Sean Penn on American Masculinity

I don’t think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them."

Respect for the human person must always start with appreciation of the differences between men and women.

It can’t be achieved when one must be elevated over the other.

Socialists Condemn Workers Of The World For Uniting - The Babylon Bee

To their dismay, they soon found out that it was a toxic freedom march organized by the working class against the Canadian bourgeois.

Not good.

Universal health care bill faces deadline in California - WTOP

The latest estimate says it would cost taxpayers at least $356.5 billion per year to pay for the health care of nearly 40 million residents. California’s total operating budget — which pays for public schools, courts, roads and bridges and other important services — is roughly $262 billion this year.

Cost to run CA: $262B. Already one of the highest taxed states in the Union.

Cost to pay for medical, dental, vision, and long term care insurance for all CA: at least $356B, in addition to the $262B to run the state.

This is reckless.

Trump Designing Much, Much Higher Wall To Keep Out Biden’s Migrant Flights - The Babylon Bee

This is a nation of laws, the very best laws, including some of my own laws, actually,” said Trump

Biden Seen Looking At Paint Color Swatches To Choose Next Supreme Court Justice - The Babylon Bee

“Hmmm… should I go with the ‘Neutral Tans’ or the ‘Balmy Browns’ Collection?” Biden said to himself.

Biden Promises To Replace Retiring Quarterback Tom Brady With A Woman Of Color - The Babylon Bee

When told he doesn’t have the authority to nominate quarterbacks to the NFL, Biden told his staff he would just sign the executive order and let the courts deal with it later.

25 minutes in Adoration is a very pleasant way to end the week.

Biden Praises Retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer - WSJ

Mr. Biden said that he has been studying candidates and their backgrounds, but said he had made “no decision except one—the person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity. And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court.”

Asians and Hispanics need not apply?

A deeply ironic public use of racial preferences on the same week the Supreme Court ignored the Administration’s pleas and took up a case on the use of racial preferences in college admissions.

The President has sole discretion to determine the criteria of a SCOTUS nominee. If the President wants to select a nominee of a particular demographic, that’s his prerogative.

But to kick off the process with such exclusionary criteria, and an absolute screener based on skin tone and sex is an utterly unserious political decision made by a deeply unpopular President. It won’t fix inflation, the border, crime, Russia, or empty shelves. Voters get daily reminders of those dysfunctions in every town in America.

Regardless, Biden and his nominee should sent a fruit basket to Mar-a-Lago to thank Trump for completely whiffing those two Georgia Senate races. Couldn’t have done it without you, Donald!

I prefer Customer Support reps that have a personality.

Older Investors Have a Lot of Money in Stocks. How to Check if It’s Too Much. - WSJ

Data from Fidelity Investments’ 20.4 million 401(k) investors shows that almost 40% of 401(k) investors age 60 to 69 hold about 67% or more of their portfolios in stocks.

Negative bond performance in an environment of 7% inflation is not going to cut it.

They need maybe 4% of their portfolio this year for spending, meaning 96% of their portfolio can stay in the Market and ride out this volatility.

A 60 year old has a 20-30 year investing time horizon; they’ll be fine. Quit with all of this alarmism.

Biden Administration Explores Ways to Cover Covid-19 Tests for Medicare Enrollees - WSJ

The policy requiring free coverage of tests for people on private insurance falls under 2020 Covid-19 legislation that requires group health plans to provide Covid-19 testing with no cost sharing, administration officials say. But Medicare coverage is largely determined by statute. For Medicare to cover a specific item or service, it has to fall into an approved benefit category, such as preventive services.

If only this President and Congress had an opportunity to pass a blow-out bill whose intended purpose was to address COVID and testing. That would be the perfect vehicle for making this necessary legislative change to provide more testing options to vulnerable seniors.

Oh, wait.

I guess they were going to stick this useful provision in the American Rescue Plan™️, but were too busy on essential governance like regulating cryptocurrencies, 1099 reporting for Etsy stores, and allocating dollars to schools that won’t be spent until 2028.

Why is it so hard to create a new routine?

I spent a lot of time listening to productivity podcasts in the early 2010s. A recurring theme in those days was the idea that you needed enough structure to keep you focused on your goals, but not so much rigidity that it was inflexible and brittle.

I’ve observed my life and habits closely over the past 10 years. I know what I need to do, it’s just a matter of doing the work. It’s about proper preparation so that when the alarm goes off, I get out of bed and know exactly what to do.

Taking care of four small kids and homeschooling adds complexity to an otherwise simple schedule format. Each child is the x-factor, the known unknown. Each morning, I’m greeted by a completely new and different composition of attitudes, ready to shape our shared day.

January is almost over, a marker to reorient my drifting days back towards my goals. The new year is a recurring reminder to focus. I have a new rhythm sketched out, and I know it’s workable. I just need to have enough gas in the tank to push through. The missing element, the thing that’s knocked me off course so consistently, is ignoring my needs. I must cover my bases so that I’m ready to serve. Quiet time in the morning is the right start to my day. I require mental space before three pairs of feet come crashing down the stairs, full of plans and ideas for the day. I need to walk for an hour each morning to wake my mind and my body up.

For this new rhythm to work, I must achieve one over-arching goal; I must protect me time. It’s the schedule that I have, and it’s time to make it work.

When design delights.

☕️

Apple should really release an Apple Card Debit a la Target Red Card Debit.

Daddy & Me date at a coffee shop.

McConnell Says Senate Should Not Confirm New Supreme Court Nominee Just Three Years Before Presidential Election - The Babylon Bee

When asked about the inconsistency of the standards he is applying and the apparent hypocrisy given that Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed just a week before Election Day, McConnell just chuckled slyly and said, “I know. How cool was that?”

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to Retire - WSJ

The moral of the story is that bullying and harassment gets results!

Experian to Allow Consumers to Create Their Own Credit Reports - WSJ

“The better the representation of every individual we have, the more successful we are as a company,” said Craig Boundy, chief of Experian North America.

Creep.

The company plans to pitch credit cards that consumers who sign up for this service are likely to get approved for.

Referrals for which Experian will collect a finders fee.

This isn’t about access, it’s about profit for Experian.

When you’re too little to make your bed, so your big bro takes care of it for you.

Biden Puts 8,000 Troops On Alert In Case Peter Doocy Retaliates - The Babylon Bee

Milley quickly made a phone call to get his troops mobilized. He then made another call to give Peter Doocy a heads up.

Classic Milley!