When the kids are good during 4.5 hours of errands, including going into a store to try clothes on, Dad buys cookies.

The best reward for waking up early and walking is my post-walk cooldown.

Sitting in a quiet, still house, in the soft light of dawn, drinking coffee and reading The Wall Street Journal.

📰☕️

Sunset at the office.

Kavanaugh Eases Tensions With Protesters By Throwing Good, Old-Fashioned Kegger - The Babylon Bee

“I can’t believe I wanted to burn this guy’s house down. This man is an absolute legend.”

Coinbase Says Users’ Crypto Assets Lack Bankruptcy Protections - WSJ

“Because custodially held crypto assets may be considered to be the property of a bankruptcy estate, in the event of a bankruptcy, the crypto assets we hold in custody on behalf of our customers could be subject to bankruptcy proceedings, and such customers could be treated as our general unsecured creditors,” the company said.

Oops.

Abortion Puts the Supreme Court Behind an 8-Foot Fence - WSJ Opinion

The Supreme Court of the United States—from its first meeting in February 1790 through the Civil War, two world wars and the battle for civil rights—has never been protected by an 8-foot wire fence. It is now. On Monday the Senate voted unanimously to extend police protection to the justices’ immediate family. What has happened to us?

Inflation Stays in the Heights - WSJ Opinion

All of this exposes the fantasy that the Biden-Pelosi-Schumer policy mix of blowout spending and easy money is good for working Americans. Modern monetary theory combined with new entitlements were supposed to produce record growth and security. Instead they have produced the highest inflation in 40 years and a falling standard of living. We should add that Donald Trump’s excessive spending at the end of 2020 also didn’t help.

U.S. Inflation Eased in April to 8.3% Annual Rate - WSJ

U.S. consumer inflation eased in April to an 8.3% annual rate, taking a slight edge off the steepest run of price increases in four decades as energy prices moderated.

A 2% decrease after a 400% increase?!

We did it!

🎉🎉🎉

This is the one year tracking chart on oil futures.

The recent volatility is clear, but so is the trajectory. This has been building for months.

Gas Prices Surge to Another High - WSJ

These records don’t account for inflation, however. Inflation-adjusted gas prices are similar to what U.S. drivers saw in the early 1980s, below highs of the 2008 recession.

Wonderful! Now I feel much better.

Biden Stresses Contrast With GOP Economic Agenda as Midterm Challenges Grow - WSJ

President Biden argued Tuesday that congressional Republicans would worsen inflation and raise taxes on American families

The Ron Burgundy of presidents, Joe Biden will say whatever is on the teleprompter, no matter how asinine.

FBI Sternly Warns Mob At Justice Kavanaugh’s Home To Stay Away From School Board Member’s House Next Door - The Babylon Bee

“Sure would hate to have charge one of you nice people with domestic terrorism,” said Agent Raymond Epley to a group of women lighting baby dolls on fire. “By all means, threaten the justice and his family! But if you set one foot on the school board treasurer’s lawn, it’s a one-way trip to Gitmo.”

The Biden Loyalty Machine - WSJ Opinion

In June 2021, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley told Congress, “I want to understand white rage.” Then in a January letter to Sen. James Inhofe, Gen. Milley said U.S. service members had spent almost six million man-hours since Mr. Biden took office on “extremism stand-down” and “diversity, equity and inclusion” training, including critical race theory. Two words: Afghanistan exit. And please focus more on future Russian and Chinese rage.

Mother’s Day flowers.

Who’s a Threat to Democracy? - WSJ Opinion

So which side of the Roe argument is really antidemocratic? The law before the Supreme Court is Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks. The abortion-rights movement has failed to persuade the people of Mississippi, and now it wants five unelected Justices, 1,000 miles away in Washington, to take that policy choice away from the voting public.

Summer evening.

UPS: Usually pretty slow.

📦

Open Enrollment starts in 5 days.

Benefits website says guide “coming soon.”

Losers.

Looks so nice, tastes so good.

☕️

Biden Weighs Forgiving Some Student Debt for Those Who Earn Less Than $125,000 a Year - WSJ

Some of the president’s advisers have privately raised concerns about the legality of taking executive action on the issue and the potential backlash from people who have paid off their loans, never took on debt or don’t believe the government should step in to help current borrowers.

Also, um, the DOE is already preparing loans for disbursement for the fall semester. You forgive loans now, but make no changes to the underlying system?

How to Invest When Both the Stock Market and Bonds Are Falling - WSJ

Yet the best strategy in moments of volatility like this one, financial advisers say, is also one of the least satisfying: Do nothing.

The article then goes into paragraph after paragraph of helpful “ideas” from a bunch of financial advisors.

When Student Loan Debt Paused, These Borrowers Kept Paying - WSJ

As of December 2021, 1.2% of borrowers continued paying down loans, said Mark Kantrowitz, a student loan expert.

Everyone is sitting around waiting for “forgiveness,” when they just whiffed the biggest loan arbitrage in a generation.

Student loan interest is calculated on outstanding principal, not the total balance. But you can’t pay down any principal until all outstanding interest in paid.

29 months, given all of the government stimulus and the job market, was more than enough time for the “average” borrower to pay off their loans, more so for the well paid borrower.

How is it that only 1.2% of borrowers saw this “pause” for what it really was? This was best chance to honor their word, swiftly pay off loans, and move on with the rest of their lives.

But instead, they, you know bought a car or a house or some GameStop stock.

How do you feel about paying off their loans for them now? They had their shot and they chose not to take it. Why should the taxpayer bail them out any more than they already have?