Chet Collins

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 17:28:18 -0400

Egypt Saved After Joseph Advises Pharaoh To Stock Up On Emergency Food Buckets From My Patriot Supply - Babylon Bee

“My Patriot Supply is the original and largest ‘patriot’ survival company,” said Joseph. “Without them, we’d be stuck storing grain in silos, and that’s a lot of extra work.”

Leatherman Glider

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:59:17 -0400

Magnacut Steel · Steel Handles · Top Liner Lock · Made in 🇺🇸

Well this is a weird one. Very controversial at launch, quickly and quietly discontinued, and now somewhat hot in the secondary is the ill-fated Leatherman Glider.

There are many opinions about this one. I like the way it looks, and I like the colors, and the all-steel construction is interesting. It’s a good design, and an early production run, which means that had it continued to be available, there would’ve been improvements made.

I like carrying it, but I wish the opening and closing was more enjoyable. It’s fine when it’s open, and it’s fine in the pocket, but the process of getting it ready and putting it away does not feel good.

Purchased in 2025 · ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 14:40:13 -0400

I’m very happy with the fact that my smoke detectors all run on the same circuit and alarm when any one of them detects a problem.

But the late-late night false alarms are just the worst.

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 08:57:59 -0400

These Influencers Are on a Mission to Stop People From Paying Medical Bills - WSJ

Ian Howard was shocked to get a $1,000 bill for a brief visit to the emergency room that determined he sprained his ankle in a fall last year. Instead of fighting the bill, he just didn’t pay it.

I am no advocate of the vague and slow billing for medical services. But I wonder how long Ian would have a job if his employer’s all customers decided to steal $1,000 of their goods and services.

Theft of service isn’t a remedy; it’s theft.

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 14:37:42 -0400

Watercolor is very nice.

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 17:30:33 -0400

Trump Accounts’ Expansion Pushes Donated Individual Stocks Into Kids’ Holdings - WSJ

And officials simultaneously blessed an untested idea pitched by wealthy prospective donors: pushing individual stocks directly into kids’ accounts.

Five year holding period, and now the initial idea is devolving into another program to direct capital and social policy. Might be on the wrong track.

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:25:22 -0400

When your assigned school desk just isn’t getting it done.

✏️

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:05:59 -0400

Life’s Main Story - Catholic Husband

Life is difficult, but it doesn’t have to be hard, too. The earlier a child recognizes the power of virtue, the stronger that virtue will be when they enter early adulthood and beyond.

➕

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 14:37:01 -0400

It’s getting colder outside, which means it’s the dreaded kids clothes shopping season.

Good luck.

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 09:45:47 -0400

I don’t know, this kind of still works.

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 09:25:52 -0400

Listening to teachers talk to each other in non-school public spaces is mildly terrifying.

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:54:59 -0400

Class is in session.

🎳

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 08:30:35 -0400

Open Enrollment is much easier with AI. I used to run all of the healthcare numbers manually and now it can game out any scenario in seconds.

TRM Atom

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:29:16 -0400

Magnacut Steel · Nebula FatCarbon Scales · Liner Lock · Made in 🇺🇸

The Atom is a new knife to me, and a new brand as well in TRM. It’s an all-USA made knife with a stock configuration in my favorite colors of FatCarbon. That’s unusual for USA made knives, so it made my shortlist.

From my research, it looks like TRM got huge in the early 2020s and had a supply and demand problem until recently. I had no struggle finding this model and configuration. I don’t like fighting or waiting around for really any product, so this purchase aligned nicely.

Liner locks are my least favorite mechanism, but that’s because I don’t like how I normally have to dig my finger into the lock’s jimping to actuate it. Not a problem with the Atom thanks to its practical access cutout. The overall dimensions, weight, and layout are very comfortable.

This is a standard knife, in that it’s one that has everything I want with nothing too exotic. It has a few cousins in the collection, especially the Benchmade Bugout and Tactile Maverick, but I think it has enough personality to justify a slot. It’s a great daily driver and fits nicely into my overall collection aesthetic.

Purchased in 2026 · ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:54:26 -0400

Man Knows He’s Finally Made It After Getting 2nd Fridge Just For Drinks In The Garage - Babylon Bee

After buying a new fridge for the kitchen, Crest opted to move the older model into his garage so they could have another fridge just for drinks — a dream he’d had since he was a kid. A dream, indeed, of all Americans.

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:14:20 -0400

Just implemented huge updates to the Photos and ChetCast pages on my blog.

Beaver Island

Wed, 30 Sep 2026 18:00:00 -0400

Earlier this month, Benedict and I hustled up north to enjoy a day trip to Beaver Island. It was not the first idea for an activity that we came up with, but it was the one that we finally landed on as making the most sense. Friday afternoon, after getting school and work done, we hustled out the door and drove to a hotel about an hour from the dock. It was a late night, paired with an early morning. He was awake just after me, and we made it out the door, through Tim Horton’s, and to the dock in plenty of time.

There was a terrific sunrise as we bought our tickets, parked, and unloaded our bikes. The parking lot was about a block away, so we had a short drive to drop everything off. There was enough time to enjoy the cool morning as the first hints of fall started to appear.

Boarding was about 20 minutes before departure. The crowd was light, and we had plenty of time to check out the boat. The drawbridge over the channel opens every half hour, so right before the bells started ringing, the ferry pulled away from the dock and made its way out onto the lake.

The ferry moved quicker than I expected, given its size and displacement. It briskly passed through the channel, with onlookers at the condos, fishing pier, and just out for a walk waving, taking pictures, and enjoying our passage. Before too long, we were out on Lake Michigan.

Once underway, things settled down. The couple of passengers found seating and enjoyed the journey. The ferry ride was 2.5 hours in total, and there are several charter air services that make the hop in about 15 minutes. Numerous times, they passed overhead, and I questioned if we had made the right choice.

I caught up on podcasts, and we ate some snacks at our seats on the upper deck. They were mesh-lined and partially pitched back, which was quite comfortable. The full table was also a nice addition. There was a beach hazards warning for rough waters, and we felt them. The captain did a nice job tacking into the wind, which minimized the overall discomfort.

Sure enough, before too long, we pulled into Saint James Harbor on the northern end of the island. It was relatively quiet, with few other boats around. The Island and Lower Peninsula were visible for almost the entire journey, but that we had to travel to the far north end of the island is what added to the trip time.

As the ferry maneuvered in, a crowd gathered at the docks. Many were promoting the Irish festival which was being held that weekend, and the rest were ready to head back to the mainland. We disembarked, and by time we were on the dock, our bikes were out and ready for pickup.

Our plan was to bike to the lighthouse at the far end of the island, about a 10-mile trip. The information available online about the island is scant. I was expecting, like Mackinac Island, for there to be at least one paved trail that circuited the island. So we started our ride through town and before too long, we were at a paved trail. Great start!

Maps were also discovered to be inaccurate. We ended up at the trail’s terminus which was an RV park. After some backtracking, it was quickly discovered that the “bike trail” we were pitched on was packed gravel and mud. After a mile and a half, it was clear we were not going to make it with this plan.

We doubled back into town and grabbed lunch at the Wild Strawberry Café. It was windy, but we still enjoyed our lunch out on the porch.

Thankfully, when looking at Maps, I discovered there was an eBike rental stand next to the café. After texting with them, we finished our lunch and walked over. Sure enough, we were able to rent the bikes, and got insight as to where the paved roads actually were. We picked the road that the map indicated ran along the shore, and headed out.

This was our first time riding eBikes, and while the seat was terribly hard, the rest was pretty cool. Benedict had a few near misses as he adjusted to the power, but as we got deeper into the Island, and traffic thinned, we had full control of the roads.

While the map indicated the road hugged the shoreline, the dense forrest prevented us from actually seeing it. We did see the airport on our 12-mile ride, but the rest was mostly just about riding eBikes.

With our time on the island running out, we decided to head back into town to check out the toy museum. Like most attractions on our list, we arrived to find it was closed for the season, without any notice findable online.

While we didn’t make it to the planned southern lighthouse, we did stop to see the stout lighthouse at the mouth of Saint James Harbor. It was not tall enough to clear the surrounding trees, but it was, a lighthouse.

We turned back in our eBikes, grabbed dinner at an Irish pub, and then checked out a few shops. We had ice cream, and went back to the docks to wait for the ferry to return and bring us home. All the hotels on the island require a two-night minimum stay, so we had to make our ferry. As we sat on a bench overlooking the docks, Benedict spontaneously uttered, “This was awesome.”

Right on schedule, it came into the harbor and docked. Everyone unloaded and we boarded. Many of the couples who came over with us on the morning ferry were joining us for the trip home. We exchanged stories, trip histories, and had a nice conversation. Benedict spent his time watching the loading process over the stern.

The company was very efficient with their systems, and we pulled out of the harbor in plenty of time. The forecast indicated that there was a 50% chance of a small amount of rain, but the weather held off the entire day. The sun even peaked out on the return journey.

Benedict and I watched a movie on my iPad for the return journey. The weather overall had calmed, and the waves were much less significant.

Our arrival back to Charlevoix was right around dinner time on a Saturday evening, and the town was bustling. Just like this morning, but now with more people awake, plenty of people stopped, waved, and took pictures of our arrival.

Once clear of the drawbridge, the ferry made a sweeping 270° turn and shockingly made it right into the dock. They must do this a lot.

Benedict watched the unloading from both the observation windows of the lower deck and the stern of the upper deck. It was a beautiful evening.

Just as we experienced on Beaver Island, our bikes were ready for us when we got off the ship. We waved goodbye to the people we’d met, rode our bikes back to the van, and loaded up.

After a stop for gas and drinks, we made the long drive home, arriving deep into the night.

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 19:52:31 -0400

CNN: British Farmer Racially Profiles Group Of Muslim Men Out For Sunday Drive - Babylon Bee

At publishing time, CNN had announced that, in a positive development, the innocent men had all been released on bail and could go back to whatever it was they were doing.

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:02:17 -0400

Wholesome - Catholic Husband

We want them to be innocent to the ugliness of the world around us, and to know only those things that are good. This is not willful unknowing, it is knowing the right things. It is a focus on the things that are good and pure and true, rather than filling their minds and hearts with fear and anxiety about things that they have no control over.

➕

Sat, 26 Sep 2026 15:01:33 -0400

I really don’t like when I get a shipment notification email, and I have to click to get my tracking number. Just drop it in the email.

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 17:55:29 -0400

Currently reading: Be a Man! Becoming the Man God Created You to Be by Larry Richards 📚

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 17:55:15 -0400

Currently reading: Boys To Men by Tim Gray, Curtis Martin 📚

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:44:11 -0400

All or Nothing - Catholic Husband

Our experience quietly influences our thinking with little fanfare, and our failed gym membership experience informs our faith life. Skipping Mass is not good, praying infrequently is not good. But praying today is the right step towards praying tomorrow, and if you can’t receive the Eucharist, going to Mass is still a worthy use of your day.

➕

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:59:40 -0400

EU Declares Canada Weak Enough to Join Them - Babylon Bee

“Every decision they make on the global stage is for the worse, and that’s just the way we like it,” von der Leyen said.

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:08:41 -0400

Hawaiian Newlyweds Head Off To Luxurious Honeymoon In Iowa - Babylon Bee

The couple, who spent months saving for the getaway, booked a premium suite at a local highway-adjacent motel featuring a continental breakfast bar and views of Interstate 80.