02 March 2022

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Ashes - This Attractive But Deceitful World

 

"Again, the devil took Him up to a high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendors,  and said, 'All these things I  will give you, if you will only fall down and give homage to me.' "

Matthew 4:8-9

 

"Turn to me now, while there is time.  Give me your hearts.  Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear open your hearts instead."

Joel 2: 12

 

"Give up yourself, and you will find your real self.  Lose your life and you will save it.  Submit to death, death of your ambitions and favorite wishes every day and the death of your whole body in the end: submit with every fiber of your being, and you will find eternal life.  

Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay.  But look for Christ and you will find him, and with him everything else."

C. S. Lewis

 

“I imagine Lent as a great departure from the greedy, anxious anti-neighborliness of our economy, a great departure from our exclusionary politics that fears the other, a great departure from self-indulgent consumerism that devours creation. 

You will find verification that God’s promises are kept among the daily performances of the trusting ones who live out their trust in ways that the world terms foolish:  in the acceptance of those who are unacceptable; in the commitment of time to neighbors when we prefer to have that time for ourselves; in the telling of hard truth about the world, and that in a culture of denial; in the slant toward justice and peacemaking in a world that loves violence and exploitation too much. 

Gathering God, draw us out beyond our cramped circles of care.  Draw us toward the neighbor, the other, the outsider, the hurting one.  May we practice compassion.  Amen.” 

Walter Brueggemann

 

It was risk on today.

Wash, rinse, rotate.

Stocks were buoyed by Jay Powell's testimony to the Congress.

Powell punch for everyone.

Gold, silver, and the Dollar as safe havens were off a bit.

All eyes are on the Ukraine, and the Non-Farm Payrolls report on Friday.

Have a pleasant evening.

 


 

01 March 2022

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Risk Off - Haven Assets Rise in Flight to Safety

 

"Corporations have neither bodies to be punished, nor souls to be condemned, they therefore do as they like."

Edward Thurlow, Lord Chancellor of England 

 

“Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down below the surface of the average conscience a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune." 

Carl Jung 

 

"Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, it doesn't go away." 

Philip K. Dick 

 

 "I'm not crazy about reality, but it's still the only place to get a decent meal."

 Groucho Marx 

 

The markets rediscovered the reality of things today, and took a trip downtown.

Gold, silver, and the Dollar all rallied sharply in a classic flight to safety.

Stocks went out low, but with a little bounce back at the end.

The metals closed out near the highs in what looked like a decent stab at a breakout.

Let's see if they can hold this, and build upon it.

And manage to weather the upcoming Non-Farm payrolls shenanigans.

Tonight will be the State of the Union Address.

I have included some background music below which you might play, or even cast to your TV, while  reading something enjoyable, informative, and relaxing.

Happy birthday to Chopin by the way.

Have a pleasant evening.

 

28 February 2022

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Put On a Happy Face - State of the Union Address Tomorrow Tonight

 

"Often, as Bismarck used to say, when you can’t solve your own problems, you go to war.  I wouldn’t rule that out, given the strength and the vitality of the military-industrial complex in this country.  

We’re at a juncture now where I think what we really need is a healthy revitalization of politics, first and foremost getting money out of politics."

Robert Johnson, Ugly Money Politics, June 17, 2014

 

“Today we live in a society in which spurious realities are manufactured by the media, by governments, by big corporations, by religious groups, political groups. So I ask, in my writing, 'what is real?', because unceasingly we are bombarded with pseudo-realities manufactured by very sophisticated people using very sophisticated electronic mechanisms." 

Philip K. Dick

 

"By the time Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of a military-industrial complex in his farewell address, the complex was already a reality. Ike wanted to say, 'Congressional-industrial- military complex,' but his advisors convinced him to delete any reference to the 'honorable ones,' this in spite of their penchant for both hidden and open bribery."

Charles Walters, The Primacy of New Wealth 


"War against a foreign country only happens when the moneyed classes think they are going to profit from it."

George Orwell


In the overnight the stock futures were swooning, and gold and silver and other safe havens, soaring.

But during the day's trade after the New York open, the risk markets put on a happy face, and the geopolitical and economic worries were brushed aside, again.

This would almost be funny, were it not such a serious business impacting the lives of so many. 

President Biden will deliver his 'State of the Union' message to a joint session of Congress this evening.

We cannot have him coming to the stage with a reassuring message, with the financial markets in turmoil, n'est-ce pas?

Further, there will be a Non-Farm Payrolls Report on Friday.

If you wish an alternative or at least a palliative to tomorrow tonight's State of the Union speech, embedded below is an informative and highly entertaining video about the revolutionary travel innovation that was The Orient Express.

Have a pleasant evening.