"Rome has grown so much from its humble beginnings that it is now overwhelmed by its greatness."
Titus Livius, Praefatio, Ab Urbe Condita
"Where does the truth lie? Should one go off and build a little house with flowers outside the windows and a garden outside the door and extol and thank God and turn one’s back on the world and its filth? Isn’t seclusion a form of treachery, of desertion? I am weak and small, but I want to do what is right."
Hans Scholl, Letters and Diaries, 1941
"The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 'Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed, and a sword will pierce your own soul, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Luke 2:33-35
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Gave thee life & bid thee feed.
By the stream & o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight,
Softest clothing wooly bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice!
Little Lamb who made thee
Dost thou know who made thee
Little Lamb I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb I'll tell thee!
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb:
He is meek & he is mild,
He became a little child:
I a child & thou a lamb,
We are called by his name.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
Little Lamb God bless thee.
William Blake, Little Lamb, 1789
The Consumer Price Index came in light today, and so equities soared.
The Dollar dumped.
VIX fell.
Gold and silver rallied, but were pressed back during the day, but still finished slightly higher.
The Fed was dampening rate cut hopes in their forecasts.
The extent of the corruption of our politicians by organized money has always been there, but has never been more visible than it is today. Lawlessness is now becoming more common.
Reality is whatever we say it is.
Many take this as permission to lie, and start acting badly themselves. As the license to lose one's way, to wander from the light, hiding out in a self-defining moment, and to react to each phenomena in a disjointed, self-absorbed manner.
Am I serving a splendid glory, or becoming a creature of unspeakable horror? It's a matter of taste, the dictum of the moment. Mass murderer or saint? Whatever self-expression suits the needs of the moment.
Who can say? Who will judge, in this time of lawlessness, illusions, and the lies that sustain them.
It's the modern thing to do. It's...
“a way of controlling, of ordering, of giving a shape and a significance to the immense panorama of futility and anarchy which is contemporary history.”
T.S. Eliot, Ulysses, Order, and Myth, The Dial, 1923
Play it how you want to play it. But don't expect me to join in.
The old is passing away— the ghosts of a lawless past are rising from the grave.
I'm not from around here. I'm just passing through.Have a pleasant evening.
