• Reading

    Currently reading: Remade for Happiness by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen šŸ“š

    August 2, 2025
  • Why is Chick-fil-A so good at everything EXCEPT coffee?

    August 1, 2025
  • Big Lots Closes All Stores After Therapist Helps Company Work Through Hoarding Tendencies - The Onion

    Finally closing the doors on its last remaining outlet after getting rid of an unwieldy stockpile of variety goods, the discount retailer Big Lots ceased operations Wednesday following a therapy program in which the company’s roughly 30,000 employees confronted their self-destructive hoarding tendencies.

    Respect. šŸ“¦

    July 30, 2025
  • Reading

    Book Review: Edge of Honor šŸ“š

    My reading is off to a super slow start this year, and we’re already at the end of July. Brad Thor’s latest installment was released at the start of this month and I devoured it over three days. Hopefully this gets momentum behind me to get back into a habit of reading.

    These reviews are hard to write. It was a Scot Harvath book. A quick, easy read with a storyline that was entertaining and maybe a little too close to the truth for comfort.

    Looking forward to writing another one of these next summer, although the character is aging quickly and might be reaching the end of the line.

    ISBN: 978-1982182274

    July 29, 2025
  • Trump Administration Weighs Charging Patent Holders New Fee to Raise Revenue - WSJ

    Commerce Department officials are discussing charging patent holders 1% to 5% of their overall patent value, a shift that could dramatically increase fees, according to people familiar with the matter.

    Patents are already expensive; there’s the filing fee but the attorney fees to get you through the complex process is through the roof.

    Now the government is going to guess the future economic value of a novel invention?

    This is stupid.

    And the fees wouldn’t go to the debt as advertised; it just becomes a new slush fund.

    July 29, 2025
  • Reading

    Finished reading: Edge of Honor by Brad Thor šŸ“š

    July 28, 2025
  • Knives

    Benchmade 917BK

    S30V Steel | Black G10 | Axis Lock | Made in šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø

    Benchmade 917BK Tactical Triage on a yellow cushion

    The Tactical Triage is one of my all-time favorites. It is a no-nonsense design with the added capability of a retractable rescue hook built into the frame. The weight, grip, everything is dialed in and just feels right.

    Purchased in 2020 | ā­ļø ā­ļø ā­ļø ā­ļø ā­ļø
    July 28, 2025
  • ChetCast

    Episode 277: Weathercast

    Benedict is at camp and the girls bring you a weather report. Scary if true.

    July 28, 2025
  • Catholic Husband

    Doubt - Catholic Husband

    Doubt is curiosity of the intellect, contending with difficult truths, and discovering the beautiful gift waiting for us in plain sight.

    āž•

    July 28, 2025
  • Enjoying the evening with some rum, the new Brad Thor book, and my full titanium bookmark.

    Book, bookmark, and drink on an end table
    July 27, 2025
  • As North Koreans Shun State Propaganda, Kim Tries a Flashier TV Show - WSJ

    Now, as North Koreans—particularly urbanites and younger people—gain furtive access to foreign news and entertainment, the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is trying a different tactic: television dramas that expose the regime’s weakness. The goal, analysts say, is to manage people’s expectations and rally them to overcome the country’s many hardships.

    The result is a new television series that honestly depicts the everyday corruption that is rife in North Korea. Local officials embezzle grain, farmers fail to meet quotas and people bribe their superiors. It also portrays family conflict in contrast to official support for family harmony.

    July 27, 2025
  • American Sentenced to 8½ Years in Prison for Helping North Koreans Get Jobs at Nike, Other U.S. Firms - WSJ

    In the morning, she would turn on racks of computers covered with Post-its that had information about the companies they belonged to. Then North Koreans would log in remotely through Chapman’s farm and work for the companies.

    Sort of a red flag?

    July 26, 2025
  • ChetCast

    Episode 276: Off to Camp

    Benedict is growing up fast! He’s off to his first week-long summer camp. But before he goes, he stopped by the ChetCast studios to give us a coy preview of his plans for the week.

    šŸ•ļø

    July 26, 2025
  • Knives

    Benchmade 533

    S30V Steel | Orange FRN | Axis Lock | Made in šŸ‡ŗšŸ‡ø

    Benchmade 533 on a tray

    The Mini Bugout was released just as I started collecting, and of course, I had to get the orange one. Its smaller than the Bugout, so I usually carry it when I’m wearing gym shorts. The scales have done a good job keeping their color and not holding on to dirt.

    Purchased in 2020 | ā­ļø ā­ļø ā­ļø ā­ļø ā­ļø
    July 26, 2025
  • When I migrated the Catholic Husband blog, I broke all of the links. There was no way around it.

    I’m slowly going through the posts on this blog to update links. After that, I’m going to finish tagging and building out the archive of my Haiku project.

    Just some nice little summer improvements.

    July 26, 2025
  • The Crown Versus the Truckers - WSJ Opinion

    The National Post’s Chris Selley writes that last week an Alberta man who fatally stabbed a 52-year-old stranger while out on bail for three other attacks was handed a sentence of, you guessed it, seven years.

    Canadian prosecutors want the same seven year sentence against two protest leaders who, among their other heinous crimes, counseled fellow truckers to ignore a court order regarding honking.

    Of note, the core use of government power that the protesters opposed was struck down as unconstitutional.

    July 25, 2025
  • Miles and miles of bike lanes.

    Just no bikes.

    July 25, 2025
  • Biden Excited to See What Autopen Comes Up With For His Memoir - Babylon Bee

    “To be clear, that autopen is going to know more about my presidency than myself,” Biden confirmed.

    July 24, 2025
  • Reading

    Currently reading: Edge of Honor by Brad Thor šŸ“š

    July 24, 2025
  • This ā€˜Roth Evangelist’ Spent Years Turning His Retirement Portfolio Entirely Roth - WSJ

    For the Rosses, the all-Roth strategy is a bet that tax rates will be the same or higher when they take money out of the accounts. Paul thinks that because of the U.S. government’s deficit spending, ā€œtax rates probably only have one way to go over the long term, and that is up,ā€ he said.

    The financial talking heads all focus on the math of why pre-tax makes more sense than Roth, but they never address this point. How can tax rates go any lower?!

    July 24, 2025
  • Reading

    Currently reading: Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal šŸ“š

    July 24, 2025
  • Reading

    Build the Life You Want šŸ“š

    I’m not exactly sure how I made it this far in life before hearing about Arthur C. Brooks, but I’m glad that I did! I’ve listened to a few of his podcasts, including his interview with Rainn Wilson on the Soul Boom podcast. Arthur is a true philosopher with a deep background in Catholicism, bringing my ideal blend of faith and reason to any topic.

    Brooks has spent a considerable part of his career working on the subject of happiness. This book, co-written with Oprah, focuses on the science and application of principles that help us reorient our lives towards something more.

    I will admit, the book had lots of moments that sparked new thinking, but it was a slog to finish it. I don’t know why, because I found the writing to be engaging and easy to get through.

    His work has really exploded across the internet over the last twelve months, from podcasts to Hallow to Headspace. He’s worth the time.

    ISBN: 978-0593545409

    July 24, 2025
  • New neighbors. šŸ¦

    Trio of baby raccoons
    July 24, 2025
  • Reading

    Finished reading: Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks šŸ“š

    July 23, 2025
  • ChetCast

    Episode 275: Newscast

    Felicity and Lucy bring you the latest.

    July 23, 2025