOP - WSJ Opinion GOP voters can hate what happened on Jan. 6 but also dislike the tactics of a committee that excluded Republicans who might have cross-examined witnesses.

2022-08-17: Nice to have a clean desk.

2022-08-17: Producers Confirm Liz Cheney Will Not Be Back For Season 2 Of January 6 Hearings - Babylon Bee “It’s been my honor to serve the people of Wyoming by spending my every waking minute fighting Donald Trump, just like Abraham Lincoln did,” said Cheney. “I …

2022-08-17: Episode 246: Golf Lesson I catch up with the kids now that they’re back from vacation and discuss their first golf lessons. 🏌🏻‍♂️

2022-08-16: Biden Signs Bill Aimed at Lowering Drug Costs, Boosting Renewable Energy - WSJ Mr. Biden’s approval ratings have been dragged down by months of high inflation Thankfully we now have the Inflation Reduction Act to save us! In 2027, when these measures kick in, we’ll have …

2022-08-16: Joe Biden to Sign Bill Aimed at Lowering Drug Costs, Boosting Renewable Energy - WSJ Mr. Biden is planning to sign the bill at the White House on Tuesday Announcement of massive student loan cancellation to follow.

2022-08-15: Record Numbers of Migrants Cross Southern Border, on Track for Annual Total of Two Million - WSJ In July, agents arrested about 182,000 migrants crossing the border illegally, with about two-thirds of those arrested being single adults. About 22% of those arrested involved …

2022-08-15: Brand New Tactical Knife Is The Same One Used By Navy SEALs To Open Their Wives’ Amazon Packages - Babylon Bee The Boxer MK 4 features a 3” stainless steel blade that flips closed for compact concealment and features a handle with aluminum scales underneath rubber …

2022-08-15: Comfort - Catholic Husband Despite overcoming almost every natural barrier, we haven’t found happiness. Like the people of Israel, we have a direct connection to knowledge of God, but we choose not to let it change us. They had the prophets, we have the Eucharistic Christ and …

2022-08-14: Restaurant is almost completely empty. The wait is 10 minutes. Um, what?

2022-08-13: My foray and finale in cabinetry.

2022-08-12: Angel Outside Trump’s Empty Safe Tells FBI Agents, ‘Behold! The Document You Seek Is Not Here!’ - Babylon Bee The FBI reported the incident to the FBI Director and Attorney General, who paid the agents to keep silent on the matter and instead tell everyone that …

2022-08-12: Gamers Eagerly Await The Release Of ‘Call Of Duty: IRS Auditor’ - Babylon Bee As you gain experience you can outfit your agent with new calculators and weapons as you work toward tackling more dangerous assignments like auditing the estate of Nicolas Cage or Donald …

2022-08-12: To Restore Trust With Americans, FBI Names New Director Burt Macklin - Babylon Bee “Burt Macklin, you’ve done it again,” said Burt Macklin with a smirk while putting on his aviator glasses at a public press conference. “You all thought I was dead, …

2022-08-12: House Passes Democrats’ Climate, Healthcare and Tax Package - WSJ “This is a substantive policy achievement,” said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D., Mass.). Nice of Congress to come back from vacation to quickly pass an immediate tax increase on every …

2022-08-11: Equifax Should Face Curbs on Selling Credit Scores, Maxine Waters Says - WSJ We are working closely with our customers on this issue and stand behind our customers and impacted consumers. Direct quote from Equifax CEO. Note that “customers” and “consumers” are two distinct …

2022-08-11: 10 Ways To Avoid Getting Audited By One Of The 87,000 New IRS Agents - Babylon Bee If the IRS says they’re going to audit you, just say ‘no thanks’: You’ll be surprised how often this works.

2022-08-10: The FBI’s Dangerous Search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago - WSJ Opinion Didn’t someone at Justice point out that a search in this case would draw comparisons to Hillary Clinton’s mishandling of classified information before her 2016 presidential campaign? She was never prosecuted, as Mr. …

2022-08-09: Report: FBI Raided Mar-A-Lago After Tip That Parents Were Protesting A School Board Meeting There - Babylon Bee “When we received an anonymous tip that parents were assembling to criticize public school curriculum and policy, we sprung into action – we should have …

2022-08-09: Deliveries of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner Set to Resume in Coming Days - WSJ The first jet was inspected and cleared Monday, according to people familiar with the matter. Great news for a great plane.

2022-08-09: U.S. Lawmakers Look to Digital Dollar to Compete With China - WSJ A digital dollar could provide a new option to the way consumers pay for products and services. In addition to using a credit or debit card—or Venmo or Apple Pay—individuals would have a digital version of cash on …

2022-08-08: Letting Go of Efficiency - Catholic Husband I’m a very efficient person, but when it comes to each day and each task, it’s okay if I invite my children into my world, and I perform at a level just a few notches below peak. ➕

2022-08-07: Hope you had a nice weekend! The United States Senate just passed a bill to raise taxes on every single American, from those making $10,000 a year all the way up to $1,000,000+. So much for only raising taxes on people making $400,000+.

2022-08-06: I love a good late summer storm. ⛈

2022-08-05: Inflation Reduction Act Tax Changes: Details & Analysis - Tax Foundation It would also reduce average after-tax incomes for taxpayers across every income quintile over the long run. And if we’re honest with ourselves, the government is so much better at spending our money …

2022-08-05: Summer storms.

2022-08-05: Do you know the perfect solution to high inflation and a recession? More spending and new taxes!

2022-08-04: The grain silo is never empty. It’s a lot of work, but I’m grateful for the work.

2022-08-03: Curls (2022)

2022-08-03: Cost of Democrats’ Corporate-Tax Increase Skews to Wealthy, Reaches Middle Class - WSJ “These companies are playing the most games, and avoiding tax by manufacturing their drugs, phones, and shoes abroad,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) said. “This is a …

2022-08-02: Equifax Sent Lenders Inaccurate Credit Scores on Millions of Consumers - WSJ “The impact is going to be quite small,” Mr. Begor said, “not something that’s meaningful to Equifax.” Terrible quote from an even worse company.

2022-08-02: Rivian Says Senate Climate Deal Puts It at Disadvantage - WSJ The company, in particular, takes issue with a planned cap that would make any electric trucks, SUVs and vans selling for more than $80,000 ineligible for the federal subsidy. It also opposes the proposed income …

2022-08-02: Justice Department Files Lawsuit Challenging Idaho Abortion Law - WSJ The Justice Department says Idaho’s abortion restrictions unlawfully conflict with a federal law that requires hospitals accepting Medicare to provide emergency treatments, which can sometimes include …

2022-08-01: I know well, answers Jesus Christ, that one drop of my blood, or a simple prayer, would be sufficient for the salvation of the world. But neither would be sufficient to show the love which I bear to men. -St. Alphonsus Liguori

2022-08-01: Putin Awards Self Medal Of Freedom For Dropping Gas Prices - Babylon Bee After months of singlehandedly raising America’s gas prices without any help whatsoever from the Biden administration, Russian President Vladimir Putin has mercifully given Americans a short break by …

2022-08-01: ‘Inflation Reduction Act’ Is an Insult to Used-Car Salesmen - WSJ Opinion If a bill that reduces the deficit by $300 billion over 10 years represents “inflation reduction,” what are we to make of a law Congress passed last year that increased the deficit by an estimated $1.7 …

2022-08-01: Diligence - Catholic Husband The spiritual life is the biggest project any of us ever undertake. Enduring a lifetime of trial, triumph, defeat, and temptation requires that we, as St. Paul said, run the race. We have to put in the effort, do the work, and not let despair set in. …

2022-07-31: Field Notes are a delight.

2022-07-30: Federal Student-Loan Program Cost Estimate Was Off By $311 Billion, Government Watchdog Says - WSJ According to Friday’s GAO report, which examined the federal program dating back to 1997, it lost money on loans issued in all but one year over the past quarter-century. …

2022-07-30: Democrats Quickly Redefine ‘Loss’ After Losing Congressional Baseball Game - Babylon Bee “Yes, some sports commentators have defined ‘loss’ as any game in which you have fewer runs than the opposing team,” acknowledged Pelosi. “But there …

2022-07-29: Watching YouTube on my tv. This is nice!

2022-07-29: Security Alert - Update to Travel Advisory for Russia - U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Russia Do not travel to Russia due to ongoing tension along the border with Ukraine, the potential for harassment against U.S. citizens, the embassy’s limited ability to assist U.S. citizens …

2022-07-29: The Biden Stagflation Arrives - WSJ Opinion Mr. Biden inherited a growing economy primed to roar back from the pandemic, and in barely a year and a half he has dragged America back to the 1970s. The best word for what we have now is stagflation, the ugly combination of slow …

2022-07-29: The Lonely Office Is Bad for America - WSJ Opinion People starting out need offices to learn a profession, to make friends, meet colleagues, find romantic partners and mates. The #MeToo movement did a lot to damage mentoring—senior employees no longer wanted to take the …

2022-07-28: The Senate GOP Got Played - WSJ Opinion Republicans helped Democrats pass a $1 trillion infrastructure bill last year full of green pork. They boasted about victories for permitting reform, while keeping out a tax increase and $80 billion that Democrats wanted for the Internal …

2022-07-28: This might be the most perfect sticker in my collection. I smile every time that I see it.

2022-07-28: U.S. Presses Offer to Free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan From Russian Detention - WSJ The U.S. offered to release Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in order to secure the freedom of Ms. Griner and Mr. Whelan, according to people familiar with the matter.  Hey everyone, if the US …

2022-07-28: Biden: ‘I Don’t Know If We’re In A Recession, I’m Not A Biologist’ - Babylon Bee America’s GDP has fallen over the last two quarters, stoking fears of a possible recession due to the fact that America is now in a recession.

2022-07-28: U.S. GDP Rose Slightly in Second Quarter, Economists Estimate - WSJ Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimated the Commerce Department will report Thursday that gross domestic product, the broadest measure of goods and services produced across the nation, rose at a …

2022-07-28: Gross Domestic Product, Second Quarter 2022 (Advance Estimate) - U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.9 percent in the second quarter of 2022 (table 1), according to the “advance” estimate released …

2022-07-28: Joe Manchin Reaches Deal With Chuck Schumer on Energy, Healthcare, Tax Package - WSJ The IRS money, about $80 billion over a decade, would roughly double the size of the agency and be aimed at tougher enforcement, particularly on high-income households and corporations. Most …

2022-07-27: A Recession by Any Other Name - WSJ Opinion The president’s economic team should think twice before discounting the risk of a recession. After all, they stumbled into the current inflationary crisis after a year of trying to manipulate the language: Inflation was “transitory” …

2022-07-27: Senate Bill Takes Aim at Visa, Mastercard Credit-Card Fees - WSJ Mr. Durbin spearheaded a similar rule for debit cards over a decade ago. The Durbin amendment, part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, requires that merchants have the ability to choose from at least two unaffiliated …

2022-07-27: All this time since “tabs everywhere!” and Microsoft Office for Mac still doesn’t support tabs. The worst!

2022-07-26: Democrats Campaign for the Trump Guy - WSJ Opinion One of the strangest themes of the 2022 elections is that Democrats say President Trump is a grave threat to democracy, even as they’re also trying to help Mr. Trump’s acolytes win Republican primaries. This is a perverse, …

2022-07-26: Joe Biden Signs ‘Don’t Say Recession’ Bill - Babylon Bee According to sources, those who break the law and use the word “recession” will face up to 10 years in prison, which after inflation, amounts to 17 years.

2022-07-25: Student Loan Servicers Told to Hold Off on Sending Billing Statements - WSJ “The situation is that we’re almost 30 days away from the planned resumption and the department has been telling servicers to hold off on resumption communications for the last few months,” said Mr. …

2022-07-25: ‘Full Frontal with Samantha Bee’ Is Canceled After Seven Seasons - WSJ The decision to pull the plug on “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” a critically acclaimed weekly political humor show that had been running for seven seasons, is part of a broader overhaul of the Warner Bros. …

2022-07-25: How Do Economists Determine Whether the Economy Is in a Recession? - The White House What is a recession? While some maintain that two consecutive quarters of falling real GDP constitute a recession, that is neither the official definition nor the way economists evaluate the …

2022-07-25: Spring Water - Catholic Husband When you think about the best glass of water you’ve ever had, it’s analogous to the refreshing nature of God’s love. A cool, clear, clean, crisp, and fresh relief for a tired and weary soul. ➕

2022-07-24: In Maryland, Democrats Traduce Democracy - WSJ Opinion The Democrats’ hypocrisy will continue to erode what remaining trust the public has in our political processes. The DGA presents itself as leading “the fight to defend our democracy” as it spends tens of millions of dollars …

2022-07-24: Bernie Sanders and ‘Doomerism’ - WSJ Opinion “We can’t give in to doomerism,” tweets Sen. Bernie Sanders (socialist, Vt.). It seems to be a refreshing new message from a man who’s been claiming for more than half a century that America is in crisis and in need of revolutionary …

2022-07-23: Foggy morning, country road

2022-07-22: Google Parts With Engineer Who Claimed Its AI System Is Sentient - WSJ Blake Lemoine, a software engineer at Alphabet Inc.’s Google, told the company he believed that its Language Model for Dialogue Applications, or LaMDA, is a person who has rights and might well have a soul. …

2022-07-22: Steve Bannon Found Guilty of Contempt of Congress - WSJ Mr. Corcoran also called the case “infected by politics” because the prosecution’s main witness, congressional lawyer Kristin Amerling, has worked for Democratic Party lawmakers, donated to Democrats, and was in a book club …

2022-07-22: ‘National Emergency’ and the Democrats’ Apocalyptic Politics - WSJ Opinion The rest of the country is still looking for that promised, but undelivered, return to normal.

2022-07-21: Netflix Loses 1 Million Subscribers, Leaving 10 Million People Wondering Why Their Netflix Login Doesn’t Work Anymore - Babylon Bee Netflix has also promised to change course by cracking down on account sharing after a survey found that most customers couldn’t even …

2022-07-21: Biden Places ‘I Did That’ Sticker On Gas Pump After Price Drops Two Cents - Babylon Bee “And remember Putin makes prices go up. Biden makes prices go down!”

2022-07-20: Lawmakers Move to Clarify Vice President’s Role in Certifying Presidential Election Results - WSJ The legislation was the result of months of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats eager to make changes to the 1887 law to eliminate uncertainty regarding the electoral …

2022-07-20: The ‘Beast Mode’ Presidency? - WSJ Opinion While a President may sometimes need to act with dispatch during an emergency, climate change isn’t close to such an event. Climate change is neither sudden nor unexpected. The world has warmed by 1.1 degree Celsius since the late 19th …

2022-07-19: AOC Sits In Invisible Police Car Awaiting Transport To Invisible Jail - Babylon Bee “It is absolutely heinous that the Supreme Court would ask us to like, make laws,” said Representative Ilhan Omar. “We are far too busy leading protests about abortion to …

2022-07-18: Anthony Fauci Plans to Retire by End of Biden’s Term - WSJ Dr. Fauci said Monday he hadn’t decided on a date but planned to step down by the end of Mr. Biden’s term in January 2025. The nice thing about government jobs, you can be terrible and still keep it. And leave on your …

2022-07-18: Die Another Day 🍿

2022-07-18: I gave myself the “day off” today, and yet I’ve been busy since breakfast. Time to sit down and enjoy a movie before the evening outdoor work session.

2022-07-18: Episode 245: Only Child With the big kids still on vacation, Veronica has the whole place to herself.

2022-07-18: Slow Progress - Catholic Husband Over the centuries, the Christian concept of the human person started to be accepted by society and enshrined in law. No longer were people valued for their utilitarian values; they were valued for existing. Christians placed a value on the life …

2022-07-17: “Last night we flew to Vegas, stood in line for a license with four other couples… all of us wanting the same thing— for the world to recognize us as partners and to declare our love to the world through the ancient and nearly universal symbol of marriage.” On her …

2022-07-17: Biden Calls On The Economy To Stop Being Bad - Babylon Bee “Come on, economy!” said an impassioned President Biden. “Make everything cheaper! Give everyone more money! I hereby demand you stop being atrocious! Do it. Do it now!” That ought to do it. Wish …

2022-07-16: Senate Climate Setback Puts Pressure on Biden - WSJ Some of those measures could raise gasoline prices and other energy costs for consumers, something Mr. Biden wants to avoid as his Democratic Party faces crucial midterm elections. Why is it this Administration is always …

2022-07-15: NASA’s James Webb Telescope Images Show Deep Space in Exquisite Detail - WSJ The images released Tuesday show the Carina Nebula, one of the largest stellar nurseries; the Southern Ring Nebula, a cloud of gas around a dying star in the constellation Vela; and a group of five …

2022-07-14: Joe Biden’s Presidency Is Sinking - WSJ Opinion it’s more than too much to see the Democrats who gave the country Joe Biden and designed the policies that collapsed beneath him knifing their own creation. Et tu, Bernie? Strong agree. We’re living in the America that they …

2022-07-14: Beautiful start to the day.

2022-07-13: Americans Offer To Trade LeBron To Russia For Brittney Griner - Babylon Bee Griner reported being happy to hear of the petition but concerned that LeBron might not last long in a tough Russian prison where people foul you all the time and there are no refs to stop it.

2022-07-13: U.S. Inflation Hits New Four-Decade High of 9.1% - WSJ The consumer-price index’s pace for June eclipsed May’s annual rate of 8.6% that led Federal Reserve officials to shift to a faster pace of benchmark interest-rate increases, according to meeting minutes released last week. …

2022-07-12: Frontier Asks Spirit Airlines to Further Delay Shareholder Vote on Deal - WSJ Frontier Group Holdings Inc. said it is done bidding against rival JetBlue Airways Corp. for Spirit Airlines Inc. and wants Spirit to delay its shareholder vote once again to allow Frontier more time …

2022-07-12: Up North Another summer road trip is in the books. We escaped the enduring Western heat to explore Northern Michigan on a week-long excursion. Although I’d formerly worked in Western Michigan, my travels didn’t take me much further north than Traverse City. In Michigan-terms, there’s a …

2022-07-11: Ron DeSantis Runs Ad In California Asking Libs Not To Move To Florida - Babylon Bee “Still thinking Florida is right for you, Cali libs? Well, just remember that we have American flags all over our state, we LOVE guns — and most importantly — President Trump lives here …

2022-07-11: Soo Locks United States Post Office.

2022-07-11: Pause - Catholic Husband It was not easy at first, and I knew I was storing up a massive backlog when I returned. But my choice was simple: vacation means vacation. Permission to not think about work, do work, or worry about work. I was free to be in the moment, say yes to most …

2022-07-10: Long day on the open road. 🛣

2022-07-09: Mass without the kids is… more still?

2022-07-08: Episode 244: Canada 🇨🇦 ChetCast goes international! The kids took their first trip abroad today and they stop by before bedtime to tell you all about it.

2022-07-08: Old tradition meets new.

2022-07-08: Picnic with a view.

2022-07-08: Soo Locks filling up at a rate of 1 million gallons per minute.

2022-07-08: Taking a ride in the Soo Locks.

2022-07-08: Good morning, Canada! 🇨🇦

2022-07-07: Cross in the Woods.

2022-07-06: The Grand.

2022-07-06: Great Lake.

2022-07-06: Episode 243: Fort Mackinac High atop Mackinac Island, eating lunch in the historic Fort Mackinac, I chat with Benedict about his day so far, and his plans for the future of the Fort.

2022-07-06: Lunch at Ft. Mackinac

2022-07-06: Passing under the Mackinac Bridge.

2022-07-05: Visiting the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw in port today.

2022-07-04: Happy Birthday, America! 🇺🇸

2022-07-04: Worth Celebrating - Catholic Husband The voices of despair rise and fall, and we hear them daily today. But they look at a narrow window of our nation’s history, a snapshot in time that fails to capture the stunning progress that we’ve made. We are a flawed people, but despite …

2022-07-03: The parking lot behind the hotel is completely empty, except for a single rental bike. Sitting, waiting for its next rider to come along.

2022-07-02: Nice day for a road trip.

2022-07-01: Biden Seeks to Block New Offshore Drilling in Atlantic, Pacific - WSJ The Biden administration plans to block new offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, while allowing limited expansion in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s south coast. The proposal released by …

2022-07-01: Running Short On Funds For A July 4th Barbecue, Man Opens The Family Safe To Retrieve The 16 Cents He Saved Last Year - Babylon Bee Several more families in the neighborhood invested their 16 cents in Bitcoin and their investment is now worth 8 cents. Terrible!

2022-07-01: Episode 242: Vacation Plans The road-trip starts tomorrow, so I asked the kids about what they’re going to do while on vacation.

2022-07-01: How cool is it that I can stand in my driveway, look up, and see Uranus, an unfathomable distance away?

2022-06-30: Supreme Court Puts Brakes on EPA in Far-Reaching Decision - WSJ “This Court has established at least one firm rule: ‘We expect Congress to speak clearly’ if it wishes to assign to an executive agency decisions ‘of vast economic and political significance,’ ” Justice Gorsuch …

2022-06-30: Spirit Air Board Pushes Shareholders Meeting on Frontier Bid for Second Time - WSJ As votes came in ahead of the planned meeting, it looked like it would be difficult for the Frontier deal to be approved by shareholders, according to people familiar with the matter. Rigged!

2022-06-30: At my desk, last day before vacation, watching the sun come up as I do tedious research.

2022-06-29: New York Gun Permit Bill Would Require In-Person Training and Mental Health Records Check - WSJ Possession of a handgun in a private business would be banned unless the business expressly allowed people to carry. Other requirements seem reasonable. This provision is ripe for …

2022-06-29: 21 Greatest Benefits Of Becoming A Dad - Babylon Bee You can finally own a puppy against your will.

2022-06-29: Jan. 6 Committee Says Cassidy Hutchinson Told Them That She Heard Mark Meadows Say That A Secret Service Agent’s Friend’s Cousin’s Husband Once Heard That One Of Trump’s Other Aides Said She Thinks She Heard Him Say He Wanted To ‘Do An Insurrection’ - Babylon Bee …

2022-06-29: Supreme Court Says Oklahoma Can Prosecute Non-Tribal Cases in Indian Country - WSJ Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr., said in a statement: “With today’s decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against legal precedent and the basic principles of congressional …

2022-06-29: Episode 241: Junior Farmers We’ve got crops.

2022-06-28: Rapidweaver release and Studio Display arrived. Big day. 🖥

2022-06-27: An unsung victory in overturning Roe is that States are once again free to hold physicians performing abortions and their facilities to the same surgical and licensing standards as every other medical surgical practice. This was a huge patient safety issue.

2022-06-27: Really looking forward to the new Rapidweaver tomorrow.

2022-06-27: The Work Begins - Catholic Husband Our message, from the very beginning, is so simple that we teach it to kindergartners. Every person has value and is worth protecting. Now if only we can get our society to internalize it. ➕

2022-06-26: Student-Loan Forgiveness for Public-Service Workers Totals $8.1 Billion Since October - WSJ When combined, the Biden administration’s efforts to cancel debts held by borrowers with disabilities, students who were defrauded by their schools, borrowers in the public-service …

2022-06-25: Where, O death, is your victory? 1 Corinthians 15:55

2022-06-25: Back when I was a kid, The Onion was funny.

2022-06-25: Never Enough Government, Says the SEC - WSJ Opinion Americans get so much government, they find it nearly impossible to get the government they need or want. It’s an American paradox. Taxpayers spent billions over decades to build up the Food and Drug Administration and Centers …

2022-06-24: Slavery, Civil War, Segregation, Abortion. America’s capacity to self-correct, to turn away from degradations of the human person without external intervention, is an exception in the history of government. What a privilege it is to be part of this durable democracy. 🇺🇸 Now the …

2022-06-24: Journalism style guide for covering SCOTUS: 5-4 for Obergefell: “A, historic landmark decision!” 5-4 for Dobbs: “A deeply divided Court.”

2022-06-24: Fertility Doctors Move Embryos to Other States in Case of Roe v. Wade Impact - WSJ Many embryos created through IVF aren’t viable, fertility specialists said, and those that aren’t ultimately transferred into a uterus may be discarded. Some fertility and legal experts said the …

2022-06-24: Big Changes to 401(k) Retirement Plans Get Closer With Senate Vote - WSJ Paul Richman, chief government and political affairs officer at the Insured Retirement Institute, which represents the insurance industry and supports the bill First red flag.

2022-06-23: Reminder: If You Read Half The Bible Today You Can Catch Up On Your Year-Long Reading Plan - The Babylon Bee Of course, you don’t have to put too much pressure on yourself. You could easily start it tomorrow. Just add a couple of pages and you’re good to go. Luckily …

2022-06-23: A little present waiting at my desk this morning.

2022-06-22: Trump Pick Wins Alabama GOP Senate Primary - WSJ Republican voters in Alabama selected Katie Britt as their nominee for Senate in a runoff primary election, after receiving the endorsement of former President Donald Trump I use the same strategy in my sports betting portfolio. …

2022-06-22: Biden to Call for Three-Month Federal Gasoline Tax Suspension - WSJ A suspension of the 18.4-cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax and 24.4-cents-a-gallon diesel tax through September would require congressional approval, so a move by Mr. Biden to throw his support behind the …

2022-06-21: Before doing the Bible in a Year podcast, I always thought of myself as a New Testament Catholic. But now that I’m deep into this study, and seeing that the Bible is 90% Old Testament, I really appreciate how foundational to my faith the Old Testament is.

2022-06-20: Fathers for Good - Catholic Husband God has shared with us His power and His title, may we strive to be worthy of the gift. ➕

2022-06-19: Nation’s Dads Participate In Ancient Ritual Of One Yearly Guilt-Free Nap - The Babylon Bee “Dads spend all year looking forward to Father’s Day when we are given permission to lie down on the couch or in our recliner without our wives standing over us and reminding …

2022-06-19: Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ Generates Lackluster Buzz at the Movie Theater - WSJ Fewer families than expected went this weekend to see “Lightyear,” underscoring the challenge of winning big audiences in a summer crowded with movie blockbusters. Or maybe families didn’t want Pixar and …

2022-06-19: Cold Brew O’Clock

2022-06-19: Gasoline Tax Holiday ‘Worth Considering,’ Yellen Says - WSJ But in the U.S. Congress, Democratic-led efforts to temporarily stop collecting the federal gasoline tax of 18.4 cents a gallon have yet to gain traction. Gas is up $2 in the past 12 months, and Congress’ solution is …

2022-06-19: The Crypto Party Is Over - WSJ At times, crypto has looked like a combination of Beanie Babies, dot-com stocks and the Velvet Underground: It is manic, it is money, and all the cool people are into it. It has also shared characteristics with other bubbles throughout history, …

2022-06-18: Cauliflower, you’ve never looked so good!

2022-06-18: Currently reading: Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms by Justin Whitmel Earley 📚

2022-06-17: Man Starting To Wonder If He Shouldn’t Have Invested His Life Savings In An Imaginary Token Saying He Owns A Digital Painting Of A Cartoon Monkey - The Babylon Bee This week, local man Don Johnson told friends and family he had been struck with a revelation: his “Bored …

2022-06-16: Episode 240: Start of Summer We’ve been slow to put out podcasts while on summer vacation, so we catch up with the kids to see what they’re up to.

2022-06-16: Study: Inflation Forcing More Americans To Choose Between Buying Groceries, Aston Martin DBS - The Onion “With the prices of supermarket staples like milk and bread at all-time highs, we’re seeing more families faced with making the difficult decision between eating dinner and …

2022-06-15: Fed Raises Rates by 0.75 Percentage Point, Largest Increase Since 1994 - WSJ …and signaled it would continue lifting rates this year at the most rapid pace in decades as it races to slow the economy and combat inflation that is running at a 40-year high. Good morning! 👋🏻 Nice …

2022-06-14: Climate-Change Censorship: Phase Two - WSJ Opinion Now progressives are moving to censorship phase two, which is shutting down debate over climate “solutions.” “Now it’s not so much denying the problem,” Ms. McCarthy said in an Axios interview last Thursday. “What the industry …

2022-06-14: Crypto Legislation Could Undermine Market Regulations, Gensler Says - WSJ Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler expressed concern Tuesday that efforts in Congress to write legislation for the cryptocurrency industry could compromise regulations that govern the …

2022-06-14: Apple, Major League Soccer Strike 10-Year Streaming Deal for All MLS Games - WSJ The agreement will make the Apple TV app the home of all MLS matches, available to fans through a variety of programming options. Financial terms for the deal weren’t disclosed. Waste of money.

2022-06-13: Universal Church - Catholic Husband In a confessional at the back of his parish, he received the loving mercy of Christ, and didn’t understand a word that the priest said. That is a really cool thing. ➕

2022-06-12: U.S., European Allies Try to Restrain Global Oil Prices - WSJ With gasoline prices climbing to records in the U.S., and inflation the Biden administration’s top economic policy priority, U.S. officials across the administration are reviewing ways to try to stabilize global oil …

2022-06-12: Rick Scott Revises Tax-Increase Proposal After Facing Criticism - WSJ But the outline would have marked a radical change from today’s tax system, in which more than 40% of Americans don’t pay income taxes or get net income tax benefits because they earn too little or use …

2022-06-12: White House Attempts To Distract From High Gas Prices By Putting Up Wacky Inflatable Tube Men In Front Of Price Signs - The Babylon Bee “The problem is not our policies, the problem is that the media has done a terrible job communicating how great we are”

2022-06-11: Swimming lessons are fun. And exhausting. 🏊🏻‍♂️

2022-06-10: ‘Peak Inflation’ Keeps Peaking - WSJ Opinion One lesson is that progressive welfare spending and expanded child-tax credits in the name of aiding workers contributed to inflation that erased the value of those benefits. Workers would be far better off now if Congress hadn’t …

2022-06-10: The Evidence of the Jan. 6 Committee - WSJ Opinion The House inquiry into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot launched its TV miniseries Thursday night, and the trick for parsing the proceedings is to keep two ideas in tension. Do Democrats want to unfairly besmirch the entire GOP …

2022-06-10: U.S. Inflation Hit 8.6% in May - WSJ U.S. consumer inflation reached an 8.6% annual rate in May, its highest level in more than four decades as surging energy and food prices pushed prices higher. There will be entire books and college courses taught on how this government …

2022-06-10: American Women Once Again Make Their Yearly Pilgrimage To The Magnolia Silos - The Babylon Bee “If I could but touch the hem of Joanna’s dress I might be blessed with a vision for farmhouse decor in my own life!” said Susan Vail, who guilted her husband into …

2022-06-10: Rapid Pace of U.S. Inflation Held Steady in May, Economists Estimate - WSJ The Labor Department on Friday is estimated to report that the consumer-price index rose 8.3% in May from the same month a year ago, the same as in April, according to economists surveyed by The Wall …

2022-06-10: Yellen Sees High Gasoline Prices Persisting - WSJ She said President Biden’s decision to release oil from the strategic petroleum reserve this year was the administration’s main tool to put downward pressure on prices. What an embarrassing way to end a distinguished career. …

2022-06-10: Jan. 6 Committee Lays Out Case Against Donald Trump in First Public Hearing - WSJ The hearing, shown on cable television and most major broadcast outlets, was the first in a series scheduled over the next two weeks. Inflation is at a four-decades high with no end in sight, …

2022-06-09: I honestly believe that no one on the Office for Mac dev team has ever touched a Mac.

2022-06-08: Tesla Employees’ Cars Will Now Drive Them To Work Against Their Will - The Babylon Bee “At midnight on June 8, your vehicle will automatically install a mandatory software update. Expect bug fixes, stability improvements, and your vehicle driving you to your workspace to begin …

2022-06-07: BA.4, BA.5 Variants Rise Among U.S. Covid-19 Cases - WSJ Omicron Covid-19 variants BA.4 and BA.5 are on the rise in the U.S., adding two more highly contagious versions of the virus to the mix that has fueled a springtime surge in cases. Anyone know what this is talking about?

2022-06-06: What It’s Like to Be a Victim of Private Planes - WSJ Opinion Which category—the flight romantics or their victims—is more numerous? Apart from that, who is entitled to the freedom of the air above your house? The question of who owns that air and who may put it to use for their …

2022-06-06: Biden Decision on Student-Loan Forgiveness Unlikely Until Later in Summer, Officials Say - WSJ Officials said he remains concerned about the possible effects the move could have on record inflation, cautious about doing anything that could be perceived as contributing to high …

2022-06-06: Biden’s Teleprompter Resigns To Take Job At MSNBC - The Babylon Bee The teleprompter delivered his resignation at the end of Biden’s latest speech, sowing confusion as Biden continued to read everything on screen. “I can’t take this anymore! I …

2022-06-06: Friday Night Adoration - Catholic Husband Benedict is still a little boy, flexing his autonomy, but not yet at that period of growth when he will seek more distance from his parents. He was excited to spend Daddy and Me time, without the presence of any girls, on a Friday night. …

2022-06-05: Individual Income Tax Payments on Pace to Reach Record Level - WSJ CBO director Phillip Swagel said. “It’s a mystery. It’s a maybe happy mystery, to have strong revenues.” Yeah, now instead of taxpayers using their own money to purchase goods and services in their communities, …

2022-06-04: New Options for Using Leftover ‘529’ Plan Funds - WSJ The Helping Parents Save for College Act would, in limited circumstances, let participants transfer or roll over some 529 account funds into a Roth IRA. To do so, the account would have to be open for at least 10 years and …

2022-06-04: Book Review: The Revolution that Wasn’t 📚 The GameStop rally was a crazy story last year, that I followed like everyone else. I think that _The Wall Street Journal_ did an excellent job of trying to explain it in real time. Now, 18 months later and the dust settled, the real story is getting out. It was a craze like any …

2022-06-03: A Reading From Kamala Harris to the Corinthians - WSJ Opinion First nationalize student loans claiming this will save money for taxpayers. Next let students pile up debt at for-profit colleges. Then prosecute those colleges for fraud and put them out of business. Then forgive …

2022-06-03: John Durham vs. the Beltway Swamp - WSJ Opinion The trial environment was no less intimate. Judge Christopher Cooper worked with Mr. Sussmann at the Clinton Justice Department in the 1990s. Merrick Garland, today attorney general, officiated at the judge’s marriage to Amy …

2022-06-02: How the Pro-Life Democrat Went Extinct - WSJ Opinion It’s ironic that the Democratic Party, which is ostensibly built around the defense of the weak and the marginalized, is so fervidly committed to the right to kill the most vulnerable.

2022-06-02: Biden Reveals His Plan Is To Just Raise Gas Prices Until The Counter Spins Back To Zero - The Babylon Bee “Listen, folks, It’s too late to lower gas prices. No one knows how to do that,” said the President. “So we’re just gonna keep raising those …

2022-06-02: Finished reading: The Revolution That Wasn’t: GameStop, Reddit, and the Fleecing of Small Investors by Spencer Jakab 📚

2022-06-02: When Progressives Fail, Inflation Edition - WSJ Opinion “I think I was wrong then about the path that inflation would take,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told CNN on Tuesday, referring to a 2021 comment that there was a “small risk” of inflation. To those hoping the Fed will …

2022-06-02: Upholding Roe v. Wade Is Supported by Most Americans, WSJ Poll Finds - WSJ Some 57% of respondents said a woman should be able to obtain a legal abortion if she wants it for any reason, the highest share since NORC began asking the question every few years starting in 1977. If …

2022-06-02: Why ‘Do Something’ on Gun Control Won’t Work - WSJ Opinion The high approval cost—now estimated at $2.6 billion per drug—also means rarer diseases receive little research attention. Article cites an FDA approval rate of 12%. So after pharma goes through years of R&D …

2022-06-02: Biden’s Ukraine Rocket Whiplash - WSJ Opinion If the Ukrainians have promised to use the weapons only to defend their territory, why limit the reach of the rockets the U.S. provides? A short range system can hit Russia if its parked close enough to the border. Three months into …

2022-06-02: Biden Has No Plan to Fight Inflation - WSJ Opinion It was smart to make your case in a newspaper whose editorial page is often critical of you. Your challenge in winning over voters, however, is not that you haven’t explained your views and policies, but that you need to …

2022-06-01: Record Gas Prices Hit Americans’ Start to Summer Travel Season - WSJ New York on Wednesday became the latest state to suspend its gas tax, pausing its tax on regular and diesel gas through the end of the year. States use gas taxes for infrastructure. So they’re suspending the …

2022-06-01: Crypto Industry Sees Surge in Lawsuits as Investor Losses Pile Up - WSJ Kenneth Donovan, 27 years old and a plaintiff who began investing in cryptocurrency in 2019, said he bought $335,000 worth of GYEN last year after reading its white paper and learning the New York Department …

2022-06-01: Man Tries Running To Boost Health And Oh No! He Now Has 7 New Injuries! - The Babylon Bee “Well, it looks like my running career is already over,” said Winkley. “Once I regain my ability to walk and run and turn my head both ways, maybe I’ll resume. But …

2022-06-01: Europe Hits Putin Where It Hurts - WSJ Opinion It’s also notable that Europe went ahead with oil sanctions despite quiet lobbying by the U.S. in favor of an alternative tariff proposal. The Biden Administration is worried about the impact of withdrawing Russian crude from the …

2022-05-31: States Help Business Owners Save Big on Federal Taxes With SALT-Cap Workarounds - WSJ The state laws blunt the cap’s effect on owners of closely held businesses such as law firms, hedge funds, manufacturers and car dealerships, while workers earning wages generally can’t take …

2022-05-30: Joe Biden: My Plan for Fighting Inflation - WSJ Opinion First, the Federal Reserve has a primary responsibility to control inflation. The title is his plan to fight inflation. His first bullet point is to say it’s not his responsibility. Last week the nonpartisan Congressional …

2022-05-30: Canada to Ban Purchase, Sale of Handguns in New Gun Control Measures - WSJ Canada will compel owners of banned semiautomatic firearms to sell their weapons to the government, starting at the end of this year. The nation’s criminals are queuing up now. “Other than using …

2022-05-30: Sacred Treasure - Catholic Husband The Sacraments are our fuel to get us through the journey of life. I hope that Benedict carries this treasure with him, wherever he goes. ➕

2022-05-29: A Federal Budget Warning for Joe Manchin - WSJ Opinion Alas, higher spending will more than offset all of the revenue windfall. Recall how Members of Congress claimed their $1 trillion infrastructure bill would be “fully paid for”? CBO now says the bill will cost $678 billion …

2022-05-29: Treasury Releases Pandemic Funding for Small Businesses as They Face New Risks - WSJ The program was approved as part of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package passed by Congress along party lines in March 2021. Since then, unemployment has fallen and the economy surpassed its …

2022-05-28: LeBron Confused By Hockey Players Who Get Back Up After Getting Knocked Down - The Babylon Bee Much to LeBron’s astonishment, he then witnessed a fistfight break out as two players repeatedly punched each other in the teeth. “Foul! Foul!” cried LeBron, tears …

2022-05-27: There’s something magical about a Friday night at the airport in summer.

2022-05-26: Things may be rough out there: gas prices, food prices, inflation, mortgage rates, no baby formula, empty shelves, Ukraine, it’s a long list. But at least the president doesn’t say mean things on Twitter!

2022-05-25: SEC Proposes More Disclosure Requirements for ESG Funds - WSJ “A fund’s name is often one of the most important pieces of information that investors use in selecting a fund,” Mr. Gensler said. Terrifying to think that the SEC believes this to be true, and their solution is to… …

2022-05-25: Last day of school! 👨🏻‍🏫

2022-05-23: As Biden Zeroes In on Student-Loan Forgiveness Decision, Voter Anxiety Grows - WSJ “They dangled it over our heads to get us to vote for Biden and then did nothing,” said recent UNC graduate Brandon Overbeek, a 23-year-old liberal who estimated he has almost $100,000 in student …

2022-05-23: A Time for Play - Catholic Husband We need a time for play in our schedule, and it needs to be more than just on the weekends. When our children come and ask for our time, we should give it to them, even in small doses. But working to finish by Friday and have an open weekend is …

2022-05-22: I love the smell of hazelnut and coffee.

2022-05-21: Beer and grilled chicken after a hard Saturday of work and projects.

2022-05-20: Women Eagerly Buying Stocks Now That There’s A Big Sale - The Babylon Bee “Now that I own a piece of Target, every time I go shopping there I’m basically paying myself!” Missy explained to reporters.

2022-05-20: People Who Haven’t Had Covid Explain How They’ve Avoided It For 2 Years - The Onion Hank Stanford (Airline Pilot): “I belong to the skies. I am impervious to your pitiful groundling diseases.”

2022-05-20: Here Are Some Fascinating Stories That Were Left Out Of The Bible - The Babylon Bee Since Adam was the first man, he had to invent a ton of stuff but he had no patent office to protect his ideas and they were all stolen: Sad! 

2022-05-20: The Electric-Vehicle Unicorn Crash - WSJ Opinion Most EVs today can’t go more than 250 miles on a charge (and less in cold weather). Drivers worry for good reason that they’ll run out of juice on the road. President Biden hopes to alleviate this so-called range anxiety by …

2022-05-19: POLL: 52% Of Nation Now Desire To Ditch Republic, Establish Monarchy With Ultra MAGA King - The Babylon Bee “Our MAGA King is so focused on making fun of people that he doesn’t have time left over to actually do anything, which is perfect because that’s when …

2022-05-18: Michigan Judge Suspends Enforcement of Pre-Roe Abortion Ban - WSJ In her ruling, Judge Gleicher stated that due-process protections in Michigan’s Constitution imply a right to bodily integrity that would be violated by the 1931 law. Irony of irony. In April, Judge Gleicher …

2022-05-17: Son’s new robot.

2022-05-16: Congress to Hold Its First Hearing on UFOs in More Than 50 Years - WSJ Rep. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said the public deserved to learn more about what the government knows about these unexplained flying objects that have long been …

2022-05-16: NASA to send naked pictures of humans in hope of ‘attracting aliens’ - New York Post NASA scientists revealed the image in a study that’s part of a project called the “Beacon in the Galaxy” (BITG). The main aim of the BITG project is to send a message to any alien civilizations …

2022-05-16: Renault Sells Russia Business to State-Backed Entity for One Ruble - WSJ Renault didn’t disclose the financial terms of the deal, but people familiar with the deal said the company was selling both assets for the symbolic sum of one ruble each. Russia overpaid.

2022-05-16: A School Choice in Michigan - WSJ Opinion the Detroit Free Press reported last month that school districts have used Covid money on everything from tennis courts to smoothies. My town bought three police cars. I don’t want to think about all of the other ways my tax dollars …

2022-05-16: CBO Sounds a Warning of American Fiscal Ruin - WSJ Opinion The CBO believes that stabilizing debt through tax increases would permanently shrink the economy by discouraging work and crowding out private investments that would improve productivity. Stabilizing debt through lower …

2022-05-16: What Did the Steele Dossier Hoax Cost America? - WSJ Opinion From day one, had reporters focused on the one thing they knew to be indubitably true after talking to Mr. Steele, they would have found the real story: A paid foreign agent was circulating scurrilous tales whose truth …

2022-05-16: Parental Love - Catholic Husband Parenthood is a journey of weighty responsibility. But it’s a journey that is necessarily rooted in the total gift of self, a complete surrender of the parent’s priorities for the child. That is true love. ➕

2022-05-15: In East Hampton, It’s the Superrich Against the Merely Rich - WSJ Ahead of the busy summer season, the town is moving to privatize its airport and impose new restrictions on how often planes can fly in. The rules would limit a plane or helicopter to one takeoff and landing a …

2022-05-15: Arrest of Firebrand Cardinal Highlights Split in Hong Kong’s Catholic Church - WSJ The Vatican expressed concern at the arrest, and its secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said he was saddened by the move but hoped it wouldn’t further complicate the dialogue with China. …

2022-05-15: Crash of TerraUSD Shakes Crypto. ‘There Was a Run on the Bank.’ - WSJ A trader might sell a bitcoin for TerraUSD, then use the TerraUSD to buy ether, another cryptocurrency, without ever touching a dollar or a bank account. Perfect summation of the role, and importance, of …

2022-05-14: Hawaiian Airlines Bets You’ll Want to Island Hop on Electric Seagliders - WSJ They would cruise five to 30 feet above the waves on average, flying on a cushion of air that keeps the plane aloft, known as the “ground effect.” Pretty genius. In theory, you could fly in ground …

2022-05-14: Episode 239: Pigeon Activity Book I haven’t seen Benedict since the mail arrived, so I went looking for him.

2022-05-14: Textron Aviation Delivers FedEx’s First Cessna SkyCourier The aircraft generates power through two wing-mounted Pratt & Whitney PT6A-65SC turboprop engines and utilizes a four-bladed, 110-inch aluminum McCauley Propeller C779. The full feathering, reversible pitch propeller …

2022-05-14: Saved! Trump Reveals He Has Been Stockpiling Baby Formula For Seven Years After Being Warned Of Coming Shortage In A Dream - The Babylon Bee “I have so many silos filled, it’s unbelievable,” said President Trump as he cracked open a fresh can. “Absolutely …

2022-05-14: Matt Damon Makes New Commercial Apologizing For Telling You To Buy Crypto - The Babylon Bee “History is filled with ‘almosts’ – and my crypto commercial was almost a good idea.”

2022-05-14: The Biggest Problem With Flying Cars Is on the Ground - WSJ Joby has also predicted that operating costs for its vehicles will be 86 cents a passenger mile. Dr. Trani thinks the actual figure will be between $3 and $4 a passenger mile. That $4 per mile price is the same as a 9 …

2022-05-13: White House Press Corps Beginning To Suspect Psaki Isn’t Ever Going To Circle Back To Their Questions - The Babylon Bee According to the Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project, Psaki has promised to “circle back” to journalists’ questions exactly 8,436 times over the …

2022-05-13: When the kids are good during 4.5 hours of errands, including going into a store to try clothes on, Dad buys cookies.

2022-05-13: The best reward for waking up early and walking is my post-walk cooldown. Sitting in a quiet, still house, in the soft light of dawn, drinking coffee and reading The Wall Street Journal. 📰☕️

2022-05-12: Sunset at the office.

2022-05-12: Kavanaugh Eases Tensions With Protesters By Throwing Good, Old-Fashioned Kegger - The Babylon Bee “I can’t believe I wanted to burn this guy’s house down. This man is an absolute legend.”

2022-05-12: Coinbase Says Users’ Crypto Assets Lack Bankruptcy Protections - WSJ “Because custodially held crypto assets may be considered to be the property of a bankruptcy estate, in the event of a bankruptcy, the crypto assets we hold in custody on behalf of our customers could be …

2022-05-12: Abortion Puts the Supreme Court Behind an 8-Foot Fence - WSJ Opinion The Supreme Court of the United States—from its first meeting in February 1790 through the Civil War, two world wars and the battle for civil rights—has never been protected by an 8-foot wire fence. It is now. …

2022-05-11: Inflation Stays in the Heights - WSJ Opinion All of this exposes the fantasy that the Biden-Pelosi-Schumer policy mix of blowout spending and easy money is good for working Americans. Modern monetary theory combined with new entitlements were supposed to produce record growth …

2022-05-11: U.S. Inflation Eased in April to 8.3% Annual Rate - WSJ U.S. consumer inflation eased in April to an 8.3% annual rate, taking a slight edge off the steepest run of price increases in four decades as energy prices moderated. A 2% decrease after a 400% increase?! We did it! 🎉🎉🎉

2022-05-10: This is the one year tracking chart on oil futures. The recent volatility is clear, but so is the trajectory. This has been building for months.

2022-05-10: Gas Prices Surge to Another High - WSJ These records don’t account for inflation, however. Inflation-adjusted gas prices are similar to what U.S. drivers saw in the early 1980s, below highs of the 2008 recession. Wonderful! Now I feel much better.

2022-05-10: Biden Stresses Contrast With GOP Economic Agenda as Midterm Challenges Grow - WSJ President Biden argued Tuesday that congressional Republicans would worsen inflation and raise taxes on American families The Ron Burgundy of presidents, Joe Biden will say whatever is on the …

2022-05-09: FBI Sternly Warns Mob At Justice Kavanaugh’s Home To Stay Away From School Board Member’s House Next Door - The Babylon Bee “Sure would hate to have charge one of you nice people with domestic terrorism,” said Agent Raymond Epley to a group of women …

2022-05-09: Turn On Your Brain - Catholic Husband A sad consequence of this indulgence of rage is that it rewards the party that can convince the highest number of people to turn off their brains. Alexander de Tocqueville marveled at the educated electorate that he met in America, and how …

2022-05-08: The Biden Loyalty Machine - WSJ Opinion In June 2021, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley told Congress, “I want to understand white rage.” Then in a January letter to Sen. James Inhofe, Gen. Milley said U.S. service members had spent almost six million man-hours …

2022-05-08: Mother’s Day flowers.

2022-05-08: Episode 238: Mother’s Day I interview their kids to gather some information about their mother. Hard to judge the accuracy of the data.

2022-05-07: Who’s a Threat to Democracy? - WSJ Opinion So which side of the Roe argument is really antidemocratic? The law before the Supreme Court is Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks. The abortion-rights movement has failed to persuade the people of Mississippi, and now it …

2022-05-06: Summer evening.

2022-05-06: Episode 237: Uncle Stuart We’ve had a visitor twice in the last two weeks. I talk to the kids to get their impressions.

2022-05-05: UPS: Usually pretty slow. 📦

2022-05-04: Open Enrollment starts in 5 days. Benefits website says guide “coming soon.” Losers.

2022-05-04: Looks so nice, tastes so good. ☕️

2022-05-04: Biden Weighs Forgiving Some Student Debt for Those Who Earn Less Than $125,000 a Year - WSJ Some of the president’s advisers have privately raised concerns about the legality of taking executive action on the issue and the potential backlash from people who have paid off their …

2022-05-04: How to Invest When Both the Stock Market and Bonds Are Falling - WSJ Yet the best strategy in moments of volatility like this one, financial advisers say, is also one of the least satisfying: Do nothing. The article then goes into paragraph after paragraph of helpful “ideas” …

2022-05-03: When Student Loan Debt Paused, These Borrowers Kept Paying - WSJ As of December 2021, 1.2% of borrowers continued paying down loans, said Mark Kantrowitz, a student loan expert. Everyone is sitting around waiting for “forgiveness,” when they just whiffed the biggest loan …

2022-05-02: Student Loan Truth Telling - WSJ Opinion As Mr. Clyburn explained, “So my whole thing is, use your executive authority and let the courts have at it.” This seems to be the Administration’s guiding legal principle. Do what you want until the courts say it’s illegal.

2022-05-02: A Fresh Look - Catholic Husband It’s easy to feel trapped in the same sinful inclinations, day in and day out. Our character flaws pigeon-hole us into the same types of sin. But while we may feel trapped, Easter invites us to take a fresh look. A bit of TLC, a little time …

2022-05-01: Disinformation for Dummies - WSJ Opinion We have to admit that when we first read about it, we thought the news was itself disinformation from the Administration’s political enemies. Surely, no one in this age of polarization and public mistrust of institutions would think it’s …

2022-04-30: Amazing how a small change can make a big impact.

2022-04-29: President Zelensky Insulted By Biden’s Offer Of Only $33 Billion In Weapons When He Gave The Taliban $86 Billion - The Babylon Bee To avoid being embarrassed on the world stage, the Biden Administration has offered to sweeten the weapon offer by also paying off Ukrainian student …

2022-04-28: Biden Says He Is Considering Canceling Some Student-Loan Debt - WSJ The president’s advisers are weighing tailoring any debt forgiveness proposal so that the bulk of the benefits go to lower-to-middle-income borrowers, according to people familiar with the administration’s …

2022-04-28: U.S. Economy Shrank in First Quarter - WSJ The U.S. economy shrank at a 1.4% annual rate in the first quarter Hey y’all, let’s raise taxes!!!!!!!!!!!

2022-04-28: Tax Increases Won’t Cure Inflation - WSJ Opinion “Coordinating higher government spending with higher taxes so that the rest of us are forced to cut back a little to create room for additional government spending,” as MMT evangelist Stephanie Kelton puts it. She says the trick …

2022-04-27: Government That’s $30 Trillion In Debt Criticizes Elon Musk For How He Spends His Money - The Babylon Bee Experts now believe that with $44 billion, the government could’ve used it to feed about a dozen people and sent a ton of foreign aid to corrupt local warlords …

2022-04-26: Biden Seriously Considering Student-Loan Forgiveness, Officials Say - WSJ loan forgiveness also has the potential to anger voters who have paid off their loans, never took on debt or don’t believe the government should step in to help current borrowers. Perceptive.

2022-04-26: Kamala Harris Tests Positive for Covid-19 - WSJ “She has not been a close contact to the president or first lady due to their respective recent travel schedules,” Ms. Allen said. I bet that’s the reason.

2022-04-26: I hate the new WSJ question/answer articles. It’s sloppy and disjointed. Every article is question and answer. The trick to good writing and journalism is to arrange in a way that makes it flow.

2022-04-26: Dress for the home you want, not the home you have.

2022-04-26: Twitter Accepts Elon Musk’s Offer to Buy Company in $44 Billion Deal - WSJ The stock has been an anemic performer in an era of huge returns for technology companies. Its shares jumped on their first day of trading in 2013 to close at $44.90, within a dollar of where they were …

2022-04-26: Elon Musk, Twitter and Free Speech - WSJ Opinion A former CEO of the social site Reddit called for government regulation “to prevent rich people from controlling our channels of communication.” That line was published in an op-ed at the Washington Post, which is owned by the …

2022-04-26: Fidelity to Allow Retirement Savers to Put Bitcoin in 401(k) Accounts - WSJ the 23,000 companies that use Fidelity to administer their retirement plans will have the option to put bitcoin on the menu. The breach of fiduciary duty lawsuits are going to be a slam dunk. Under the …

2022-04-25: Elon Musk Agrees to Buy Twitter in $44 Billion Deal - WSJ Twitter Inc. on Monday accepted Elon Musk’s bid to take over the company, giving the world’s richest man control over the influential social-media network where he is also among its most powerful users. I’m glad …

2022-04-25: The Window to Enjoy Your Empty Nest Is Shrinking - WSJ “I haven’t been able to do anything that is not work- or kid-centered in really almost 13 years,” says Ms. Frederickson, founder and chief executive of human-resources executive search firm Frederickson Partners in Menlo …

2022-04-25: Struggling AMC Threatens To Clamp Down On Theater Sharing - The Onion “While rare, there have actually been extreme instances of 30, 40, sometimes even 50 people in a single theater watching a movie. But from now on, you can’t just come to an AMC location and bring a bunch of …

2022-04-25: Gas-Engine Bans Drive Landscapers Toward Electric Mowers and Blowers - WSJ Some landscapers and dealers are wary, raising concerns about the added cost and complexity of relying on battery power to manicure yards and trees. I priced a battery-powered edger this season. It was …

2022-04-25: The Paradox of Time - Catholic Husband There’s a balance to managing the many responsibilities that we have in life. In the face of them, we can’t surrender to idleness or overwork. Like our spiritual life, making this balance requires daily effort and some amount of failure. …

2022-04-24: Apple Store Workers Seek to Unionize, Following Efforts at Amazon, Starbucks - WSJ “Apple is a profoundly positive place to work, but we know that the company can better live up to their ideals,” said Derrick Bowles, an employee at the Atlanta store. The arrogance. the company …

2022-04-24: The Biden Administration is putting its weight behind nascent unionization movements in the name of helping workers. It’s ironic because profligate spending, crushing inflation and overly generous student loan subsidies are hurting these very same workers.

2022-04-23: Once every 24-48 months.

2022-04-22: McCarthy Said He Would Advise Trump to Resign After Jan. 6 Riot, Tape Shows - WSJ Thursday’s revelations were seen as potentially testing their relationship and complicating Mr. McCarthy’s efforts to become the next speaker Why? His instincts were exactly right. Trump should’ve …

2022-04-22: Crypto Thieves Get Bolder by the Heist, Stealing Record Amounts - WSJ The Beanstalk protocol used what’s called a DAO, or decentralized autonomous organization. Users can dedicate, or “stake,” funds to the project, which gives them a vote in governance and changes to the …

2022-04-21: Currently reading: The Revolution That Wasn’t by Spencer Jakab 📚

2022-04-21: CNN+ Streaming Service Is Shutting Down a Month After Launching - WSJ CNN+, which was launched on March 29, wasn’t met with enthusiasm in the marketplace and had fewer than 100,000 subscribers, the person said. Better luck next time, Chris Wallace!

2022-04-21: I don’t always enjoy a hot meal, but when I do, it’s because it’s a weird time and my kids are playing, studying, or asleep. 🍳

2022-04-20: If an EV’s battery lasts 15 years, and replacing that battery is cost prohibitive, are we really just making cars extremely disposable?

2022-04-20: Grim Study Reveals All 2 Million Americans Who Flew Yesterday Are Now Dead Of COVID - The Babylon Bee The millions of citizens innocently flying on airplanes, completely safe from the virus because they were wearing masks in a tiny cylinder hurtling through the air with 200 …

2022-04-19: Netflix Loses Subscribers for the First Time in 10 Years, Blames Account Sharing - MacRumors Netflix said that revenue growth has “slowed considerably,” with the company faulting “a large number of households sharing accounts” #StopPutinsPasswordSharing

2022-04-19: Lots of folks upset on the internet about the overturning of mask mandates on airplanes. Someone should tell them about cars.

2022-04-18: Judge Throws Out Federal Mask Mandate for Public Transportation - WSJ U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, a President Donald Trump appointee, said the mandate exceeded the authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Someone had to say it.

2022-04-18: Victory - Catholic Husband Now that we’re into the Easter season and our Lenten practices are over, it’s time for an annual reminder about the point of what we just did. Lent, Holy Week, and Easter are only the beginning. They’re the keys that unlock the true freedom of …

2022-04-17: Happy Easter!

2022-04-16: Took my son to meet an airplane at our local airport. Fun evening, very cool job!

2022-04-15: The new Apple Card ad shows a customer applying in the checkout line and being approved for a credit card at 18.99% APR. WHAT A GREAT SERVICE!!!!

2022-04-15: Racist Twitter Board Declares They Would Rather Go Bankrupt Than Be Owned By An African American - The Babylon Bee “Ain’t no foreigner gonna get his hand’s on TWITTER!” said Callaway. “He needs to go back where he came from and build his own …

2022-04-15: Online grocery ordering will be absolutely perfect when they figure out a way to accept manufacturers coupons.

2022-04-14: Finland, Sweden Evaluating NATO Membership With Free One-Day Guest Pass - The Onion “It’s nice to get a taste of what it’s like to have the full military backing of the Western Alliance, even if it’s just for a day,” said Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin

2022-04-14: Brutal: Other Disciples Gift Peter A Rooster-Crowing Alarm Clock - The Babylon Bee “This is going to be EPIC,” said Philip, rubbing his hands with glee as they wrapped the present. “I bet a denarius he cries.”

2022-04-14: Islamic State Fighter Convicted for Role in Murder of Four Americans - WSJ Jurors deliberated for just four hours before finding El Shafee Elsheikh guilty of eight counts, including hostage-taking resulting in death, conspiring to murder Americans outside the U.S. and conspiring …

2022-04-13: Transportation Mask Mandate to Be Extended 15 Days - WSJ Passengers will be required to wear masks on airplanes and other forms of transportation for another 15 days as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looks to evaluate whether rising Covid-19 case numbers will …

2022-04-13: Media Bias and Hunter’s Laptop - WSJ Opinion I don’t lie to myself that the survival of the republic depends on my preferences being fulfilled. History has its own mind. Hard to describe as anything but neurotic is a press that preferred an unsupported assertion about a Russian …

2022-04-12: Tim Cook Delivers Speech Emphasizing Apple’s Opposition to Sideloading - MacRumors “Here in Washington and elsewhere, policymakers are taking steps in the name of competition that would force Apple to let apps onto iPhone that circumvent the App Store through a …

2022-04-12: U.S. Inflation Hit Four-Decade High in March - WSJ U.S. inflation rose to a new four-decade peak of 8.5% in March from the same month a year ago, driven by skyrocketing energy and food costs, supply constraints and strong consumer demand. #teamtransitory

2022-04-11: JetBlue, Alaska Trim Schedules as Airlines Attempt Smoother Summer - WSJ Southwest raised starting wages to at least $17 an hour and no longer requires that most airport workers have a high-school diploma. Some 15% to 20% of new hires don’t show up on their first day for some …

2022-04-11: Applied Bioethics Magazine Eight years ago, I left the workforce to stay home and care for my son. He was young and needed very little attention. I wanted to use my time well, so I started writing. My blog, Catholic Husband now has over 875 articles, and I’ve published three books. I’m happy to share with …

2022-04-11: Investors Turn Cautious on Consumer Debt - WSJ Clayton Triick, a portfolio manager at Atlanta-based Angel Oak Capital Advisors, said he is particularly wary of debt owed by people with low credit scores. Wow Clayton, you should write a book!

2022-04-10: Currently reading: The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal by William J. Burns 📚

2022-04-10: Episode 236: Lucy Plane Lucy is back at the controls of Flight Simulator. Asked right after we finished recording, “Okay, now how do I fly to Grandma Faye’s house?”

2022-04-09: Good on Boris. 🇬🇧

2022-04-09: Publishing feels so good.

2022-04-09: Girl Scouts Lose Trademark Lawsuit Over Boy Scouts Marketing - WSJ “Rather, the public historically has been confused as to the relationship between Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts,” the judge said in his ruling. Yes.

2022-04-08: Doctors Now Prescribing Krispy Kremes To Kids For ‘Fat-Affirming Care’ - The Babylon Bee In this new field of medicine, kids will be given boxes of Krispy Kremes to eat every day until their body better matches their self-image. This sounds like something the AAP …

2022-04-07: Dusk on the ramp.

2022-04-06: Let’s grill.

2022-04-05: Biden Administration to Extend Student Loan Payment Moratorium Until End of August - WSJ The Biden administration is planning to extend until the end of August a pause on federal student-loan payments, according to a person familiar with the matter. Why the charade? 0% chance …

2022-04-04: Russia-Ukraine War Latest News: Biden Calls for War-Crime Trial, Says Putin Must Be Held Accountable - WSJ President Biden called for a war crimes trial over allegations of atrocities committed by Russian forces in Bucha, a town near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, and he said …

2022-04-04: Giving brew over ice a try. ☕️

2022-04-04: Increments - Catholic Husband God understands the heart of man, and he understands that the fundamental conversion that he calls us to is a difficult one. He asks for us, with the weakness of original sin, to set aside our desires and aspirations so that we can think and act …

2022-04-03: Beautiful weekend. I love spring.

2022-04-02: Biden Signs ‘Don’t Say Gas’ Bill - The Babylon Bee “This is good for America!” said Biden. “Great for clean energy. Go get him!”

2022-04-02: How to Tell if Your Financial Adviser Is Overcharging You - WSJ The lowest-cost products might not be the best for every investor in every instance. Except for the voluminous research that says it is.

2022-04-02: Will Smith Resigns From Academy After Oscars Slap of Chris Rock - WSJ Mr. Smith, as an ex-member of the academy, can no longer vote for future Oscars. What a devastating consequence! How can Will Smith ever move on? This whole thing is an elitist charade. I’d never heard of …

2022-04-02: ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Is Popular? You Don’t Say - WSJ Opinion “When Americans are presented with the actual language of the new Florida law, it wins support by more than a two-to-one margin.” That’s from a new poll by Public Opinion Strategies. Overall, 61% of people said they …

2022-04-02: The Covid Spending Racket - WSJ Opinion And what happened to the $1.9 trillion for Covid Democrats passed last March? Most went to transfer payments, including child tax credits, enhanced unemployment benefits and stimulus checks. About a quarter subsidized state and local …

2022-04-01: Ukrainian Delegate Knows It Dangerous To Eat At Peace Talks, But Brownie Just Too Tempting - The Onion “Obviously we’ve been warned not to touch any of the food or drink, but they didn’t prepare us for how perfectly moist and fudgy these things would be,” said the high-level …

2022-03-31: White House Labor Nominee David Weil Blocked in Senate - WSJ Mr. Weil, an economist at Brandeis University, previously served as head of the division between 2014 and 2017 under the Obama administration. Mr. Biden nominated him to return to the post in June with backing from …

2022-03-31: Biden’s Gaffes Grate on Voters - WSJ Opinion Asked by Fox News’s Peter Doocy about this triple gaffe Monday at a White House rollout of his 2023 budget, the president replied, “None of the three occurred.” Ah, my mistake, sir. I’ll disregard your quotes and your staff’s many …

2022-03-31: ‘I Can’t Work With This Man’—After Repeated Gaffes, Biden’s Teleprompter Resigns In Disgust - The Babylon Bee “I can’t take it anymore,” the teleprompter read. “I give him everything he needs to say and he still ignores me. He goes off-script …

2022-03-31: Episode 235: Tea Party We’re done with school for the morning, and it appears a tea party has been organized.

2022-03-31: Biden to Tap Strategic Oil Reserves, as Crude Prices Drop - WSJ A release of that size would be nearly four times the largest ever drawdown from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, according to analysts at ClearView Energy Partners LLC. And it comes after the president has …

2022-03-30: Dave Ramsey Stars In New Show ‘To Catch A Borrower’ Where He Catches Christians Trying To Buy Things On Credit Cards - The Babylon Bee “Do you know who I am? I’m Dave FREAKING Ramsey and you’re BROKE, STUPID! What makes you think you can afford …

2022-03-30: Biden Considers Invoking Defense Production Act to Boost Minerals for EV Batteries - WSJ The companies would still be subject to the regular environmental review process and permitting wouldn’t be expedited, the person said. Mr. Biden’s plans were earlier reported by Bloomberg. …

2022-03-30: 401(k) Savings Plans Get a Boost in Bipartisan Retirement Bill - WSJ The bill would allow older workers to make bigger contributions. Nice payoff to the AARP vote. This illustrates how dumb this bill and this Congress is. Why not increase limits for all workers so we don’t have …

2022-03-29: Ukraine Proposes Neutral Status With Guarantees, but Zelensky Calls for More Western Help - WSJ Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Russia would significantly decrease its military activities around Kyiv and Chernihiv, north of the capital, in order to increase …

2022-03-28: I wonder how Turkey is going to spend this gusher of new overflight fees.

2022-03-28: Episode 234: Swimming Lessons It’s been a while, folks! I sit down with Benedict to discuss what he’s been up to.

2022-03-28: Examination of Conscience - Catholic Husband He was experiencing a conscience properly functioning. His conscience a discernible plumb line, and he knew that he’d gone out of bounds. ➕

2022-03-27: The President We Have - WSJ Opinion The reality is that we have to live with Mr. Biden for three more years as President. And please stop writing letters imploring us to demand that Mr. Biden resign. Do you really want Vice President Kamala Harris in the Oval Office? That made …

2022-03-27: Biden to Propose New Minimum Tax on Wealthiest Americans - WSJ it would apply only to those who don’t pay at least 20% in tax on a combination of income as typically defined and their unrealized gains on unsold assets such as stocks and closely held businesses Unrealized gains? …

2022-03-26: Biden’s Great Energy and Climate Contradiction - WSJ Opinion Several large pipelines and LNG export projects have been scrapped in recent years amid opposition from progressive states and green groups. It can take four to five years to get a federal permit for a pipeline that …

2022-03-26: It’s Cold Brew o’clock! ☕️

2022-03-26: IRS Delays, Sudden End to Tax Break Leave Employers Frustrated With Covid Credits - WSJ IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said the agency was unable to automate systems to expedite these refund requests. These problems—and other customer-service issues—stem from a lack of …

2022-03-25: Who Said It: Vice President Kamala Harris Or Elmo? - The Babylon Bee Quote: “So Ukraine is a country in Europe. It exists next to another country called Russia. Russia is a bigger country. Russia is a powerful country. Russia decided to invade a smaller country called Ukraine. …

2022-03-25: ‘Russian World’ Is the Civil Religion Behind Putin’s War - WSJ Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, recently described the war in Ukraine as nothing less than an apocalyptic struggle between good and evil. Its outcome, he said, will determine “where …

2022-03-25: Pope Francis Laments War in Ukraine Without Taking Sides - WSJ On Thursday, in a speech citing Mahatma Gandhi, the famed exponent of nonviolent resistance, the pope denounced as madness the decision by some countries to raise their military spending above 2% of gross domestic …

2022-03-25: Manchin Signals He Wants to Restart Talks on Climate, Tax Package - WSJ The West Virginia Democrat’s remarks, made in conversations with energy executives and lobbyists, echo his previous public calls for legislation centered on raising taxes, reducing the deficit, lowering drug …

2022-03-25: What Teenagers Really Learn from Stock-Market Games - WSJ Zach used about $200,000 in margin borrowing to drive his pretend portfolio up to $583,070. “It’s nice that they let you do that,” he says. “It makes it easier to make money.” Way to go, teach!

2022-03-25: In America’s No. 1 Inflation Hotspot, Democrats Face Restive Voters - WSJ Economists attribute the surge in inflation to several factors: disruptions to supply chains and shifts in consumption patterns caused by the pandemic, soaring oil prices driven in part by Russia’s …

2022-03-24: Car Buyers Shun Leases as Deals and Vehicles Dwindle - WSJ The higher lease rates are also adding to concerns about affordability, as leasing has long been a popular option for consumers looking to get into a new vehicle but at a lower monthly payment than if they were to buy …

2022-03-23: Former Boeing Pilot Found Not Guilty in 737 MAX Trial - WSJ Boeing admitted in its settlement with the Justice Department that former employees deceived the FAA. The deal blamed two employees, although only Mr. Forkner was charged, and said senior management wasn’t involved in …

2022-03-23: Student-Loan Freeze Saves Borrowers Nearly $200 Billion as Biden Considers Extension - WSJ Washington Sen. Patty Murray (D.), who leads the Senate’s education panel, has specifically pushed for a renewed pause into next year to give the administration time to come up with a plan …

2022-03-22: TurboTax Threatens To Tell IRS Customer Cheated On Taxes Unless They Upgrade To Deluxe Version - The Onion “We’ve got all your information now, and we can easily change a few numbers here or there, maybe add a couple red flags—but of course all that can go away for an additional …

2022-03-21: Russian Forces Kill Civilians, Loot for Supplies in Occupied Ukraine, Residents Say - WSJ “The Soviet occupation lasted 70 years, and some people still have a good memory of that time: It was safe, there was something to eat and something to drink,” he said. “But we are a …

2022-03-21: A Sense of the Sacred - Catholic Husband There is no doubt that Catholicism possesses the best theology and liturgical life, but that doesn’t mean that we live our faith the best. We could learn a thing or two about how Muslims approach the Koran, the courage of LDS missionaries …

2022-03-20: U.S. Sends Patriot Missiles to Saudi Arabia, Fulfilling Urgent Request - WSJ The Biden administration has transferred a significant number of Patriot antimissile interceptors to Saudi Arabia within the past month, fulfilling Riyadh’s urgent request for a resupply amid sharp …

2022-03-20: Tulip picking.

2022-03-20: Russia’s Push for Self-Sufficient Economy Fails Before Western Sanctions - WSJ Russians are poorer than before the Crimea annexation: by the end of 2020, real incomes had fallen by 9.3% from their 2013 level. Ouch.

2022-03-19: If your business requires a permanent police presence, and you’re not a bank, I’m not coming inside.

2022-03-18: I may have taken a wrong turn.

2022-03-17: In Massive Escalation, Zelensky Requests America Send Florida Georgia Line To Play Concert For Russian Soldiers - The Babylon Bee “I know full well the consequences we all may face for such action. We unleash the full evil of bro-country against humanity at our own peril. …

2022-03-16: Finally giving Setapp a try. It’s a lot better than expected.

2022-03-16: Beautiful day on the ramp.

2022-03-16: Stock Pickers Watched the S&P 500 Pass Them By Again in 2021 - WSJ the benchmark S&P 500 notched a total return, including price gains and dividends, of 28.7% last year. That was a stronger showing than that of 85% of U.S. large-cap stock-picking mutual funds Annual …

2022-03-15: Adam And Eve Tell God That Putin Made Them Eat Forbidden Fruit - The Babylon Bee “Lord, to be fair, I am NOT responsible,” said Adam emphatically. My wife is the one who gave me the fruit, and she was clearly deceived by Russian disinformation spread by Vladimir …

2022-03-15: Scientists Discover Tea Tastes Best When Dumped Out And Replaced With Coffee - The Babylon Bee “Mmmm! Tastes great!” said Dr. Bean Yuban. “We finally cracked the code.”

2022-03-15: Biden Assures America That The Buck Stops With Putin - The Babylon Bee Economic expert and TikTok makeup tutorial influencer Ellie Zeiler concurs with the President’s assessment. “All this bad stuff has nothing to do with bad energy policy, bad foreign policy, bad …

2022-03-15: Russia Imposes Sanctions on Biden, Other Top U.S. Officials - WSJ and White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Does she have to give back her pink fuzzy hat?

2022-03-15: The Price of Biden’s Excuses for Inflation Keeps Rising - WSJ Opinion In that same speech, to the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference, he bemoaned that all his hard work doesn’t get the respect it deserves. “The American people just trying to stay above water don’t …

2022-03-15: Crisis for Biden’s Chaotic Foreign Policy - WSJ Opinion Mr. Biden’s climate agenda has collapsed into utter incoherence. As the administration frantically hunts for oil and gas world-wide, it is throwing both climate and human-rights scruples overboard—so far, to little effect. …

2022-03-14: Joe Manchin Makes the Right Call by Opposing Sarah Bloom Raskin for the Federal Reserve - WSJ Opinion Ms. Raskin told the Senate she won’t use her powers against any industry, but her public record is clear. In June 2020, she wrote that financial regulators must “do all they …

2022-03-14: iOS 15.4 Is Here: Unlock Your iPhone With a Mask On, Hear Siri’s New Voice - WSJ Realizing that all of that isn’t what people really want, Apple finally releases an update that lets you unlock Face ID while wearing a mask. No password punch-in needed. Just, you know, two years …

2022-03-14: Sen. Joe Manchin Signals Opposition to Sarah Bloom Raskin for Fed Post - WSJ A White House official said the administration is still working to line up bipartisan support for her, saying Ms. Raskin has been the target of an “unprecedented, baseless campaign led by oil and gas …

2022-03-14: Desensitized - Catholic Husband In days like these, it’s easy to be overwhelmed. We are looking evil in the eye, that reality that we tried so hard to deny. We pray for peace, but still see suffering. Despair is a terrible thing. ➕

2022-03-13: Obama Receives Nobel Prize In Medicine For Getting COVID - The Babylon Bee He has already begun a new COVID memoir, which has already been selected for a Pulitzer Prize.

2022-03-12: Ever Wondered How Your Tax Dollars Make It To Those In Need? Check Out This Step-By-Step Guide - The Babylon Bee 1) The IRS asks you to please take a wild guess at how much money you should pay them. Good luck! 2) The IRS takes this amount of money. If you guessed the wrong …

2022-03-11: Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow Push for Crypto Sisterhood - WSJ Some of these crypto-enthusiasts say they just don’t want women to miss out on the next big thing, if not the next sure thing. Ms. Kunis said women should not buy NFTs expecting to make money. “Just do it …

2022-03-10: U.S. Travel Mask Mandate Extended by One Month to April 18 - WSJ Travelers in the U.S. will have to continue wearing masks on airplanes, buses and other forms of transit through April 18 under a federal mandate that the Biden administration is extending Asinine. Nearly …

2022-03-10: U.S. Banned Russian Oil. Will Suspension of Gasoline Tax Be Next? - WSJ Democratic governors from states including Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania this week pushed Congress to suspend the tax Strange coincidence, voters in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania will vote …

2022-03-10: U.S. February Consumer Prices Rose 7.9% From Year Earlier - WSJ U.S. inflation reached a new four-decade high of 7.9% in February, the Labor Department said Thursday, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed energy prices sharply higher. I got a D in Medieval Philosophy back in …

2022-03-09: Hostages for Oil From Venezuela? - WSJ Opinion The Biden Administration is going hat in hand to oil producers everywhere except the U.S. to increase global supply amid sanctions on Russian oil. Apparently begging Mr. Maduro, Iran and the Saudis is preferable to encouraging more …

2022-03-09: What Surging Gasoline Prices Mean for You - WSJ President Biden acknowledged that banning Russian crude oil will result in higher gasoline prices in the U.S. He said the administration’s previously announced move to release 30 million barrels of oil from the government’s …

2022-03-09: House Lawmakers Release $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill That Includes $13.6 Billion for Ukraine The House is expected to vote on the omnibus legislation on Wednesday and send it to the Senate, which will then debate the legislation and vote on it this week. Nice to see our …

2022-03-08: Senate Passes Bipartisan Postal Service Overhaul - WSJ The bill would undo a requirement in a 2006 law that the Postal Service prefund its retiree health benefits, which the agency projects will save $27 billion over a decade. USPS hasn’t made those required payments in over a …

2022-03-08: Saudi, Emirati Leaders Decline Calls With Biden During Ukraine Crisis - WSJ The White House unsuccessfully tried to arrange calls between President Biden and the de facto leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as the U.S. was working to build international support …

2022-03-08: Rappers Replace Flashy Gold Bling With Gasoline Cans - The Babylon Bee As gas prices surge, rappers and other wealthy celebrities have started replacing their usual gold bling with gasoline cans to show off to the world they finally made it. True wealth.

2022-03-08: Minneapolis Teachers Go on Strike Over Pay, Labor Shortage - WSJ The school district has said it faces a budget gap in revenue and expenses caused by higher costs, a drop in students and long-term underfunding. A drop in students? Huh. I wonder what caused that…

2022-03-08: Visa, Mastercard Prepare to Raise Credit-Card Fees - WSJ U.S. merchants paid card issuers an estimated $55.4 billion in Visa and Mastercard credit-card interchange fees in 2021, more than double the amount in 2012, according to the Nilson Report. They pass along at least some of …

2022-03-08: Nation Wishes We Had Our Own Oil We Could Dig Up With Big Machines And Then Transport Around With Some Kind Of Pipeline - The Babylon Bee “If only we had oil, and knew how to get it,” said one local mom as she shelled out $300 for gas to take her kids to soccer …

2022-03-08: U.S. Is Planning to Ban Russian Oil Imports - WSJ Mr. Biden has said he wants to do everything he can to insulate Americans from continued oil and gasoline-price increases I wish he’d choose a more honest line.

2022-03-08: Gas is over $4/gallon and there was one can of frosting on the shelf at Walmart for my kid’s birthday cake. Thanks, Joe!

2022-03-07: The Babylon Bee Has Obtained This Exclusive Photo Of The Ghost Of Kyiv - The Babylon Bee UPDATE: Sadly, The Ghost of [Kyiv] is also shooting down Ukrainian pilots after hearing they said bad things about him on Twitter. Trump would totally do that

2022-03-07: Biden’s Bizarre Oil Diplomacy - WSJ Opinion It speaks volumes about this Administration that it’s seeking help from Vladimir Putin’s client in Venezuela and our estranged Saudi allies rather than U.S. shale producers or our Canadian friends.

2022-03-07: Supreme Court won’t review decision that freed Bill Cosby - WTOP News The high court — whose nine members include two men accused of sexual misconduct themselves — declined to review a stunning decision out of Pennsylvania that released Cosby from prison in June over the word of …

2022-03-07: Cheaper 27-Inch ‘Studio Display’ Reportedly Coming at Tomorrow’s Apple Event - MacRumors Today’s rumor sheds no light on the potential price of the display, but a price tag around $1,000 seems reasonable given its rumored specifications. I hope it …

2022-03-07: Never Wasted - Catholic Husband Lent is a time when we’re reminded of the importance of prayer in our lives. We need it for our healthy growth, and to remain focused on our core identity as a child of God, in the midst of the chaos of the world. ➕

2022-03-06: Weird: Christians Who Claimed They’d Come Back To Church After COVID Are Still Absent - The Babylon Bee When Pastor Pewston delivered his sermon on Sunday he was expecting the pews to be packed with long-absent brethren, but he instead found himself face to face with the …

2022-03-05: Russia Removed From Apple Maps - The Babylon Bee “As far as we’re concerned, Russia no longer exists on our detailed map of the entire world,” said CEO Tim Cook from his vacation home in Beijing. “And if Apple Inc. says you don’t exist, then you …

2022-03-05: Calm before the storm.

2022-03-04: Klain: White House may extend freeze on student loan payments again - Politico Progressives and some other Democrats have expressed political concerns about sending tens of millions of Americans student loan bills before the midterm elections this fall — especially when …

2022-03-04: Biden to Finalize ‘Buy American’ Rule for Government Procurements - WSJ President Biden is set to highlight during an event Friday at the White House, will mean that products obtained under the “Buy American” program will need to have at least 60% of the value of components made …

2022-03-04: Iran, U.S. Close to Reviving Iranian Nuclear Deal - WSJ Iran has been pushing for more sanctions relief if the nuclear deal is restored. In particular, it wants the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be taken off Washington’s most significant terror sanctions list, the Foreign …

2022-03-03: Ram Relieved As Kindly Old Jewish Man Frees Him From Thicket - The Babylon Bee “My luck is really turning around!” the ram thought to himself as the patriarch gently untangled him from the bush the animal had gotten stuck in earlier that day. “You know, …

2022-03-03: 10 Key Moments From Biden’s State Of The Union - The Babylon Bee When Biden told businesses to cut costs: Genius.

2022-03-02: Biden and the State of the Midterm Elections - WSJ Opinion Mr. Biden’s speech then descended into a mind-numbing list of big-government proposals including a global minimum tax, a pandemic fraud prosecution chief, more apprenticeships, the Paycheck Fairness Act, a $15 minimum …

2022-03-02: Biden Misses the Moment in His State of the Union Address - WSJ Opinion An anxious world is looking for American leadership in a dangerous new era. Instead Mr. Biden offered a rehash of his first-year domestic agenda that has brought him to his low political ebb.

2022-03-01: My first experimental foray into the world of Cold Brew.

2022-03-01: MLB Lockout: Baseball’s Opening Day Will Be Delayed as Owners, Players Fail to Agree on New Contract - WSJ MLB games haven’t been affected by a work stoppage since the strike of 1994 that resulted in the cancellation of the World Series. Following that dispute, attendance didn’t …

2022-03-01: Finland’s Drift Toward NATO Membership Accelerated by Russia’s Ukraine Invasion - WSJ Watching 200,000 Russian troops amass on the border with Ukraine, a country with eight times the population of Finland, unsettled many in the Nordic country, which was a part of Russia until …

2022-03-01: Spring is upon us.

2022-03-01: Russian Skaters Who Roiled the Olympics Are Barred From World Championships - WSJ The news is likely to be met with protests from Russian skating officials, who as late as Monday had said they had no plans to withdraw from the world competition.  Yeah, they already spent all …

2022-03-01: Zelensky Renews Call for Help, EU Membership: ‘Prove You Are With Us’ - WSJ Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his forces are targeting military installations and infrastructure. Lots of military infrastructure in apartment blocks and city squares.

2022-02-28: Abortion-Rights Bill Blocked in Senate - WSJ “This is Day 1. We want Americans to know where their legislators stand on this issue,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.). “We’re not going to give up. We’re not going to go away.” They won’t give up until the law gives all mothers …

2022-02-28: Lordstown Motors Reports Deepening Losses - WSJ The company warned last year it was burning through cash faster than expected. In September, it agreed to sell its Ohio factory to Foxconn Technology Group, which will take over manufacturing of Lordstown’s vehicles at the factory. …

2022-02-28: Citigroup Has Nearly $10 Billion In Total Russian Exposure - WSJ some of which sit in a consumer bank it has been trying to sell and may now be stuck with. Losers.

2022-02-28: IOC Recommends Banning Russian Athletes from International Competition - WSJ The International Olympic Committee on Monday recommended banning all Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week, in one of the …

2022-02-28: Pope Francis Refrains From Blaming Russia for War in Ukraine - WSJ That makes the pope, who has made a priority of better relations with Russia, one of the few Western leaders to have refrained from explicitly condemning the attack on Ukraine. My initial reaction was to …

2022-02-28: Fence being reinstalled around US Capitol for Biden speech - WTOP Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said in a statement Sunday that the fence will be erected around the Capitol building for the speech and is being put up “out of an abundance of caution,” in consultation with the …

2022-02-28: 13 Cents - Catholic Husband Our failures in Lents past may come from our obsessive focus on the sin itself. We don’t have to beat sin or conquer sin; Jesus has done that already. All we have to do is to reassert that victory daily. ➕

2022-02-27: Energy, Russia and American Power - WSJ Opinion Shippers have redirected liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargos to Europe from Asia. Asian economies have shifted to burning more coal. In other words, Europe has reduced its CO2 emissions by outsourcing them. Virtue, signaled. …

2022-02-27: Putin Gambles That the West Is Weak - WSJ Opinion A Western world that has spent two years sacrificing freedom to preserve life is hardly going to sacrifice life to preserve freedom. Or at least that’s how it must look to the hard men in Moscow and Beijing. An excellent piece.

2022-02-27: General Milley Calls Russia To Warn Them Of Ukrainian Counter-Attack - The Babylon Bee General Milley then picked up a giant green rotary dial phone like the ones military generals always use and found the Kremlin’s number in the margins of his favorite book, The 1619 …

2022-02-27: Meta/Facebook, Twitter, & YouTube banned Trump after January 6th because of the potential that the accounts could be used to incite further violence. What’s their excuse for continuing to host official Russian state and media accounts?

2022-02-27: Ukraine invasion: EU shuts airspace to Russian planes - BBC News All such planes, including the private jets of oligarchs, will now be unable to land in, take off from or fly over any EU nation. Mount up!

2022-02-27: Ex-Attorney General William Barr Urges GOP to Move On From Trump - WSJ “The election was not ‘stolen,’” Mr. Barr writes. “Trump lost it.” Mr. Barr urges conservatives to look to “an impressive array of younger candidates” who share Mr. Trump’s agenda but not his “erratic …

2022-02-27: Germany to Raise Defense Spending Above 2% of GDP in Response to Ukraine War - WSJ The measures, all of which had long been resisted by successive governments and will now be reflected in this year’s budget, underline how profoundly Russia’s attack on Ukraine is upending …

2022-02-26: Currently reading: Hidden Order by Brad Thor 📚

2022-02-26: Episode 233: First Reconciliation Benedict just celebrated his next Sacrament! I pull him aside to find out how things went.

2022-02-26: Glory to Ukraine! 🇺🇦

2022-02-26: Lies U.S. Military Recruiters Are Legally Allowed To Tell Recruits - The Onion “The movie ticket discounts you’ll get are so worth it.” Recruits know that discounted movie tickets aren’t worth it where today’s streaming services offer premium entertainment at home.

2022-02-25: Oil Prices Are Another Headache for Biden—Who Can’t Do Much About It - WSJ “I know this is hard and that Americans are already hurting,” Mr. Biden said Thursday. “I will do everything in my power to limit the pain the American people are feeling at the gas pump.” Everything …

2022-02-25: White House: U.S. to Sanction Putin, Lavrov - WSJ Ms. Psaki said the sanctions would include restrictions on Mr. Putin’s ability to travel to the U.S., and that the administration would release further details soon. I guess Putin is going to have to cancel his Spring …

2022-02-25: CDC Eases Mask Guidelines, Reflecting Covid-19’s Retreat - WSJ The CDC said people who are symptomatic, test positive for Covid-19 or are exposed to infected people should still don face coverings no matter where they are. Still unclear why this isn’t the only guidance at this …

2022-02-25: John Kerry’s Ukraine Emissions - WSJ Opinion Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned in an interview this week about “massive emissions consequences” from a Russian war against Ukraine, which he also said would be a distraction from work on climate change. Nevertheless, …

2022-02-25: Ketanji Brown Jackson Announced as Biden’s Pick for Supreme Court Nominee - WSJ President Biden on Friday selected Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court That moment when your foreign policy is foundering, your economic policy is driving up pain for …

2022-02-24: Book Review: Agent ZigZag 📚 I first read a book by Ben Macintyre many years ago, and I love his storytelling style. He makes history come alive, bringing an element of excitement to stories that had it in spades in real life. My first read was of the Double Cross team, a British intelligence organization …

2022-02-24: Russian Attack on Ukraine Roils Markets - WSJ Brent crude oil, the global benchmark, topped $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014 Biden policies are the primary culprit, but blaming it on someone else is convenient and the preferred tactic of this Administration.

2022-02-24: It’s 12:30pm on the East Coast, more than 13 hours since the unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine. Where is the President, why hasn’t he addressed the nation, and where are those withering sanctions his team has spent weeks crafting?

2022-02-24: Putin’s New World Disorder - WSJ Opinion The new sanctions should also target Mr. Putin and his Kremlin mafia personally. This means finally disclosing to the world—and to the Russian people—the wealth of Kremlin officials and oligarchs. The U.K. has a special obligation here …

2022-02-23: Wife Decides To Recognize The Independence Of Husband’s Fries - The Babylon Bee She continued, “Let me emphasize once again that French Fries for me are not just a neighboring side dish. They are an integral part of my own history, culture, spiritual space. These …

2022-02-23: Bleary-Eyed Trump Stays Up All Night Deleting ‘TRUTH’ Posts Making Fun Of Him - The Babylon Bee Trump then took a moment to fire the loser server engineers and replace them with true American server engineers who had what it took to Make America Great Again™. He …

2022-02-23: National Guard, Law Enforcement Prepare for Possible Trucker Protests in D.C. Area - WSJ In anticipation of potential protests, the Defense Department has approved the deployment of about 700 National Guard troops, the Pentagon said Tuesday. They might drive real slow or park …

2022-02-22: The ’80s Got Their Foreign Policy Back - WSJ Opinion In April 2012 Joe Biden used a similar attack line in a speech. “When we came to office, President Obama reset our relationship with Russia… . But just a month ago, Governor Romney called and here again I quote, …

2022-02-22: Why This Economic Boom Can’t Lift America’s Spirits - WSJ “You listen to these Fed guys—Powell right now. ‘Oh, we think we’ll get inflation under control this year.’ Fine, but do you really think these food companies are going to lower prices once the supply chain gets settled?” …

2022-02-22: It’s Cold Brew o’clock, my favorite time of day!

2022-02-22: Book Review: Prince Caspian 📚🚸 We listened to this book on our family trip up North. I’m so glad that, now with children of the right age, I’m finally getting to experience the beauty and wonder of Narnia. I wish I had read it before, but to be honest, it’s so much richer now that I’ve studied philosophy and …

2022-02-22: Ski Michigan Another vacation is in the books. After several summers of enjoying Lake Michigan, we decided to switch things up and enjoy Michigan in the winter. We drove up north for three days of skiing. The weather was almost perfect. We spent the first morning on the practice slopes, …

2022-02-21: Putin Orders Deployment of Troops to Breakaway Regions in Ukraine - WSJ The White House said President Biden will issue an executive order that “will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons’’ in those areas. Wow, such response! So amaze! This will stem the …

2022-02-21: I hate Amazon.

2022-02-21: The Super Bowl of Sin Taxes - WSJ Opinion We are legalizing marijuana just as opioid addiction and overdoses from “recreational” fentanyl skyrocket. The phenomenon of gambling addiction is well established, and since sports betting is often a repetitive, screen-based activity, …

2022-02-21: As Covid-19 Cases Wane, U.K. to Lift Remaining Curbs - WSJ After that, it will no longer recommend that people infected with the virus stay home, telling them instead to “exercise personal responsibility” much as one would in the case of the flu 24 months to reach the …

2022-02-21: Russia Alleges Ukrainian Incursion; Kyiv Says Moscow Makes Up Fake Incidents - WSJ Russia’s military said it destroyed two Ukrainian armored vehicles and killed five Ukrainian personnel inside Russian territory Monday, but offered no evidence of the alleged incursion I just saw …

2022-02-21: Inside Facebook’s $10 Billion Breakup With Advertisers - WSJ Facebook has built its empire on the ability to acquire intimate details about user behavior across the internet Gross.

2022-02-21: Icy Slopes - Catholic Husband Our nature and weakness largely shape the mistakes we make in our spiritual life. Skipping one day of prayer because you overslept or were on vacation may seem like a small matter. But temptation is always like ice. It’s smooth, slippery, and …

2022-02-20: U.S. To Invade Canada To Establish A Democracy - The Babylon Bee “We can’t let this evil, religious zealot Trudeau oppress his people any longer. It’s time to let freedom ring.”

2022-02-20: Finished reading: Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis 📚

2022-02-19: How Government Spending Fuels Inflation - WSJ Opinion Inflation is where “dreams of costless fiscal expansion, flooding the country with borrowed money to address every perceived problem, hit a hard brick wall of reality.”

2022-02-19: Fed Officials Lean Against Expectations of Half-Point Increase in March - WSJ “There’s really no kind of compelling argument that you have to be faster right in the beginning” with rate increases, Mr. Williams told reporters on Friday. Just the fastest rate in 40 years and the …

2022-02-18: Finished reading: Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre 📚

2022-02-18: Some Apple Store Employees in U.S. Reportedly Working to Unionize - MacRumors A key concern among Apple retail employees looking to unionize is that wages have not kept up with the rate of inflation. Ever heard of a wage-price spiral? Or quitting or getting a better paying job? …

2022-02-18: Frackers Hold Back Production as Oil Nears $100 a Barrel - WSJ The companies said they collected record amounts of extra cash by hanging on to the money they earn selling oil and natural gas and reinvesting only what they needed to keep output roughly flat. All three said they …

2022-02-18: If your coffee place is called the Bru Bar, and it doesn’t have heavy whipping cream or half and half, you don’t really have a coffee place. ☕️

2022-02-18: Man Donates To Truck Convoy Under Name ‘Hunter Biden’ So Washington Post Won’t Dox Him - The Babylon Bee According to experts, pretending to be Hunter Biden is the most effective way to make sure Big Tech pulls out all the stops to protect your privacy. If anyone tries to …

2022-02-18: Shelling Escalates Along Front Line Separating Ukraine and Pro-Russia Separatists - WSJ Viktor Pris, a representative of the Donetsk people’s republic, said on Telegram messenger that “the situation on the line of contact has sharply escalated,” with more shelling than had been …

2022-02-18: Mortgage Rates Close In on 4%, Making Home Affordability Tougher - WSJ Higher rates, coupled with continued growth in prices, are pushing some would-be home buyers to the sidelines. No mention of how higher prices balances supply and demand and stabilizes the market. Just …

2022-02-17: Episode 232: Skiing Recap We’re done with lessons and practice, and back at the cottage in front of the fire before dinner. I check in on the students to see how their afternoon went.

2022-02-17: Snowy afternoon on the mountain.

2022-02-17: View from the summit. Overcast and flurries in the vicinity.

2022-02-17: Episode 231: Off the Slopes We’re back at the cottage after a morning of skiing. I check in with the kids on how lessons and practice went, along with a few special guests.

2022-02-17: On the slopes. Well, practicing anyway.

2022-02-17: Finished reading: Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre 📚

2022-02-17: Quiet morning in the cottage as I completed the final edits on Issue No. 01.

2022-02-17: FAA Administrator Steve Dickson to Resign From Post, Agency Says - WSJ Mr. Dickson was appointed to a five-year term in 2019. He took over the agency after two Boeing Co. 737 MAX jets crashed. The FAA was facing criticism from U.S. lawmakers on its oversight of the aircraft’s …

2022-02-17: Book Review: The Horse & His Boy 📚🚸 On our recent roadtrip, we listened to this book the entire way through! The kids loved it, and when I paused the book to listen to some music, there were many requests to put the book back on. Lewis, again, even in this oft unloved installment in the Chronicles of Narnia, …

2022-02-16: Google Plans to Curtail Cross-App Tracking on Android Phones - WSJ The Alphabet Inc. unit said it plans to keep supporting current smartphone identifiers for at least the next two years and to give the industry substantial notice before any changes. Lord, grant me privacy, but …

2022-02-15: A quiet moment.

2022-02-14: Benedict’s LEGO snow globe.

2022-02-14: Episode 230: Snow Globes It’s a snowy day outside, so the kids are making snow globes inside. ❄️

2022-02-14: Finished reading: The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis 📚

2022-02-14: Snowy start.

2022-02-14: Detailing - Catholic Husband Reconciliation is that detailing, a thorough cleaning that returns us to Baptismal purity. The white garment that we pledged to keep clean for the banquet of the lamb, restored to its original state. As soon as we walk out of the Church, temptation …

2022-02-13: This portable valet is perfect for travel!

2022-02-13: Bengals Just Happy To Not Be In Ohio - The Babylon Bee “I’m so overwhelmingly grateful. This is the greatest day of my life,” said quarterback Joe Burrow, wiping a single tear from his eye. “I can’t believe I’m not in Ohio anymore. This is …

2022-02-12: Some Democrats Push Biden to Embrace Normalcy as Covid-19 Cases Ease - WSJ The elected officials are zeroing in on the March 1 speech as a pivotal opportunity for Mr. Biden to embrace dropping of mask mandates and other rules Hey, I’ve read this book before!

2022-02-12: Suspend the Gas Tax, They Cried - WSJ Opinion The contradictions of climate politics keep piling up, and the latest is a call from Democratic Senators running for re-election this year to suspend the federal gas tax. Hello? Isn’t the point of Democratic climate plans to raise …

2022-02-12: Biden Warns Putin of ‘Swift and Severe Costs’ of Invading Ukraine - WSJ “We have already gone through war and through the required training. Therefore, we are ready to greet the enemy not with flowers, but with Stingers, with Javelins and with NLAWs,” Ukrainian Armed Forces …

2022-02-12: On the road again.

2022-02-11: Clarence Thomas Surprised To Hear How Important Black Representation On SCOTUS Is To Man Who Viciously Tried To Destroy Him - The Babylon Bee Thomas, who had been smeared over sexual harassment claims that were never actually filed, was humiliated on live TV by Joe Biden who, at …

2022-02-11: As Hunger Spreads in Afghanistan, Hospitals Fill With Premature, Dying Babies - WSJ Half of the population faces acute hunger, according to the United Nations, with one million children in danger of dying from malnutrition. The economy is set to contract by another 20% this …

2022-02-11: Inflation Haunts the Biden Economy - WSJ Opinion The economy needed support early in the pandemic. But Congress’s $900 billion Covid relief bill in December 2020 and the $1.9 trillion in spending that Democrats passed last March were overkill. Stimulus payments, enhanced …

2022-02-10: Rising Inflation Keeps Pressure on Fed to Frontload Rate Increases - WSJ Fed officials in the months ahead are closely looking for signs that the month-over-month pace of price increases will slow. Arresting inflation stops prices where they are. These high prices are the …

2022-02-10: Apple Announces AirTag Updates to Address Unwanted Tracking - MacRumors The warning will make it clear that the AirTag is linked to an Apple ID, that using it to track people is a crime, and that law enforcement can request identifying information about the owner of the AirTag. …

2022-02-10: U.S. Inflation Accelerates to 40-Year High - WSJ U.S. inflation accelerated to a 7.5% annual rate in January, rising to a new four-decade high, the Labor Department said Thursday. Very, very, very bad.

2022-02-10: Afternoon Off In addition to being an at-home dad, I have several side projects that I work on in the evenings and during my spare time. Like any parent, I have energy for kids and energy for work, and the pools are mostly exclusive of one another. I can be exhausted from kid and house care …

2022-02-10: EV Charging Network Will Target Interstate Highways - WSJ stations will have to have at least 600 kilowatts of total capacity, with ports for at least four cars How many two pump gas stations have you seen along the interstate? That pot of money will fund two other …

2022-02-09: Program to Cut Student Debt for Healthcare Providers Sticks Some With Even More - WSJ The penalties are written into the law, meaning the authority to change them rests with Congress. Dr. Padilla said it is unfortunate some people don’t appear to understand the penalties when …

2022-02-09: Don’t Expect Rising Interest Rates to Boost Your Savings Account - WSJ Many high-yield savings accounts, which offered 1.5% or more before rates headed toward zero in early 2020, now offer rates around 0.5%. But these fine institutions will be happy to issue you a credit card …

2022-02-08: Nvidia, SoftBank call off blockbuster Arm deal - Fox Business SoftBank stands to pocket a $1.25 billion breakup fee from the failed transaction with Nvidia My dream job is to run a company that engineers failed mergers and collects breakup fees.

2022-02-08: Movie Nobody Watched Nominated To Receive Award At Ceremony Nobody Watches - The Babylon Bee In a recently published press release nobody read, a movie nobody watched raised nobody’s eyebrows by being nominated to receive multiple awards at a ceremony nobody watches. So it’s …

2022-02-08: Trudeau Demands Protesters Stop Shutting Down City So That He Can Shut Down City - The Babylon Bee “Shutting down roads, limiting people’s movement, restricting people’s freedom, and shutting down the city is unacceptable. It’s the government’s job …

2022-02-08: Number of Oscar-nominated films I watched last year: 0. Number of Oscar-nominated films I’ve ever heard of: 1. The trend holds, these awards are meaningless.

2022-02-07: Winter blues.

2022-02-07: Biden’s Top Science Adviser Resigns - WSJ People with knowledge of his behavior accused him of bullying, embarrassing and insulting staff. Sounds like standard operating procedure over at EEOB.

2022-02-07: IRS Retreats From Facial Recognition to Verify Taxpayers’ Identities - WSJ The Internal Revenue Service is scrapping its use of a private facial-recognition system to authenticate taxpayers’ identities for online accounts, the agency said Monday after criticism from lawmakers in …

2022-02-07: Tyson Foods Says Higher Meat Prices Haven’t Cooled Demand - WSJ Escalating meat prices haven’t slowed restaurant and retailer demand for meat, Tyson Foods Inc. executives said, as rising prices helped to more than double the company’s quarterly profit. What are people supposed …

2022-02-07: I’d rather have a president who says mean things on Twitter than one who’s policies result in 25% price increases on the milk my kids drink.

2022-02-07: Frontier Group, Spirit Airlines Merge in $6.6 Billion Deal - WSJ “This transaction is centered around creating an aggressive ultra-low fare competitor to serve our guests even better, expand career opportunities for our team members and increase competitive pressure, …

2022-02-07: Keto Recycle - Catholic Husband The goal of holiness isn’t perfection. The goal is to live as perfectly as possible, contending with and overcoming your faults through grace. ➕

2022-02-06: I watch videos like this and think, “Wow, nature is so amazing.” Then I think about the amazing human person, the quintessential expression of nature.

2022-02-06: Seasonal shift.

2022-02-05: Too Risky to Wed in Your 20s? Not if You Avoid Cohabiting First - WSJ As we recently discovered, however, there is an interesting exception to the idea that waiting until 30 is best. In analyzing reports of marriage and divorce from more than 50,000 women in the U.S. …

2022-02-05: App-Store Bill Targeting Apple, Google Is Approved by Senate Panel - WSJ Apple has privately warned the committee that the bill would enable so-called sideloading, where consumers could add apps to their device without going through the Apple App Store. This would allow app …

2022-02-04: I hate sweating while walking in winter.

2022-02-03: Book Review: A Layman's Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours 📚 The cover art on this book is amazing, and the topic is right on point. I’m transitioning back to the Liturgy of the Hours after two years of pretty good use of Magnificat. I like Magnificat a lot, I just wanted a bit more prayer and sprinkled more throughout the day. This book …

2022-02-02: Done with the final draft of the first issue of Applied Bioethics Magazine. This is the most satisfying step of the writing process.

2022-02-02: Just fixed the plastic wind-up gears on my son’s plane using nothing but a flashlight and a Swiss Army Knife.

2022-02-02: Biden’s Student-Debt Pledge Stalls, Frustrating Supporters - WSJ Joe Biden said during his presidential campaign that he would reduce student debt for millions of Americans, but his allies remain divided on the issue, and some of his supporters are losing hope he will deliver. …

2022-02-02: The Commanders: Washington’s NFL Team Announces New Name - WSJ The team, which is keeping its burgundy and gold colors, said the new name pays tribute to the culture of leadership in the Washington area.  No one, and I mean literally not a single person, cares.

2022-02-02: CNN President Jeff Zucker Resigns, Citing Relationship With Colleague - WSJ citing his failure to disclose a consensual relationship with a close colleague What is wrong with network media?!

2022-02-02: U.S. National Debt Exceeds $30 Trillion for First Time - WSJ “It is the result of both borrowing for really important crises, most notably the Covid pandemic, but also trillions and trillions of borrowing for no reason other than politicians have stopped being willing to pay the …

2022-02-01: Facebook Replaces All Text Fields With Dropdown Menu Of Approved Things You Can Say - The Babylon Bee The change has been praised by users who all posted “I like Facebook. Can’t wait for the Metaverse.”

2022-02-01: Operation Warp Speed Slowly Gets Its Due - WSJ Opinion Mr. Klain replied: “I think we have to be careful about the level of government intervention in the economy and make sure that we’re not putting our judgment in the place of private-sector thoughts and consumer demand and …

2022-02-01: Florida teen wins appeal to receive abortion meds without parental consent - Fox News The teen argued she is not yet financially responsible to care for a baby, court documents show. 17 year old, with a 2.0 GPA, is given court authorization to kill a child because… she’s broke? …

2022-02-01: Top 8 Reasons To Stock Up On Ammo RIGHT NOW - The Babylon Bee It’s time for us to buy what we have been buying and that time is every day: Wise words from Kamala Harris!

2022-01-31: Sean Penn on American Masculinity I don’t think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them.” Respect for the human person must always start with appreciation of the differences between men and women. It can’t be achieved when one must be elevated over the …

2022-01-31: Socialists Condemn Workers Of The World For Uniting - The Babylon Bee To their dismay, they soon found out that it was a toxic freedom march organized by the working class against the Canadian bourgeois. Not good.

2022-01-31: Universal health care bill faces deadline in California - WTOP The latest estimate says it would cost taxpayers at least $356.5 billion per year to pay for the health care of nearly 40 million residents. California’s total operating budget — which pays for public schools, …

2022-01-31: Noticing Progress - Catholic Husband We tend not to give ourselves credit for the tiny steps forward we take each day. Yet, taking a moment to step back and pan out reveals the actual trajectory of our progress. That’s something worth appreciating. ➕

2022-01-30: Currently reading: Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre 📚

2022-01-30: Trump Designing Much, Much Higher Wall To Keep Out Biden’s Migrant Flights - The Babylon Bee This is a nation of laws, the very best laws, including some of my own laws, actually,” said Trump

2022-01-30: Biden Seen Looking At Paint Color Swatches To Choose Next Supreme Court Justice - The Babylon Bee “Hmmm… should I go with the ‘Neutral Tans’ or the ‘Balmy Browns’ Collection?” Biden said to himself.

2022-01-30: Biden Promises To Replace Retiring Quarterback Tom Brady With A Woman Of Color - The Babylon Bee When told he doesn’t have the authority to nominate quarterbacks to the NFL, Biden told his staff he would just sign the executive order and let the courts deal with it later. …

2022-01-29: Finished reading: A Layman’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours by Timothy M. Gallagher 📚

2022-01-29: Episode 229: Lucy Story Time Lucy sits down to read her new favorite Mo Willems book.

2022-01-28: 25 minutes in Adoration is a very pleasant way to end the week.

2022-01-27: Biden Praises Retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer - WSJ Mr. Biden said that he has been studying candidates and their backgrounds, but said he had made “no decision except one—the person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, …

2022-01-27: I prefer Customer Support reps that have a personality.

2022-01-27: Older Investors Have a Lot of Money in Stocks. How to Check if It’s Too Much. - WSJ Data from Fidelity Investments’ 20.4 million 401(k) investors shows that almost 40% of 401(k) investors age 60 to 69 hold about 67% or more of their portfolios in stocks. Negative bond …

2022-01-27: Biden Administration Explores Ways to Cover Covid-19 Tests for Medicare Enrollees - WSJ The policy requiring free coverage of tests for people on private insurance falls under 2020 Covid-19 legislation that requires group health plans to provide Covid-19 testing with no cost …

2022-01-27: Episode 228: Felicity Story Time Felicity sits down to read “Little Boy Blue.”

2022-01-27: A New Rhythm Why is it so hard to create a new routine? I spent a lot of time listening to productivity podcasts in the early 2010s. A recurring theme in those days was the idea that you needed enough structure to keep you focused on your goals, but not so much rigidity that it was inflexible …

2022-01-27: When design delights. ☕️

2022-01-26: Apple should really release an Apple Card Debit a la Target Red Card Debit.

2022-01-26: Daddy & Me date at a coffee shop.

2022-01-26: McConnell Says Senate Should Not Confirm New Supreme Court Nominee Just Three Years Before Presidential Election - The Babylon Bee When asked about the inconsistency of the standards he is applying and the apparent hypocrisy given that Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed just a week …

2022-01-26: Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to Retire - WSJ The moral of the story is that bullying and harassment gets results!

2022-01-26: Experian to Allow Consumers to Create Their Own Credit Reports - WSJ “The better the representation of every individual we have, the more successful we are as a company,” said Craig Boundy, chief of Experian North America. Creep. The company plans to pitch credit cards that …

2022-01-26: When you’re too little to make your bed, so your big bro takes care of it for you.

2022-01-25: Biden Puts 8,000 Troops On Alert In Case Peter Doocy Retaliates - The Babylon Bee Milley quickly made a phone call to get his troops mobilized. He then made another call to give Peter Doocy a heads up. Classic Milley!

2022-01-25: Robot and Benedict in his flight suit with name tag. 🤖

2022-01-25: Episode 227: Robotics Benedict is studying more than just math, history, and art. I catch up with him during his section of Robotics - Independent Study.

2022-01-25: Ukraine Invites Kyle Rittenhouse To Guard Their Border - The Babylon Bee “Yo, Kyle, hope all is well. Hey listen, our citizens are under threat from Putin and his d-bag army,” texted Ukrainian Minister of Defense, Sergei Ukrainovich to America’s national hero, Kyle Rittenhouse. …

2022-01-25: Biden Administration Mounts Daring Mission To Evacuate Hunter’s Remaining Cash From Ukraine - The Babylon Bee The four-man squad was dropped into ally territory by a Black Hawk helicopter outfitted for stealth missions. Once on the ground, they covertly asked for directions to …

2022-01-24: Supreme Court Rules for Northwestern Employees in Retirement-Plan Case - WSJ They also alleged that the high number of investment options caused confusion and poor decisions by plan participants. SCOTUS accepting this argument and ruling in its favor could have terrible …

2022-01-24: Pentagon Places Thousands of Troops on Standby for Deployment to Eastern Europe in Standoff With Russia - WSJ The U.S. military has ordered up to 8,500 U.S. troops on standby to potentially deploy to Eastern Europe amid heightened tensions over Russia’s presence near Ukraine’s …

2022-01-24: Australian Prime Minister Loses Control of Account on China’s WeChat - WSJ “We have never and have no interest in interfering with other countries.” That’s an official quote from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. John Blaxland, a professor of international security and …

2022-01-24: Build Back Better? Fix Medicaid First - WSJ Opinion “It is no coincidence,” the FGA says, “that the two states with the highest publicly available improper payment rates have expanded Medicaid under ObamaCare.” Since that expansion, the national rate of bad payments has “nearly …

2022-01-24: Applied Bioethics - Catholic Husband When making care decisions, we need the intellectual tools to choose the ethical path and to make them with confidence. That’s my goal with this new magazine. ➕

2022-01-23: Why the Sustainable Investment Craze Is Flawed - WSJ The financial industry has spotted an opportunity to make money by helping people feel good about themselves. Despite claims to the contrary, these investments don’t do much to make the world a better place. The entire …

2022-01-22: Maggie the Cow

2022-01-22: Episode 226: First Reconciliation Benedict is almost ready for his next Sacrament, so we sit down to talk about it. And Felicity joins us to talk about her newest friend.

2022-01-22: I get my best ideas when I’m walking.

2022-01-22: San Francisco Store Clerk Confused As Shopper Actually Tries To Pay For Merchandise - The Babylon Bee “We get lots of looters, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a paying customer. No one taught me how to use the register.”

2022-01-21: Germany Blocks NATO Ally From Transferring Weapons to Ukraine - WSJ Germany is blocking North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally Estonia from giving military support to Ukraine by refusing to issue permits for German-origin weapons to be exported to Kyiv as it braces for a …

2022-01-21: U.S. Suspends 44 Flights to China Operated by Chinese Airlines - WSJ China’s border controls have been among the toughest in the world throughout the pandemic. Except for that one time when they let the virus escape.

2022-01-21: A New Biden Answer for Unfulfilled Promises - WSJ Opinion You know, I was — I did a couple-hour press conference the other day, and I got asked the question I used to get asked: “Well, you promised.” No, I proposed. That’s why they call them Campaign Proposals! Like that one …

2022-01-21: More Starbucks Baristas Across the U.S. Are Looking to Unionize - WSJ In less than three months, the effort by Starbucks Workers United, the union that has backed the Buffalo campaign, has led union election petitions to be filed with the NLRB in Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, …

2022-01-21: Nation’s largest abortion protest could be last under Roe - ABC News The March for Life, for decades an annual protest against abortion Congratulations to the Associated Press! They’ve just heard about this obscure gathering that’s apparently been taking place on the same …

2022-01-21: Wedding Feast Of The Lamb To Be Catered By Chick-fil-A - The Babylon Bee “It’s a little hard to plan for because we haven’t been told the exact day or hour of the event, but we’ll be ready and waiting.” “As long as it’s not on a …

2022-01-20: TIAA Offers Annuity Product for Corporate 401(k) Retirement Plans - WSJ American workers who crave steady retirement paychecks in the absence of old-fashioned pension plans are getting more alternatives as another money manager launches an annuity offering for corporate 401(k) …

2022-01-20: New Blog Idea I was looking through the _On This Day_ feature in Day One this morning, and came across this entry from nine years ago. For many months I have wanted to start a blog. I was not sure on which topic I could speak with authority, to the point where I would add value to the …

2022-01-20: Havana Syndrome Unlikely Caused by Russia, Other U.S Foes, CIA Says - WSJ “We are pursuing this complex issue with analytic rigor, sound tradecraft, and compassion and have dedicated intensive resources to this challenge,” CIA Director William Burns I love to hear when the …

2022-01-20: Pig Kidneys Transplanted Into Brain-Dead Man as Patients Face Organ Shortages - WSJ The experimental surgery, which proceeded after discussions with ethicists and after Mr. Parsons’s family consented to the experiment, is part of a decadeslong effort to ease the chronic shortage …

2022-01-19: 10 Surefire Ways To Get Out Of Wearing A Mask When Someone Tells You To - The Babylon Bee Put on your “Trump Won” mask - They’ll instantly regret their decision to make you wear one. 4D chess!

2022-01-19: Oops! Schumer Gives Passionate Speech Defending Filibuster After Accidentally Printing His Speech From Two Years Ago - The Babylon Bee According to sources, his aide had accidentally printed out “passionate filibuster speech 2020.docx” instead of “passionate …

2022-01-19: Episode 225: Literary Hour Brew a fresh espresso, put on your beret, and join Benedict in the quiet air of nap time to hear his latest poem, along with the plot of the chapter book he’s currently reading. Virtual snaps can be sent via the regular channels.

2022-01-19: Sanders Says He Is Open to Supporting Primary Challenges to Sinema, Manchin - WSJ He said it was “up to the people in those states.” And if there’s one thing we all know about West Virginians, it’s that they love when out-of-state multimillionaire socialist elites come to town …

2022-01-18: I just finished the Final Draft of the first issue of my new magazine. I’m so excited to publish this in the Spring.

2022-01-18: Wow! What a start to the day.

2022-01-18: Schumer Hits Trouble After Earlier Wins in 50-50 Senate - WSJ At the start of the year, Mr. Schumer set a goal of trying to pass the voting bill by Martin Luther King Jr. Day—Monday, Jan. 17—and then pivoting to changing the filibuster. That deadline later slipped due in part to …

2022-01-18: Some Lawmakers Push to Ban Stock Trading by Colleagues - WSJ Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly of Arizona and Jon Ossoff of Georgia introduced legislation that would prohibit all members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from trading individual stocks and would require …

2022-01-17: Preparations - Catholic Husband A life well lived in accordance with God’s Law is much sweeter than a life mired in sin and darkness. ➕

2022-01-16: At the controls. Every time I touch anything she says, “I’m in charge of this airplane!”

2022-01-16: Episode 224: Flight Simulator Lucy takes the controls of her Lucy plane and offers her best pilot tips.

2022-01-16: Covid-19 Test Distribution Plans Put More Pressure on U.S. Supply - WSJ People will be able order up to four tests per household on covidtests.gov that will be shipped within seven to 12 days. Outstanding! They’ll be leaving the warehouse on the delivery truck two days after …

2022-01-15: The Week Biden’s Agenda Hit a Wall - WSJ It also cast a spotlight on key strategic decisions made by the president and his aides: Right out of the gate, Mr. Biden pursued a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 aid bill that some economists warned would spur inflation. He decided to push an …

2022-01-15: Who You Calling ‘Dastardly,’ Mr. Schumer? - WSJ Opinion Mr. Schumer wants to impose no-excuses absentee voting on the whole country under some version of H.R.1, but he can’t even convince his constituents in blue New York. Last year’s ballot included a measure to loosen the …

2022-01-15: Navient, the Student Loan Punching Bag - WSJ Opinion In September it also sought to end its government servicing contract because it was more hassle than it is worth. But get this—Mr. Cordray, now chief operating officer of the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid office, …

2022-01-15: A Report to Our Readers - WSJ Subscriptions stand at more than 3.5 million for the Journal and more than 4.5 million for Dow Jones as a whole, with demand continuing to rise as trusted news becomes an ever rarer commodity. Regrettably true.

2022-01-14: Kamala Harris So Disliked Nation Considering Hillary Clinton - The Babylon Bee A spokesperson for the Vice President denied rumors that Harris was disliked, but would not comment further because he had already quit.

2022-01-14: Russia Moves More Weaponry Toward Ukraine, Keeps the West Guessing - WSJ As diplomats were holding negotiations over the Ukraine crisis this week, Russia began moving tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, rocket launchers and other military equipment westward from their bases in …

2022-01-14: Without a doubt, the AP is the worst news organization in America. And that is saying something.

2022-01-14: Beautiful sky to start the day.

2022-01-14: Senate Rejects Nord Stream 2 Sanctions Bill - WSJ The administration has endorsed an alternative bill offered by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D., N.J.). That legislation would direct the administration to review its waiver of sanctions against Nord …

2022-01-14: The IRS Pleads Poverty - WSJ Opinion The IRS poverty plea is part of an effort to blame Republicans for not agreeing to the Biden request to expand the IRS budget by $80 billion over 10 years. But most of that money won’t go to faster or better IRS service. The money is for more …

2022-01-14: Biden Follows the Trump Playbook - WSJ Opinion Mr. Trump went to Georgia just over a year ago to rally voters for the Senate runoff elections. In a rant of a speech, he made false claims about the electoral system, accused Democrats of undemocratic aims, and attacked the …

2022-01-13: How great is wireless printing? 🖨

2022-01-13: Biden Expresses Doubt About Passage of Elections Bill - WSJ “The honest to God answer is I don’t know if we can get this done,” Mr. Biden told reporters Thursday after a closed-door lunch with the Senate Democratic caucus. Tough to see the day when the sitting President gives …

2022-01-13: Weather station soaking up the rays. Really enjoying the day taking it easy and recharging its batteries.

2022-01-13: Supreme Court Blocks Biden Vaccine Rules for Private Employers, Allows Them for Healthcare Workers - WSJ The high court, however, did give the administration more latitude in the healthcare industry, allowing it to impose a vaccine mandate for more than 10 million healthcare …

2022-01-13: Sinema Rules Out Weakening Filibuster, Dealing Blow to Biden’s Election-Law Push - WSJ “While I continue to support these bills, I will not support separate actions that worsen the underlying disease of division infecting our country,” Ms. Sinema said on the Senate floor. More …

2022-01-12: Tensions Rise Between Fauci, GOP Over Covid-19 Pandemic Response - WSJ In an unusual move, Health and Human Services spokesman Ian Sams on Tuesday issued a statement defending Dr. Fauci and accusing Republicans of spreading misinformation. “At a time when America is seeing …

2022-01-12: Putin Is Running Rings Around the West - WSJ Opinion Now the Biden administration is simultaneously proclaiming overseas that America is back, in all its order-building awesomeness, and maintaining at home that democracy is one voting-rights bill away from collapse.

2022-01-12: Russia, NATO Fail to Resolve Differences in Ukraine Talks - WSJ “We have made it clear and we told the Russians directly again today that if Russia further invades Ukraine, there will be significant costs and consequences well beyond what they faced in 2014,” Ms. Sherman told …

2022-01-12: U.S. Inflation Reaches Fastest Pace Since 1982 - WSJ The Labor Department said the consumer-price index—which measures what consumers pay for goods and services—rose 7% in December from the same month a year ago, up from 6.8% in November. That was the fastest pace since 1982 and …

2022-01-11: In Defense of the Filibuster Bottom line is very simple: The ideologues in the Senate want to turn what the Founding Fathers called ‘the cooling saucer of democracy’ into the rubber stamp of dictatorship. We will not let them. They want, because they can’t get their way on every judge, to change the rules in …

2022-01-11: Walmart Online Grocery’s “out of stock” feature is not good at all.

2022-01-11: Why must the joy of morning coffee dissipate so quickly? ☕️

2022-01-11: This is the definition of sin: the misuse of powers given us by God for doing good. - St. Basil the Great

2022-01-11: My son, hold fast to your duty, busy yourself with it, grow old while doing your task. - Sirach 11:20

2022-01-10: SEC Pushes for More Transparency From Private Companies - WSJ “When they’re big firms, they can have a huge impact on thousands of people’s lives with absolutely no visibility for investors, employees and their unions, regulators, or the public,” said Democratic SEC Commissioner …

2022-01-10: Report: Of The 4.2 Million Americans Who Quit Their Jobs In December, 74% Worked For Kamala Harris - The Babylon Bee “The turnover in there is unimaginable. I was still in the parking lot when I saw my replacement dive out of the second-story window just to get out of there.” …

2022-01-10: Globalization Was Supposed to Prevent War; Russia May Be Showing the Opposite - WSJ The Wall Street Journal has reported that, while the U.S. is loudly threatening harsh economic reprisals against Moscow for any move on Ukraine, it also is reluctant to take steps to curb Russian …

2022-01-10: Elizabeth Holmes Can’t Be the American Dream - WSJ Peloton Interactive sold investors on a fantasy that financing and the internet could render its multithousand-dollar hardware both accessible and affordable, thus revolutionizing fitness through “democratization”—no matter that …

2022-01-10: Image and Likeness - Catholic Husband The Catholic worldview rests on a simple premise: all people are created in the image and likeness of God. ➕

2022-01-09: Banks Are Making It Easier to Get Credit Cards - WSJ The average annual percentage rate, or APR, on interest-charging credit cards climbed to a near-record high of 17.13% in the third quarter from 15.91% in the first quarter, according to the Federal Reserve, before slipping to …

2022-01-09: AOC Accuses COVID Virus Of Just Wanting To Date Her - The Babylon Bee Typical COVID, just completely obsessed and trying to get with a brave woman of color.

2022-01-08: The Vaccine Mandate ‘Work-Around’ May Run Aground - WSJ Opinion The Chief brought up a re-tweet last year by White House chief of staff Ronald Klain hailing the mandate as the “ultimate work-around.” “I mean, this has been referred to the approach as a work-around. And I’m …

2022-01-08: Carving Up Biden’s Inflation Beef - WSJ Opinion Thanks for the lecture, but back to Econ 101, Mr. President. Meat prices fell in the five years before the pandemic, and markets didn’t suddenly become less competitive. Like so much else in the Biden era, meat prices have soared …

2022-01-08: Capitol Riot: The Musical! - WSJ Opinion Readers probably don’t recall a 2002 congressional effort to mark the first anniversary of 9/11 with a catchy musical number from a Broadway smash hit. And perhaps that says it all about the Democrats’ Thursday production to mark one year …

2022-01-08: Why the Jan. 6 ‘Big Lie’ Narrative Will Fail - WSJ Opinion The American experiment remains sturdier than we may realize, but a challenge is our media’s painful adjustment to internet economics. In the 1980s, ad-stuffed news outlets were flush and able to fill their staffs with …

2022-01-08: Saturday evening fire.

2022-01-08: The Best Investment for This Coming Crazy Year - WSJ All this explains why discipline is the greatest investing virtue. When you drastically change your long-term course based on what feels like a short-term sure thing, you’re likely to end up caught by surprise—and racked with …

2022-01-07: Why Young Adults Are Delaying Parenthood - WSJ More tell me they’re waiting until their finances—and, accordingly, their lives—feel more stable.  The root cause of our demographic winter: children are an accessory, not an essential part of life. This is an incredibly destructive …

2022-01-06: Boston Marathon Bomber’s Prison Funds Are Seized - WSJ He received a $1,400 Covid-19 relief payment in June The American Rescue Plan in action! Thanks, Joe!

2022-01-06: Dichotomy Many were shocked that the riots finally made their way to the Capitol, but we’ve watched the slow march over the past 10 months. Businesses, the homes of local politicians, and even Federal courthouses came under threat from riotous mobs last year. Remember the riot …

2022-01-06: Biden Assails Trump Over Jan. 6 Riot, Efforts to Overturn 2020 Election Results - WSJ Mr. Biden’s remarks opened a day of remembrances on Capitol Hill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will lead a moment of silence on the House floor before participating in a conversation with …

2022-01-05: ‘I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever,’ Worship Leader Threatens - The Babylon Bee Church insiders speculate the worship leader’s motives were anything but pure, with some suggesting it was an attempt to filibuster the Pastor’s planned lesson on faithful financial …

2022-01-05: Chrysler Plans All-Electric Vehicle Lineup by 2028 - WSJ Chrysler, which was founded in 1925, now sells just two models to consumers—one minivan and a large sedan Good luck to the team, pulling off two EVs in seven years shows just how ambitious Chrysler is. They want to earn …

2022-01-05: Chicago Public Schools Cancel Classes After Teachers Vote Against In-Person Instruction - WSJ City leaders called the vote by the Chicago Teachers Union an illegal job action and said teachers who didn’t report to work wouldn’t receive pay. The administration promised to provide …

2022-01-04: Toyota Overtakes GM as Bestselling Auto Maker in U.S. - WSJ GM had been the No. 1 auto seller in the U.S. since 1931, according to trade publication Automotive News. This is unlikely to be repeated, and Toyota had some strategic advantages this year. The basic fact remains: …

2022-01-04: Overturning the Next Election - WSJ Opinion Democrats keep saying Jan. 6 must never happen again, but their main goal seems to be to use the memory of that day against Republicans in 2022.

2022-01-04: Joining The Fight Against Misinformation: Applebee’s Announces They Have Banned Marjorie Taylor Greene From To-Go Online Ordering - The Babylon Bee “We have made the decision to ban the representative for her repeated violations of the platform’s prohibition against …

2022-01-04: Build Back Better Takes Back Seat to Democrats’ Election-Law Push - WSJ White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration was in step with Mr. Schumer regarding the elections push. “We’re gonna work with him on getting that done. But that doesn’t change our …

2022-01-04: Manchin Deflates Democrats’ Hopes of Changing Filibuster, Passing Election Bills - WSJ “Any way you can do a rules change to where everyone’s involved and basically that’s a rule that usually will stay—that’s what you should be pursuing,” Mr. Manchin told reporters on Tuesday. …

2022-01-04: Entitlements Always Grow and Grow - WSJ Opinion When Medicare hospital insurance was enacted, cost projections were made to 1990. The projected cost for that year was $9 billion. The actual cost was $67 billion.

2022-01-03: Currently reading: A Layman’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours by Timothy M. Gallagher 📚

2022-01-03: Start your engines!

2022-01-03: Episode 223: Race Day Like NASCAR? This episode may be for you!

2022-01-03: Book Review: The Simple Path to Wealth 📚 I like to start off the New Year with a financial book, and this year’s installment came by way of a Christmas present from my sister-in-law. JL Collins (no relation) is a retiree turned writer living in New Hampshire. He wrote a series of letters to his young adult daughter, …

2022-01-03: Monthly Child-Tax-Credit Payments Cease, Ending Cushion for Family Budgets - WSJ Families are bracing for bank balances to suffer when the middle of January comes and the monthly child-tax-credit payment doesn’t. They think that’s bad, wait until they file their taxes. Many, …

2022-01-03: All Things New - Catholic Husband Two lousy years are over, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. It’s time to stand up and dust off. ➕

2022-01-02: After over a decade, I’m coming back to using pencils on a regular basis.

2022-01-02: Up early.

2022-01-01: Finished reading: The Simple Path to Wealth by J. Collins 📚

2022-01-01: Episode 222: New Years Resolutions What better way to kick of 2022 and Season 5 of ChetCast than with Episode 222? The kids have big plans for the new year.

2022-01-01: Currently reading: Holy Bible: The Great Adventure Catholic Bible by Ascension Press 📚

2022-01-01: New Year? YNAB Fresh Start. 💵

2021-12-31: ‘Wow, What A Terrible Year!’ Say People Living At The Absolute Peak Of Human Civilization - The Babylon Bee “2021 was just the worst,” said Marley Buchanan while sipping on organic chai tea and munching on fish tacos he had summoned to his house in only 15 minutes …

2021-12-31: Windows, why so many updates?!

2021-12-30: Liberal Arts Degrees The 22-month Federal student loan holiday was recently extended another 90 days, with no end in sight. At this point, it’s doubtful there will be any payments due in 2022, seeing as the current expiration is a mere six months before the midterms. There are moans and groans about …

2021-12-30: Oh No! Biden Checks His To-Do List And Realizes He Totally Forgot To Shut Down The Virus - The Babylon Bee “I knew I was forgetting something! That’s too bad because it was otherwise a flawless year for me!”

2021-12-29: The CDC Sees a Great Covid Light - WSJ Opinion ‘Tis the season for epiphanies, even at the White House. President Biden on Monday said there’s no “federal solution” to the pandemic, and now his Administration is acknowledging that protecting public health requires balancing …

2021-12-29: Morning appointment, so of course the kids were an hour late coming downstairs.

2021-12-28: Stock Pickers Are Struggling to Beat the Market - WSJ But many active stock funds struggle to beat the market in a given year, and 2021 fits the pattern. Some 85% of active U.S. stock funds were on pace to underperform the S&P 500 this year as of Nov. 30 This annual article …

2021-12-27: I wish the Ulysses sync engine was much, much faster.

2021-12-27: Space Cow.

2021-12-27: Episode 221: Christmas Joy I catch up with the kids to talk about their Christmas.

2021-12-27: Joe Manchin and Child Poverty - WSJ Opinion Press headlines are warning about families on the brink of penury if the monthly payments aren’t extended, but the vast federal and state social safety net—food stamps, Medicaid, housing subsidies, school lunches, Head Start, …

2021-12-27: Love So Deep - Catholic Husband The joy of the season is now here after weeks of preparation. Leave your lights on and your tree up. Don’t put away your Christmas dishes and decorations. Leave them up and relish the joy of a love that gave up everything just to be with you …

2021-12-26: Bike Trailer Update: Kids had fun I could’ve used about 90 days of extra training 🚴🏻‍♂️

2021-12-25: Currently reading: The Simple Path to Wealth by J. Collins 📚

2021-12-25: Christmas dinner.

2021-12-25: Silent night, Holy night

2021-12-24: Midnight Mass EDC.

2021-12-24: Oh No! The Ghost Of Christmas Future Just Showed Up And He’s Wearing A Full Hazmat Suit! - The Babylon Bee At publishing time, another ghost had appeared telling Scrooge to give all his money to the government and to come out in support of taxing the rich, but it turned …

2021-12-24: Reminder: Husbands, It’s Time To Start Christmas Shopping - The Babylon Bee It’s OK, though. Don’t fret. She probably doesn’t have incredibly specific wants and needs that she’s been dropping hints about for the past month. Grabbing my keys now!

2021-12-24: Boys gingerbread house.

2021-12-24: Episode 220: Gingerbread Houses Christmas Eve is well underway. Our big project this morning was building gingerbread houses.

2021-12-24: My favorite day of the year. ❄️🎅🏻🎄

2021-12-24: Report: 90% Of Dads Running Errands Are Just Doing It To Get Some Peace And Quiet - The Babylon Bee Of thirty countries surveyed, the report found that dads everywhere are just trying to chill out.

2021-12-23: The Bourne Ultimatum 🍿

2021-12-23: Porch Pirates My kids love Mark Rober. Most days, they beg me to watch his modern engineering videos on YouTube. They especially love the ones about Mark trying to outsmart squirrels in his backyard. You might know him better as the inventor of the porch pirate glitter bomb. This time of year …

2021-12-23: Putin Blames the West for Ukraine Tensions During News Conference - WSJ defended what he called his country’s need to protect itself against NATO’s attempts to encroach on its doorstep. NATO rotates 4,500 troops through the Baltics, and Russia needs to defend itself with …

2021-12-23: Biden’s Holiday Troubles Multiply as Omicron Spreads, Agenda Stalls - WSJ Mr. Biden, for his part, has expressed annoyance both in public and in private with the way the media covers him In case you had doubts that the president is completely out of touch with reality, he …

2021-12-23: Santa Clause 2 🍿

2021-12-23: LEGO inventions celebrating the end of Advent.

2021-12-23: Episode 219: LEGO Building Team For the first time, maybe ever, Benedict opened his LEGO Research Lab to his sisters. After half an hour of building together, they’ve arrived downstairs to share their inventions.

2021-12-23: Intel Apologizes After Asking Suppliers to Avoid China’s Xinjiang Region - WSJ On Thursday, the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip maker said its letter was written only to comply with U.S. law and didn’t represent Intel’s stance on Xinjiang. Yeah, our compliance guys said we had …

2021-12-22: Speaking of student loans, I just read the fine print. Any unpaid interest outstanding on loans will be capitalized when the freeze ends. Another government program that pretends to help you while in reality hurts you.

2021-12-22: The Forever Student Loan Emergency - WSJ Unlike its last pause through January, the Administration isn’t saying this extension is final—probably because it’s not.

2021-12-22: In Stunning Blow To Democracy, Legislation Decided By Majority Of Elected Representatives - The Babylon Bee In a catastrophic blow to democracy with disastrous consequences sure to ripple throughout the free world, a majority of democratically-elected representatives decided …

2021-12-22: Pelosi Disappointed We’ll Never Get To Find Out What Was In The Build Back Better Bill - The Babylon Bee The Build Back Better Bill is thousands of pages long, and with everyone in Congress being very busy and very dumb, no one there was going to read it. But if it had …

2021-12-22: Confronting Inflation, Biden Administration Turns to Oil Industry It Once Shunned - WSJ The Biden administration says that oil companies face no government constraints on drilling more in the short run, even as it presses the companies to shift long term to cleaner forms of …

2021-12-22: How Fauci and Collins Shut Down Covid Debate - WSJ Opinion “This proposal from the three fringe epidemiologists … seems to be getting a lot of attention – and even a co-signature from Nobel Prize winner Mike Leavitt at Stanford. There needs to be a quick and devastating …

2021-12-21: Biden’s Omicron Reality Check - WSJ Opinion Wasn’t Democrats’ $1.9 trillion spending bill in March supposed to pay for more testing and treatments? Too much of the money went to progressive political groups, and the U.S. pandemic recovery has been worse off for it. The …

2021-12-21: Central Intelligence 🍿

2021-12-21: One Last Chance to Build Back Better - WSJ Opinion Unless Congress acts soon, millions of families with children will take a financial hit as Omicron surges and the economic outlook darkens. To avoid this, Congress should enact a one-year extension of the expanded CTC and use …

2021-12-21: Student-Loan Repayment Moratorium Could Get Another Extension From Biden - WSJ A spokesperson for the Education Department said it would announce whether it plans to extend the pause later this week. Seems like code for an extension is coming. Borrowers will feel great about …

2021-12-21: First day of winter. ❄️

2021-12-20: Biden Emerges as Progressive Government’s Mr. Bad Example - WSJ Opinion The virus is the most visible refutation of progressive vanity this year, but by no means the only one. Those liberal geniuses who told us they could manage the economy like a well-honed machine have managed …

2021-12-20: Christmas Tree, 2021

2021-12-20: Episode 218: O, Christmas Tree My voice is trying to come back, but that didn’t stop us from talking about our favorite ornaments.

2021-12-20: U.S. Raises Fuel-Efficiency Requirements for Cars and Light Trucks - WSJ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Monday that it would require auto makers to achieve a fleetwide average of 55 miles a gallon by model year 2026, up from a standard of 43 mpg set during the …

2021-12-20: PirateShip is excellent. 📦

2021-12-20: I don’t know if it’s very funny or very sad that my 8yo came up with a clever COVID joke.

2021-12-20: Vast Household Wealth Could Be a Factor Behind U.S. Labor Shortage - WSJ Families that win at least $30,000 in the lottery tend to earn less in the next five years, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper released in July by four University of Chicago …

2021-12-20: Now - Catholic Husband The objective is to live a saintly life. Ordinary men and women of all backgrounds, overcoming their human nature and striving for holiness despite their failings. That is the life we’re meant to live. ➕

2021-12-19: White House lights up Manchin after he crushes Biden’s megabill - POLITICO With an evenly split Senate, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer needs every Democrat to go along with the legislation, which only requires a simple majority vote. That dynamic gives Manchin …

2021-12-19: The White House Art of Furious Persuasion - WSJ Opinion The progressive whiz kids who run President Biden’s White House don’t have much sense of self-restraint—or common political sense. Their response on Sunday to Sen. Joe Manchin’s opposition to Build Back Better was to accuse …

2021-12-19: Joe Manchin Rescues the Democrats - WSJ Opinion We have to admit that Mr. Manchin’s defection also vindicates Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s strategy to support an infrastructure bill that showed bipartisan Senate deal-making is possible. We don’t apologize for opposing that …

2021-12-19: Biden’s Climate Plans Thrown Into Doubt by Manchin’s Rejection of ‘Build Back Better’ Bill - WSJ Without action from Congress, Mr. Biden could still meet the target, analysts said. But doing so would require more-ambitious state and executive-branch actions such as tighter …

2021-12-19: The Santa Clause 🍿

2021-12-19: First fire of the season.

2021-12-19: Manchin Says He Won’t Vote for ‘Build Back Better’ Bill - WSJ Thank goodness!

2021-12-19: Tech-Savvy Kids Defeat Apple’s and Others’ Parental-Control Features - WSJ Parents say the controls aren’t simple enough and there are too many loopholes. This is the essential problem. Software design has the absolute ability to create a master/slave dynamic, but the …

2021-12-18: Decorated and ready to share.

2021-12-18: Taiwan Voters Back Ruling Party in Referendum, Removing Obstacle to U.S. Trade Deal - WSJ Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as part of its territory. A claim that has never been factual in the 76 years since Taiwan was established.

2021-12-18: Culinary art in progress.

2021-12-18: Episode 217: Christmas Cookies We’re home and everyone is healthy again. Just in time to bake and decorate some Christmas Cookies! 🎅🏻🎄

2021-12-18: Investors Balk at Plan to Buy Coal Mines and Close Them - WSJ Citigroup Inc. and its partners abandoned the creation of a fund that aimed to shorten the life of coal mines after the group struggled to convince investors of the plan’s green-energy merits Apparently the Market …

2021-12-18: Morning garage projects with son: ✔️Replace truck side mirror ✔️Build jellybean dispenser

2021-12-18: Army And Navy Both Forfeit Football Game, Leave Billions Worth Of Equipment On The Field - The Babylon Bee In a press conference later that day, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin proudly announced that it was “the greatest football game ever played in history.“ 

2021-12-18: Vladimir Putin Names His Price - WSJ Opinion “The line pursued by the United States and NATO over recent years to aggressively escalate the security situation is absolutely unacceptable and extremely dangerous,” a Russian foreign ministry official said, apparently without irony. …

2021-12-17: 118 years of flight.

2021-12-17: Southwest Airlines CEO Tests Positive for Covid-19 - WSJ Stop writing these stories. This is not news.

2021-12-16: Hillary Clinton Reportedly Considering Losing Again In 2024 - The Babylon Bee ITT Tech Political Science Professor Glenn Measure commented, “Again and again, public opinion polls show that vast majorities of people would choose Hillary Clinton as the person they would most want …

2021-12-15: Psaki Blames Inflation On Little Elves That Change Prices In The Middle Of The Night - The Babylon Bee The White House is pushing back at the idea that inflation is related to any of President Biden’s policies.

2021-12-15: Meet Steve, The Last Remaining American Who Doesn’t Have A Podcast - The Babylon Bee UPDATE: At time of publication, Steve had announced a podcast about his experience being the only person without a podcast. I laughed at the title, before remembering that I have a …

2021-12-14: Toyota, in Reversal, Says It Will Shift More Rapidly to EVs - WSJ Still, it cautioned that many of its customers, especially in the U.S. outside the coasts, weren’t ready yet for a battery-powered car and might not be for some time. All of these great promises with only one …

2021-12-13: The Babylon Bee Presents: COVID Christmas Carols - The Babylon Bee “mRNA In a Manager” - Remember the birth of the savior: mRNA. An instant classic! “Ave Moderna” - AAAAAVVVEE MO-DERRRRRR-ERRRRR-NAAAAAA

2021-12-13: Just passed a woman FaceTiming while driving. That’s a new one for me.

2021-12-13: Building Back Bitter - WSJ Opinion Inflation turned out be much lower in 1983 than many economists had expected as the economy took flight, thanks to a combination of sound money and the Reagan fiscal and regulatory incentives to work, save and invest. Now Washington seems …

2021-12-13: Fed Reinforces Plans to Provide Open-Ended Stimulus to Spur Recovery - WSJ “It’s not going to be easy to have inflation move up,” said Mr. Powell. “We’re honest with ourselves and with you in the [projections] that even with the very high level of accommodation that we’re …

2021-12-13: Creating Evil - Catholic Husband God, in His wisdom, granted humankind creative powers. We can create ideas, art, and structures. Our greatest creative capacity comes in our ability to co-create new life. But when we use this creative capacity for darkness, evil enters more …

2021-12-12: Chris Wallace to Depart Fox News, Join CNN+ Streaming Service - WSJ “After 18 years, I have decided to leave Fox,” Mr. Wallace said. “I want to try something new, to go beyond politics to all the things I’m interested in. I’m ready for a new adventure.” Understandable given the …

2021-12-12: Overdraft Fees Enrich Banks, and the Biden Administration Wants Less of That - WSJ “What I’ve been telling bankers is, ‘Do the right thing,’ because you want your reliance to be on revenues you feel good about,” he said in an interview. “And this is part of the problem with …

2021-12-11: It took 59 years, but Daniel Craig did what Blofeld never could: he killed James Bond. Now I remember why I never go to the movies.

2021-12-11: No Time to Die 🍿

2021-12-11: I got a Tempest weather station as an early Christmas present. Looking forward to installing it this afternoon and tying it in to CARROT Weather. 🌪

2021-12-10: Joe Manchin’s Inflation Vindication - WSJ Opinion In any case, prices won’t decline. The rate of increase may moderate, but many business executives this fall said they planned to raise prices more next year to compensate for rising labor and material costs. This is the …

2021-12-10: National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets 🍿

2021-12-10: U.S. Inflation Hit a 39-Year High in November - WSJ The Labor Department said the consumer-price index—which measures what consumers pay for goods and services—rose 6.8% in November from the same month a year ago. That was the fastest pace since 1982 and the sixth straight month …

2021-12-09: The Stealth Gas-Heating Tax - WSJ Opinion The methane tax exposes the contradiction at the heart of Democratic climate policy: The party wants to make fossil fuels more expensive to reduce their production and use, but it doesn’t want consumers to notice who is raising their …

2021-12-09: It’s Time To Panic: Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Omicron - The Babylon Bee Omicron was ultimately named after its inventor, Bob Omicron, who works at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Seems legit.

2021-12-08: Citigroup’s Jane Fraser Expects to Shed Some Clients for Climate Purposes - WSJ Citigroup will first outline its plans for how to respond to clients in the energy industry. The bank will consider the project the client is launching, the commitments the client has made to …

2021-12-08: Biden Rules Out Unilateral Force if Russia Invades Ukraine - WSJ Asked if he would rule out troops on the ground in Ukraine, Mr. Biden said that is “not on the table.” So much for strategic ambiguity. Of course, Putin probably has Afghanistan on the brain when calculating an …

2021-12-08: Why Washington Won’t Fix Student Debt Plans That Overload Families - WSJ Terry Hartle, senior vice president for government relations and public affairs at the American Council of Education, which represents colleges and universities, disputed the notion that universities are …

2021-12-08: I’m glad that iOS 15 kept Featured Photos. I really dislike how Memories are all videos. I never watch them and it’s impossible to turn off that ridiculous music.

2021-12-08: Report: iOS Users Who Opt-Out of App Tracking Continue to Be Tracked by Facebook and Snapchat - MacRumors companies such as Snapchat and Facebook have purportedly been allowed to continue sharing user-level signals from iPhones, providing that data is anonymized and aggregated …

2021-12-07: Beautiful sunset.

2021-12-07: Saule Omarova, Biden’s Nominee to Oversee National Banks, Withdraws - WSJ Mr. Tester also pressed her at the hearing over remarks she made earlier this year calling for smaller oil-and-gas companies to go bankrupt to aid the U.S. in tackling climate change. This nomination was …

2021-12-07: Old people take gifts to their doctors. The thought never crossed my mind.

2021-12-06: Make Straight Paths - Catholic Husband The prophets tell us to make straight the paths of the Lord, to focus on Him and move directly towards Him. God knows us and knows our hearts. He doesn’t expect perfection. He patiently anticipates failures and deviation. That’s why He gave …

2021-12-05: My favorite of all.

2021-12-05: Putin Troop Buildup Near Ukraine Raises Concerns of Potential 2022 Invasion, U.S. Officials Say - WSJ Mr. Blinken suggested earlier this week that if Russia invades Ukraine, the U.S. would deploy harsh economic sanctions of a type it has held back from using so far. Golly, …

2021-12-05: Time to decorate! 🎄

2021-12-05: Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery, put on the splendor of glory from God forever. Baruch 5:1

2021-12-04: Biden Administration Celebrates Creating 2 Whole Jobs - The Babylon Bee The two newly created jobs—Ambassador to Chinese Tech Oligarchs and Communications Go-Between for Ukrainian Oil Barons—were both filled by Hunter Biden. So close!

2021-12-03: Will the Justices Let Go of Abortion? - WSJ Opinion Overturning Roe would mean returning a furiously contested national issue of almost 50 years standing to the democratic process. This wouldn’t “solve” the problem or “end” the struggle. It would bring the responsibility for …

2021-12-03: Man Excited To Add 2-Cent Gas Savings To The 16 Cents He Saved On July 4 - The Babylon Bee At publishing time, the man was saddened to learn that due to inflation, his 18 cents is now worth less than a penny. Bittersweet.

2021-12-03: ‘It’s Demo Day!’ Shouts Joel Osteen Taking A Sledgehammer To His Church Walls - The Babylon Bee Sources from the church say Osteen has been happily swinging all night, having found $599,999. He remains committed to searching for days, if necessary, to find the one …

2021-12-03: Senate Approves Spending Bill Averting Government Shutdown - WSJ then quickly maneuvered the legislation through both the House and Senate before the expiration of current funding at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. They had hours to go before hitting their deadline, why the big rush?

2021-12-02: Fauci Stresses Masks, Vaccines, Boosters After First Case of Omicron Detected in U.S. - Newsweek “We know what we need to do to protect people. Get vaccinated if you’re not already vaccinated, get boosted if you’ve been vaccinated for more than six months with …

2021-12-02: It’s a branded kind of day.

2021-12-02: Theologians Confirm: Amount Of Treasure Stored Up In Heaven Directly Proportional To Your Bible App Daily Streak - The Babylon Bee Sources confirmed that with new digital technology, Heaven will be able to track Bible reading across all Android and iOS devices, and adjust …

2021-12-02: Biden’s COVID campaign promises have aged terribly - Washington Examiner Biden didn’t hesitate to lump all the responsibility for last year’s deaths on Trump’s shoulders and label him unfit for office. So, it’s perfectly fair for us to ask the president to accept that same …

2021-12-02: Democrats and Republicans Reach Deal to Try to Prevent Government Shutdown - WSJ Democrats and Republicans reached an agreement to extend government funding through Feb. 18 Democrats have total and they still can’t pass a basic budget. They can spend and finance new money like …

2021-12-02: Omicron Reinfects Government - WSJ Opinion With Omicron’s discovery days ago in South Africa and before that the surge of infections in Europe, it is striking how reflexively governments are reverting to the strategies used at Covid’s onset in early 2020—crude travel bans, …

2021-12-01: ‘Handled Variety Of Tasks,’ Writes Kamala Harris, Struggling To Fill Out Performance Review Self-Assessment - The Onion Harris reportedly said to herself as she sat in her West Wing office and stared at the blank form, eventually resorting to a Googled list of phrases commonly …

2021-12-01: Some Professional Degrees Leave Students With High Debt but Without High Salaries - WSJ In three popular fields—chiropractic medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine—every professional program with available data had median debt loads that topped median earnings two years …

2021-12-01: Metaverse Real Estate Piles Up Record Sales in Sandbox and Other Virtual Realms - WSJ Republic Realm, a firm that develops real estate in the metaverse, said it paid $4.3 million for land in the world Sandbox, the biggest virtual real-estate sale publicized to date I’ve got …

2021-11-30: A Dubious Union Revote at Amazon - WSJ Opinion Union advocates claim to empower workers but are quick to cast them as dupes if they refuse the union message.

2021-11-29: Big day! 🎄

2021-11-29: I lost 3lbs on vacation. 🦃

2021-11-29: [Pivot - Catholic Husband](catholichusband.com/index_fil… Structure is good, but rigidity is fatal. We have to be willing and able to pivot. We have to look forward and see disruption coming, and ensure that we’re living our best lives. ➕

2021-11-28: Make this trip end.

2021-11-27: Gulls hitching a ride across the bay in the ferry’s draft. Kind of genius.

2021-11-27: Let me see if I can go find it.

2021-11-27: Choppy morning on the Delaware Bay.

2021-11-26: Racist Joe Biden Bans Travel From Africa - The Babylon Bee Voters are reporting that they are devastated to learn Biden is just as racist as Trump was when he restricted travel from China. Just like when Trump did it, Biden’s racist travel ban is obviously an attempt to …

2021-11-26: Biden’s Covid Death Milestone - WSJ Opinion Covid deaths this year have now surpassed the toll in 2020 with 350,000 since Inauguration Day. It would seem that Mr. Biden has done no better than Donald Trump in defeating Covid despite the benefit of vaccines, better therapies, and …

2021-11-25: Christmas lights going up, house by house.

2021-11-24: Nice day in town.

2021-11-24: Janet Yellen Announces Americans Can Use Promo Code ‘THANKS’ For 10% Off All U.S. Goods And Services “To activate the promo code, simply mention it to your Whataburger cashier, or visit treasury.gov/thanks. Remember, this amazing offer won’t last, so now’s the time to book that …

2021-11-24: Atlantic sunrise.

2021-11-24: U.S. Joins With China, Other Nations in Tapping Oil Reserves - WSJ The six countries combined are likely to put about 65 million to 70 million barrels from government stockpiles onto world markets, according to a tally by RBC Capital Markets. That figure is only a little more …

2021-11-23: Airpower.

2021-11-22: Daddy & Me time with Lucy.

2021-11-22: Simple Truths - Catholic Husband A child can accept and embrace the simple truths of our deepest mysteries. They should have the full benefit of the Eucharist at the earliest reasonable age, and not be denied years of sacramental participation simply to satisfy the theoretical …

2021-11-21: My favorite animal at the zoo. 🦉

2021-11-21: Episode 216: Cape May Zoo The cousins got ahead of us, but Lucy still has lots to share about our visit to the zoo.

2021-11-20: Man Crushed To Death By Giant Pile Of Cheese After Refusing To Tell Olive Garden Waitress To Stop - The Babylon Bee According to diners who saw the accident, the man locked eyes with his server and sat in stoic silence as mountains of cheese piled all around him.

2021-11-20: Made it to the ocean.

2021-11-19: How the Great Have Fallen Southwest Airlines, USAA, and CarMax used to be a few of my corporate heroes. Companies that I could rely on to do the right thing, to put their customers first, and deliver outstanding experience each time. The past decade has been hard on all three. Southwest started faltering …

2021-11-19: A Popular Tax Trick for Savers, the Mega ‘Back Door’ Roth IRA, Is Eliminated in House Bill - WSJ The IRA measures will raise tax revenue to help pay for items such as universal prekindergarten and lower prescription drug prices. What an accounting trick! They eliminate the tax …

2021-11-18: Gorgeous fall colors.

2021-11-18: A stop back in time.

2021-11-17: Biden Asks FTC to Examine Oil, Gas Companies’ Role in High Gasoline Prices - WSJ In a Wednesday letter to FTC Chair Lina Khan, Mr. Biden alleged that there is “mounting evidence of anti-consumer behavior by oil-and-gas companies.” C’mon man! Keystone XL, Green New Deal, clean …

2021-11-17: Worth the drive.

2021-11-16: Episode 215: Fall Festival We had quite an adventure this weekend and the kids talk all about it.

2021-11-16: Glasgow’s Climate of Unreality - WSJ Opinion “If [Mr. Biden] were asking them to boost their production over five years, I’d quit,” Mr. Kerry told reporters, by way of trying to square this circle. “But he’s not. He’s asking them to boost production in this immediate moment.” …

2021-11-15: Steve Bannon Surrenders to FBI to Face Contempt Charges - WSJ The indictment marks the first such criminal case for the Justice Department in decades. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said it underscored the agency’s commitment to pursuing equal justice regardless of …

2021-11-15: Apple Imposing Strict Terms on U.S. States for Digital IDs in Wallet App - MacRumors The company requires states to independently maintain the systems used to issue and service credentials, hire project managers to respond to Apple’s inquiries, verify IDs, perform quality …

2021-11-15: Scripture Before Phone - Catholic Husband Morning is a beautiful time, one that should be enjoyed slowly with good exercise, good coffee, and quiet time spent in reflection. Nothing spoils a morning like 30 minutes of swiping and scrolling. ➕

2021-11-14: Even St. Joseph needs a few friends.

2021-11-13: As with every issue, Biden claims to be a helpless bystander on inflation | Washington Examiner Opinion Just as with immigration , Afghanistan , and unemployment , Biden and his allies want us to think that he is nothing but a bystander. It can never be his fault or the fault of …

2021-11-13: Red Alert: Your Wife Just Saw A ‘Fun, Easy’ DIY Home Project On TikTok - The Babylon Bee

2021-11-12: Prosecutors Charge Trump Adviser Steve Bannon for Defying Jan. 6 Panel Subpoena - WSJ Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. “Today’s charges reflect the department’s steadfast commitment to these principles.” That pardon really got to them, huh? Many have been …

2021-11-11: ‘That Boy Was Fake-Crying!’ Says Man Who Bursts Into Tears Whenever Someone Lightly Brushes His Elbow - The Babylon Bee LeBron was then immediately knocked over by a slight gust of wind, causing him to crumple like a blade of grass.

2021-11-11: Book Review: The Common Rule 📚 The algorithm served this book up to me. I appreciate cover art, but this one is next-level good. It was going to be my summer read at the lake, but the timetable slipped. There’s something about books that reach out and grab you right where you are. It came to me at a time when …

2021-11-11: What Home-Schoolers Are Doing Right - WSJ Opinion We shouldn’t accept a public education system that offers academic achievement at the expense of a flourishing life. Education is not an end unto itself; the objective is developing well-rounded people.

2021-11-11: To all who served, and the families who stood behind them, thank you. 🇺🇸

2021-11-11: How Much Do Electric Vehicles Cost to ‘Fill Up’ Compared With Buying Gasoline? - WSJ In our look at fuel only, the driver of a Mach-E saves 4 cents to 9 cents per mile. I’ve waited for this information. A great article that takes gas vs. electricity comparison head on. On the …

2021-11-10: I missed the narrow window to see No Time to Die in theaters. I can now rent and stream the movie for $20 at home. The problem is it’s 2:43 long. Geez! 🍿

2021-11-10: Episode 214: Fall Backyard Play I catch up with the big kids playing outside during nap time.

2021-11-10: Finished reading: The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction by Justin Whitmel Earley 📚

2021-11-10: U.S. Inflation Reached 30-Year High in October - WSJ U.S. inflation hit a three-decade high in October—rising at a 6.2% annual rate 3x the Fed’s target, for those keeping score at home. Inflation also topped 5% for the fifth straight month. Transitory!

2021-11-10: Just over a week until I get to drink the real thing.

2021-11-09: The GE Empire Breaks Up - WSJ Opinion GE’s rise and fall is fundamentally a story of American capitalism. Capital flows to businesses that create the most value for investors. But success is always precarious as business and technology change. Growth requires constant …

2021-11-08: Republicans Rescue Biden’s Agenda - WSJ Opinion Without those GOP votes, the bill would have failed and Democrats would have suffered another political defeat and more recriminations. Instead, Democratic leaders are moving ahead fast to focus on their $4 trillion entitlement …

2021-11-08: Good News For Dems: Biden And Harris Now Polling At 66% Approval If You Combine Their Numbers - The Babylon Bee Experts are pointing to Biden’s stellar performance on the economy, his confident leadership, and mathematical addition as reasons why his combined approval …

2021-11-08: Dads on Duty - Catholic Husband Active, engaged, and loving fathers have the power to change the world. If only we’d let men step up to the plate and crank it out of the park. ➕

2021-11-07: 5:57am, and all four of my children are awake. Daylight Savings Time is a great idea!

2021-11-06: Infrastructure Law Seen Having Small, Positive Impact on Growth - WSJ Economist Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics estimates that by 2031, the law will have improved labor-productivity growth by 0.03 percentage point a year. $550B in new spending well spent! This is the kind of …

2021-11-05: Why the Billionaires’ Tax Matters to You, Too - WSJ This (calculating unrealized gains) so-called mark-to-market approach is used by companies, especially financial firms, in reports to investors. Most famously by the good folks at Enron! “The income-tax deferral on unrealized …

2021-11-05: Twitter on iOS Now Lets You Easily Search For Tweets From Specific Accounts - MacRumors offers users a much easier way to search for tweets from a specific user. While the ability was previously possible using the standard Twitter search field Awesome! Now I’ll be able to …

2021-11-04: Biden ‘Perfectly Comfortable’ Paying Separated Families, White House Says - WSJ President Biden is “perfectly comfortable” with his administration paying immigrant families to resolve lawsuits Yesterday he called the news of settlements “not true” and “garbage.”

2021-11-04: Democratic leaders amp up pressure on holdouts of Biden agenda - TheHill He declined to specify how many moderates remain in that category, but said it’s enough to prevent even the rule on the bill from passing if it’s brought to the floor without resolving those …

2021-11-03: House Democrats Add Paid Leave, State-and-Local Tax Deduction to Bill - WSJ The House plan would raise the $10,000 cap on the state and local deduction to $72,500 Hooo eeee! Nice to see the Democratic Party delivering urgently needed tax relief to the ultra-wealthy! But other …

2021-11-03: McAuliffe Was Right! Victorious Youngkin Pulls Off Mask To Reveal He’s Been Trump All Along - The Babylon Bee “Hello, haters and losers!” Trump yelled. “I win again! Now I’m president of this state! Forty-nine more to go!” I love the quotes they come up with. I can totally hear …

2021-11-03: Trump Forced To Start From Scratch On His ‘Dems Rigged The Virginia Election’ Speech - The Babylon Bee “Sad! Not good!” Trump reportedly exclaimed as he watched the results coming in on Newsmax. Ugh, what a waste!

2021-11-03: The latest version of the Reconciliation Bill allows the Backdoor Roth IRA to remain until couples hit that $450,000 income magic mark. If a couple makes: $208,000 or less: Direct Roth Contributions. $208,001 - $449,999: Use the Backdoor Roth $450,000+: No Roth for you! Why not …

2021-11-03: I really, really like having a HomePod on my desk.

2021-11-03: Pelosi Says House Democrats Will Add Paid Leave Back to Bill - WSJ Some Democratic lawmakers said the party’s loss in the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday underscored the need to quickly pass both the social spending and climate plan and a parallel infrastructure bill that has …

2021-11-03: Home warranties, like all warranties, are a waste of money. 💸

2021-11-02: Episode 213: Halloween Recap I finally caught up with the kids to talk about Halloween, but things got a bit out of hand. 🎃

2021-11-01: November morning.

2021-11-01: Acceptance - Catholic Husband Acceptance is the humble admission that the great plans of God are far superior to the limited ones we have for our lives. ➕

2021-10-31: Boo! 🎃

2021-10-30: American Who Got $1,200 In Exchange For Lost Livelihood Wishes He Had Just Illegally Crossed The Border For $450,000 Instead - The Babylon Bee The Biden Administration will be sending millions and millions of dollars to families who broke U.S. law and were separated at the …

2021-10-30: Code of Canon Law - Book IV - Function of the Church Liber (Cann. 879-958) Can. 916 A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity …

2021-10-30: Rookie Move: Christian Prays God Would Teach Him Patience - The Babylon Bee At publishing time, Hamperton had come up with the brilliant strategy of praying for impatience so God would put him in lots of situations where things happen really fast and efficiently.

2021-10-30: Supply Chain Crisis Solved As Each Migrant Coming Into Country Will Be Asked To Help Carry A Shipping Container - The Babylon Bee “It’s unbelievable that only a few weeks ago the White House sent my family a personal invitation, map, GPS, and detailed instructions on how to …

2021-10-29: The Climate Summit to Nowhere - WSJ Opinion It’s incongruous bordering on the bizarre to organize a summit like this while Europe is battening down for a winter fuel crisis, President Biden is begging OPEC to produce more oil, China is firing up its coal-fueled power plants amid …

2021-10-29: The American Rescue Plan was passed earlier this year with a price tag of $1.9T. Inflation is persisting longer than expected, GDP growth is anemic, and prices are accelerating. What effect do you suppose another $2.85T in spending will have on these two forces?

2021-10-29: Let’s edit.

2021-10-29: I tried to search the 2,000 page PDF of the latest version of the Build Back Better Act, but my browser kept crashing. So I downloaded it and used Preview. Same result.

2021-10-28: The Facts on Trump’s Fraud Letter - WSJ Opinion As for the media clerics, their attempts to censor Mr. Trump have done nothing to diminish his popularity. Our advice would be to examine their own standards after they fell so easily for false Russian collusion claims. They’d have …

2021-10-28: The Summer of Stagflation - WSJ Opinion But the tragedy is that the expansion would be so much faster, and so much better for so many more people, if the Biden Administration had done nothing at all. Few signs that the playbook will be re-evaluated.

2021-10-28: U.S. in Talks to Pay Hundreds of Millions to Families Separated at Border - WSJ The Biden administration is in talks to offer immigrant families that were separated during the Trump administration around $450,000 a person in compensation

2021-10-28: Facebook to Change Company Name to Meta in Focus on Metaverse - WSJ change its name to Meta to reflect growth opportunities beyond its namesake social-media platform in online digital realms known as the metaverse. This company is as evil as they get.

2021-10-28: I’m the first appointment after lunch. My appointment is halfway over. I’m still in the waiting room. Why?

2021-10-28: U.S. Economy Slowed in Third Quarter on Delta Surge, Supply Crunch - WSJ Gross domestic product grew by an annualized 2.0% Pathetic. It was the weakest quarter of growth since the recovery began in mid-2020 Bidenomics in action.

2021-10-28: Dads on duty in Louisiana show rugged individualism still works - Washington Examiner People like the dads see a problem in their community and, instead of waiting for the police or a government agency to solve it, they step up and handle it themselves. Subsidiarity in action.

2021-10-28: Janet Yellen Pops Out Of Child’s Cake To Take His Birthday Money - The Babylon Bee Janet Yellen finally crashed out a window and disappeared after Billy’s dad convinced her there was a libertarian with a walk-in safe living next door. The kid is clearly a tax cheat.

2021-10-28: Biden Pitches $1.85 Trillion Framework to Ease Passage of Parallel Infrastructure Bill - WSJ “No one got everything they wanted, including me, but that’s what compromise is,” he said. Not really a compromise when you’re negotiating against yourself. The plan includes a …

2021-10-28: I’m thankful for clean water. 💧

2021-10-28: Man Excited For Giant Refund After Claiming $1 Million Of ‘Unrealized Charitable Donations’ - The Babylon Bee The IRS has responded by sending Chuckston a tax bill for the unrealized income from that movie script he wrote but never sold.

2021-10-27: The Senator Who Cried Debt Crisis - WSJ Opinion Democrats are happy to force Republicans to do the heavy lifting to increase the debt limit when the GOP is in charge. In 2006, for example, Mr. Biden defended his vote to let America default on its obligations by condemning the …

2021-10-27: First decent walking weather in months! 🌌🍁

2021-10-26: Greenpeace co-founder joins climate change skeptics - Washington Examiner Moore said he favors reducing fossil fuel use not because of carbon dioxide emissions, which he views as beneficial, but because fossil fuels should be conserved for energy needs that only those energy …

2021-10-26: Janet Yellen Proposes Tax On Coins You Acquire In Mario - The Babylon Bee Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has formulated a brilliant new plan to pay for Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan, which still needs to be paid for even though Biden said the cost was …

2021-10-25: Young People Say Disconnect Keeps Them From Church - WSJ Ms. Qureshi, who attends both Muslim and Catholic religious services, says gender equity, immigration rights and racial justice are important to her. She thinks sexism and antigay attitudes are deeply rooted in both …

2021-10-25: The Democrats’ Wealth-Tax Mirage - WSJ Opinion The first income tax enacted after ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment in 1913 had seven tax brackets with rates from 1% on income over $3,000 ($83,972 in current dollars) to 7% on income exceeding $500,000 ($14 million). You …

2021-10-25: U.S. to Exempt Certain Foreign Air Travelers From Covid-19 Vaccine Rules - WSJ Children and people from countries with low supplies of Covid-19 vaccines will be exempt from new requirements that foreign nationals show proof of vaccination to fly to the U.S., the Biden …

2021-10-25: Tax on Billionaires’ Unrealized Gains Will Likely Be in Budget Package, Democrats Say - WSJ “I wouldn’t call that a wealth tax, but it would help get at capital gains, which are an extraordinarily large part of the incomes of the wealthiest individuals and right now escape …

2021-10-25: A Banking Regulator Who Hates Banks - WSJ Opinion Progressives are demonizing her critics as “xenophobes,” and Ms. Omarova is playing the identity-politics victim card. She claims she’s being criticized because she’s “an immigrant, a woman, a minority.” Yet Republicans confirmed …

2021-10-25: Unglued - Catholic Husband If you wonder why society has come unglued, why hated and bigotry are suddenly spotted everywhere, and it’s because of this. When we reject the fundamental sacredness and specialness of life, acting against it becomes easy and unglued. ➕

2021-10-23: The $10,000 IRS Tax Dragnet - WSJ Opinion Recall how liberals howled about the National Security Agency antiterror program that required telecom companies to share phone metadata with the feds. Now Democrats want financial institutions to help the tax collector track your cash …

2021-10-22: CNN lied about Joe Rogan and ivermectin. It regrets nothing - Washington Examiner Never mind that CNN broadcast no pro-vaccine “public service announcements” in 2020 in response to then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris’s …

2021-10-22: An Ohio Pension Manager Risks Running Out of Retirement Money. His Answer: Take More Risks. - WSJ Mr. Majeed’s retirement system posted the same 27% return WOW! All of his “management,” “alternate investments,” and analysis resulted in the exact same result as an S&P 500 …

2021-10-22: The $10,000 IRS Tax Dragnet - WSJ Opinion “The wealthy business owners are on the honor system,” Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden says. An honor system with prison as a consequence for breaking it.

2021-10-21: The Gangs of Haiti - WSJ Opinion In the 19th century, a place as desperate as Haiti might have become a U.S. protectorate to restore order and some rule of law. Nowadays that’s derided as colonialism and would be opposed by the American left. But the sad reality is that without …

2021-10-21: Liberal Parent Trying To Figure Out How To Cheer For His Son Brandon - The Babylon Bee “I try to be so careful, but every so often in the excitement, I let slip a ‘Let’s go Brandon!’” said Bailey. “Then all the parents join in chanting, the game devolves into …

2021-10-21: Experts Warn That If Children Between The Ages Of 5-11 Aren’t Vaccinated Then Pfizer Executives Won’t Get Their Sales Bonuses - The Babylon Bee “Not vaccinating your kindergartener could jeopardize their ability to make their Porsche payments, pay off their mistresses, or …

2021-10-20: Your New Woke 401(k) - WSJ Opinion According to Morningstar, the asset-weighted average expense ratio of U.S. “sustainable” funds was 0.61% in 2020 compared to 0.41% for all open-ended mutual and exchange-traded funds and 0.12% for passive funds. Rip-off.

2021-10-20: At the airport, listening for Gramma’s plane. 🛬

2021-10-20: Updating my backpack for fall. I took some time to clean my Saddle Mountain.

2021-10-20: Covid-19 Vaccine for Kids 5-11 Will Be at Pediatric Offices, Schools Once Authorized, White House Says - WSJ The Biden administration plans to make Covid-19 vaccines available to children ages 5-11 at more than 25,000 pediatric offices and primary care sites and at pharmacies …

2021-10-20: Biden’s Real Tax Target Isn’t the Superrich - WSJ Opinion But what’s blatantly not fair is to rally support by ranting about Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and private-equity billionaires while writing a bill that mostly misses them, and mostly clobbers people already paying through the …

2021-10-20: 16 Common Phrases In The News And What They Actually Mean - The Babylon Bee “Zero” = anywhere from zero to several trillion

2021-10-20: Brave Browser Says Goodbye to Google As Default Search Engine, Replaces With ‘Privacy-Preserving’ Brave Search - MacRumors Brave Search is Brave’s answer to customers wanting a “privacy-preserving” search engine, and it’s built using …

2021-10-20: Report: Facebook to Change Its Name Next Week to Better Reflect Company’s ‘Metaverse’ - MacRumors Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to shift people’s mindset around Facebook, no longer limiting it to just a social media company but to …

2021-10-19: Apple’s New $19 Polishing Cloth is Sold Out Until Late November - MacRumors My Christmas is toast if it doesn’t arrive on time!

2021-10-19: The start of something beautiful.

2021-10-18: About to clean the attic. I’m tired just thinking about it. 📦📦📦

2021-10-18: As Afghanistan Sinks Into Destitution, Some Sell Children to Survive - WSJ Desperate to feed her family, Saleha, a housecleaner here in western Afghanistan, has incurred such an insurmountable debt that the only way she sees out is to hand over her 3-year-old daughter, Najiba, …

2021-10-18: Stony Hearts - Catholic Husband When we reject God’s plan for us, we accept a lesser existence, a life with opportunities for joy and fulfillment left unrealized. We seek comfort, God seeks adventure. ➕

2021-10-17: Oceans Thirteen 🍿

2021-10-17: Gorgeous sunset.

2021-10-17: Walmart, With Eyes on Amazon, Tries to Build a Fintech Startup - WSJ Walmart launched its own mobile payment service inside its shopping app in 2015, but Walmart Pay hasn’t gained widespread use among Walmart shoppers, a disappointment to some top Walmart executives and board …

2021-10-17: Sunday sky.

2021-10-16: Due To Supply Shortages, Husbands May Need To Begin Shopping For Christmas Presents Prior To December 24 This Year - The Babylon Bee Traditionally, men have been able to rely on the strong supply of consumer goods in this country. They take for granted the fact that they can …

2021-10-16: Episode 212: Felicity Plays It’s a cool, fall Saturday morning. I catch up with Felicity playing in the backyard.

2021-10-15: Moderna Booster Shot Backed by FDA Advisory Panel - WSJ “It’s more a gut feeling rather than based on really truly serious data,” said Patrick Moore, a member of the committee and a professor of molecular genetics and biochemistry at the University of Pittsburgh School of …

2021-10-15: Former Boeing Pilot Indicted in Probe of 737 MAX Crashes - WSJ Boeing’s settlement with the Justice Department, which didn’t cite Mr. Forkner by name, stated that the misconduct by its former employees was “neither pervasive across the organization, nor undertaken by a large …

2021-10-14: Backed-Up Cargo Ships Positioned To Spell Out ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ - The Babylon Bee “Hey wow! Look at all those really big boats!” said Buttigieg while visiting the port. “Boats go vroooom! Pretty colors! I like the blue one!” He then went back home to …

2021-10-14: Boy Who Pointed Out The Emperor Has No Clothes Banned For Misinformation - The Babylon Bee Censors worked quickly, flagging his tweet with a warning that it was potentially harmful misinformation. Snopes fact-checked his claim and found that it was “mostly false,” as …

2021-10-14: A Winter of Giant Gas Bills Is Coming. Are You Ready? - WSJ According to the Energy Information Administration, nearly half of U.S. households that warm their homes with mainly natural gas can expect to spend an average of 30% more on their bills compared with last year. …

2021-10-14: Soaring tax receipts show rate hike not needed - Washington Examiner According to congressional estimates, a 25% corporate rate would raise $410 billion over the next 10 years. Corporate tax revenues rose half that amount since February, without the negative consequences of a …

2021-10-14: Biden to meet with Pope Francis in Rome - NY Post “They will discuss working together on efforts grounded in respect for fundamental human dignity, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, tackling the climate crisis, and caring for the poor,” Psaki said. (emphasis mine) The …

2021-10-14: Biden Administration Seeks to Expand Wind Farms in Coastal Waters - WSJ The U.S. is aiming by 2025 to lease up to seven tracts for wind farms in coastal waters between Maine and the Carolinas on the Atlantic Coast, off California and Oregon along the Pacific Coast and in the …

2021-10-13: Boom Times in the Beltway - WSJ Opinion Nearly every revenue stream chipped in more, except for payroll taxes, which were flat. Individual income taxes rose $443 billion, or 27.5%, to reach $2.05 trillion. That’s about 9% of the entire U.S. economy. As CBO’s monthly budget …

2021-10-12: Time to start the day.

2021-10-11: Terrifying New Halloween Mask Depicts A Human Face Not Wearing A Mask - The Babylon Bee “AHHHHH!!!”

2021-10-11: Perfect Heroes - Catholic Husband Heroes inspire us to live our lives more fully, but expecting them to be perfect is a fool’s errand. Instead, we should accept them for the good that they have done and forgive them for the mistakes that they have made. We should hope that …

2021-10-10: Nice day, perfect tree.

2021-10-10: White House Whistleblower Claims Strangers Drag Him From Place To Place And Make Him Sign Papers And Read Words On Monitors And He Hardly Gets Any Ice Cream - The Babylon Bee CNN has just released a bombshell interview with an anonymous White House whistleblower, who gave a …

2021-10-10: Google to Block Ads From Appearing Next to Content Denying Climate Change - WSJ The ban applies to “content that contradicts the well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change,” Google, the world’s largest digital-ad company by revenue, …

2021-10-09: I got Flight Simulator X working on my old iMac and I couldn’t be happier! 🛫

2021-10-09: A piece of joint artwork by Felicity and Lucy.

2021-10-09: Episode 211: Watercolors I returned from my bike ride to find two artists working outside.

2021-10-09: It’s taken four homes, but I finally have a thermostat that matches the wall and requires no trim plate!

2021-10-09: I’m very happy that this is my last day of watering-in the sod. 🌱

2021-10-09: Texas Introduces Express Lanes For Guys In Cowboy Hats Driving Lifted Pickup Trucks Alone - The Babylon Bee At publishing time, sources had confirmed you could also have up to one country girl in your pickup truck as long as you’re listening to bro-country and singing …

2021-10-08: Ships Arrive From The Orient Laden With Pumpkin Spice - The Babylon Bee It’s October, and that means women in UGG boots are crowded around the ports to catch sight of the masts of ships returning from their journey to the Orient.

2021-10-07: 17 Things With A Higher Approval Rating Than Joe Biden - The Babylon Bee Prostate exams - Uncomfortable but at least they don’t last four years.

2021-10-07: Episode 210: LEGO Research Lab Benedict invites us into his lab to discuss his latest invention.

2021-10-07: Benedict’s LEGO challenge Jack o’Lantern.

2021-10-07: Updated Bipartisan Senate Infrastructure Deal: Budgetary and Economic Effects — Penn Wharton Budget Model Overall spending on infrastructure is much larger than the increase in revenues, which leads to a 1.3 percent increase in government debt in 2031. Over time, as the new …

2021-10-06: Why didn’t the vaccine manufacturers win the Nobel Prize? - Washington Examiner Lesson: Apparently, the Nobel Committee either lives under a rock or simply doesn’t care about the coronavirus vaccine. I don’t pay attention to the Nobel prizes, but this is a really good …

2021-10-06: Democrats Float Changes to Filibuster Amid Debt Ceiling Standoff - WSJ The possibility that Republicans would drag out the debate and insist upon endless votes is why Democrats maintain it would be too risky to use the approach, because it could put the U.S. too close to running …

2021-10-05: Imran Khan Explains Money Saved In Offshore Tax Haven Was To Buy Pakistani People A Big Present - The Onion “I didn’t tell anyone because I wanted it to be a nice surprise,” said Khan, who added that his cabinet members, key financial backers, and other political allies had only …

2021-10-04: Facebook’s hours-long outage had zero effect on me. The good life!

2021-10-04: Episode 209: New School Week Another showcase of the poetry and prayer memorization that the kids practiced.

2021-10-04: Stock Funds Finally Had to Struggle - WSJ Gold-oriented funds, always volatile, dropped 12.3% in the quarter, including 8.9% in September, to leave them with a 17% decline for the year to date. Gold: a terrific inflation hedge!

2021-10-04: Month of the Rosary - Catholic Husband Praying the Rosary every day doesn’t require any planning, strategizing, or optimization. It only requires 15 minutes and the willingness to accept the grace of stillness. ➕

2021-10-03: Keto bagel and lox on the menu for Sunday Brunch.

2021-10-03: Democrats’ Tax Plans Worry High-Income Business Owners - WSJ About half the benefit of the pass-through deduction goes to households in the top 1% of the income distribution, according to the Tax Policy Center. I strongly dislike how this measure of “benefit” of a particular …

2021-10-02: The Babylon Bee’s Predictions For 2021 - The Babylon Bee October 11 - ISIS takes over all of Canada Just checking in. Looks like this month is going to be a doozy!

2021-10-01: German Catholic Leaders Support Blessings for Gay Couples, Challenging Pope Francis - WSJ At a meeting in Frankfurt, German church leaders voted 168 to 28, with five abstentions, to adopt a draft statement on sexuality that includes a resolution saying that “same-sex …

2021-10-01: Troll farms reached 140 million Americans a month on Facebook before 2020 election - MIT Technology Review In the run-up to the 2020 election, the most highly contested in US history, Facebook’s most popular pages for Christian and Black American content were being run by …

2021-09-30: Ok, Boomer.

2021-09-30: Lordstown Motors to Sell Former GM Factory in Ohio to Foxconn - WSJ The two companies have entered into a nonbinding agreement for Lordstown to sell the facility and property for a purchase price of $230 million with the exception of certain assets, said Lordstown Motors Chief …

2021-09-30: Congress Passes Bill Averting Government Shutdown - WSJ Congress passed a bill extending government funding through Dec. 3, sending the legislation to President Biden’s desk hours before current funding expires and completing one of several pressing measures before lawmakers. …

2021-09-30: Book Review: A Catholic Guide to Spending Less and Living More 📚 Sam and Rob, although neither of those are their real first names, are parents of 14 living in Maryland. Sam stays home with her kids and Rob works at a tech company. Many of their kids are grown and gone, but a few are still living at home, working their way through school. This …

2021-09-29: Manchin Statement On Infrastructure And Reconciliation Negotiations - U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia If there is one final lesson that will continue to guide me in this difficult debate ahead it is this: America is a great nation but great nations throughout history …

2021-09-29: The NCAA’s ‘March Madness’ Basketball Brand Will Now Include Women - WSJ The NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament next March will use the “March Madness” branding long associated with the men’s tournament, the NCAA announced Wednesday, reversing the association’s …

2021-09-29: New FAA Technology Aims to Speed Takeoffs of Planes Idling on Runways - WSJ The software tools are expected to be available at 27 larger airports around the country within five to 10 Wow! That fast?!

2021-09-29: The color orange makes me happy.

2021-09-28: Currently reading: The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction by Justin Whitmel Earley 📚

2021-09-28: Army Football’s Winning Record In Jeopardy As General Milley Keeps Giving Opponents Their Playbook - The Babylon Bee “I have always believed it’s important to give your opponent a heads up on whatever your secret plans are,” said Milley to reporters

2021-09-27: Joe Biden’s Economic Fantasy World - WSJ Opinion The Biden bill is paid for by the largest tax increase in history. You are entitled to argue that is a cost worth paying, but you can’t argue it costs nothing. It’s also fantasy to believe that taxing productivity comes at …

2021-09-27: Finished reading: A Catholic Guide to Spending Less and Living More: Advice from a Debt-Free Family of 16 by Rob & Sam Fatzinger 📚

2021-09-27: I love the patterns this spreadable butter has when you open a fresh container. 🧈

2021-09-27: Do Nothing - Catholic Husband The busyness of the waking hours keeps us all moving. While I have a lot to do, maybe I need to add “Do Nothing” to my list. Permission to stop, pull one of my kids aside, and do nothing with them for a few minutes. ➕

2021-09-26: In a Troubled U.S.-China Relationship, Moments of Pragmatism Emerge - WSJ That it appears to have taken a high-stakes deal to spring the Canadians from Chinese jails is a worry for some expats in China, who say Beijing may be emboldened to detain other foreigners in future …

2021-09-25: It wasn’t easy, but we got it done! Sod installed, dirt patch gone!

2021-09-24: Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou Reaches Deal With Justice Department - WSJ On Friday night, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said two Canadians held in Chinese custody since December 2018, or when Ms. Meng was initially detained— Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor —had boarded a …

2021-09-24: What the ‘Smart Money’ Knows About China’s Evergrande Crisis - WSJ Between its inception at the end of 1992 and this Aug. 31, the MSCI China stock index has returned an average of 2.2% annually, including dividends. Over the same period, the MSCI Emerging Markets index grew 7.8% …

2021-09-24: White House ‘Zero’ Hour - WSJ Opinion We didn’t know that when you pay for something that makes it free. Hey Alison, if you’re reading this, I’m ready for a truck. And don’t worry, “it’s going to cost nothing!” In the real world, Congress’s …

2021-09-24: Vindication Over Hunter’s Emails - WSJ Opinion This is barely a scoop, since neither Hunter Biden nor Joe Biden’s campaign denied last year that the laptop provided to the Post by Rudy Giuliani was Hunter’s. Both men counted instead on the rest of the media to serve as a cordon …

2021-09-24: All Haitian Migrants Cleared From Del Rio, Texas, Border Camp - WSJ Biden, talking about the images of Border Patrol using horses for crowd control, “It sends the wrong message around the world. It sends the wrong message at home. It’s simply not who we are,” Mr. Biden said. …

2021-09-24: House Passes Bill to Protect Abortion Rights, Countering Texas Restrictions - WSJ The Women’s Health Protection Act would stop states from enacting restrictions on abortion before fetal viability. Women can only achieve health if they’re guaranteed the unlimited ability …

2021-09-24: Retirement Savers Love the Backdoor Roth IRA Strategy. It Might Not Last. - WSJ The legislation also proposes eliminating Roth conversions of after-tax contributions to traditional individual retirement accounts starting Jan. 1, 2022. Classic Washington: aim at billionaires, …

2021-09-24: Kamala Harris Deeply Troubled By Images Of Haitian Migrants At Border Whom She Distinctly Remembers Telling Not To Come Here “It is absolutely heartbreaking to give a speech in which I explicitly directed migrants not to approach the U.S.–Mexico border and then have them show up …

2021-09-23: Book Review: Living Metanoia 📚 Fr. Dave, the author, is a Franciscan friar and the current president of Franciscan University of Steubenville, my alma mater. I picked up his new book on a whim as a late summer read. There is plenty of humor mixed throughout this quick read. I’ve never met Fr. Dave, but his …

2021-09-23: Speaking on the passage of an amendment that added $30B to next year’s defense budget: “We ask Americans and people in this country, year after year, to engage in magical thinking that defense spending comes at no real cost. It does,” said Ms. Ocasio-Cortez We really are …

2021-09-23: House Set to Pass Defense-Policy Bill With Military-Justice Provision - WSJ a requirement for young women to join men in registering for the military draft. No discussion, no public debate, just silently sneaking it into a massive bill that no one’s read.

2021-09-23: Voters Want to Curb the Influence of Big Tech Companies, New Poll Shows - WSJ 83% of Democrats and 78% of Republicans—agreed the federal government “needs to do everything it can to curb the influence of big tech companies that have grown too powerful and now use our data to …

2021-09-22: Powell’s Reappointment Credential - WSJ Opinion The median personal-consumption expenditure inflation estimate for 2021 by the Fed board and presidents rose to 4.2% on Wednesday—up from 3.4% in June, 2.4% in March, and 1.8% in December. Think of how many economists the Fed …

2021-09-22: The New Government Basic Income - WSJ Opinion Millions of Americans have received checks from the IRS this year, and no doubt they like the money. But this is like free starter chips at the casino. The point is to condition American families to government benefits before the …

2021-09-22: Idiot Immigrants Enter Country Legally - The Babylon Bee They spent their entire life savings, worked for years, took the citizenship test, and now they will have to work hard and start businesses and follow the rules. Like a bunch of suckers. According to sources, they will now …

2021-09-22: Went for a ride after dinner, first time in almost a year. Absolutely gorgeous evening, and fun! 🚴🏻‍♂️

2021-09-22: It’s the most wonderful season of the year! 🍂

2021-09-22: Biden Calls Democrats to White House as Party Splinters on Spending Plans - WSJ White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the president would be “meeting with, engaging with, speaking with a range of members over the coming days in this pivotal period of time.” …

2021-09-21: How Renters Made Out in the Pandemic - WSJ Now, in a belated disclosure, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports that renters’ finances improved during the pandemic. In other words, the eviction ban was never needed. Some targeted, locally driven help: yes. Blanket, en …

2021-09-21: Just another robot invention. 🤖

2021-09-21: Justice Department Preparing to Challenge American-JetBlue Alliance - WSJ Across administrations, the Justice Department for years has been concerned that airline competition is dwindling Me, too. But the facts tell a different story. Travelers can stay on a single airline for …

2021-09-21: Last day of Summer! ☀️

2021-09-21: App Library on iPad is very nice.

2021-09-20: Texas doctor performs abortion, despite state law banning abortions - USA Today In an op-ed in The Washington Post, Dr. Alan Braid of San Antonio said he performed the abortion on Sep. 6 This story shows how completely messed up this entire debate is. A licensed physician uses …

2021-09-20: Pfizer, BioNTech Say Covid-19 Vaccine Is Safe for Children Aged 5 to 11 - WSJ Pfizer and BioNTech said they hadn’t yet determined vaccine efficacy—how well it protects against Covid-19—for children in the age group. So don’t waste your time reading any of these articles.

2021-09-20: The paradox of the keto diet is that while it can feel restrictive in the universe of all available foods, there’s plenty of really delicious low-carb foods. Breakfast: fried egg sandwich with avocado and havarti cheese. 🥑

2021-09-20: Currently reading: A Catholic Guide to Spending Less and Living More: Advice from a Debt-Free Family of 16 by Sam Fatzinger 📚

2021-09-20: Nine - Catholic Husband The plans that we set nearly a decade ago and the hard work that it took to accomplish those plans is starting to show results. In a sense, we’re settling in to the life that we spent nine years building. ➕

2021-09-19: Finished reading: Living Metanoia: Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in Christ by Fr. Dave Pivonka TOR 📚

2021-09-19: Taking a child, he placed it in their midst, and putting his arms around it, he said to them, “Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.” Mark 9:36-37

2021-09-18: Built a gate today. Not bad!

2021-09-18: Update: Drone Strike Thought To Have Taken Down ISIS Actually Hit A Chuck E. Cheese In Ohio - The Babylon Bee The Biden administration has unleashed another devastating strike on ISIS-K, blowing one of their hideouts to smithereens. A righteous strike!

2021-09-17: U.S. Military Acknowledges Kabul Drone Strike Killed 10 Civilians, Including Seven Children - WSJ The acknowledgment of the botched airstrike also underscored likely limitations of future U.S. counterterrorism efforts in the country. Military officials have insisted that they …

2021-09-17: General Milley Is Releasing A Revised Version Of ‘The Art Of War’ – And We’ve Got Exclusive Excerpts - The Babylon Bee “Keep your friends close and your enemies on speed dial.”

2021-09-17: Enraged Joel Osteen Flips Over Tables Being Used To Give Bibles Away Instead Of Selling His Book - The Babylon Bee He said to them, “My house will be called a house of profit, but you are making it a den of prayer!” Not cool. He fashioned a whip out of his collectible neckties …

2021-09-16: General Milley Rides Through Streets Of Beijing Shouting ‘The Americans Are Coming!’ - The Babylon Bee “Hey look, those Chinese generals are my buddies, they deserve fair warning—I’ve known them for ten years now, and they are always so nice to me. They were super …

2021-09-16: Amazon Is Doing It. So Is Walmart. Why Retail Loves ‘Buy Now, Pay Later.’ - WSJ “Our goal is financial inclusion for all,” said Julia Unger, Walmart’s vice president of financial services. No, your goal is higher sales.

2021-09-16: Benedict’s creature creation.

2021-09-16: Episode 208: Poetry We’re done with school for the week, so I caught up with the kids working on creative play. Benedict has a poem to share.

2021-09-15: Yellen, IRS Push Democrats to Require Banks to Report Taxpayers’ Annual Account Flows - WSJ Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig pressed lawmakers Wednesday to give the Internal Revenue Service more information about taxpayers’ bank accounts, as …

2021-09-15: Facebook Tried to Make Its Platform a Healthier Place. It Got Angrier Instead. - WSJ A proprietary algorithm controls what appears in each user’s News Feed. It takes into account who users are friends with, what kind of groups they have joined, what pages they have liked, which …

2021-09-15: Newsom Orders New Lockdown So French Laundry Will Be Available For Victory Dinner - The Babylon Bee According to sources, California’s middle-class mail-in ballots are really excited for their mail-in ballot kids to keep wearing masks at school, and for their mail-in …

2021-09-14: Record Number Of Americans Converting To Whatever The One Religion Is That Doesn’t Allow Vaccines - The Babylon Bee President Biden said that his wife is a doctor and she got the injection, no big deal. Plus, Pfizer’s CEO has estimated that the naturally immune getting …

2021-09-14: Woman Attending Ultra-Exclusive Gala For The Elite In Expensive Designer Dress Lectures Nation On Inequality - The Babylon Bee At publishing time, the woman had momentarily considered that maybe she is actually part of the wealthy bourgeoisie and not an oppressed minority, but …

2021-09-14: Labor Shortages Give Low-Pay Workers a Raise. Inflation Eats It Up. - WSJ Overall consumer prices rose 5.3% in August from a year earlier, a slightly slower pace than in June and July but still near a 13-year high, said the Labor Department. That means that for the …

2021-09-14: Democrats rush tax bills through Congress - Washington Examiner Congress spent a year and a half drafting and passing the Tax Reform Act of 1986. The Ways and Means Committee worked for six months on the bill before it went to the floor. Yet, in the next few days, the committee …

2021-09-14: The fact that Apple rearranges the cameras on iPhone every year for no other purpose than to signal that you have the latest phone is so telling of how pointless the upgrade is.

2021-09-13: Joe Biden’s Presidency Is Incredible—No, Really - WSJ Opinion Remember that vaccine that Kamala Harris said a year ago she probably wouldn’t take because Donald Trump was responsible for it? Well, now she and her boss say we’ve all got to take it or else the federal government …

2021-09-13: Democrats Release Details of Proposed Tax Increase - WSJ The changes, when combined with the expanded child tax credit available to households with no income, make the income-tax system much more of a tool for redistribution, said Lawrence Zelenak, a law professor at Duke …

2021-09-13: TransUnion Nears $3.1 Billion Deal for Neustar - WSJ The Biden administration has also signaled interest in establishing a government-backed consumer-credit firm. This is the first I’ve heard of this, but we already have 3 major credit reporting firms and a handful of smaller …

2021-09-13: When A Child Prays - Catholic Husband When a child prays, they do it simply. They don’t have an agenda, they surrender to the moment and to the weight of the words. They don’t try to come up with a better prayer or a fancier verse, they adhere to the simplicity that is given to …

2021-09-12: 2x4 is neither 2 nor 4.

2021-09-11: 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room 🍿 It took twenty years for the date to become meaningless to a lot of people. President George W. Bush Today we commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the attacks of September 11th. Two decades on, the events of that day continue to have profound impacts on our lives as …

2021-09-11: Carter’s does not deserve to continue as a going concern.

2021-09-10: Biden Unveils ‘Your Body, My Choice’ Vaccination Program - The Babylon Bee Companies will be forced to comply with the mandate until the Supreme Court strikes it down in a few hours.

2021-09-10: The Wrong Way to Target Corporate Excess - WSJ Capping executive pay at a certain ratio would raise problems too. Consider two similarly compensated CEOs, Daniel O’Day of Gilead Sciences and James Quincey of Coca-Cola. Mr. O’Day makes 76 times his average employee’s pay while …

2021-09-10: Democrats Advance Plan to Require Employers to Offer Retirement Plans - WSJ Roughly half of American households are at risk of seeing their standard of living decline after retirement, according to Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research. But wait, I thought this is why …

2021-09-10: Democrats Float Partnership, Buyback Taxes to Fund $3.5 Trillion Spending Plan - WSJ “This proposal simply reduces complexity by closing loopholes that allow those at the top to pick and choose when, and whether, to pay tax,” Mr. Wyden said. This quote perfectly encapsulates …

2021-09-09: Democrats Advance Plan to Require Employers to Offer Retirement Plans - WSJ Starting on Jan. 1, 2023, the provision would require employers to deduct at least 6% from workers’ paychecks and automatically increase that savings rate by 1 percentage point a year until reaching 10% …

2021-09-09: Transforming America in 17 Days - WSJ Opinion FDR’s New Deal programs were passed incrementally over two presidential terms with overwhelming Democratic majorities. Democrats created the Great Society over two years with supermajorities. ObamaCare was hashed out over nine months …

2021-09-09: Biden Administration Sues Texas Over Its Abortion Law - WSJ “This kind of scheme to nullify the Constitution of the United States is one that all Americans, whatever their politics or party, should fear,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a news conference announcing the …

2021-09-09: Biden to Boost Vaccine Requirements for Large Employers, Federal Workers to Combat Covid-19 - WSJ White House officials have said the president won’t mandate vaccinations for every American Just every American with a job.

2021-09-09: Biden Administration Unveils Plan to Cut Prescription-Drug Prices - WSJ To spur new drug innovations, the administration would launch an agency at the National Institutes of Health to drive biomedical breakthroughs. Mr. Biden requested $6.5 billion for three years in his fiscal …

2021-09-08: I will never understand fashion photography. Staged, awkward, unnatural, and unclear.

2021-09-08: Doctors Join the Climate Lobby - WSJ Opinion Medical journals are supposed to be forums for doctors to publish research and debate ideas. But like traditional media outlets, many are finding it harder to control their political bias. Now some 200 journal editors are showing …

2021-09-07: Taliban Unveil New Afghan Government - WSJ In an appointment that would complicate any recognition of the new government by Western nations, Sirajuddin Haqqani, designated a global terrorist by Washington because of close links between al Qaeda and the Haqqani network that he …

2021-09-07: Cool and beautiful on my walk this morning for the first time in months. The dog days of summer are over and my favorite season is just around the corner! 🍁

2021-09-06: Get Smart 🍿

2021-09-06: Incremental Progress - Catholic Husband Life is incremental progress, the great work of perfecting ourselves in the model of Christ. Conversion happens slowly, incrementally, and imperceptibly. ➕

2021-09-05: Weekend project complete: Build and hang new shutters.

2021-09-04: Fun squirrel sighting in the front yard. 🐿

2021-09-03: U.S. Payroll Growth Slowed in August - WSJ Frustrated by the lack of employer interest and understanding his jobless benefits were slated to end in September, Mr. Abdo hired a professional resume writer. His revamped application helped him quickly land a job. Growth …

2021-09-03: Fact check: Biden honored service members during dignified transfer - USA Today Based on our research, we rate MISSING CONTEXT the claim that Trump saluted the caskets of fallen U.S. service members, while Biden checked his watch. The way Biden honored the 11 caskets presented …

2021-09-03: Today is Day 90 of keto. Down 25 lbs. 🥓

2021-09-03: Hospitals Swamped With Delta Cases Struggle to Care for Critical Patients - WSJ Normally, Ozarks Community Hospital would have been able to transfer the patient within a day, Mr. Taylor said. Now the hospital is rushing to assemble the staff and equipment to create a makeshift …

2021-09-02: Why I Won’t Support Spending Another $3.5 Trillion - WSJ Opinion Instead of rushing to spend trillions on new government programs and additional stimulus funding, Congress should hit a strategic pause on the budget-reconciliation legislation. Uh, Senator, is this a bad time to …

2021-09-02: Episode 207: Coffee Adventure We went on an adventure to check out a new coffeeshop in town and enjoyed some delicious pastries! The kids also finished their first week of school and share what they learned.

2021-09-02: Psaki: ‘A Record 331 Million Americans Have Not Been Abandoned In Afghanistan’ - The Babylon Bee Critics pointed out that Biden did not uphold his promise to rescue all Americans, and on top of that gave those still trapped one less day to attempt the dangerous road …

2021-09-02: Republican Politicians Vow To Get Real Mad And Stuff Following Afghanistan Crisis - The Babylon Bee They will then send a bunch of angry emails to their email lists saying how angry they are—with links to donate to their reelection campaigns. So true.

2021-09-02: White House Solves Budget Crisis By Renting Out Ad Space On Biden’s Back - The Babylon Bee “Your brand will be seen by millions of Americans as they anxiously wonder what the president has to say about Americans we’ve left stranded abroad, inflation, the …

2021-09-02: SPAC Rout Erases $75 Billion in Startup Value - WSJ Over the same span, an exchange-traded fund that tracks companies that recently went public through initial public offerings slid 12%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 13%. Boring wins.

2021-09-01: The Proposal 🍿

2021-09-01: The Entitlement State’s Bankruptcy Dates - WSJ The Trustees report is shouting not to expand entitlements when you can’t pay for the ones you have, but today’s politicians don’t care.

2021-09-01: Cleaning my favorite window in the house.

2021-09-01: Spirit Halloween Sets Up Shop In Abandoned U.S. Military Bases In Afghanistan - The Babylon Bee “Sorry if it seems too soon,” said CEO Samuel Svengoolie, “but this is what we do. We have satellites in space constantly monitoring the surface of the earth for …

2021-08-31: It’s great to see the Taliban playing with all of the tools and toys that I bought them.

2021-08-31: China Limits Online Videogames to Three Hours a Week for Young People - WSJ The new regulation, unveiled by the National Press and Publication Administration, will ban minors, defined as those under 18 years of age, from playing online videogames entirely between Monday and …

2021-08-31: Climate Change to Be Treated as Public-Health Issue - WSJ Asked how HHS would reduce carbon emissions from healthcare facilities, Mr. Becerra said: “We will use every authority to its greatest advantage because it is time to tackle climate change now.” Not much going on in the …

2021-08-31: U.S.’s Pledge to Fight Terrorists in Afghanistan Will Be Harder Without Boots on the Ground - WSJ U.S. officials acknowledge the military has lost 90% of the intelligence collection capabilities it had using drones before the drawdown of forces began in May. Probably not a good …

2021-08-31: Robinhood Stock Drops After SEC Chairman Warns on Payment for Order Flow - WSJ SEC Chairman Gary Gensler in which he said a full prohibition of payment for order flow was “on the table” as part of a broader agency review. What’s this? A former Goldman banker doesn’t like the …

2021-08-30: Joe Biden Bets on Cynicism - WSJ Opinion When Mr. Biden announced in April that we were pulling out, he promised it wouldn’t be a “hasty rush to the exit,” that it would be done “responsibly, deliberately and safely” in “full coordination with our allies and partners.” The next …

2021-08-30: Last Flight From Kabul - WSJ Opinion The Washington Post reports that, amid the Afghan government’s collapse, the Taliban offered to let the U.S. provide security in Kabul. Mr. Biden and the U.S. military said all they needed was the airport. No comment necessary.

2021-08-30: Bernie Sanders Runs Out of Billionaires - WSJ Opinion If Mr. Sanders were to confiscate every asset of every American billionaire— Jeff Bezos’s rockets; Elon Musk’s bitcoin; Larry Ellison’s boats; Oprah Winfrey’s houses; Ted Turner’s ranches; Jay-Z’s car collection; even the …

2021-08-30: Last U.S. Troops Leave Afghanistan After Nearly 20 Years - WSJ Despite assurances to the contrary by Mr. Biden and other top administration officials, Americans and Afghan allies were left behind, though the State Department couldn’t provide precise figures.

2021-08-30: St. Joseph trophy for recognizing good work at school.

2021-08-30: Episode 206: First Day of School The kids are back to learning. Will there be a second day of school?

2021-08-30: Krispy Kreme Focuses on Reducing Debt, Delivering Fresher Doughnuts - WSJ Before those acquisitions, the Krispy Kreme doughnuts sold at grocery and convenience stores were often between four and seven days old And boy did it show! They were shiny and gross. 🍩

2021-08-30: You Are Living in the Golden Age of Stupidity - WSJ Opinion The slow-motion zombies’ assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6 was a fittingly stupid finale to the Trump years, which offered dueling stupidities: Buy one, get one free. The political parties became locked in a four-year …

2021-08-30: Good on the President and his senior leaders for making the trip to Dover to recieve home the remains of the troops we lost last week. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. 🇺🇸

2021-08-30: Building Momentum - Catholic Husband I don’t give momentum a lot of credit, but that’s because it’s the silent partner of success. By taking the excuses off the table, it’s easier to just do what I had planned than it is to rationalize why I shouldn’t. ➕

2021-08-29: North Korea Appears to Have Restarted Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor - WSJ “This report underscores the urgent need for dialogue and diplomacy so we can achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” the official said. 30 years of dialogue and diplomacy landed us …

2021-08-28: Op-Ed: I Have To Write This Quickly As The Taliban Is Breaking Into My Building But Biden Is Doing A Great Job - The Babylon Bee Now, it might be hard to see the larger picture over the shouting and gunfire just below me, but this operation has gone about as well as it possibly …

2021-08-28: Biden: ‘We Are Not Negotiating With Terrorists, We’re Just Giving The Taliban Whatever They Ask For’ - The Babylon Bee The Taliban guy - who by the way, was a lot friendlier than some of you so-called journalists - asked if we could leave on August 31st because …

2021-08-27: I’m glad it’s not just for me, but UPS Ground’s new strategy of letting a box sit at the destination facility for an entire day (3 if it arrives on a Friday morning) before delivery is way not cool. 📦

2021-08-27: White House More Than Doubles Its Inflation Forecast in New Update - WSJ The Office of Management and Budget said it expects consumer prices will rise 4.8% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, up sharply from the 2% rise that the Biden administration forecast in May. …

2021-08-27: Texas House Passes Voting Bill - WSJ The bill limits early voting hours to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. VOTER SUPPRESSION!!!!!!!

2021-08-27: Hat tip to the product team at Coke for their improvements to the taste of Coke Zero! 🥤

2021-08-27: Business Groups Withdraw Suit Challenging Health-Price Transparency Rule - WSJ “I asked the Chamber, why would a self-funded employer not want transparency in healthcare pricing?” she said. Because local competitors will simply raise their prices to match the highest prices in …

2021-08-27: U.S. Household Income Jumped in July as Spending Slowed - WSJ The checks could boost Americans’ spirits at a time when consumer sentiment surveys show concerns have risen about the Delta variant, Mr. Brusuelas said, and as inflation rises. Totally misses the point. Inflation is …

2021-08-27: Notice to Developers: You Could Be Entitled to Between a $250 and $30,000 Payment From Apple - MacRumors As part of the settlement, some U.S. developers would be entitled to receive a payment from Apple, so long as they meet certain requirements. Wow! I’ve never seen a class …

2021-08-27: The New Employer Benefit: Matching Emergency Savings - WSJ Recently, Ms. Dillon amassed enough in her emergency account to purchase a computer. Not an emergency.

2021-08-27: Americans At Mercy Of Taliban Just Glad We Don’t Have A President Who Posts Mean Tweets Anymore - The Babylon Bee “I’m just glad we have a real leader in the White House now, who doesn’t say mean things on Twitter,” said one man sheltering in a …

2021-08-26: Biden Says U.S. Will Respond to Kabul Attacks; ‘We Will Hunt You Down’ - WSJ The White House has been frustrated by criticism of the withdrawal and has been emphasizing the scope of the airlift mission in Kabul. The problem is that the Administration put itself into the …

2021-08-26: The Kabul Airport Massacre - WSJ Opinion Mr. Biden is telling Americans that Afghanistan won’t again become a terror haven, but it already is.

2021-08-26: Unnatural pauses, rambling, looks of confusion, and rhetorical meandering. The physical embodiment of this entire disaster. This was not the speech for the moment.

2021-08-26: Amortization tables are fun to play with.

2021-08-26: Kabul Airport Explosions Kill Four U.S. Troops, at Least 13 Afghans - WSJ Thursday’s bombings were the first major security incidents since the Taliban took power in Kabul and began dismantling the blast barriers and other security installations that had been erected to thwart …

2021-08-26: What Are Joe Biden’s Fixed Principles? - WSJ Opinion In his public appearances, Mr. Biden, who is properly chary of giving press conferences lest he lapse into one of his infamous gaffes, has come more to resemble the puppet in a ventriloquist’s act.

2021-08-25: Cauliflower has never looked so good.

2021-08-25: In Kabul, Private Rescue Efforts Grow Desperate as Time to Evacuate Afghans Runs Out - WSJ And countless Afghans who thought the U.S. would protect them after having assisted the U.S.-led coalition forces in the past two decades are now realizing that they will most likely be …

2021-08-25: Afghan Evacuation Drama Nears End, as Aug. 31 Deadline Approaches - WSJ Many aid organizations have been told by Western governments that evacuation flights won’t continue past Friday, as the U.S. military will need the days remaining until the Aug. 31 deadline to remove its own …

2021-08-25: Biden’s Guest Hosting Of ‘Jeopardy!’ A Disaster As He Flees Every Time A Contestant Puts An Answer In Form Of A Question - The Babylon Bee “Sorry,” he said while exiting the stage, “my staff says if I answer any questions, I don’t get ice cream.”

2021-08-25: Delta Air Lines to Impose $200 Monthly Surcharge for Unvaccinated Employees, Add Testing Requirements - WSJ to pay an extra $200 each month. The company said the additional charge will help to cover hospital stays that are more likely for unvaccinated people infected with …

2021-08-24: CIA Chief William Burns Met With Senior Taliban Figure in Kabul - WSJ CIA Director William Burns met secretly with the Taliban’s top figure in Kabul on Monday amid a chaotic U.S. effort to evacuate American citizens and Afghans allied with the U.S. in advance of an Aug. 31 …

2021-08-24: A Taliban 9/11 - WSJ So a question for those who still believe Mr. Biden was right to pull us out: Do they also believe his assurances that our loss of on-the-ground intelligence, an air base in a strategic part of the world, and an ally instead of an enemy in Kabul will all be …

2021-08-24: Fitbit Charge 5 Tracker Design and Features Leaked in New Video - MacRumors Google-owned Fitbit appears to be readying an update to its Charge fitness tracker lineup Fitbit still exists?

2021-08-23: U.S. Struggles to Count Its Citizens in Afghanistan as Biden Weighs Withdrawal Delay - WSJ The Taliban are currently screening documents on behalf of the U.S. outside the Kabul airport, and there is concern that the group may raise objections when it comes time to evacuate …

2021-08-23: Episode 205: Summer Winding Down We’re back from a late summer break to see what all of the kids are up to.

2021-08-23: The Monk and the Merchant - Catholic Husband Most of us are not called to the missionary field. Most of us are not called to travel to Haiti after an earthquake, or to Kabul to save people from the shadow of a dictatorial theocracy. But we are called to help. We can make a …

2021-08-22: iCloud storage management is the absolute worst.

2021-08-21: U.S. Considers Ordering Commercial Airlines to Help in Afghan Evacuation - WSJ The White House is expected to consider activating the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, or CRAF, created in 1952 in the wake of the post-World War II Berlin Airlift, to provide nearly 20 commercial jets from …

2021-08-21: Really starting to notice the days shortening. Last week until School is back! ✏️

2021-08-20: It is very hard to: A) Be a homeowner, and: B) need to find a good local contractor, and: C) not have Facebook. Why does every business think that having a Facebook page is enough of a web presence? 🏡

2021-08-20: The Democratic Food-Stamp Boom - WSJ A 2018 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined diet quality of food-stamp beneficiaries and similar low-income individuals who didn’t receive the handouts from 2003 to 2014, a period in which average benefits …

2021-08-20: Taliban Seize U.S. Weapons in Afghanistan, Stockpiling Helicopters, Guns and Trucks - WSJ “It is unconscionable that high-tech military equipment paid for by U.S. taxpayers has fallen into the hands of the Taliban and their terrorist allies” Does anyone have the number for the …

2021-08-19: It’s remarkable how different iOS/iPadOS look in greyscale. Instanteous sensory relief.

2021-08-19: Paying With a Credit Card? That’s Going to Cost You. - WSJ Large retailers generally don’t surcharge and instead pass credit-card fees along via price increases. Higher prices for everyone, just so Visa and MasterCard can get their cut.

2021-08-18: Perfectly Good Cookie Dough Ruined By Putting It In Oven - The Babylon Bee They frantically looked around for the spoon to lick, but it was too late, as she’d already rinsed it out. What a waste!

2021-08-17: These economic numbers are so lame. We should be on an absolute rocket right now.

2021-08-16: Joe Biden’s speech: Blame assigned to Trump, Afghan civil government, soldiers in the Afghan National Army Took 18 minutes to accept some measure of responsibility Passing mention of cascading humanitarian disaster Don’t worry, we’ll use diplomacy with the …

2021-08-16: US officials say 7 killed in Kabul airport evacuation chaos - WTOP A senior U.S. official said “it’s heartbreaking” to see what’s happening in Kabul, but that President Joe Biden “stands by” his decision to pull out because he didn’t want the war there — already the longest in …

2021-08-16: Humble Fatherhood | Catholic Husband Fatherhood is not about being the boss, but about accepting responsibility with love. It’s hard to do perfectly, but I can probably do a better job of it tomorrow. ➕

2021-08-15: SiriusXM makes it so hard to cancel service. Always annoying.

2021-08-15: Biden Officials Blame Trump Administration, Security Forces for Afghanistan Collapse - WSJ “The fact of the matter is, we’ve seen that that force has been unable to defend the country, and that has happened more quickly than we anticipated.”

2021-08-15: Nancy Pelosi Looks at Advancing Infrastructure and Budget Framework Simultaneously - WSJ This will put us on a path to advance the infrastructure bill and the reconciliation bill Oh look, they’re linked.

2021-08-14: Nice time with my son at Troops of St. George this morning. 🌲

2021-08-13: Currently reading: Living Metanoia: Finding Freedom and Fulfillment in Christ by Fr. Dave Pivonka TOR 📚

2021-08-13: Apple’s Software Chief Explains ‘Misunderstood’ iPhone Child-Protection Features (Exclusive) - WSJ I like Craig. I’ve never trusted him less. How is it possible that Apple is so incapable of explaining these changes? It’s like they’re trying to hide the ball. Apple’s parental …

2021-08-13: Remarks by President Biden on the Drawdown of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan - The White House There’s going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of a embassy in the — of the United States from Afghanistan. It is not at all comparable. (July 8, 2021) …

2021-08-12: Book Review: The Cult of We 📚 My favorite section of The Wall Street Journal is Business & Finance. I followed the collapse of WeWork day by day as it happened. A few weeks ago, there was a longer piece, adapted from this newly released book, detailing the inside story. I ordered a copy. When it arrived, …

2021-08-11: Beautiful summer afternoon.

2021-08-11: Finished reading: The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion by Eliot Brown & Maureen Farrell 📚

2021-08-11: White House Urges OPEC to Boost Oil Output Amid Covid-19 Economic Recovery - WSJ The White House urged OPEC to boost oil production Wednesday, saying recent planned increases are insufficient as countries around the world seek to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. NO NEW …

2021-08-11: Covid-19 Rent-Relief Program Marred by Delays, Confusion, Burdensome Paperwork - WSJ More than seven months after it was launched, the biggest rental assistance program in U.S. history has delivered just a fraction of the promised aid to tenants and landlords struggling with the …

2021-08-10: My drone skills are getting better, but I need to be better about lighting.

2021-08-10: Congress Excited To Find Out What They Just Spent $1.2 Trillion On - The Babylon Bee The $1.2 trillion dollar spending bill, which comes on the heels of a $1.4 trillion dollar spending bill, which came on the heels of a $1.9 trillion spending bill, but will precede a proposed …

2021-08-09: My son illustrated a book. On one of the pages, he drew a picture us at the dinner table. He illustrated me saying, “I love you, Benedict.” The message is received.

2021-08-09: Environment | Catholic Husband I want my children to see books throughout their day, pictures and statues of saints, and beautiful art on our walls. I want an environment that quietly draws us into prayer, meditation, and reading throughout the day. ➕

2021-08-08: Biden’s Electric-Car Ambitions Face Real-World Roadblocks - WSJ Tax incentives can help bridge the price difference between gasoline and electric vehicles at the dealership I can’t wait for my income tax bill to increase so that I can subsidize my neighbor’s new car!!!!!

2021-08-07: Student-Loan Payment Relief Extended to Early 2022 - WSJ The Education Department said that this would be the final extension. Where have I heard this before?

2021-08-06: Lawn mowed, car washed. Ready for the weekend!

2021-08-06: Privacy Whistleblower Edward Snowden and EFF Slam Apple’s Plans to Scan Messages and iCloud Images - MacRumors That’s not a slippery slope; that’s a fully built system just waiting for external pressure to make the slightest change.

2021-08-05: CBO Estimates Infrastructure Bill Would Add $256 Billion to Deficits - WSJ the roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill would widen the federal budget deficit by $256 billion over 10 years, contradicting negotiators’ claims that the cost of the legislation would be covered by new …

2021-08-05: Apple Plans to Have iPhones Detect Child Pornography, Fueling Privacy Debate - WSJ Apple has made the security it offers users on its iPhones and some other devices a key element of its pitch to consumers, adding ever more features to safeguard their privacy. But now we’re …

2021-08-04: Legal Battle Looms Over New Eviction Moratorium - WSJ President Biden said legal experts he had consulted were of mixed opinion but the “bulk of the constitutional scholarship says that it’s not likely to pass constitutional muster.” So heck, I signed the dang thing anyway.

2021-08-04: Did a little tax planning this morning. Almost screwed that up!

2021-08-04: Bernie Sanders: Why We Need the $3.5 Trillion Reconciliation Package - WSJ Opinion It helped jump-start the economy, which grew in the second quarter at an annualized rate of 6.5%. Sanders is claiming the $1.9T party-line approved spending blowout is owed full credit for this …

2021-08-03: Biden Administration Issues New Eviction Moratorium - WSJ The CDC said its new order will last through Oct. 3, “but is subject to further extension, modification, or rescission based on public health circumstances.” Two takeaways: 1) This means at least 19 months of unpaid rent …

2021-08-03: Time to do some YNAB housekeeping. 💵

2021-08-02: Federal Labor Official Recommends Alabama Amazon Workers Hold New Vote, Union Says - WSJ Roughly 71% of workers who voted rejected the union. That’s some cheating!

2021-08-02: Man Surprised To Learn Babylon Bee Has Full Articles To Go With The Headlines - The Babylon Bee Sadly, Reed lost his job as he spent the rest of the afternoon and evening reading as much content as he could possibly consume on The Babylon Bee’s website. Luckily, every …

2021-08-02: Second New Year - Catholic Husband Back-to-school time is like a second chance new year. We can reorient, restart, and refresh our goals. That’s what I’m doing. ➕

2021-08-01: This blog is so much more interesting when I’m on vacation.

2021-07-31: My daughter very meticulously plucked the sprinkles off of the top of her cake before diving in. I’m so proud!

2021-07-30: The Last Days of Osama bin Laden - WSJ He (bin Laden) explained that killing President Barack Obama was a high priority, but he also had General David Petraeus, at that time the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, in his sights. Bin Laden told his team not to bother with plots …

2021-07-30: CDC Says New Mask Guidelines Informed by Cape Cod Outbreak - WSJ “If you’re vaccinated and you get infected and you have a fever and you’re hacking up a lung and you have a sore throat—no one would question that in that case, you need to wear a mask,” Dr. Jha said. “The real …

2021-07-30: Dreaming of quiet mornings at the Lake.

2021-07-29: Pfizer Admits The True Vaccine Is The Friends We Made Along The Way - The Babylon Bee The spokesman concluded the press conference by urging everyone to get a third Pfizer shot, preferably prior to the end of the company’s fiscal third quarter on September 30.

2021-07-29: The U.S. Economy’s Prospects Looked Bright, Until the Delta Variant Surged - WSJ Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of U.S. goods and services produced, grew at a 6.5% annual rate in the second quarter, up slightly from a 6.3% growth rate in the first three months of …

2021-07-29: Episode 204: Lucy House While at Lake Michigan, Lucy started to describe a house that she owns. I sat down to get some more details.

2021-07-29: Finally found a duplicate finder for Photos.app that works. Just a few minutes and I deleted 1,100 photos/videos and freed up 35gb. Not bad for $10!

2021-07-28: First blades of grass.

2021-07-27: Who Wants to Mask Up for Delta? - WSJ Opinion If you are a vaccinated person going about your business in most respects, it is not your job to compensate for others’ unwillingness to be vaccinated.

2021-07-27: CDC to Urge Vaccinated People to Resume Masking Indoors in Some Areas - WSJ Some in the administration and outside public health experts have said they were concerned that revising the masking guidelines could sow doubt among the vaccinated about the efficacy of the vaccines. …

2021-07-26: Spiritual Wokeism - Catholic Husband The Christian life isn’t about a life lived perfectly. It’s embracing our human flaws and, through grace, living out our vocation fully despite them. ➕

2021-07-25: Getting ready to roll out website updates. Really glad to finally have consistent colors!

2021-07-24: Trump Sneaks Back Into White House Hidden Within Trojan Ice Cream Cone - The Babylon Bee With Biden distracted, Trump has taken up residence in the Oval Office and is now issuing executive orders. A delightful read to start my weekend.

2021-07-23: It took me 6 months, but I finally got my expansive Evernote library exported. It was mostly PDFs and my personal writings. I moved the PDFs to iCloud Drive and the writing to Ulysses.

2021-07-22: Mulch and soil delivered this afternoon. Looks like a busy weekend.

2021-07-21: Currently reading: The Cult of We: WeWork, Adam Neumann, and the Great Startup Delusion by Eliot Brown & Maureen Farrell 📚

2021-07-21: 3 people on how ending the COVID-19 student-loan forbearance will impact their lives and finances - Business Insider For me, the forbearance period was a taste of what cancellation would feel like. The conversation around student loans, I think, focuses too much on the …

2021-07-21: Nelnet Bank: Because we did such a great job managing your student loans! 🏦

2021-07-20: Pure Michigan Three years ago, we took our first family vacation to Lake Michigan. It was the fateful trip that launched my 1,000 Days of Haiku project. We missed last year due to the arrival of Veronica. This year, though, we were all back together. We shared the week in the same house as …

2021-07-19: Wet welcome. ⛈

2021-07-19: Satan Confirms Hell Only Serves Pepsi Products - The Babylon Bee As one new entrant to Hell arrived, he exclaimed in horror, “AGH, IT’S SO HOT AND MY TONGUE IS ON FIRE, COULD I PLEASE GET A COKE!?” “Sorry,” said a demon on the wait staff, “we only serve Pepsi.” The lost soul …

2021-07-19: Ready to get home. 🏡

2021-07-19: Lazy Summer Days - Catholic Husband God created many things. Indeed, that first week was full of much of the busyness that we know so well. But the seventh day, even He set that entire day aside to see what He made and that it is good. I should do the same. ➕

2021-07-18: Time to start the long journey home. 🛣

2021-07-17: Until next time. 🏖

2021-07-17: Winding down.

2021-07-17: Saturday at the Lake.

2021-07-17: Cities Try to Phase Out Gas Stoves—but Cooks Are Pushing Back - WSJ “But to say that an electric stove is as good as a gas one is misunderstanding the art of cooking.” Yes.

2021-07-16: Fire on the beach.

2021-07-16: Episode 203: Live On The Shore Lucy just came in off the Lake and chatted about going out on the water. Also, a special shoutout for Gramma!

2021-07-16: Quiet morning.

2021-07-16: Vacation makes for interesting blogging. Perhaps I’ll work a bit more on making my day-to-day blogging more interesting, too.

2021-07-15: Goodnight, folks!

2021-07-15: Child Tax Credit Payments Totaling $15 Billion Arrive for Millions of Americans - WSJ “We are trusting these families. We provide the dollars,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio). “Just so we’re clear, Senator, we provide the dollars.” - Every Taxpayer But loading benefits …

2021-07-15: Sleeping on the Shore The weather this week is fantastic! A few passing showers here and there, but nothing close to the washout that the forecast called. Last night, heavy rains moved through the region and stirred up the lake. We kept the windows open while all the weather and wind moved around us. …

2021-07-15: Flying kites. 🪁

2021-07-15: Finally getting around to developing a Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. So boring!

2021-07-14: Storm brewing. ⛈

2021-07-14: Episode 202: Summer Treats A walk on the beach this morning, a trip to the bakery this afternoon.

2021-07-14: Flying Drones on Vacation I bought my first drone last summer. I was last in the cockpit of an airplane more than two years ago, and this seemed like the perfect hobby for me. Not only that, but I use my technical skills to proficiently operate the Small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS). Although I’m not up …

2021-07-14: Afternoon work station. 👨🏻‍💻

2021-07-13: Colorful close.

2021-07-13: Episode 201: Kayaking on Lake Michigan We went out on the boats and I expected the kids to be much more chatty about it.

2021-07-13: Afternoon float.

2021-07-12: Feeding time. 🐄

2021-07-12: To the Lake - Catholic Husband I’m slowing my pace, relaxing, and restoring. My life will fill up again soon after we return home. But for this week, all I have to do is nothing. ➕

2021-07-11: Sunset on Lake Michigan.

2021-07-11: Little feet, big lake.

2021-07-11: Amber waves of grain.

2021-07-10: Sitting in my guest room, windows open, listening to the sound of the waves lap against the sandy beach.

2021-07-10: Sunset on a county road.

2021-07-10: Defense Contractor Tearfully Welcomes Home Beloved Drone From Afghanistan - The Babylon Bee Veteran war drones are finally being reunited with their loving defense contractors at General Atomics, the manufacturer of the Predator Drone. I love the yellow ribbons on all of the …

2021-07-10: Americana.

2021-07-10: Local brew. ☕️

2021-07-09: Biden Dusts Off Bush’s Old ‘Mission Accomplished’ Banner To Mark Victory In Afghanistan - The Babylon Bee President Biden will land his go-kart in the disabled parking spot at the local ice cream parlor, which will proudly display the banner. Another great day …

2021-07-08: ‘Financially Hobbled for Life’: The Elite Master’s Degrees That Don’t Pay Off - WSJ Recent film program graduates of Columbia University who took out federal student loans had a median debt of $181,000. Yet two years after earning their master’s degrees, half of the borrowers …

2021-07-08: My quiet week at home is coming to an end. I’m surprised how much I was able to get done. Great vacation starts tomorrow! 🏖

2021-07-08: Michael Avenatti Faces Sentencing for Trying to Extort Millions From Nike - WSJ Thursday’s sentencing caps just one of Mr. Avenatti’s legal battles. He also faces a litany of tax and bank charges in California with a trial set to begin next week in federal court in Santa Ana, …

2021-07-08: Based On LEGO Evidence, FBI Believes Capitol Rioter Was Also Planning Attack On Hogwarts Castle | The Babylon Bee Alvarez said a review of Morss’ online social media accounts show him to be a staunch supporter of Lord Voldemort, believing that Albus Dumbledore was fraudulently …

2021-07-08: Book Review: To Be A Father with Saint Joseph 📚 Continuing with the Year of St. Joseph, I saw this title on the Magnificat website and picked it up. It was a good premise, but not my style. Fabrice Hadjadj is a French philosopher, father of nine, and regarded as one of the great modern Catholic thinkers. He is also a poet. He …

2021-07-07: Mission: Impossible - Fallout 🍿

2021-07-07: Finished reading: To Be A Father with Saint Joseph by Fabrice Hadjadj 📚

2021-07-07: OPEC, Biden and Gas Prices - WSJ Opinion President Biden’s explicit policy goal is to reduce U.S. oil and gas production, limiting the global supply of fossil fuels in the name of fighting climate change. Yet his Administration is now imploring the OPEC oil cartel to pump more …

2021-07-07: Sha’Carri Richardson Is Left Off the U.S. Olympic Team - WSJ “All USATF athletes are equally aware of and must adhere to the current anti-doping code, and our credibility as the National Governing Body would be lost if rules were only enforced under certain circumstances.” We …

2021-07-07: Updated Death Certificates Require Choosing Between COVID, Climate Change, Or Systemic Racism As Cause Of Death - The Babylon Bee Biden then immediately tripped and fell down the stairs, almost dying of climate change.

2021-07-06: Biden, Psaki To Go Door To Door On Bikes Asking If You Have A Moment To Talk About Getting Vaccinated - The Babylon Bee “Excuse me, sir, do you have a moment to talk about our Lord and Savior Dr. Fauci, and the salvation of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & …

2021-07-06: Democrat Baker Sued For Refusing To Write ‘TRUMP WON’ Message On Cake - The Babylon Bee “All I wanted was to have a Trump-themed birthday,” said Mr. Nelson. “We had it all set up– pin the crack pipe on Hunter, a Mike Pence piñata– then the baker …

2021-07-06: To Improve Public Perception, Kamala Harris Taking Likability Lessons From Hillary Clinton - The Babylon Bee In a last-ditch effort, Hillary encouraged Kamala to start her own email scandal to keep everyone distracted and focused on something else.

2021-07-06: I love having a HomePod on my desk.

2021-07-06: Just finished getting all of my Catholic Husband blog posts into Ulysses. If that app ever goes away, I’m in big trouble.

2021-07-05: Rain incoming.

2021-07-05: There’s nothing like a clean house! 🏡

2021-07-05: 10 Great Ways To Spend The $0.16 You Saved On This Year’s Barbecue - The Babylon Bee Send it to the government to help pay down the national debt: Chip away at that pesky national debt– that grew by $2 billion while you were reading this sentence.

2021-07-05: Local coffeehouse, hot July afternoon, cold brew.

2021-07-05: A Quiet House - Catholic Husband Children are a beautiful gift and a source of great joy. ➕

2021-07-04: Yes, Trump Really Did Lose Michigan - WSJ Opinion As Democrats regained power after the 2016 election, Mr. McBroom writes, “they were quick to utilize all of it to spend two years chasing every conspiracy and specious allegation.” He adds: “I pray my own party will not repeat …

2021-07-04: Just hit print on the rough draft of the first issue of my upcoming magazine. Another great milestone!

2021-07-04: Gender Inequality: Women Will Only Save 12 Cents On Their Cookouts This Year - The Babylon Bee This is because for every 16 cents a man saves on his cookout, the average woman will only save 12 cents.

2021-07-04: A More Perfect Union The Declaration of Independence is one of the most consequential documents ever produced. The blueprint for America, the document espouses the central tenants of the Natural Law in perhaps its most well-known sentence: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are …

2021-07-03: Goldeneye Enjoying in 4K HDR! 🍿

2021-07-03: Older Americans Stockpiled a Record $35 Trillion. The Time Has Come to Give It Away. - WSJ Peter Buffett said his father tells him he disagrees with some of his views about capitalism but respects his opinion. His dad makes a killing over a lifetime, gives his son $1B of the …

2021-07-03: Episode 200: Summer Vacation Our big trip starts tomorrow. But first, a little celebration!

2021-07-03: Student-Loan Holders Get Piecemeal Relief From Biden Administration - WSJ Some borrower advocates say many people can’t afford to resume payments, or are unwilling because they have come to expect a chunk or all of their debt will be forgiven. Huh. Now where did they get that …

2021-07-02: “Hey, let’s number little kid and big kid shoe sizes using the exact same digits!” A real idiot

2021-07-02: Bill Gates Announces He Too Will Go To Space Once His Rocket Is Finished Installing Updates - The Babylon Bee Gates remains undaunted and has promised there are only 22 days, 22 hours, 37 minutes remaining until launch. No, wait– 5 days, 5 hours, 29 minutes …

2021-07-02: California’s Growing Cultural Blacklist - WSJ Opinion More than 35% of Americans outside California now live in one of the boycotted states. Great! Not much longer until representatives from California’s government aren’t allowed to travel anywhere to share their terrible …

2021-07-02: President Biden doesn’t enjoy answering questions about the continued US withdrawal and the simultaneous Taliban advances. I don’t blame him. It’s a total mess. This was his call, and he owns it. 20 years is a long time. So is the 68 years we’ve been in South Korea. So is the 76 …

2021-07-02: Summer showers. 🌧

2021-07-02: Team USA Sprint Sensation Sha’Carri Richardson Fails Drug Test and May Miss Olympics - WSJ Sprinting star Sha’Carri Richardson, the best American hope for gold in the women’s 100 meters at the Tokyo Olympics later this month, failed a doping test for a chemical found in …

2021-07-02: Fun month for the calendar magnets.

2021-07-02: U.S. Shuts Down Bagram Air Base as Afghanistan Pullout Speeds Up - WSJ “We consider [the] evacuation of all U.S. forces from Bagram a positive step,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said Friday That’s all you need to know.

2021-07-01: Apple Activity Coaching: “Close all 3 rings 31 times this month to earn this award!” What a ridiculous goal. The monthly challenge feature is so broken, it’s clear that Apple put zero thought into it.

2021-06-30: And just like that, half of 2021 is over.

2021-06-29: Supreme Court Says Students Who Identify As Teachers Must Be Allowed To Use Teacher’s Lounge - The Babylon Bee since self-identifying as a teacher clearly makes him a teacher, the ban violated his rights under the Equal Employment Opportunity Act.

2021-06-29: Professors Say Proper Grammar Is Racist. This Is Why Their Wrong - The Babylon Bee This is why their wrong.

2021-06-28: Episode 199: Doctor Lucy I went in for a check-up and things did not go according to plan.

2021-06-28: Kim Jong Un Lost Some Weight—and North Koreans Are Alarmed - WSJ South Korean officials have recently said they noticed no significant change to Mr. Kim’s health. Let’s check with the pre-eminent breakers of all North Korean news, TMZ, and get their take.

2021-06-28: Regret - Catholic Husband I prefer not to have good years and bad years, I want great years. I want years when I have the energy and clarity of mind to take care of my kids, my household, and still have enough gas in the tank to play. ➕

2021-06-27: Currently reading: To Be A Father with Saint Joseph by Fabrice Hadjadj 📚

2021-06-27: I just finished the first draft of my latest project. I always get a great sense of relief when I hit this milestone in the publishing process.

2021-06-27: Americans Are Leaving Unemployment Rolls More Quickly in States Cutting Off Benefits - WSJ Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said the benefits were helpful during the height of the pandemic, but their continuation has “worsened the workforce issues we are facing.” Well, well, well. The …

2021-06-26: I washed the windows today. That was terrible.

2021-06-25: 90 Percent of Student Loan Borrowers Say They’re Not Ready to Restart Payments: Survey - Newsweek A new survey from the advocacy group Student Debt Crisis found that 9 in 10 borrowers are not prepared to start paying off their loans again on October 1. They’ve been …

2021-06-25: Book Review: The Mindful Catholic 📚 I’m planning on getting back into my mindfulness routine as the other pieces of my wellness routine fall into place. I picked this book up sometime last year and just now got around to reading it. Written by a clinical psychologist, Dr. Bottaro did an excellent job combining the …

2021-06-25: Saving for Retirement? Now You Can Bet on Bitcoin. - WSJ In a recent survey of more than 500 financial advisers conducted by the Financial Planning Association and two other organizations, 14% of the advisers said they use or recommend cryptocurrency Maybe a good time to fire …

2021-06-24: Finished reading: The Mindful Catholic: Finding God One Moment at a Time by Gregory Bottaro, Ph.D. 📚

2021-06-24: Party Controlling Executive, Legislative Branches Blames Minority Party For Everything Going Wrong - The Babylon Bee “We could have resisted Donald Trump at every turn, but we chose to take the high road and helped him make America great again,” Pelosi said. “And how do those …

2021-06-24: The start of something delicious. 🥚🧀🍄🧅

2021-06-23: Huge Spike In Americans Buying F-15s After Biden Suggests You’ll Need Them To Overthrow Government - The Babylon Bee All over the nation, American citizens were seen parking their brand-new F-15s in their driveways and garages. I almost picked one up on GovDeals, but I …

2021-06-23: Renters Could Collect Home Down-Payment Points With Credit Card - WSJ The card program also attempts to incentivize non-rent spending by increasing the rewards for rent when cardholders spend more on everything else. Mastercard declined to elaborate further on how it will profit …

2021-06-23: Afghan Government Could Collapse Six Months After U.S. Withdrawal, New Intelligence Assessment Says - WSJ The U.S. intelligence community concluded last week that the government of Afghanistan could collapse as soon as six months after the American military withdrawal from the …

2021-06-23: Biden Administration Removes Fannie, Freddie Overseer After Court Ruling - WSJ The White House decision to replace Mark Calabria as head of the FHFA paves the way for President Biden to install his own appointee to oversee Fannie and Freddie, which are regulated by the agency …

2021-06-23: Book Review: Financial Boot Camp 📚 I added the White Coat Investor Podcast to my playlist a few months ago and really enjoy the show. The content is pretty wonky in a way that’s good. Ideas and insights are offered for me to think about and very specific questions are answered completely. I decided to throw this …

2021-06-23: Fresh cut.

2021-06-23: Apple Says Allowing Sideloading on iPhone Would Expose Users to Serious Privacy and Security Risks - MacRumors Apple added that allowing sideloading would potentially force users to accept privacy and security risks, because some apps necessary for work, school, or other tasks …

2021-06-22: Finished reading: The White Coat Investor’s Financial Boot Camp: A 12-Step High-Yield Guide to Bring Your Finances Up to Speed by James M Dahle 📚

2021-06-22: The Attack on an Alzheimer’s Drug - WSJ Opinion The hostility to Aduhelm illustrates the healthcare paternalism of American progressives. They believe we spend too much money on old people. They want to put the government in charge of paying for all health care, and then put …

2021-06-21: There is a direct correlation between the amount of time I spend reading books and the amount of writing I do.

2021-06-21: Users Underwhelmed by iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, Survey Suggests - MacRumors Less than one percent of respondents thought that iMessage’s “Shared with You” feature, Health app upgrades including fall-risk metrics and data sharing, and improvements to Apple Maps with …

2021-06-21: Son built a LEGO with a flag.

2021-06-21: Today will be my 2,000th consecutive day of journaling.

2021-06-21: A Father’s Love - Catholic Husband The true measure of a man, and his success as a father, begins simply. It’s his presence. In words and deeds, on good days and bad, he’s there, ready to give his family whatever they need. ➕

2021-06-20: The Filibuster Helps Nobody, and That Means You - WSJ Opinion Eliminating the Senate filibuster would end the freedom of America’s political innocents. The lives that political nobodies spend playing, praying, fishing, tailgating, reading, hunting, gardening, studying and caring …

2021-06-20: I bought 30 cedar planks from Lowe’s on May 25th to be delivered to my house tomorrow. I paid $7.32 per board. I just checked the price: they’re now selling for $11.57 each. That’s a 58% price increase in four weeks. Buckle up, America.

2021-06-20: I woke up just before midnight with a bad dream about a home invasion. As I got back into bed and the thoughts started to cloud up, I remembered my mindfulness training and was able to quiet things down in just a few minutes. Nice tools to have!

2021-06-20: I’d set an informal deadline to publish something in September. I didn’t think I was going to make it, but all of the sudden, it’s possible again!

2021-06-20: Colorado Lets Cities Set Their Own Gun Laws, and Boulder Plans to Move Quickly - WSJ Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation Saturday making Colorado the first state to repeal what is known as a pre-emption law. This is terrible. Pre-emption laws dramatically reduce the …

2021-06-19: Currently reading: The Mindful Catholic: Finding God One Moment at a Time by Gregory Bottaro, Ph.D. 📚

2021-06-19: Tips to Stop Your Kids From Using Your Credit Card on Videogames - WSJ “I thought we had an agreement with our boys that if they were interested in buying something, they’d ask us.” You mean a 10 and 12 year old didn’t do exactly as they were told? Gasp! This article should be …

2021-06-19: Treat for the summer readers.

2021-06-19: Future of U.S. Healthcare Is Playing Out in Nevada - WSJ Nevada recently adopted a law that increases the state’s role in healthcare Healthcare and health insurance are completely different things. Still not sure why over a decade later we haven’t figured this out.

2021-06-18: Book Review: Black List 📚 I was looking for something a little light as summer begins and my beach trip draws near. I forgot how dark these books can get. It was a fine read but, you know, I was looking for escapism, not dread. Would I recommend: NO ISBN: 978-1439193020

2021-06-18: Bishops Advance Effort That Could Restrict Communion for Biden - WSJ The controversial measure, which had drawn objections from the Vatican and from Pope Francis’s strongest allies among the U.S. bishops, required only a simple majority but passed with 73%, or 168, of the 229 …

2021-06-18: HUD Aims to Boost Homeownership for Buyers With Higher Student Debt - WSJ The surge in student debt over the past two decades has coincided with historically low homeownership rates among younger households. So the solution is to loan more money to people who are already having …

2021-06-17: Is There a Central Banker in the House? - WSJ Opinion Near-zero rates and asset purchases were sold as a response to the pandemic emergency. With Covid-19 fading and the economy’s health improving, shouldn’t the Fed be returning quickly to normal—or at least to a slightly less …

2021-06-17: Finished reading: Black List by Brad Thor 📚

2021-06-17: Episode 198: Dungeon An episode that almost never aired.

2021-06-17: ProPublica’s Plan for a Poorer America - WSJ Opinion ProPublica laments that taxpayers are acting “perfectly legally” in not paying a federal wealth tax, which doesn’t exist. Experts in conflation wrote that PP piece Private investment has created $32 trillion of equity wealth …

2021-06-17: I didn’t think that moving my daughter to sleep in the office would be so disruptive to my productivity. Totally worth the quiet sleep at night, tho. 🛌

2021-06-17: Supreme Court Exempts Catholic Foster-Care Agency From Nondiscrimination Law - WSJ Philadelphia prevailed in lower courts, but the Supreme Court, particularly with the arrival of three Trump appointees since 2017, has repeatedly found that secular laws and regulations must yield …

2021-06-17: Book Review: Father Brown Reader 📚 These short mystery stories were adapted from GK Chesterton’s originals. They were challenging to read at times, but overall well done. Good book to read aloud with your kids. Would I recommend: YES ISBN: 978-0976638674

2021-06-16: The California and Texas Greenouts - WSJ Opinion Millions of Texans lost power in February amid an Arctic blast that froze power plant equipment including wind turbines. Climate activists blamed fossil-fuel plants for not rescuing the state though they supplied power that more …

2021-06-16: Number of things on AppleTV+ I’d like to watch: 0. Number of dollars I’ve paid for months of access: $0. Coincidence?

2021-06-16: Global Tax Deal Holdouts Face Squeeze Under Biden Administration Plan - WSJ The Shield is closely tied to the rest of the Biden agenda. The harder it is for corporate income to escape the U.S., the easier it is for Democrats to raise the corporate tax rate without driving …

2021-06-15: Kim Jong Un Attends Ivy League University To Learn New Brainwashing Techniques - The Babylon Bee According to experts, Ivy League schools in America boast the world’s finest anti-Western propaganda and brainwashing techniques. The North Korean dictator expressed hope that …

2021-06-15: Plants are remarkably resilient.

2021-06-14: Day One was bought by Automattic, thus highlighting the impermanence of technology. You just can’t trust that a tool that you use today will be around or function in the same way tomorrow.

2021-06-14: Sprinting - Catholic Husband Long-term goals are challenging to stick with, but they tend to be the most important ones in our lives. Along the way, especially in the lonely middle, it’s tempting to get lazy or even give up. The hope for a better tomorrow starts to wane. But as …

2021-06-13: At G-7 Summit, Boris Johnson Can’t Shake Off Brexit - WSJ President Biden, while reaffirming the special relationship with Britain, made a show of striking up a close partnership with French President Emmanuel Macron and described the EU as “incredibly strong and vibrant.” …

2021-06-13: High-Speed Trader Virtu Fires Back at Critics Amid Meme-Stock Frenzy - WSJ Payment for order flow is fundamentally flawed because it poses a conflict of interest for brokers, said Tyler Gellasch, executive director of Healthy Markets Association, a trade group for institutional …

2021-06-13: People Who Ruined World’s Economies Gather To Discuss How To Fix World’s Economies - The Babylon Bee The very people who implemented anti-science policies that simultaneously did nothing to stop COVID and ruined millions of livelihoods gathered to enjoy their triumph …

2021-06-13: The Babylon Bee Guide To Crypto - The Babylon Bee You never have to worry about using your wallet because there’s no physical money to keep track of. All you have to do is remember one simple 38-character hexadecimal password, answer the bridgekeeper’s five three …

2021-06-12: Low Taxes Brought Ireland Prosperity. A Global Tax Deal Now Threatens It. - WSJ Should the G-7 reforms take effect, other, poorer countries would be barred from following Ireland’s path to greater prosperity.

2021-06-11: Currently reading: Black List by Brad Thor 📚

2021-06-11: Why We Can’t Move On From Jan. 6 - WSJ Opinion If you weren’t appalled by what happened that day, you have given up on American democracy. What an asinine thing to say.

2021-06-11: Apple Subpoenas Prompt Democratic Call for William Barr, Jeff Sessions to Testify - WSJ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff have called for an investigation into the Justice Department’s pursuit of the communications data, first …

2021-06-10: Cryptocurrency Comes to Retirement Plans as Coinbase Teams Up With 401(k) Provider - WSJ ForUsAll Inc., a 401(k) provider, announced earlier this month a deal with the institutional arm of Coinbase Global Inc., a leading cryptocurrency exchange, that will allow workers in plans …

2021-06-10: Finished reading: The Father Brown Reader: Stories from Chesterton by G.K. Chesterton 📚

2021-06-10: The Ruthless Cyber Gang Behind the Hospital Ransomware Crisis - WSJ Hospitals now depend heavily on computers after an aggressive push in the last dozen years to digitize patient records and as manufacturers increasingly add features to connect medical devices over computer …

2021-06-10: Episode 197: Super Kids My children disappeared and there superheroes are suddenly in my house.

2021-06-10: America’s Energy Gift to Dictators - WSJ Opinion Electric vehicles would have to make up 60% of worldwide car sales by 2030, according to a recent International Energy Agency report. “You have 800 million people who do not have access to electricity. You can’t say that they have …

2021-06-09: Making Estimated Tax Payments with IRS DirectPay is really easy. They do a good job of making sure that the payments are credited properly.

2021-06-09: Book Review: Redefining Anxiety 📚 To my knowledge, this is Dr. John Delony’s first book. It was billed as a “Quick Read,” and it was. Short, to the point, pretty practical. Dr. Delony has two doctorates, one of which is in counseling. He writes about his personal experience with anxiety and then shares some of …

2021-06-09: Keystone XL Oil Project Abandoned by Developer - WSJ It is a win for environmentalists who have campaigned to block new pipeline construction as a way to limit oil consumption that contributes to global warming. We are on a bullet train to human misery with nothing but artist …

2021-06-09: SEC Pursuing Broad Review of Stock-Market Structure, Chairman Says - WSJ The Securities and Exchange Commission is considering changing rules that govern how U.S. stocks are traded, including pricing incentives that exchanges and brokers use to attract orders, Chairman Gary …

2021-06-08: Republicans Propose Vaccination-By-Mail Program - The Babylon Bee “Everyone will be able to receive the vaccine without having to miss work to travel to a vaccination site where they will wait in line for hours,” McConnell noted. “Best of all, nobody will be subjected to any …

2021-06-08: IRS Is Investigating Release of Tax Information of Wealthy Americans - WSJ ProPublica, a nonprofit news organization, published details about the reported income and tax payments of some of the richest Americans Very low class. “The big picture is this data shows that the …

2021-06-08: One of the defining features of Ancient Greek philosophy is it’s willingness to be challenged, questioned, and explored. Many of the great texts from this school are nothing more than dialogues between two or more characters debating its merits. The enduring lines of human …

2021-06-07: iOS 15 ‘iCloud Private Relay’ Feature Won’t Be Available in China, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and More - MacRumors Courage!

2021-06-07: On the privacy front, it was good to see that Apple is still taking the fight to tracking. Last year: websites and apps. This year: email marketers.

2021-06-07: Did Louis DeJoy take over for Tim Cook because they really mailed in the updates at WWDC this year.

2021-06-07: Faith Enrichment - Catholic Husband If we want our kids to grow up into mature adults who take ownership of their faith, we need to go the extra mile in exposing them to it while they’re young. ➕

2021-06-06: Finished reading: Redefining Anxiety: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and How to Get Your Life Back by Dr. John Delony 📚

2021-06-06: The odds that Apple will roll in with iOS 15 and have food tracking and mindfulness be on par with LoseIt! or Headspace are about 0%. Look at how lame sleep tracking is on watchOS. Basically meaningless.

2021-06-06: I could not get this salad out of my head on my walk.

2021-06-05: G-7 Nations Agree on New Rules for Taxing Global Companies - WSJ For advocates, a minimum tax rate would end what they say is a “race to the bottom” in recent decades as countries engaged in competitive rounds of tax cuts to draw businesses away from each other. In other words, …

2021-06-05: Facebook’s New Trump Rules - WSJ Opinion This comes the week after Facebook was forced, in embarrassing fashion, to reverse its censorship of commentary about the origins of the coronavirus after the “expert” consensus ruling out a lab leak collapsed. Still hard to believe that …

2021-06-05: Apple Staff Complain About Plans for Return to Office Work in Letter to Tim Cook - MacRumors Without the inclusivity that flexibility brings, many of us feel we have to choose between either a combination of our families, our well-being, and being empowered to do our best work, …

2021-06-04: While Student Loan Payments Are Paused, Do These Things With the Extra Money - TIME Experts say now is the time to stop holding your breath for student loan relief and instead focus on getting your finances in order. Gasp.

2021-06-04: Morning show. 🎭

2021-06-04: Not sure why Trump shut down his blog. Judging the value of a website based on “social interactions” is a huge mistake.

2021-06-03: Nice contrast on the front door. 🦩

2021-06-03: Given the maturity of HomeKit, I still get accessories saying “No Response” way too frequently.

2021-06-02: Israel-Gaza Conflict Spurs Bitcoin Donations to Hamas - WSJ The Palestinian militant group Hamas has seen a surge in cryptocurrency donations since the start of the armed conflict with Israel last month, a senior official with the group said, exploiting a trend in online …

2021-06-01: Nice to have help on doctor appointment days!

2021-05-31: Summer is here. ☀️

2021-05-31: Team - Catholic Husband Marriage is broadly misunderstood, either as a committed friendship or some sort of business arrangement. There’s something very romantic about teamwork that’s so natural that it’s almost imperceptible. We’re a team in every sense of the word. ➕

2021-05-30: I know that I’m a long time away from being able to fully focus at Mass. So the days when family are around to help, it’s very nice.

2021-05-29: Kids are very excited about special visitors!

2021-05-28: Biden Budget Said to Assume Capital-Gains Tax Rate Increase Started in Late April - WSJ President Biden’s expected $6 trillion budget assumes that his proposed capital-gains tax rate increase took effect in late April, meaning that it would already be too late for high-income …

2021-05-28: Biden Budget Plan Would Remove Ban on Federal Funds for Abortion - WSJ The president’s budget, released Friday, doesn’t include the 1976 Hyde Amendment, which bars federal funding for abortion Unity! While this marked the first time in decades that a president sought to strip …

2021-05-28: Amazon and Walmart Have an Rx for Healthcare. The Cure Won’t Be Easy. - WSJ Artificially high costs are passed on to patients, employers and taxpayers in the form of higher premiums and deductibles. And because many Americans get insurance via their employer, those who are …

2021-05-27: It’s a Travesty to Compare the Capitol Siege to 9/11 - WSJ Opinion We are living in perilous times. When a modern democracy deploys forces of intimidation—whether government, corporate media or cultural institutions—to promote the ruling majority’s propaganda, it is time for …

2021-05-27: Facebook Now Banning Anyone Who Says Virus Wasn’t Created In Wuhan Lab - The Babylon Bee Mark Zuckerberg, may he live forever, announced the change from his royal throne today to a group of reporters gathered in his royal throne room. This total reversal is one of the …

2021-05-27: Apple Watch Series 3 Owners Now Required to Perform Restore When Updating Due to Storage Constraints - MacRumors Apple Watch Series 3 owners who update their devices to a new version of watchOS are prompted to unpair and re-pair the Apple Watch from the iPhone during the update …

2021-05-27: U.S. Won’t Rejoin Open Skies Treaty With Russia - WSJ The Biden administration has decided not to rejoin the Open Skies agreement with Russia after concluding that Russian violations of the deal and failure to take action to return to compliance undermined the pact Well, well, …

2021-05-27: The Proxy Coup at Exxon - WSJ Opinion Liberals in wealthy countries including the U.S. want to ban the internal-combustion engine. But Nigeria’s poor won’t be buying Teslas. Neither will America’s poor and middle class.

2021-05-27: Dr. Fauci Gets In Heated Debate With Seventeen Previous Versions Of Himself - The Babylon Bee “The virus was created in a lab!” present-day Fauci said indignantly, causing past Fauci to wag his finger and shake his head emphatically. “No, no, no, that’s a …

2021-05-27: New Amazon Bond Film Will Feature 007 Assassinating Small Business Owners - The Babylon Bee The franchise will also do away with “Q,” from whom Bond usually gets all his cool gadgets. Instead, he will order his spy tools on Amazon Prime to be delivered by drone, in …

2021-05-26: The Virus Lab Theory’s New Credibility - WSJ Opinion The public-health clerisy also set boundaries for allowable discussion. On Feb. 19, 2020, the Lancet published a statement by scientists condemning “conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.” …

2021-05-26: Democrats Are the Anticrime Party - WSJ Opinion I couldn’t find a pull quote for this article. It is so off-base as to be laughable. The Trump Administration was no saint, but to attempt to conflate the massive uptick in violent crime in US cities in 2020 with Trump’s behavior is …

2021-05-26: These Apple App Store privacy labels are super useful.

2021-05-25: Ban Cryptocurrency to Fight Ransomware - WSJ It is no coincidence that ransomware attacks exploded with the emergence of cryptocurrency. I agree with this idea.

2021-05-25: I understand the necessity of check holds. But when a customer you’ve personally known for 2 years brings you a check from a national business, what are the real odds of it being fraudulent?

2021-05-24: The Leatherman Free series is amazing.

2021-05-24: Kill the Golden Calf - Catholic Husband When you strip away the rhetoric and the one-liners, we can actually find a great deal of common ground. We can take opportunities to work together, to give a little, and to agree to a compromise that takes us both closer to where we want …

2021-05-23: Old faithful.

2021-05-22: Maybe we should go on vacation to Robot City. Looks friendly enough!

2021-05-22: Rebellion in the Faculty Lounge - WSJ The academic world has become increasingly disconnected from the applied world Understatement of the millennium.

2021-05-21: Saw my first firefly of the season this evening.

2021-05-20: Currently reading: Redefining Anxiety: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and How to Get Your Life Back by Dr. John Delony 📚

2021-05-20: Overheard while wife dictates notes, ”His knee has been acting up recently. It has been that way ever since he fell out of a deer stand…” That’s rural medicine for you.