Chet Collins

Walmart Online Grocery’s “out of stock” feature is not good at all.

Why must the joy of morning coffee dissipate so quickly?

☕️

This is the definition of sin: the misuse of powers given us by God for doing good.

- St. Basil the Great

My son, hold fast to your duty, busy yourself with it, grow old while doing your task.

- Sirach 11:20

SEC Pushes for More Transparency From Private Companies - WSJ

“When they’re big firms, they can have a huge impact on thousands of people’s lives with absolutely no visibility for investors, employees and their unions, regulators, or the public,” said Democratic SEC Commissioner Allison Lee, who has called for the change.

If investors aren’t given information to satisfy their due diligence requirements, then they won’t give the companies their money.

So why does the SEC need to be involved in private market transactions?

Ms. Lee, fellow Democratic commissioner Caroline Crenshaw, and key members of SEC Chairman Gary Gensler’s staff have all expressed a desire to draw more companies into the public markets. Doing so would also increase the impact of Mr. Gensler’s plans to scale up disclosure requirements for public companies around climate change and other issues, supporters say.

Oh, not to promote healthy markets, to encourage good governance, or for economics. It’s for purely ideological reasons.

Report: Of The 4.2 Million Americans Who Quit Their Jobs In December, 74% Worked For Kamala Harris - The Babylon Bee

“The turnover in there is unimaginable. I was still in the parking lot when I saw my replacement dive out of the second-story window just to get out of there.”

This is one of those satire articles that is so close to the truth that people think it’s real.

Globalization Was Supposed to Prevent War; Russia May Be Showing the Opposite - WSJ

The Wall Street Journal has reported that, while the U.S. is loudly threatening harsh economic reprisals against Moscow for any move on Ukraine, it also is reluctant to take steps to curb Russian energy exports, or to expel Russia from the dollar-denominated international finance system. Why? Because, in today’s global energy market, such moves would risk raising energy prices for U.S. consumers in a time of already-high inflation, while also hurting the economies of European allies with much more extensive trade and financial ties to Russia.

This is one of the aspects of the “strategic pause” Joe Manchin was talking about. We need to confront a belligerent Russia, but the wasteful policies of the last year used up all of our dry powder. Now the Administration can’t afford the political cost of higher inflation and prices and Putin is further enabled to do as he pleases.

It can hardly be a coincidence that Mr. Putin has threatened Ukraine now, in the depths of winter, when Europe’s need for Russian gas is highest, and public fears of lost access to that gas, and of the resulting global effects, are greatest.

Elizabeth Holmes Can’t Be the American Dream - WSJ

Peloton Interactive sold investors on a fantasy that financing and the internet could render its multithousand-dollar hardware both accessible and affordable, thus revolutionizing fitness through “democratization”—no matter that running and walking outdoors has always been available and free to all.

Okay, that’s pretty funny.

Banks Are Making It Easier to Get Credit Cards - WSJ

The average annual percentage rate, or APR, on interest-charging credit cards climbed to a near-record high of 17.13% in the third quarter from 15.91% in the first quarter, according to the Federal Reserve, before slipping to 16.44% in November.

How’s the weather up there?

AOC Accuses COVID Virus Of Just Wanting To Date Her - The Babylon Bee

Typical COVID, just completely obsessed and trying to get with a brave woman of color.

The Vaccine Mandate ‘Work-Around’ May Run Aground - WSJ Opinion

The Chief brought up a re-tweet last year by White House chief of staff Ronald Klain hailing the mandate as the “ultimate work-around.” “I mean, this has been referred to the approach as a work-around. And I’m wondering what it is you’re trying to work around?” the Chief asked

Carving Up Biden’s Inflation Beef - WSJ Opinion

Thanks for the lecture, but back to Econ 101, Mr. President. Meat prices fell in the five years before the pandemic, and markets didn’t suddenly become less competitive. Like so much else in the Biden era, meat prices have soared amid surging demand, rising production costs and constrained supply.

A year of bad policies gets runaway inflation and mismatched supply and demand.

That or all of the sudden, as the Administration suggests, major players in every sector all decided at the same time to engage in separate but identical criminal price-fixing schemes.

The hilarious part about the disconnect of Team Biden is how apparent their incompetence is to the public. They keep telling us that the Emperor is wearing the finest of clothes, but our eyes tell us the real truth.

It’s 12 months of executive orders, misguided policies, and reckless spending that’s culminated in this particular brew of economic hardship.

Capitol Riot: The Musical! - WSJ Opinion

Readers probably don’t recall a 2002 congressional effort to mark the first anniversary of 9/11 with a catchy musical number from a Broadway smash hit. And perhaps that says it all about the Democrats’ Thursday production to mark one year since the Capitol riot of 2021. Two decades ago, no one had to sell the idea that America had suffered a devastating attack. Today the political appetites of incumbent Democrats require pretending that last year’s riot was an insurrection. On Thursday the show had to go on.

Why the Jan. 6 ‘Big Lie’ Narrative Will Fail - WSJ Opinion

The American experiment remains sturdier than we may realize, but a challenge is our media’s painful adjustment to internet economics. In the 1980s, ad-stuffed news outlets were flush and able to fill their staffs with non-idiots.

I agree, journalism economics are causing most of the media self-immolation. The hotter the flame, the more clicks they get.

Saturday evening fire.

The Best Investment for This Coming Crazy Year - WSJ

All this explains why discipline is the greatest investing virtue. When you drastically change your long-term course based on what feels like a short-term sure thing, you’re likely to end up caught by surprise—and racked with regret.

Coincidently, the best advice for every year.

Why Young Adults Are Delaying Parenthood - WSJ

More tell me they’re waiting until their finances—and, accordingly, their lives—feel more stable. 

The root cause of our demographic winter: children are an accessory, not an essential part of life.

This is an incredibly destructive worldview.

Much of the conversation around the drop in birthrate has been to pearl-clutch at “entitled” millennial stereotypes or to pontificate on the joys of child-rearing. But for many of my female friends contemplating future parenthood, the pandemic highlighted longstanding inequalities and challenges faced by women with children: wage stagnation, the high cost of child care, inadequate paid leave for parents—not to mention the ever-increasing stress of an already stressed population.

My thanks to the reporter for proving my point. The logic of these excuses are so weak that it exposes the true intention: pure, unadulterated selfishness.

It’s not that child-rearing is full time joy, but rather the ultimate fulfillment and purpose of the human person. It’s to give freely and totally of yourself to another who can never possibly hope to repay your generosity and love.

Boston Marathon Bomber’s Prison Funds Are Seized - WSJ

He received a $1,400 Covid-19 relief payment in June

The American Rescue Plan in action! Thanks, Joe!

Dichotomy

Many were shocked that the riots finally made their way to the Capitol, but we’ve watched the slow march over the past 10 months. Businesses, the homes of local politicians, and even Federal courthouses came under threat from riotous mobs last year. Remember the riot of Inauguration 2016? Dozens arrested, all charges dismissed, no consequences. 2020 was the summer of love, didn’t you hear? Not rioters, just mostly peaceful protesters. (January 7, 2021)

I was going to write a new post about how dumb this “anniversary” is, but after re-reading this post, it said everything that I wanted to say.

The problem is, the riot fits so well into the narrative that some people will never let it go.

It was a serious security lapse, overwhelming and deadly force should’ve been employed, and punishing these serious violations of law is now within the purview of the courts.

Biden Assails Trump Over Jan. 6 Riot, Efforts to Overturn 2020 Election Results - WSJ

Mr. Biden’s remarks opened a day of remembrances on Capitol Hill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will lead a moment of silence on the House floor before participating in a conversation with historians and later a series of testimonials from lawmakers. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will join her on the Capitol steps in the early evening for a candlelight vigil.

Even the NFL has rules against excessive celebration.

‘I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever,’ Worship Leader Threatens - The Babylon Bee

Church insiders speculate the worship leader’s motives were anything but pure, with some suggesting it was an attempt to filibuster the Pastor’s planned lesson on faithful financial giving.

Chrysler Plans All-Electric Vehicle Lineup by 2028 - WSJ

Chrysler, which was founded in 1925, now sells just two models to consumers—one minivan and a large sedan

Good luck to the team, pulling off two EVs in seven years shows just how ambitious Chrysler is. They want to earn your business!

Chicago Public Schools Cancel Classes After Teachers Vote Against In-Person Instruction - WSJ

City leaders called the vote by the Chicago Teachers Union an illegal job action and said teachers who didn’t report to work wouldn’t receive pay. The administration promised to provide parents with a plan later Wednesday for how it would resume operations in the face of the walkout.

It must be super embarrassing for these government officials to be so publicly humiliated. In case there was any real doubt about who was in control.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday that the shift to online learning last year had been very difficult on working families and hurt many students. “Achievement gaps are real and they are affecting kids of color at an exponential rate,” she said.

And what has she done about it? Nothing.

How about authorizing some new charter schools, Lori?

Toyota Overtakes GM as Bestselling Auto Maker in U.S. - WSJ

GM had been the No. 1 auto seller in the U.S. since 1931, according to trade publication Automotive News.

This is unlikely to be repeated, and Toyota had some strategic advantages this year.

The basic fact remains: Toyota makes a really great vehicle and Americans have noticed.