‘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 using a pocket-sized supercomputer.

Windows, why so many updates?!

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 restarting repayment, but winding down this stimulus policy is the right move.

The forces driving inflation through the roof are, in part, limited supply and too much stimulus. Not only are Federal Student Loans at 0% interest, costing the government about $5B per month in lost revenue, but payments are suspended. Estimates say that, when repayments resume, $7B a month will flow to the Department of Education. It’s a tough reality, but that’s $7B fewer dollars floating in the economy driving inflationary pressures.

Borrower quotes fill news articles about how their worlds will come crashing down when repayment begins. The debt-free life that they became accustomed to is being taken away from them. I hope that the relief of the past 22 months will inspire them to pay off their loans and live the rest of their lives debt-free. Unfortunately, many of these borrowers will find themselves further overextended, having taken on financial obligations that will not fit in a budget on repayment.

Inevitably in the comments section, I see people complaining about students who paid $150k to get a liberal arts degree who now want their bills paid off. The insinuation is that they should’ve studied something more valuable in the marketplace.

I get it, but this kind of thinking distorts the purpose of education and threatens the underpinnings of our civilization. Education is for the furtherance of man, not for the acquisition of vocational skills. Indeed, even those students enrolled in the hard sciences should be exposed to the great thinkers that shaped our world through a core curriculum.

Liberal Arts degrees are not useless, but their economic value may be harder to discern. Students shouldn’t be dissuaded from pursuing the Liberal Arts, but should be encouraged to think logically through the outcomes. They need to have a plan to enter a career path that doesn’t require a technical degree. For example, a degree in Philosophy can qualify you to be a Special Agent in the FBI, an officer in the Armed Services, or a sales representative. It’s also a great field of study for the up and coming entrepreneur. The Liberal Arts have a way of unlocking the full potential of the mind.

It should also be said that the hard sciences or business degrees aren’t guarantees for success, either. Locking students into defined career paths has its risks. Let’s hope that once they get the job that they absolutely love it. Otherwise, they’re really stuck. This is the reason that the aim of education is not job skills, it’s human formation.

The Liberal Arts are not a waste of time or resources, but they don’t offer a clear-cut career path. As long as the student is clear on their objectives, they should be encouraged to spend their college days reading, studying, and contemplating the ideas that built Western Civilization.

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!”

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 social and economic considerations.

Morning appointment, so of course the kids were an hour late coming downstairs.

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 has me sold. Even if I was in the 15% of funds that outperformed, the probably of a repeat over the 1, 3, 5, and 10 year periods is dismal.

Indexing is the way to go. Buy everything and let it ride.

I wish the Ulysses sync engine was much, much faster.

Space Cow.

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, child-care assistance, and much more—won’t cease to exist on Jan. 1. Weren’t these programs supposed to eliminate child poverty?

They got so close! Just a mere $1,600 a year can make all the difference to a family.

Bike Trailer Update:

• Kids had fun
• I could’ve used about 90 days of extra training

🚴🏻‍♂️

Christmas dinner.

Silent night, Holy night

Midnight Mass EDC.

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 out to just be Elizabeth Warren in a sheet.

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!

Boys gingerbread house.

My favorite day of the year.

❄️🎅🏻🎄

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.

The Bourne Ultimatum

🍿

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 is a busy one for logistics and delivery companies. While ordinary people are away at work, their online orders arrive at their homes, piling up on the porch. Aware of this reality, thieves drive through neighborhoods, stealing packages.

Property theft is often characterized as a victim-less crime, but every crime has a victim. Companies may cover the loss, but those losses are passed on to all consumers in the form of higher prices. If they don’t, they’ll go out of business, destroying jobs. For those losses that are not covered by a company, the recipient has to absorb the blow. There’s no difference between stealing a package off a porch and taking cash out of someone’s wallet.

As we watched this year’s iteration of Glitter Bomb 4.0, I was very sad. Not only had the criminals become more organized, turning crime into a mere business transaction, but the full reality of what was happening hit me. The people caught on camera with the stolen boxes were in depressing homes. Stuff was everywhere. Many thieves tripped over items on the floor as they tried to get the bomb out of the house as quickly as possible. This is poverty in America today. A stifling overabundance of cheap goods.

It offended my sense of justice. I watched people who were willing to steal from people they didn’t know, in the middle of the Christmas season, receive nothing more than a prank in return. What they deserved was so much more.

It is always wrong to steal.

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 120,000 troops on the border with Ukraine?

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 wishes to assure you that he’s completely checked out.

“We’ve saved Christmas,” Ms. Psaki quipped on Wednesday.

And we appreciate Jen picking up extra shifts down at the docks after work to pull this one off for us. Had nothing to do with private companies coming up with their own solutions to put products to shelves.

And gas prices have started to go down.

Truly excellent. Went down $.07/gallon after rising $.82/gallon. Only has to fall $.75/gallon more to get back to even.

Winning!

The point is, things are bad, everyone can see it, so don’t pretend that it’s not. Admit to the mistakes, and come up with a plan that doesn’t cost $5T, that doesn’t trap generations of Americans in welfare hell, and that doesn’t raise taxes on people and the most productive parts of the economy.

Santa Clause 2

🍿

LEGO inventions celebrating the end of Advent.

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 to write it.

No worries though, we’re totally cool with the Chinese government operating a system of concentration camps and arbitrarily detaining over a million people.

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.

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.

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 against legislation proposed by other democratically-elected representatives.

We had a good run!

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 been passed, it would have been handed over to bureaucrats to implement, and then we’d all see what the bill actually did.

Sad!

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 energy in response to climate change.

Facts not in evidence.

As a candidate, Mr. Biden said the country must transition away from oil, and in his first months in office he moved for more stringent regulations on the industry, explored restrictions on oil production and revoked a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

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 published take down of its premises,” Dr. Collins wrote. “Is it underway?”

Our tax dollars at work!

Pretty gross to see leaders in the scientific community circle the wagons as opposed to being open to the scientific process.

Glad to see bright, bright lights being shined on the technocrats.

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 difference between the headline and the substance.

Central Intelligence

🍿

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 the breathing room to devise a long-term solution.

The expanded child tax credit was set for one year in the American Rescue Plan bill. Now that it’s expiring, here’s a proposal to extend it for one more year. And suppose that happens, what do you think we’ll be discussing in December 2022?

This is why BBB failed; because the expiration dates were a lie from the start.

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 it, except that it’s an incredibly inflationary policy. $7B/month in misallocated capital.

But borrowers enjoy swimming around in the nice warm water, not noticing that they’re getting boiled.

If the pause is extended, don’t expect payments to resume until after the midterms.

First day of winter.

❄️

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 to create the highest inflation in nearly 40 years, eroding real wages and imperiling economic stability. The brilliant ideologues who run our cities have presided over a surge in violent crime that has reduced life for many residents to a real-life dystopia. Those omniscient technocrats who know how to devise and implement a humane and functioning immigration policy have left us with a border in name only and chaos and lawlessness to accompany it. The strategic geniuses who told us “America is back” produced a debacle in Afghanistan whose full ramifications for U.S. security we haven’t even begun to see.

The sad truth is that the consequences of falling for false hope are experienced by us all.

Christmas Tree, 2021

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 Trump administration

More government-imposed market distortions to be soon followed by producer gimmicks.

In total they would cut nationwide emissions by nearly 2%, based on EPA estimates.

And therein lies the rub. Upending an entire industry to make a statistically meaningless impact, especially when compared to the increasing emissions outputs of Russia, China, and India.

Why are we ruining our lives with no appreciable benefit?

“We are setting robust and rigorous standards that will aggressively reduce the pollution that is harming people and our planet—and save families money at the same time,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement.

False logic. These technology changes are going to increase the cost of new (and later used) cars by a factor of $1,000s while “saving” a family on their annual fuel bills by a factor of $100s.

“Achieving the goals of this final rule will undoubtedly require enactment of supportive governmental policies—including consumer incentives, substantial infrastructure growth, fleet requirements, and support for U.S. manufacturing and supply-chain development,” he said.

That was fast. The automotive industry is already claiming they can’t meet these goals without more taxpayer subsidies.

PirateShip is excellent.

📦

I don’t know if it’s very funny or very sad that my 8yo came up with a clever COVID joke.

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 scholars. The more a person wins, the bigger the effect that the award has on earnings and employment, the paper found. Upper-income winners are more likely to reduce their hours, while lower-income winners are more likely to drop out of the labor market entirely, the paper found.

Fascinating.

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 enormous leverage over Biden’s agenda, allowing him to single-handedly sink a priority that Democrats have spent much of the year working on.

If by “single-handedly” you mean Manchin’s single vote plus 50 other senators’ votes.

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 him of bad faith while saying they’ll beat him up until he changes his mind.

How to win friends and influence people?

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 bill on the merits; it contains hundreds of billions of dollars in wasted spending. But Mr. McConnell calculated that sometimes you have to sacrifice a piece to win the chess match, and the GOP leader read the West Virginian well.

Agree.

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 federal rules on power plants, vehicles and industrial emissions

Now where have I heard this story before…

“Without the cost-reduction assistance of congressional actions, federal and state leaders will face higher technical and political hurdles as they pursue the ambitious policies required to get to the 50-52% target,” the report says.

Cost-reduction assistance, now that’s funny! Excellent writing. Code for forcing taxpayers to pay for terrible projects that the Market won’t support on its own.

And by “political hurdles” do they mean a discontented electorate that disagrees with reorganizing the entire society based on a contested scientific theory?

The Santa Clause

🍿

First fire of the season.

Manchin Says He Won’t Vote for ‘Build Back Better’ Bill - WSJ

Thank goodness!

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 manufacturers and app developers are incentivized to help kids circumvent parental controls and increase engagement with a key demographic. So instead, they give these convoluted and easily breakable “tools” that are just a veneer.

Maybe parents should just stop giving kids these devices.

“I’ve been in tech for a long time, and I understand products pretty well, and I was incredibly confused,” said Tim Kendall, former president of Pinterest

Same.

Decorated and ready to share.

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.

Culinary art in progress.

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 doesn’t like to put money into stupid ideas.

And that’s saying something in a year where GameStop is up 802%, AMC is up 1,349%, and Dogecoin is up 2,980%.

For the record, S&P 500 is +25% for the year, and Citigroup is -0.6%.

Morning garage projects with son:

✔️Replace truck side mirror

✔️Build jellybean dispenser

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.” 

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.

118 years of flight.

Southwest Airlines CEO Tests Positive for Covid-19 - WSJ

Stop writing these stories. This is not news.

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 to see the Presidency dangled in front of, only to have it yanked away in the most painful and humiliating way possible.”

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.

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 podcast.

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 real, semi-proven EV on the road (Tesla) reminds me of New Years Resolutions.

I sincerely hope that these plans work out absolutely perfectly or we are in for a whole new scale of pain.

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

Just passed a woman FaceTiming while driving. That’s a new one for me.

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 determined to run the opposite experiment, with easy money and President Joe Biden’s next big slug of inflation fuel, known as the Build Back Better plan, pending in the Congress. It’s a historically massive bundle of subsidies, distortions and disincentives to productive labor. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office says that if one removes the bill’s phony expiration dates Democrats have applied to programs they never intend to allow to expire, the result is an additional $3 trillion in federal deficits over a decade.

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 providing…it will take some time.”

Fed Chair Jerome Powell gave this quote 12 months ago. He was saying it would be hard to get inflation to a target of 2%. We’re at 7%.

Not sure why we should believe his predictions today that all of this is going to magically evaporate.

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 changes at Fox in the past 5 years.

But, CNN?!

I guess that Wallace fell victim to TINA — there is no alternative. What major TV news organization still has credibility with the public?

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 traditional overdrafts. It’s quote-unquote legal but it hurts people.”

This is a direct quote from the Acting Comptroller of the Currency.

Does this dude have any idea how banks generate profit?

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.

No Time to Die

🍿

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.

🌪

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 enduring problem of runaway inflation: the higher prices are the new normal.

The only question is when we’ll get inflation under control and stop the hand over fist increases.

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

🍿

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 in which inflation topped 5%.

I hope the National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for the spin the Administration is going to put on this data point.

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 energy bills.

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.

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 greening itself and how important the client is to Citigroup.

Why would any company do business with such a pretentious bank?

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 American military response from the current Administration.

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 cashing in on federal loans.

Terry should be fired for gross incompetence.

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.

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 rather than directly linked to specific user profiles.

I can’t believe this news.

Simple solution: don’t install these apps on your phone.

Beautiful sunset.

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 bananas from the jump, and it only got weirder as the process played out.

Old people take gifts to their doctors.

The thought never crossed my mind.

My favorite of all.

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, economic sanctions sure are scary!!!!

Time to decorate!

🎄

Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery, put on the splendor of glory from God forever.

Baruch 5:1

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!

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 solving and ending it closer to the people.

This is the core issue. Instead of an immovable policy at the pleasure of nine justices, the decision returns to the States where the voters can decide for themselves.

It won’t be settled for a few years. But then it will settle. This path—overturning—is the closest America will get to justice and democratic satisfaction on this issue.

The Court is only political when it removes legitimate power from the electorate and reserves it for itself.

they will be under pressure to hold to precedent, based on the understandable argument that it is a very big thing to overturn such a momentous decision—especially in a divided country, especially in a time of wavering faith in institutions and especially with a case as famous as Roe. They will be tempted to choose narrower and less dramatic path.

Thank goodness justices of the past had the courage to walk away from similarly terrible precedents that enabled slavery and segregation.

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.

‘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 remaining lost dollar.

A true shepherd!

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?

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 an mRNA or two months with J&J. And all the other things we’ve been talking about: getting your children vaccinated, masking in indoor congregate settings, etc.”

We’re pretty deep into this game for the message, “Get three shots and then continue to live as if you got zero shots” to be effective.

It’s a branded kind of day.

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 heavenly rewards accordingly.

Seems fair.

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 responsibility — or admit he was wrong to throw such smears around in the first place.

The latter is the appropriate response. Humility is a welcome virtue.

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 never before, but struggle to fund essential government functions.

No different than when Republicans had total control of Washington.

Totally dysfunctional, and paradoxically, a system that incentivizes dysfunction.

Never fear, America, in the end Democrats and Republicans will hold hands and waste your tax dollars without qualms and then pat each other on the back for their very good governance.

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, lockdowns, border closings and quarantines.

Emphasis mine.

Hour-to-hour adaptability is the 21st century’s defining characteristic. One word defines government’s response to the Covid pandemic: rigidity.

‘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 used by employees when evaluating themselves. “Let’s see. Oh, that’s good—I’ll put that I ‘used my organizational and problem-solving skills to help others facilitate the achievement of key objectives.’ That could mean anything.

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 after graduation.

Oops.

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 some digital plots that I’m willing to let go for $4.2M.

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.

Big day!

🎄

I lost 3lbs on vacation.

🦃

Make this trip end.

Gulls hitching a ride across the bay in the ferry’s draft. Kind of genius.

Let me see if I can go find it.

Choppy morning on the Delaware Bay.

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 keep people of color out of our country while using COVID as an excuse. Sad! 

IT’S 2021!!!!!!!

Civil rights groups and various liberal organizations have not yet come out and condemned the racist, xenophobic travel ban as they did during the Trump travel ban. This is probably just because they forgot, or maybe they had too many Thanksgiving leftovers and fell asleep. 

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 more clinical experience. The left politicized Covid by holding Mr. Trump responsible for a disease that was always going to be hard to defeat.

Now the media is silent on the topic. The point is that this isn’t a political opportunity, it’s a national challenge.

Christmas lights going up, house by house.

Nice day in town.

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 babysitter or finally get that Instant Pot! Again, that’s T-H-A-N-K-S, thanks.”

Atlantic sunrise.

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 than half of the world’s daily consumption, which the Energy Department estimates will surpass 100 million barrels in the final three months of 2021.

Excellent, that’ll get us through lunch.

What’s the plan for this afternoon?

Airpower.

Daddy & Me time with Lucy.

My favorite animal at the zoo.

🦉

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.

Made it to the ocean.

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 when they merged with AirTran. A whole new crop of employees suddenly changed uniforms, but they didn’t change cultures. Instead of warm, friendly employees at every encounter, Southwest started to look and feel a lot more like their cattle-call competitors.

USAA needed to grow their membership, so they opened it up to anyone who had served honorably. A massive new pool of members rushed in the door and USAA had to staff up quickly. Phone hold times extended, employees grew more corporate, and the overachievers disappeared into thin air.

CarMax build a brand on car buying the way it should be. In a slimy business, they stood out. Their cars were better than average, cleaner than average, and backed up by a no-questions asked warranty. But they could only build so many superstores, and many smaller markets would never support that volume. So, they came up with a new small-market format store and spread far and wide. New employees missed the memo, and now they deliver overpriced cars with an underwhelming experience.

The thread that ties together these three stories is growth at the cost of fundamentals. They needed to grow, and they did, but they forgot to bring their new team members into the culture. Any bozo can run an airline, issue insurance, or sell used cars. It takes a truly great company to turn customers into raving fans. And when the great fall, it’s time for the market to go looking for new companies that act like the greats used to.

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 payments the government receives today from a 35 year old couple making backdoor Roth IRA in exchange for taxes paid at withdrawal on a traditional IRA at least 25 years away, but book the assumed additional tax revenue today.

This is Enron-style accounting.

Of course, many models suggest that these high earners that Congress is targeting would be better off using a pre-tax strategy during peak earnings years anyways. The assumptions made by this Congress are dubious, to say the least.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that the Democratic leadership looking to kill the Backdoor Roth today are the same ones who codified it into law when they held power in 2010.

Gorgeous fall colors.

A stop back in time.

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 energy tax credits bonanza, the new Dept. of Energy Green venture capital fund, constantly bashing oil and gas, suspending permitting for drilling on Federal lands….

The anti-consumer behavior is being perpetrated by the Biden Administration.

Worth the drive.

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.” Lord, make us green, but not yet.

Great line.

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 politics.

Does it, tho?

I’m no Bannon fan, but this does not have the optics of Justice.

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 testing to ensure that digital IDs meet Apple’s requirements, “prominently” market the feature, “proactively” offer digital IDs whenever a citizen gets a new or replacement card, and encourage state and federal government agencies to widely adopt digital IDs.

I’m interested in this idea, having my license on my phone, but I hope my state looks at these terms and tells Apple to pound sand. Completely inappropriate for a private technology to dictate terms to a governmental agency over a program that benefits the private company’s bottomline, at the full expense of the taxpayer.

Even St. Joseph needs a few friends.

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 the policies he has pursued and implemented. The world is simply out of his control. It’s OPEC that isn’t boosting production, not Biden’s failed energy policies. It’s those oh-so-complicated supply chains that are to blame, not Biden’s COVID-19 stimulus and unemployment policies.

It’s a bizarre argument coming from the leader of the free world. Especially when many of these issues are demonstrably a result of his decisions.

Red Alert: Your Wife Just Saw A ‘Fun, Easy’ DIY Home Project On TikTok - The Babylon Bee

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 referred to DOJ on the same charges, Lois Learner, Eric Holder. None have been indicted. I’m not saying that Bannon is right, just that justice should be equally administered.

‘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.

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.

To all who served, and the families who stood behind them, thank you.

🇺🇸

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 high end of this average, EV owners would save $1,350 a year, after paying nearly double on the sticker price, before incentives and before installing a home charger.

Of course, I can sign up for fuel station programs and save $.05 a gallon on gas and wipe out any fuel savings that electric charging offers.

This isn’t a compelling value-proposition, which explains all of the subsidies. The Market hasn’t embraced it outside of niche pockets, so the government creates a distortion. The Transportation Department is going to spend billions building out charger networks, and yet it’s never had to build or own a single gas station.

The best technology should compete and win, and long-term that may be EVs. For now, the government picks winner and losers which is a surefire way to waste taxpayer dollars.

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!

🍿

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!

Just over a week until I get to drink the real thing.

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 innovation, adaptation and, yes, creative destruction.

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 spending and tax bill that is now more likely to pass.

This is a calculation I can’t understand. The two bills have been linked since day one. So even if the first bill was good for their District, surely the combination of them would be a net negative.

Six Democrats voted against the BIF, even after getting the written promise of votes from Moderates. So if the BIF failed, so would that agreement.

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 rating with Kamala is so high.

Hard to argue with math!

5:57am, and all four of my children are awake.

Daylight Savings Time is a great idea!

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 transformative legislation America needs.

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 gains is unfair. It allows the wealthiest Americans to avoid tax during a time of increasing concern with inequality. Most Americans can’t take advantage of these strategies,” says Ari Glogower, a professor at Ohio State University’s law school.

That may be because over 40% Americans pay $0 in income tax.

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 cancel people on the go.

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.”

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 outstanding issues.

C’mon guys! Just vote for the thing, it doesn’t matter what’s in it! Plus, you’ll love the consulting jobs that you’ll get after voters kick you out of office next year.

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 Democrats have criticized efforts to repeal or lift the cap, arguing that it will primarily benefit the wealthy.

What? That’s crazy! Don’t hard working average Americans pay their State and local governments $72,500 a year in taxes?

For instance, the bill would create a new tax credit for companies that employ local news journalists, expand a tax break for employers that pay for child care and allow deductions for union dues and employee uniforms.

And free ice cream for all!

Democrats restricted a proposed tax credit for plug-in electric vehicles. Earlier versions of the legislation had allowed the full credit for married couples making up to $800,000; that is now reduced to $500,000.

Finally, some fiscal responsibility.

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 Trump saying that.

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!

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 just open the Roth option to couples up to $450,000 and then there’s no controversy? Backdoor Roths take one extra step, one extra day, and one extra tax form. It’s the same thing.

This is the problem, though, when you try to write tax legislation that at least 50 senators oppose in less than 2 months.

And at the end of the day, we’re talking about the taxability of $12,000 a year. That’s 2.6% of a $450,000 income for the entire year. Upsetting the entire apple cart over $4,500 in actual taxes due.

I really, really like having a HomePod on my desk.

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 been held up in the House.

When you misread the first pitch, what’s to keep you from misreading the second?

White House officials said they hoped the Democrats’ weak election showings Tuesday would prod lawmakers to act swiftly to approve Mr. Biden’s legislative agenda, arguing that voters want action from Washington, and that sentiment was echoed on Capitol Hill.

Economy was the #1 issue for voters in Virginia and NJ, so pouring trillions of new spending, stimulus, and fiscal giveaways on top of inflation teetering on the edge of running away seems ill-advised. These two bills are going to keep the economy artificially suppressed and turn up the economic misery in the near term.

Home warranties, like all warranties, are a waste of money.

💸

November morning.

Boo!

🎃

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 border.

Back when I was a kid, crime didn’t pay.

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 to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.

There is no ambiguity.

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.

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 cross the border illegally, and here I am now, using my skills to carry shipping containers and boost the American economy for a modest $450,000 salary. Gracias Señor!” Border Patrol agents trying to stop the illegal immigrants from bringing the vital shipments into the country were arrested and sent to Guantanamo Bay.

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 an electricity shortage

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?

Let’s edit.

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.

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 more credibility in refuting Mr. Trump’s.

Trump’s letter was bananas. I didn’t bother to read it because it was clearly unhinged. This is what I love about the Journal’s Editorial Pages, they are willing to print the most controversial of ideas in order to encourage a broader debate.

Don’t people deserve to see for their own eyes into the minds of the Nation’s most powerful figures, instead of only presentations carefully edited through media filters?

Mr. Trump is making these claims elsewhere, so we hardly did him a special favor by letting him respond to our editorial. We offer the same courtesy to others we criticize, even when they make allegations we think are false.

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.

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

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.

I’m the first appointment after lunch.

My appointment is halfway over.

I’m still in the waiting room.

Why?

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.

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.

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.

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 one-year extension of the expanded child tax credit through 2022, plus a provision making that break permanently available to low-income families that don’t pay income taxes.

A poverty trap if there ever was one. Welfare transfer payments totally unlinked from a family’s best path out of poverty: work.

I’m thankful for clean water.

💧

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.

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 Bush administration’s “utter disregard for our nation’s financial future.” He declared: “I refuse to be associated with the policies that brought us to this point.” He was joined by Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, who characterized raising the debt limit as “a sign of leadership failure.”

Rove cites three votes Schumer cast against debt ceiling increases during the Bush-era.

First decent walking weather in months!

🌌🍁

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 sources can supply.

I’d like to see more academic discussion on this subject.

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 $0.

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 Catholic

This coming from a 16 year old who probably thinks she should have unlimited access to abortion at any time?

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 know what rates are now. The alternative minimum tax also only applied initially to the richest Americans, but with time expanded to hit millions in the middle class.

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 administration said Monday.

What the hell?

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 taxation until they’re realized,” Ms. Yellen said.

So is it income or is it unrealized? Astonishing that the Tresuary Secretary, and former Fed Chair, seems to miss this basic fact.

“Of course, Americans haven’t seen inflation like we’ve experienced recently in a long time, but as we get back to normal, expect that to end,” she said on CNN.

A credible prediction from an economist who runs in the same circles as the economists who have been repeating the word “transitory” for the past nine months.

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 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chairwoman Jelena McWilliams, a Trump nominee who immigrated from communist Yugoslavia. Mr. Brown and Sen. Elizabeth Warren voted against Ms. McWilliams.

Oops.

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 flow.

It’s a warrantless search, a massive government seizure without probable cause.

This bill is full of terrible tax ideas: killing the backdoor Roth, taxes on unrealized gains (hello!), on and on and on.

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 anti-vaxxer rhetoric . Never mind that Rogan’s show pulls insane audience numbers, numbers far greater than anything CNN’s prime-time hosts enjoy, which may be a clue as to why the network is so keen to portray him and other popular and independent hosts as unreliable and, frankly, dangerous sources of information.

Two very good points.

Rogan may be an off-beat regular joe, but his audience makes him a heavyweight in a landscape now dominated by non-incumbent media organizations.

It’s in CNNs interest to try to take him down a peg or two. And the controversy that they created may have gotten some of Rogan’s audience to pay attention to CNN for the first time in years.

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 Index Fund.

INCREDIBLE!!!! Those teachers are getting a great deal on his salary and all of the asset management fees they paid.

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.

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 an outside presence capable of defending human life and property, criminal organizations own the country and threaten regional stability.

Interesting idea to float.

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 fits of laughter, and all the Trump supporters are trying to give me a high-five. It’s horrible!”

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 remain platinum members at their golf clubs. We just can’t let that happen.”

I disagree with their premise, but these commercial interests jokes do make me laugh.

Even worse, economists warn that not vaccinating kids could cause drug company stock to dip one or two points, affecting millions of portfolios slightly.

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.

At the airport, listening for Gramma’s plane.

🛬

Updating my backpack for fall. I took some time to clean my Saddle Mountain.

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 and schools, should it be approved by federal regulators. (emphasis mine)

Huh. Interesting idea that’s worth watching carefully. Surely they’re not suggesting that kids would be vaccinated during the school day when no parent is present.

I don’t think that a school is any more convenient for families than CVS or Walmart.

I’m also not sure that using schools for a controversial vaccination program is the best idea.

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 nose.

Finally someone said it.

16 Common Phrases In The News And What They Actually Mean - The Babylon Bee

“Zero” = anywhere from zero to several trillion

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 Brave’s own “independent index, and doesn’t track users, their searches, or their clicks.”

I love Brave, but I wish it was more mature & feature complete. In a few years, it could be a very really Safari-alternative.

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 “being a metaverse company.”

This just feels evil.

Apple’s New $19 Polishing Cloth is Sold Out Until Late November - MacRumors

My Christmas is toast if it doesn’t arrive on time!

The start of something beautiful.

About to clean the attic.

I’m tired just thinking about it.

📦📦📦

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, to the man who lent her the money. The debt is $550.

The United States cannot fix all of the world’s problems. But this is one problem that was addressed by our presence in Afghanistan.

The human suffering as a result of this single, immoral decision is difficult to fathom.

Oceans Thirteen

🍿

Gorgeous sunset.

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 members

Not to mention disappointing for customers. It’s so slow and cumbersome to use.

Sunday sky.

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 just pop over to the store on the way home from work on Christmas Eve and grab a bunch of stuff, hoping it appeases their wife. But no longer, experts say.

What’s a guy to do when he can’t even rely on 7-Eleven?

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 Medicine.

What the hell?

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 number of employees, nor facilitated by senior management.”

Corporate America and the Department of Justice have something in common: they both love a good scapegoat!

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 play some Ticket to Ride and Mario Kart to help educate himself on more transportation-related issues.

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 the emperor was wearing socks.

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.

Question: what do you get when you have a free-spending Congress combined with an anti-energy Administration?

Answer: Misery.

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 rate hike.

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 richest of quotes about the President who wants unlimited, taxpayer funded access to abortion from at least conception to birth.

Talk about fundamental.

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 Gulf of Mexico, Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland said.

I get the idea of harnessing wind for energy.

But do we have to build these ugly farms so close to shore? We control waters up to 12 miles from the coastline, and “unlimited visibility” is 10 miles. Can we just build them all out there?

There’s something to be said for the loss of natural beauty.

“Harnessing America’s offshore wind resources will create tens of thousands of highly skilled jobs, revitalize coastal communities, and deliver vast amounts of reliable clean energy”

We’ve heard this hyperbole before. Then again, what’s realistic polls worse.

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 summary dryly observes, “that increase most likely reflects higher total wages and salaries, particularly among the relatively high-income workers who are subject to higher tax rates on earnings.” Translation: The rich had a good year, but they also paid a huge fiscal dividend in taxes.

Time to start the day.

Terrifying New Halloween Mask Depicts A Human Face Not Wearing A Mask - The Babylon Bee

“AHHHHH!!!”

Nice day, perfect tree.

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 harrowing account that could spell trouble for the Biden administration.

Not good!

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, said in a blog post Thursday.

Another flashing warning sign. Dissent will not be tolerated.

I got Flight Simulator X working on my old iMac and I couldn’t be happier!

🛫

A piece of joint artwork by Felicity and Lucy.

It’s taken four homes, but I finally have a thermostat that matches the wall and requires no trim plate!

I’m very happy that this is my last day of watering-in the sod.

🌱

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 about driving your lifted pickup truck on a dusty backroad with your girl up in it.

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.

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.

Benedict’s LEGO challenge Jack o’Lantern.

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 spending declines and some provisions, particularly the cryptocurrency reporting requirements, continue to generate increased revenue, the increase in government debt shrinks. In 2040 and 2050, government debt increases relative to baseline by 0.9 and 0.6 percent, respectively. The additional public capital increases the productivity of private capital, however the higher government debt crowds out additional private investment, leading to a 0.2 and 0.1 percent decrease in productive private capital in 2040 and 2050, respectively.

Results from spending $1T on Infrastructure, as proposed in the bipartisan bill, over a 30 year period:

• 0% increase in GDP
• 0% increase in workers hours/productivity
• 0% wage growth
• 0.1% decrease in stock values
• 0.6% increase in government debt.

Translation: Spend $1T of taxpayers money and 100.7% goes to waste.

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 point.

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 out of cash-management options.

The debt ceiling was breached July 31st.

Congress took no action for 67 days, wasting time, and now it’s an existential crisis that can only be fixed by breaking all of the rules?

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 moved millions of dollars into untraceable foreign accounts so that Pakistanis wouldn’t notice the unusually large deposits and start to suspect an exciting gift was headed their way.

Facebook’s hours-long outage had zero effect on me.

The good life!

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!

Keto bagel and lox on the menu for Sunday Brunch.

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 tax rule has become the standard by which to judge a tax provision.

Sure. The “benefit” flows to people in higher brackets, until you look at the other side of the equation and see the tax bill rising, too.

People higher up the tax brackets get more “benefit” from exemptions and deductions while they pay more and more in actual tax dollars.

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!

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 partnerships who want to take the risk of an unbreakable common life…should be able to see themselves placed under the blessing of God.”

Bro, do you even Catechism?

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 Eastern European troll farms. These pages were part of a larger network that collectively reached nearly half of all Americans

If you weren’t on Facebook, you were not impacted.

Ok, Boomer.

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 Executive Daniel Ninivaggi.

What a company! GM sells the building to Lordstown, then forgives the loans. Lordstown turns around and cashes in.

Is there a business model here? If so, I need to get in on that action!

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.

In fairness, this expiration of funding date really snuck up on these guys. No way to tell in advance it was coming. Plus, they had over 8 hours to spare!

Also, very hard to pass a budget when you only control 3 out of 3 parts of government required to enact a budget.

2021 Democrats remind me of 2017 Republicans. Very comforting that even when one party controls all levers of power, it’s still difficult to get things done legislatively.

See y’all back here on the afternoon of December 2nd for a repeat commentary the next time Congress almost misses the funding deadline!

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 have been weakened by careless spending and bad policies. Now, more than ever, we must work together to avoid these fatal mistakes so that we may fulfill our greatest responsibility as elected leaders and pass on a better America to the next generation.

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 practice of withholding the slogan from the women’s event.

Sounds great, but won’t add a single viewer.

The only way to increase NCAA women’s viewership is to adopt the CNN model: pay every airport and doctors office in the nation to leave it on and never change the channel.

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?!

The color orange makes me happy.

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

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 no cost. The dollars that the federal government collects and redistributes may have been more effectively funneled into the economy by those who are paying. Companies pay employers, buy raw materials, and boost their stock prices, all to the benefit of the collective economy. Americans with disposable income do the same thing through discretionary spending.

• Far too many of the tax dollars proposed to be levied will end up propping up unviable green energy businesses that will go to zero.

• Head Start has been around since 1965, with little evidence that kids who went through the program performed better academically. So how is universal Pre-K going to fix that?

• Less than 30% of students in community college complete their program of study. How is that percentage going to go up when they don’t have any skin in the game?

• Paid Family Leave is a problem already solved in the private market through increased paid time off or short term disability plans.

• Utility companies and states are already diversifying their power supply base, to include renewables. Why do they need an additional tax or bonus check for continuing to do the work they’re already doing?

• We authorized $6T in the past year and have inflation near 5%, why is spending another $3.5T a good idea? Oh, and some of that money won’t be spent until 2028 as it is.

On, and on, and on…

Which brings us to the other fiction the president and his friends have been aggressively promoting of late: the idea that the bill is good because the rich deserve to pay more. “I’m sick and tired of the super-wealthy and corporations not paying their fair share in taxes,” Mr. Biden wrote on Twitter last week. But this favored Democratic talking point, whether articulated from a White House podium, or daubed in blood-red ink on a fancy dress, is bathed in mendacity. Corporate taxes end up being paid by much of the population. Individual income taxes have already become more progressive. According to the Tax Foundation, in 2018, the top 1% of American taxpayers paid more than 40% of all federal income taxes. That is up from 33% two decades ago. The bottom 50% paid less than the top 3%.

The lopsided distribution of taxes is unsustainable.

I love the patterns this spreadable butter has when you open a fresh container.

🧈

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 spats.

Ya think?

It wasn’t easy, but we got it done! Sod installed, dirt patch gone!

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 plane bound for Canada.

I guess they were victims of hostage diplomacy, after all.

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% annually; the S&P 500, 10.7%.

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 Joint Committee on Taxation says the bill raises $2.1 trillion over 10 years. Somebody must be paying more. Among the tax hikes are a 5.5 percentage point increase in the corporate income tax rate that will be paid by workers in lower wages, consumers in higher prices and investors in lower returns. Though they’ll be pleased to know this all adds up to “zero dollars.”

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 sanitaire, and did they ever. Twitter barred the Post’s feed for a time lest Americans be able to read about the emails and their content.

A dark chapter in new media censorship, confirmed. They got the outcome they wanted by manipulating their control over the information flow.

But alas, among their users, who cares?

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.

Yeah, it sends the message that they should listen to Kamala Harris and not come here!

The Biden administration has sent roughly 2,000 Haitian migrants back to Haiti on 17 deportation flights, Mr. Mayorkas said. He also said that most Haitian migrants were released into the U.S. with dates to check in at immigration offices (emphasis mine)

Oops. Looks like the migrants continue to receive the correct message from this Administration: if you rush the border, you have a better than 50% of making it in.

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 to kill their child?

There is no logical framework that supports that argument.

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, miss and hit every American household making more than $208,000.

So much for not increasing taxes on anyone making more than $400,000.

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 anyway, expecting to be let in. To see these desperate families with no better option available to them fail to take my message to heart—it shakes me to my core. It’s like they didn’t even hear me.”

Hang in there, Kamala!

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 talking past each other using the exact same words.

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.

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 reach too far into our lives.”

These are the same voters who have Amazon, Facebook, and Google apps installed on their phones.

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 employs to be so wrong about its core mandate.

A big whiff, and yet, inaction?

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 middle-class bill arrives in the future in the form of higher payroll, value-added, or energy taxes. There is no free entitlement state.

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 work the rest of their lives to pay for the free government benefits for people streaming across the southern border. The joke’s on them!

Pretty funny all the way through.

Went for a ride after dinner, first time in almost a year. Absolutely gorgeous evening, and fun!

🚴🏻‍♂️

It’s the most wonderful season of the year!

🍂

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.”

Press Secretary is a hard job, and few are ever well liked. Jen isn’t off to a great start.

This quote is typical of her briefings: lots of words, almost zero substance.

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 masse, zero accountability or recourse: no.

Just another robot invention.

🤖

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 cross-regional flights and fares have dropped considerably.

Last day of Summer!

☀️

App Library on iPad is very nice.

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 his life-saving medical training to commit homicide. Not only that, but he deliberately crafted a plan to wait until a set developmental milestone in the victim’s life so that he can prove a point.

To put the finishing touch on his reprehensible act, he brags about it in a national publication?

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.

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.

🥑

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

Built a gate today. Not bad!

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!

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 would be able to monitor, detect and interrupt militant activity despite having no presence on the ground in Afghanistan, but by using an “over the horizon” approach from distant bases. Counterterrorism and intelligence officials have said that information would be less reliable without information from the ground.

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.”

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 and drove all from the Lakewood sanctuary and into the gift shop.

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 supportive about that whole Afghanistan withdrawal thing—those friendships are more important than some job,” explained General Milley, America’s highest-ranking military officer.

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.

Benedict’s creature creation.

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 the Biden administration tries to salvage its struggling tax-compliance proposal.

Let’s just quarter an IRS agent in every home.

The IRS can also get bank account information during audits.

Yes.

Rep. Don Beyer (D., Va.), who likes the bank-reporting idea, said the publication of wealthy people’s tax records by the news organization ProPublica earlier this year also sapped support because of privacy concerns.

You don’t say.

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 advertisers have paid to target them and what types of stories are popular or driving conversation. (Emphasis added.)

Nice company, the Facebook.

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 ballot wives to be barred from spending money at hair salons, which will now be closed forever.

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 vaccinated will lead to the additional benefit of him getting this baller yacht he saw in Dubai.

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 she quickly brushed the disturbing thought aside.

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 lowest-earning tier of workers, “real” wages—pay adjusted for inflation—fell 0.5% in August from a year earlier, according to data from the Atlanta Fed and the Labor Department. That contrasts with 2.1% annual growth in the two years before the pandemic.

5.3% is more than double the target rate. It’s been like this for months. Yet policy makers sit on their hands in their ivory towers and call it “transitory” and Congress muses about another $5T in new spending on top of the $2T in March, on top of the $2T in 2019.

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 plans to rush another major rewrite of our tax laws through the committee, with no amendments, no debate, and not one public hearing. Members of the committee will be asked to approve this massive bill without a Congressional Budget Office score, and with no analysis of the bill’s impact on inflation, investment, jobs, or economic growth.

Rep. Neal wanted it this way, because the longer proposals are public, the more opposition that builds.

This is no way to legislate, no matter the party, policy, or bill.

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.

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 will have us fired from our jobs. This followed a declaration on the vaccine by Mr. Biden, shortly before taking office, that he wouldn’t “demand that it be mandatory.”

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 University. “It’s using the income tax to take money from only half the population and using it to distribute money to half the population,” he said.

That’s weird. I thought taxes were for funding collective expenses.

“We are committed to enacting a law that will include meaningful SALT relief that is so essential to our middle-class communities, and we are working daily toward that goal,” they said.

Kind of seems like a state issue, not a federal one.

The Internal Revenue Service would get nearly $80 billion over a decade to beef up enforcement. That matches the administration plan, which would roughly double the size of the tax agency.

Good thing Senate Republicans negotiated this out of that Infrastructure Bill! Looks like everyone was wrong when they said it would just get stuffed in the other… oh, wait.

Local newspapers would get a new payroll tax credit for employing journalists. Labor-union members would get a new deduction for up to $250 in dues, even if they don’t itemize their deductions.

Looks like the lobbyists have been busy!

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 ones. Why do we need government to duplicate this invasive effort? To say nothing of the gigantic cybersecurity risk it would create.

I’m noticing a trend.

2x4 is neither 2 nor 4.

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 Americans. Sadly, a whole generation has grown up in a post-9/11 world, and today is a story from a textbook as opposed to a lived experience.

The documentary crew gained access to all of the key players from the Bush administration and chronicled their experience on September 11, 2001. President Bush, the Vice President, his Chief of Staff, members of the National Security team, Secret Service agents, members of the White House press corps, and military leaders all sat for interviews. What resulted was a compelling and visceral tick-tock of that fateful day.

Watching, I felt the emotions from 9/11 come back. Although I was in middle school, I was in a military family stationed nearby. My dad went off to war, again, as a result of 9/11. It was incredible how the sounds and images of that day are so ingrained in me.

The human toll is hard to fathom. Not only did nearly 3,000 people lose their lives, but so many more died slow deaths over the twenty years that followed as a result of their rescue work in the days that followed.

There is no doubt this was a difficult documentary to watch. It was even more painful watching it in the shadow of the disastrous surrender in Afghanistan. It was very well done and I hope that it will help those too young to remember and those not born yet just why September 11th is such an important day in our nation’s history.

🇺🇸

Carter’s does not deserve to continue as a going concern.

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.

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 the slightly lower-paid Mr. Quincey makes 1,621 times as much, according to executive compensation tracker Equilar. People who make and distribute soft drinks tend to earn a lot less than scientists so the ratio is skewed, but Mr. Quincey’s company earns more profit. Enforcing pay ratios would send the top executive talent to investment banks, software companies or biotech firms instead of retailers, trucking companies or restaurant chains.

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 we bill employers and employees 12.4% of wages so that we can fund their generous retirement via Social Security?

Auto-enrolling employees in an IRA at 6% and gradually increasing contributions to 10% seems to be a tacit admission from the defenders of Social Security, and opponents of privatization or any reform, that the scheme is a failure.

This plan is privatized Social Security, with no discount on the Social Security Income tax.

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 the operating theory behind the new taxes in this bill: the government is entitled to the personal incomes of American workers. Further, anyone who follows the law and, as a consequence, pays less in taxes, is a cheater who deserves to be punished.

Mr. Brown’s plan responds to Democrats’ frustration that companies used some of their 2017 tax cuts to buy back their stock, a move that is typically seen as helping shareholders.

Shareholders will soon include every American worker auto-enrolled in the bill’s new auto-IRA. So it’s a problem that companies make any business decisions that help increase shareholder value?

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% of pay.

Oh look, another terrible idea.

Taking an additional 6% out of peoples checks and investing in securities that people don’t understand.

Administrators sure will love this brand new fee base, tho!

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 before Democrats enacted it into law with 56 votes in the Senate. The 2017 GOP tax reform was debated for months, and its principles for years, before Congress voted.

Now we get $3.5T, massive tax increases, expansive new entitlements, all in 17 days. No time to think, debate, or even read the bill.

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 action.

This on the exact same day that the Executive Branch seeks to impose mass vaccination mandates on workers via OSHA. We didn’t even try for a year to get people to voluntarily get vaccinated.

The left hand sues Texas for limiting the ability to kill a baby with a heartbeat while the right hand dictates mandatory vaccinations.

It’s also a bit rich coming from the folks who said they had no authority to extend the eviction moratorium, but chose to do it anyway.

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.

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 2022 budget for the NIH, whose focus would be to “foster medical innovations,” including for diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Alzheimers.

Duplicative effort far more efficiently performed by the private market. Just another waste of taxpayer dollars on a project outside of the core competency of government.

Also kind of funny that Alzheimer’s is specifically named when the government is trashing the first serious new therapy in years.

I will never understand fashion photography.

Staged, awkward, unnatural, and unclear.

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 their political hand on climate change in an apocalyptic and misleading joint editorial this week that could have been ghost-written by Greta Thunberg. The groupthink in these journals suppressed debate over important questions during the Covid pandemic, including the origins of the virus and the costs of lockdowns. Now these same experts want to tell everyone what to do about climate, which they know less about than geologists do about cancer.

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 heads, was named minister of interior, with oversight of Afghanistan’s police and internal security. The FBI currently offers a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest.

The Taliban, our partners in peace!

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!

🍁

Get Smart

🍿

Weekend project complete: Build and hang new shutters.

Fun squirrel sighting in the front yard.

🐿

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 underperformed expectations.

18 paragraphs in this article and I had to read to paragraph 17 before finding even a passing mention about the enhanced unemployment benefits that will expire soon.

Not even a short paragraph acknowledging the view of some that perhaps those top-offs may have played a role.

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 at Dover Air Force Base, with a hand over his heart, was similar to how Trump paid respects to fallen service members during his presidency. However, Biden did check his watch at least three times, according to photos and video reviewed by USA TODAY. Several family members of fallen service members who attended the ceremony have criticized Biden for checking his watch.

There’s a growing acceptance that “fact checking” is opinion masquerading as journalism. Here’s a clear example.

They’re “fact checking” a Facebook post that shows Trump saluting a casket versus Biden checking his watch. That is true, times three.

But makes the fact checkers uncomfortable. So, they pulled in an irrelevant comparison about how Biden put his hand over his heart during other parts of the ceremony to fit their narrative. Thus, false comparison in place, they can give a more benign rating.

What context is missing, exactly?

He checked his watch, he shouldn’t have done it.

Today is Day 90 of keto. Down 25 lbs.

🥓

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 ICU to care for patients it can’t transfer, he said.

Where is the support from the federal government that we saw last year? Field hospitals, hospital ships, military and Public Health Service physicians and nurses?

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 inform you that you unlocked this process with your Yea vote?

I, for one, won’t support a $3.5 trillion bill, or anywhere near that level of additional spending, without greater clarity about why Congress chooses to ignore the serious effects inflation and debt have on existing government programs.

Excellent writing, sir. You are the master of giving yourself an out for every one of your noble stands.

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 to the airport. Sources inside the administration say they are sick and tired of journalists saying things like that, instead of praising them for being so awesome.

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.

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 economy, gas prices, the border crisis, and every other crisis. As soon as the press asks a question, your brand will be captured by dozens of television cameras.”

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.

The Proposal

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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.

Cleaning my favorite window in the house.

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 deserted buildings, and we are contractually obligated to immediately move in as soon as they’re empty. This is just what we do.” 

It’s great to see the Taliban playing with all of the tools and toys that I bought them.

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 Thursday. On the other three days of the week, and on public holidays, they will be only permitted to play between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Tyranny.

Tencent Holdings Ltd., the world’s largest videogame company by revenue, has used a combination of technologies that, for example, automatically boot off players after a certain period and use facial-recognition technology to ensure that registered users are using

And Big Tech happily obliges with its own intrusive technologies.

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 healthcare sector right now, so let’s use their idle time greening the place up.

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 idea to offer informants assurances of protection and safe passage to America.

When the U.S. pulled its troops from Iraq in 2011, many officials and analysts say, it lost much of its ability to closely track the growth of Islamic State, which seized swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and prompted the U.S. military to return.

We weren’t even gone before ISIS-K developed capability to attack our interests.

Intelligence agencies had estimated it would take terrorist groups about two years following the U.S. departure to reconstitute themselves and possibly pose a threat to the U.S. or U.S. interests globally. That timeline is being reassessed following the U.S.-backed Afghan government’s collapse, senior military officers said.

We’re super good at estimating.

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 compensation method that eliminated commissions and brokerage fees for the average American investor? Huh.

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 month in the Atlantic, Elliot Ackerman, a former Marine who served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, said he appreciated how tired so many Americans are of this war. But he went on to say this: “To simply wash our hands of an entire country and its people is deeply cynical.”

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.

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 starched shirt off the back of poor Larry Fink, who tied for last place on the Forbes list, at $1 billion—it still wouldn’t cover the cost of Democrats’ next two legislative plans.

Emphasis added.

Bernie’s shtick is always “us versus them.” The reality is that there aren’t enough of “them,” which is why the tax man will be coming back sooner rather than later for the rest of “us.”

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.

St. Joseph trophy for recognizing good work at school.

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.

🍩

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 drama of hysteria and mutually demeaning abuse. Every buffoonery of the president and his people was answered by an idiocy from the other side, which in its own style was just as sinister and just as clownish. Cable news provided the Greek chorus. American government and politics became cartoons. The Democrats, all unknowing, played Wile E. Coyote to Mr. Trump’s Road Runner. Twice, the Democrats’ Acme Impeachment Committee rigged up the big bomb (heh heh), lit the fuse and held its ears. Both times, the Road Runner sped away. Beep beep!

A perfect encapsulation.

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.

🇺🇸

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 here. Let’s try something new.

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 could have. And what has gone wrong, such as the Taliban now entering my floor, just emphasizes why we needed to leave.

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 that’s his birthday. His birthday, ok?

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.

📦

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.

Merry Christmas, y’all!

Funny definition of “transitory,” tho.

Officials also dialed back their projections for budget deficits this year, projecting an annual shortfall of $3.1 trillion, down from $3.7 trillion forecast in May, as strong economic growth this year bolstered federal revenues.

Way to go! It’s hard to run an entire country on a measly $3.6T of revenue. We only overspent our income by 86%.

It’s kind of like when you only make $65,000, but to run your household you have to spend $120,900 a year.

Adulting, ya know?

Texas House Passes Voting Bill - WSJ

The bill limits early voting hours to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

VOTER SUPPRESSION!!!!!!!

Hat tip to the product team at Coke for their improvements to the taste of Coke Zero!

🥤

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 their market. What incentive do they have to offer a discount?

It’s the same effect that tariffs drive. Domestic manufacturers raise their prices to just below the new foreign producer cost.

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 rising because of the stimulus checks. Too much money chasing too few products.

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 action settlement that so heavily favors the class members. Normally the lawyers get all of the benefit.

Essentially, Apple is retroactively reducing commissions from 30% to 15% for those who made less than $10,000. Slightly less advantageous for folks over that mark.

The New Employer Benefit: Matching Emergency Savings - WSJ

Recently, Ms. Dillon amassed enough in her emergency account to purchase a computer.

Not an emergency.

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 house in hopes that the Taliban doesn’t murder him.

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 position where all of this was necessary.

If a baseball team is losing 0-10 going into the 9th Inning, it’s no great cause for celebration that they score 11 runs in the inning and win. They had to do it, there was no other choice.

The Kabul Airport Massacre - WSJ Opinion

Mr. Biden is telling Americans that Afghanistan won’t again become a terror haven, but it already is.

Unnatural pauses, rambling, looks of confusion, and rhetorical meandering.

The physical embodiment of this entire disaster.

This was not the speech for the moment.

Amortization tables are fun to play with.

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 insurgent attacks during the two decades of American military presence.

It’s been 10 days since the Taliban took Kabul.

In a tweet condemning Thursday’s attacks, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid pointed out that they “took place in an area where U.S. forces are responsible for security.”

These are the first in-country combat deaths since February 2020.

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.

Cauliflower has never looked so good.

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 left behind to face Taliban wrath alone.

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 equipment and troops from Kabul. That guidance represented one sign that the window for Afghans desperate to leave the Taliban-controlled country is closing and that thousands of Afghans who want to leave likely will be stranded.

The article title is misleading.

I think it’s clear that the drama is only just beginning.

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.”

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 Covid-19—something that Delta said can cost the company tens of thousands of dollars a person. In recent weeks, all Delta employees who have been hospitalized with Covid-19 were unvaccinated, Mr. Bastian said.

I was wondering when insurance surcharges would start. Completely reasonable to cover an unnecessary risk.

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 deadline, U.S. officials said.

The humiliations continue.

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 compensated for with “over the horizon” capabilities?

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?

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 locally employed Afghan staff in larger numbers.

Wonderful! I bet they’re working with the efficiency and dedication of the East German Border Guards.

The Taliban, through direct talks with the U.S. in Kabul, said in response that it wouldn’t recognize any extension, nor would it assure that forces that stay in Afghanistan beyond Aug. 31 wouldn’t be subject to attack. Some U.S. officials fear that if the U.S. stays beyond Aug. 31, security cooperation with the Taliban would collapse.

Nothing wrong with the contents of that paragraph.

“We are well aware of the stated desire of the Taliban to have this mission completed by the 31st,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday

Is there anything else we can do for them? Maybe a bedtime story and a glass of warm milk before we tuck them into bed?

iCloud storage management is the absolute worst.

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 up to five airlines to augment U.S. military efforts to transport Afghan evacuees from bases in the region, according to U.S. officials.

This is a good idea. Much better way to transport people over long distances.

Really starting to notice the days shortening.

Last week until School is back!

✏️

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?

🏡

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 increased more than 50%. Low-income food-stamp non-beneficiaries ate more healthily than beneficiaries, and their diets also improved more over time.

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 US Government Fraud, Waste, & Abuse hotline?

It’s remarkable how different iOS/iPadOS look in greyscale. Instanteous sensory relief.

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.

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!

These economic numbers are so lame.

We should be on an absolute rocket right now.

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 Taliban to advocate for the Women of Afghanistan
• Left the room without taking questions, immediately returned to Camp David.

These colors do run, apparently.

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 U.S. history — to enter a third decade.

Unacceptable. Infuriating.

SiriusXM makes it so hard to cancel service. Always annoying.

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.”

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.

Nice time with my son at Troops of St. George this morning.

🌲

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 controls on iOS/iPadOS are convoluted, confusing, and terrible. This coming from a guy whose had an iPhone since the beginning. So their explicit pictures in messages protection that only notifies a parent if the kid is 12 or under is a disaster.

I’m not updating any of my software this Fall until they clear this up.

Unsatisfactory.

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)

(Because we moved them to the airport where evacuation is much easier.)

Beautiful summer afternoon.

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 PIPELINES (unless you’re Russia)! NO NEW DRILLING ON FEDERAL LAND! 500,000 ELECTRIC CHARGING STATIONS! 50% OF NEW CARS MUST BE ELECTRIC VEHICLES!

OPEC, please pump us more oil.

Saudi officials said they were confused by the Biden administration’s stance, which is seeking to reduce oil consumption, while asking OPEC to pump more oil. “Isn’t Biden about climate change and the impact of oil on the environment?” asked a Saudi oil official. “How come now they are asking for more?”

So that’s a no?

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 impact of the Covid-19 crisis.

So let’s spent $3.5T on a whole host of great, efficient new government programs!

My drone skills are getting better, but I need to be better about lighting.

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 $3.5 trillion spending bill, reportedly will use about 12% of its dollars on infrastructure projects.

Not satire.

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.

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!!!!!

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?

Lawn mowed, car washed. Ready for the weekend!

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.

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 revenue and saving measures.

Oops.

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 going to just rummage through all of your photos.

Matthew Green, an associate professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University. “Now Apple has demonstrated that they can build a surveillance system, for very specific purposes, that works with iMessage,” he said. “I wonder how long they’ll be able to hold out from the Chinese government?”

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.

Did a little tax planning this morning. Almost screwed that up!

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 growth.

GDP for Quarter 1 (before the bill was passed) of this year was 6.4%. Economists expected Q2 growth to be 8.5%.

Sanders also complains that the bill didn’t go far enough. How much more damage would he like to inflict?

We will take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry, which charges U.S. residents the highest prices in the world by far for prescription drugs.

Yeah, and they only gave us three COVID vaccines in nine months. Jerks!

I have to quit, this article is just terrible.

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 without consequences, in the face of massive stimulus. This is absolutely terrible policy. There are vaccines and jobs everywhere.

2. A reminder to SCOTUS that ducking issues by declaring them moot is not a viable course. Executive actions are fast and fickle with immediate ramifications. Getting a case before the Court takes months to years, long after the damage is done.

Time to do some YNAB housekeeping.

💵

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!

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 restaurant within a 400-mile radius is hiring.

This blog is so much more interesting when I’m on vacation.

My daughter very meticulously plucked the sprinkles off of the top of her cake before diving in.

I’m so proud!

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 against Vice President Joe Biden, whom he considered “totally unprepared” for the post of president.

Ouch.

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 question is, should asymptomatic vaccinated people be wearing mask to prevent spread to others? And I have not seen any data that supports that yet.”

Dreaming of quiet mornings at the Lake.

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.

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 the year, the Commerce Department said Thursday.

An earlier version of the article listed the estimate: 8.5%.

Now this inconvenient fact is pushed down several paragraphs and mentioned only in passing.

Why the huge miss? Look at all of the ways the government has “helped.”

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!

First blades of grass.

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.

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.

O, rly?

Getting ready to roll out website updates. Really glad to finally have consistent colors!

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.

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.

Mulch and soil delivered this afternoon.

Looks like a busy weekend.

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 individual, and if that one person is going to be able to pay the debt they signed up for. But it’s an economic problem, not a personal one.

The perfect encapsulation of why people with student loans shouldn’t get any special treatment.

The forbearance should’ve given her a taste of what paying off her loans would feel like, not what forcing everyone else to pay for her decisions would feel like.

Nelnet Bank: Because we did such a great job managing your student loans!

🏦

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 last time. There’s something special about returning to the same vacation spot. I knew going into the week the layout, features, and what I wanted to enjoy.

We slept with the windows open almost every night. I went to bed looking at Lake Michigan in the evening twilight. I usually woke up to the first light of the day and the sound of waves crashing on the shore.

The weather was excellent, cool, and breezy. We had some passing rain showers, but just enough to encourage us to enjoy some local indoor spots. I had breakfast with Benedict, coffee with Felicity at a bookshop, and took Lucy on a shopping run. The best destination of the week was a new bakery in town.

We started the week with just the grandparents, followed soon thereafter by the aunts and uncles. Everyone made it together, even if it was only for a day. The kids spent hours floating on the lake with Grandpa and uncles, riding along on the kayaks and paddle boards.

A new find this year was a small creek just a couple of hundred yards from our beachfront. Benedict really enjoyed molding the sand to redirect the water.

Time passed at just the right speed, a relaxing pace. I was able to work extensively on my latest project. I blogged and recorded the entire week on my website. It’ll be a wonderful, enduring memory for me to come back to again and again.

My big fun for the week came in the form of my Small Unmanned Aerial System. I captured incredible footage of rolling waves, kayaks moving, kids walking on the beach, and kites flying. My most daring flights took me just inches above the lake’s surface, but I managed to recover the drone after every flight. All of this fun made for some great home movies. I’m ready to upgrade my drone, and to tie in drone footage with the incredible video that my iPhone can capture.

Our end of week activity was a sunset fire on the beach with s’mores. I managed to get the fire going, my first in at least five years. Some skills just don’t fade. It was a great capstone for us.

The vacation is over, but like last time, we’re counting down the days until we do it again.

Wet welcome.

⛈

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 sighed and said, “Never mind, I’ll just burn.”

Ready to get home.

🏡

Time to start the long journey home.

🛣

Until next time.

🏖

Winding down.

Saturday at the Lake.

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.

Fire on the beach.

Quiet morning.

Vacation makes for interesting blogging.

Perhaps I’ll work a bit more on making my day-to-day blogging more interesting, too.

Goodnight, folks!

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 into the tax code typically means distributing them through the annual tax refund. Many households use those refunds to make major purchases or pay off debt, and families often plan their budgets around them.

And boy will that suprise smaller refund, or in many cases a tax bill, take the shine off of these fake gifts.

“The hope would be that there would be less need to have so much debt over the course of the year.”

Hope is nice. The more likely scenario is that these dollars will go to an increase in consumption.

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. I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of heavy rains falling on the house, roof, and deck. This morning, I awoke to the rough waves and melodic sound of them crashing on the shore.

I was going to get out of bed early to drink coffee and read the paper before the children woke up. Instead, with the incredible view out the window along with the soothing sounds, I just laid there and enjoyed it.