Man Successfully Corrects Someone’s Grammar But Oh No! Now He Doesn’t Have Any Friends! - Babylon Bee

What, was I supposed to just let it slide and keep going with the conversation? Here I stand — my conscience is bound by the Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar and it is neither safe nor right to go against good grammar!

Its okay their, buddy!

That escalated quickly. How is it July already?

Hanging above my desk, just above my line of sight, hangs my degree in Philosophy. It’s been more than a decade since I walked across that stage, and though it is always before me, it more or less blends into the scenery of my office.

I use my degree in almost every moment of every day. In a very real sense, it shaped how I perceive the world. Yet, philosophy is not the sort of hard skill that you consciously apply during your working hours. Rather, it’s the framework through which every bit of information passes through.

In my years on campus, I read dozens of dense philosophy books each semester. With the passage of time, I find myself wondering, as an adult, why I persisted through that workload. Unpacking the most complex thoughts of the brightest minds to have walked the planet, and paying for the privilege, seems to be nothing more than drudgery.

Two weeks ago, I came across the work of Arthur C. Brooks. Although he styles himself as a happiness scientist, and he’s a Harvard professor who lectures on the science of happiness, he is much more than that. He’s studied music professionally, is a trained economist, philosopher, and now a popular social scientist. Add to that fascinating academic background is the fact that he’s a convert to Catholicism, whose conversion was sparked by seeing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

I picked up one of his books, signed up for his newsletter, and have listened to several extended interviews he’s done with various podcasts. Going through his work, and unpacking his ideas, I feel spots of my brain lighting up again. I’m instantly taken back to fall on campus, sitting in my room with the windows open, exploring life with the world’s great thinkers.

Philosophy is a wonderful thing to study professionally; it’s a field of study so ubiquitous that it finds its application at work, at home, at play, and at rest.

Top Democrats Urge Party to Stand Behind Biden - WSJ

Pelosi said Biden had a bad night but that he remains sharp and his record paints a contrast with a potential second Trump term. “We see Joe Biden up close. We know how attuned he is to the issues, how informed he is,” she said on CNN. 

This argument absolutely vaporizes the second the tape rolls.

Arthur Brooks, writing in his book, Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier

The macronutirents of happiness are enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose.

The first is enjoyment. This might sound like pleasure-“feeling good.” However, this isn’t correct. Pleasure is animal; enjoyment is completely human…Enjoyment takes an urge for pleasure and adds two important things: communication and consciousness…Pleasure is easier than enjoyment, but it is a mistake to settle for it, because it is fleeting and solitary. All addictions involve pleasure, not enjoyment.

To be happier, you should never settle for pleasure, but rather make it into enjoyment. Of course, that involves a certain cost. Enjoyment requires an investment of time and effort. It means forgoing an easy, effortless thrill. It often means saying no to cravings and temptations. Sometimes, getting enjoyment is hard.

pages 9–10

Cheerful contrast.

Biden Wants to Be Tough With Russia and Iran—but Wants Low Gas Prices Too - WSJ

In another example of the collision of foreign and energy policies, earlier this year, Washington asked Ukraine to stop attacking some Russian refineries with drones after the damage rattled global diesel and gasoline markets.

USA vs. Canada: A Fair And Unbiased Comparison - Babylon Bee

Population Density

Canada: Most people try to live as close to the US as possible

USA: Most people try to live as far away from Canada as possible

Winner: USA

A Dire Warning: Marine Biologists Are Sounding The Alarm That If Any More Red Lobsters Shut Down There Will Soon Be So Much Lobster Mass In The Ocean That Sea Levels Will Rise 20 Feet By 2025 - Clickhole

Environmentally minded consumers can still have an impact by eating at the remaining Red Lobsters multiple times a day, forgoing their Cheddar Bay Biscuits for an additional lobster plate, and distributing Red Lobster coupons and gift cards to everyone in their circle.

Today I’ve consumed American, Italian, and Icelandic water.

What a time to be alive.

💧

Quiet afternoon on the ramp

Put in the work.

My Headspace playlist is really awesome for deep work.

I really love the slow pace of Friday afternoons in summer.

Adoremus in aeternum Sanctissimum Sacramentum.

Love Song for the Bride by Brother Isaiah

🎼

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

The total payment owed on wages is 15.3%, split 50-50 between worker and employer. But what if, instead of the current slush-fund/IOU Social Security system, that 15.3% was put into a retirement account for the employee?

A new policy catching fire is to auto-enroll workers in an employer’s 401k. What if instead we just auto-enrolled employees in a retirement account funded with their Social Security payroll taxes? The account could be as locked down and as inaccessible as the current tax: gone until you hit retirement age.

If you saved no other money, only made $40,000 a year, and we assume a 7% return, you’d have $1.5M at retirement. If we assume the average S&P 500 return of 11%, that account would be worth $5.47M. Those are some pretty good returns.

The average monthly benefit for Social Security retirees is in 2023 was somewhere around $1,700 a month or $20,400 a year. If you lived in retirement for 20 years, from age 65-85, that’d be a total Social Security benefit of $480,000. That’s only $1.02M less than if the money had just been set aside specifically for you.

I’m not sure the best solution for dealing with currently retired and nearly retired workers, but it’s clear that the current system is both unworkable and fundamentally unjust; taxes are taken by force of law at 15.3% of wages and returned at below market rates.

Perhaps a plan that treats adults like grown-ups might work better.

Go in peace.