New Year?

YNAB Fresh Start.

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‘Wow, What A Terrible Year!’ Say People Living At The Absolute Peak Of Human Civilization - The Babylon Bee

“2021 was just the worst,” said Marley Buchanan while sipping on organic chai tea and munching on fish tacos he had summoned to his house in only 15 minutes using a pocket-sized supercomputer.

Windows, why so many updates?!

The 22-month Federal student loan holiday was recently extended another 90 days, with no end in sight. At this point, it’s doubtful there will be any payments due in 2022, seeing as the current expiration is a mere six months before the midterms. There are moans and groans about restarting repayment, but winding down this stimulus policy is the right move.

The forces driving inflation through the roof are, in part, limited supply and too much stimulus. Not only are Federal Student Loans at 0% interest, costing the government about $5B per month in lost revenue, but payments are suspended. Estimates say that, when repayments resume, $7B a month will flow to the Department of Education. It’s a tough reality, but that’s $7B fewer dollars floating in the economy driving inflationary pressures.

Borrower quotes fill news articles about how their worlds will come crashing down when repayment begins. The debt-free life that they became accustomed to is being taken away from them. I hope that the relief of the past 22 months will inspire them to pay off their loans and live the rest of their lives debt-free. Unfortunately, many of these borrowers will find themselves further overextended, having taken on financial obligations that will not fit in a budget on repayment.

Inevitably in the comments section, I see people complaining about students who paid $150k to get a liberal arts degree who now want their bills paid off. The insinuation is that they should’ve studied something more valuable in the marketplace.

I get it, but this kind of thinking distorts the purpose of education and threatens the underpinnings of our civilization. Education is for the furtherance of man, not for the acquisition of vocational skills. Indeed, even those students enrolled in the hard sciences should be exposed to the great thinkers that shaped our world through a core curriculum.

Liberal Arts degrees are not useless, but their economic value may be harder to discern. Students shouldn’t be dissuaded from pursuing the Liberal Arts, but should be encouraged to think logically through the outcomes. They need to have a plan to enter a career path that doesn’t require a technical degree. For example, a degree in Philosophy can qualify you to be a Special Agent in the FBI, an officer in the Armed Services, or a sales representative. It’s also a great field of study for the up and coming entrepreneur. The Liberal Arts have a way of unlocking the full potential of the mind.

It should also be said that the hard sciences or business degrees aren’t guarantees for success, either. Locking students into defined career paths has its risks. Let’s hope that once they get the job that they absolutely love it. Otherwise, they’re really stuck. This is the reason that the aim of education is not job skills, it’s human formation.

The Liberal Arts are not a waste of time or resources, but they don’t offer a clear-cut career path. As long as the student is clear on their objectives, they should be encouraged to spend their college days reading, studying, and contemplating the ideas that built Western Civilization.

Oh No! Biden Checks His To-Do List And Realizes He Totally Forgot To Shut Down The Virus - The Babylon Bee

“I knew I was forgetting something! That’s too bad because it was otherwise a flawless year for me!”

The CDC Sees a Great Covid Light - WSJ Opinion

‘Tis the season for epiphanies, even at the White House. President Biden on Monday said there’s no “federal solution” to the pandemic, and now his Administration is acknowledging that protecting public health requires balancing social and economic considerations.

Morning appointment, so of course the kids were an hour late coming downstairs.

Stock Pickers Are Struggling to Beat the Market - WSJ

But many active stock funds struggle to beat the market in a given year, and 2021 fits the pattern. Some 85% of active U.S. stock funds were on pace to underperform the S&P 500 this year as of Nov. 30

This annual article has me sold. Even if I was in the 15% of funds that outperformed, the probably of a repeat over the 1, 3, 5, and 10 year periods is dismal.

Indexing is the way to go. Buy everything and let it ride.

I wish the Ulysses sync engine was much, much faster.

Space Cow.

Joe Manchin and Child Poverty - WSJ Opinion

Press headlines are warning about families on the brink of penury if the monthly payments aren’t extended, but the vast federal and state social safety net—food stamps, Medicaid, housing subsidies, school lunches, Head Start, child-care assistance, and much more—won’t cease to exist on Jan. 1. Weren’t these programs supposed to eliminate child poverty?

They got so close! Just a mere $1,600 a year can make all the difference to a family.

Bike Trailer Update:

• Kids had fun
• I could’ve used about 90 days of extra training

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Christmas dinner.

Silent night, Holy night

Midnight Mass EDC.

Oh No! The Ghost Of Christmas Future Just Showed Up And He’s Wearing A Full Hazmat Suit! - The Babylon Bee

At publishing time, another ghost had appeared telling Scrooge to give all his money to the government and to come out in support of taxing the rich, but it turned out to just be Elizabeth Warren in a sheet.

Reminder: Husbands, It’s Time To Start Christmas Shopping - The Babylon Bee

It’s OK, though. Don’t fret. She probably doesn’t have incredibly specific wants and needs that she’s been dropping hints about for the past month.

Grabbing my keys now!

Boys gingerbread house.