Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Government Of, By and For the Felonious Few - Comex Options Expiration

“When you live under such an oligarchy, there is always some crisis or the other that takes priority over boring stuff such as healthcare and pollution.  If the nation is facing external invasion or diabolical subversion, who has the time to worry about overcrowded hospitals and polluted rivers?   By manufacturing a never-ending stream of crises, a corrupt oligarchy can prolong its rule indefinitely.”

Yuval Noah Harari


"And I begin to realize that in every chapter of Shortest Way Home—indeed, almost on every page—there is an expression of the same underlying idea, which is that you can substitute experience with problem-solving skills, and approximate perspective, ideology, even morality with sheer intelligence and boldness.

This closely resembles the arrogance of tech billionaires who believe that although they have neither the knowledge nor the experience nor the wisdom, they can solve the world’s problems anyway, because, well, because look how successful they’ve been at everything else.

You almost want to cheer them on. Until you realize that they are dead wrong, that if they want to help solve the world’s problems they had better stop sucking all the oxygen and money out of the room and start paying taxes and letting there be a return to a balance of power."

Dan Simon, Mayor Pete’s autobiography says it all


"But there is a sort of 'Ok guys, you're mad, but how are you going to stop me' mentality at the top."

Robert Johnson, Audacious Oligarchy

The Internal Temp Setting in my Subaru Forester Is Aspirational, Not Actual

Despite the line of storms that went through last night, leaving Dolly shaking and hyperventilating, the much expected break in the weather really did not arrive as expected. Today was less scorching, yes, but the humidity is still enough to rehydrate the Dead Sea Scrolls and make them as pliable as tissue.

And expectations that the markets would do anything today were also not fulfilled.

If you were actively trading this market today, you *might* wish to consider calling Gambler's Anonymous.

Unless of course you are being paid to do that sort of thing by some big faceless, evil Bank, in which case you should reconsider all the life decisions that brought you to this point.

Well hope beats eternal, and a 'cold front' is expected to come through and rip shit on our peaceful village later today, but bringing us weather in the 80 degree range, which is a vast improvement over the 106° actual temperatures we enjoyed over the weekend.

We will also be enjoying another Comex precious metals option expiration this week on the 25^th.

The markets may be in this dog days, summer trading doldrums like trance until the Fed meeting next week.  Unless Trumpolini splashes the tranquility of the lazy days with some out of left field tweet.

People seem prepared for the ascension of Boris Johnson to be the next UK PM.   It does give us some comfort that we are not the only ones with a barely qualified yob at the helm.

There were sightings and photos of a very large shark, swimming in the shallow waters off the Hamptons this weekend.   Luckily none of the vacationing elite were attacked, surely out of professional courtesy.

I read today, and posted a link to an article over at Wall Street On Parade that suggests that perhaps Mr. Jeffrey Epstein's mysterious financial concern may have received a secret Federal Reserve bailout. I don't know why this might shock us. After all, it seems to be the customary way of dealing with unreformed and unrepentant serial felons.

It does our hearts warm to see how our oligarchy can shamelessly take care of their own, while brutalizing the average taxpayers and solid citizens, while shaming them for their misery.  After all, it's what sociopaths do.

Have a pleasant evening.

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Feeling the Risk - Options Expiring

"The historical evidence is overwhelming. Many societies have done well for a while – until powerful people get out of hand.   This is an easy pattern to see at a distance and in other cultures.  It is typically much harder to recognize when your own society now has an elite less subject to effective constraints and more able to exert power in an abusive fashion.  And given the long history of strong institutions in the United States, it appears particularly difficult for some people to acknowledge that we have serious governance issues that need to be addressed."

Simon Johnson


"It is as popular now as ever to blame poor people for their station in life. Republican politicians love to talk about how poor people could stop being poor if only they made better choices or worked harder. If only they'd stop buying iPhones, they could afford insurance! These assholes - and I do not use that slur lightly - have no clue what it is like to grow up poor. They have no clue how hard it is in many places in the US just to keep the lights on and food on the table.

It is easy for them, from the comfort of their cushy offices and homes, with full bellies and bank accounts, to pretend that poor people like my mother are poor because they are stupid or lazy or ignorant or irresponsible rather than confront the broken systems that perpetuate poverty in Appalachia and all across the US.

Poor people don't contribute to reelection funds, but those who profit from poor people sure do. Therefore, truth be told, most politicians couldn't care less about the plight of the poor. There's so much profit to be made from poor people - think payday loans, high-interest rent-to-own stores, for-profit colleges, and overpriced mobile homes - that politicians and their crony-capitalist donors have a vested interest in keeping them poor."

Joshua Wilkey, My Mother Wasn't White Trash

Stocks sold off fairly sharply today.

One could point the finger at unrest in the Middle East, as Iran was blamed for seizing not one but two British tankers.

The VIX responded and so did the US dollar.

But gold and silver fell, in response to the Dollar but without regard to risk. For now.

I include my chart below showing the three ways of picturing this presumed consolidation pause on the gold breakout.

As you can see, my preferred formation the symmetrical triangle is making a very good fit. Gold came back down to test or 'kiss' the triangle after the initial breakout. In the other two gold merely retreats.

The market is expecting a 25 basis point cut at the next FOMC meetin on July 30-31. They had been thinking of 50 basis points. There was quite a bit of speculation on that earlier this week, sparked by some comments from a Fed head.  The Fed has gone to some pains to correct that misperception.

And while no cut is certainly a possibility, I think it might shock the markets.

The markets are so spoiled on their bubble milky that they might even sell the news on a 25 basis cut.

Well, whatever. We'll have to wait for that one. I have included the economic calendar for next week.

Let's see what next week brings.

Have a pleasant weekend.

.

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - A New Phase in the Currency War - Stock Option Expiration Friday

"And, for the same reason that they do not please Him, they succeed in pleasing themselves.  Hence, they become both self-satisfied and self-sufficient – they think they know just what they ought to do, and that they do it all; and in consequence they are very well content with themselves, and rate their merit very high, and have no fear at all of any future scrutiny into their conduct...

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, traitors, heady, high-minded having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.   Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived."

John Henry Newman


"Since God has accepted you to be among His people that He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Make allowances for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.  Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must also forgive others.

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which brings us all together in harmony.  And let the peace of the Lord rule in your hearts.  For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.  And always be thankful."

Col 3:12-15


'All successful revolutions are the kicking in of a rotten door.'

John Kenneth Galbraith

The Dollar took a dive in the afternoon.

Gold and silver broke up higher with some energy.

There are indeed a couple of ways of marking the current formation on the gold chart.   I have chosen a symmetrical triangle, but one could also make a case for an ascending triangle, or even a bullish flag.

What is more important is that each of these describes an underlying condition of an item that has risen in value, and that is taking a pause to consolidate its price gains before moving higher again.

Gold and silver both seem to be doing this.

Stocks also caught a bid, and the perception of risk fell as measured by the VIX.

So what is going on here?

The central banks of the Western world have declared themselves for low to negative interest rates, which is another form of printing money.

And despite modern theories to the contrary, when governments print money, the wise find forms of refuge for their wealth.

And for now even stocks, and the bubble in financial assets, provides such a refuge.   Only cash is trash.

And the public is being picked clean while being distracted by public circuses and reality show carnival style government.

Well, that certainly is a weighty and expansive manner in which to view things, but it has served well during this period of bubble-nomics.

Let's take this one step at a time.   The manner of any retracements and future short term moves will help to identify the specific nature of this breakout.

It does appear that the years long dampening of the precious metals have been the last great push of the NY-London gold pool, and that a new phase of the currency war has begun.

But it is still the same, crooked system run by insiders for their own benefit, lacking in any meaningful reform.

Repentance, forgiveness, and thankfulness.

Have a pleasant evening.

Stocks and Precious Metal Charts - Dissent From Financial Narcissism - Netflix Hammered After Hours

"The dogs in the Street look worried..."

"Gold is being accumulated, by the wisest among us, as a safe haven asset to buffet the expected effects of a very ugly contraction, one that is man made in every respect.  The dogs in the street look worried, and so they should be."

Mark O’Byrne


"Signs of decreasing volume of industrial output are proliferating worldwide. FedEx and days ago DHL issue very negative outlooks. Maersk gloomy more than a year. Now, even inside US collapse in orders for big rigs to move containers. Trade in manufactures falling everywhere."

Dr. Harald Malmgren


“Hate obscures all distinctions.”

C.S. Lewis


"Intellectual freedom is essential -- freedom to obtain and distribute information, freedom for open-minded and unfearing debate and freedom from pressure by officialdom and prejudices.  Such freedom of thought is the only guarantee against an infection of people by mass myths, which, in the hands of treacherous hypocrites and demagogues, can be transformed into bloody dictatorship."

Andrei Sakharov

Stocks were once again wobbly, coming off the recent parabolic high which had narrowed to a few stocks of the FANG variety.

And they came off a lot harder after hours, as Netflix announced a big miss in subscriber growth for 2Q. The stock was promptly taken down over 10%.  And this weighs on the high leverage that these few big cap tech bubble machines have on the SP and the NDX.

Gold is threatening to break out of its symmetrical triangle. When it does and confirms, it could run higher almost as easily it did in the last breakout which has resolved into the current chart formation.

And wonder of wonders, silver took and held the '16 handle' today. Sixteen handles. There is a stealth catch up rally going on there. Let's see if they can hold and extend it.

The IMF issued a report today that says that the US Dollar is overvalued. And it sank on that news. Perhaps this will give Trumpolini a little more leverage in arguing policy with Larry 'King Dollar' Kudlow.

I am not persuaded that the markets are going to resolve these recent moves into trends, given we have a stock option expiration dead ahead, but especially because of the FOMC meeting scheduled for July 30-31. Well, if something happens in the meanwhile they will resolve pretty quickly.

Every so often someone writes to me complaining that I do not show sufficient and proper respect for our politicians (and the pampered corporate princes if you can believe it).  Yikes.

And, this just cracks me up, they are just dying to 'cancel their subscription' or 'withhold their donations' in punishment for my not catering to them, telling them what they want to hear, for not being sufficiently servile.

And well surprise, I don't have much regard for the powers that be these days.  Have you noticed?

I think Trump is a classic NY City shyster from way back, a pathological liar, and nuts.  The GOP are disgusting hypocrites and the shameless servants of the wealthiest few, and the DNC are untrustworthy rentboys for money and power who betray their base at every opportunity for Wall Street and Silicon Valley.  They are highly credentialed 'professionals' who play a great game in feeling your pain but doing as little as possible.   And the media are just stooges who take dictation for the deep state and the corporate powers.

So yeah, you might pick up a certain undercurrent of disgust, even revulsion, with the current situation and the lack of significant reform and regard for the common person. If that bothers you, get your financial information from some payrolled stooge and sycophant for the fat cats, and good luck with that.

I think we are in a bad spot, and don't see many bright lights on the horizon for the system internally.  I think we are heading for another financial crash, and a lot of ugliness is going to be exposed when the latest bubble recedes.

As a reminder there will be a stock market option expiration for July on Friday.

Have a pleasant evening.