Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Blessed Are Those Called to the Supper of the Lamb

 

"In the beginning was the Word,
    and the Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came to be through him,
    and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be through him was life,
    and this life was the light of the human race;
    the light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness has not overcome it."

John 1:1-5

"Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." 

John 1:29 

 

“And in the Incarnation the whole human race recovers the dignity of the image of God. Henceforth any attack, even on the least of men, is an attack on Christ, who took the form of man, and in his own Person restored the image of God in all that bears a human form.

Through fellowship and communion with the Incarnate Lord, we recover our true humanity, and at the same time we are delivered from that perverse individualism which is the consequence of sin, and retrieve our solidarity with the whole human race.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

 

The unsustainable will not be sustained.  It ends in flamboyant deceits, and a spectacle of vulgarities.

The US markets will be closed tomorrow in observance of Christmas eve.

God bless us, everyone.

 

 

 

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - And They Would Be As Gods

 

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." 

Aleister Crowley 

 

“Religion used to be the opium of the people. But now we are witnessing a transformation: a true opium of the people is the belief in nothingness after death, the huge solace, the huge comfort of thinking that for our betrayals, our greed, our cowardice, our murders, that we are not going to be judged.” 

Czeslaw Milosz, The Discreet Charm of Nihilism 

 

"Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.  ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’  And Jesus said to him, ‘What is written in the law?  What do you read there?’ And the lawyer answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’ 

But wanting to justify himself, the lawyer asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’

 As you know, this passage above is the introduction to one of the greatest and most memorable of the parables from our Lord's own lips, that story of The Good Samaritan.   And the introductory passage itself is therefore sometimes overlooked, but it ought not to be. 'Do this, and you will live.'

It might be better to never have had any knowledge of His word and His commandments than to hear His words and His most solemn commandments, and then hypocritically parade in them and His sacraments, as a call to hatefulness, pride, division, self-justification, and oppression of others.  This is the leaven of the Pharisees, and a sin against the Spirit, about which our Lord himself warned when He walked on this earth.

We are a generation made drunk with power and a perverse individualism, that has been foretold for increasingly dark times.  Do not worry so much about the wealth you may gather up on this earth, so that you forget the only real and enduring possessions you may take with you to the next.   Examine your own actions and thoughts and behaviors first and foremost.  For you will not be called upon to answer for what others do, but what you have done. 

May God have mercy on any who provide provocation and false teachings to others, and scandalous example to their brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren, especially because of their willful selfishness, stubborn greed, and foolish pride.

Jesse, 19 January 2015

 

No risk, no consequences, for anything.

That was the theme of the US markets today.

Stocks were higher, and went out near their highs.

Gold and silver rallied back from their recent suppression.

The Dollar slid back down to the 96 handle.

VIX dropped to the bottom of its moving averages.

Have a pleasant evening.

 

 

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Winter Solstice - The Endless Wash and Rinse of Financialization

 

"I urge you, brothers and sisters, to be wary of those who cause divisions and undermine the faithful, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned.  Do not associate with them.   For such people do not serve our Lord, but their own appetites.  And by clever words and flattery they deceive the hearts of the innocent and naive." 

Romans 16:17-18 

 

"Wonderful providence indeed which is so silent, yet so efficacious, so constant, so unerring.   This is what baffles the power of Satan.   He cannot discern the Hand of God in what goes on; and though he would fain meet it and encounter it, in his mad and blasphemous rebellion against heaven, he cannot find it." 

John Henry Newman 

 

“The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike,
The devil will come, and Faustus must be damned...
Mountains and hills, come, come, and fall on me,
And hide me from the heavy wrath of God!” 

Christopher Marlowe, The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus 

Today the risk cycle was on, and stocks managed to shake off all concerns and rallied higher, with broad gains on light volumes.

The Russell 2000 has risen to its down trending resistance for this trading range.

Yes I was tempted to dip back in on the short side, but this kind of light holiday market, with the wiseguys looking to mark their gains for the year into the books, is a tough trade.

Gold and the Dollar were off a bit with the refreshed taste for risk.

Silver rallied on the positive correlation with stocks and risk.

Today is the first day of Winter.

The first picture below is an early illustration from my old blog, in 2001. 

Have a pleasant evening. 

 

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Let the Peace of the Lord Rule in Your Hearts

 

"Be human in this most inhuman of ages; guard the image of man, for it is the image of God." 

Thomas Merton, Raids on the Unspeakable 

 

"One of the primary characteristics of narcissists is their exaggerated sense of entitlement.  It's hardly surprising then that so many politicians somehow think they 'deserve' to game the system.  After all, from their self-interested perspective, isn't that what the system is for?   In their heavily self-biased opinion, if they want something, by rights it should be theirs.  So, nothing if not opportunistic, they take from public and private coffers alike whatever they think they can get away with.  

And given their grandiose sense of self, they're inclined to believe they can get away with most anything.  Exploiting their privileged position in such a manner hardly leaves them plagued with guilt.  In general, guilt isn't an emotion they're prone to.  How could they be if they feel entitled to the objects of their desire?  In their minds their very ability to attain something must certainly mean it was merited." 

Leon F. Seltzer 

 

 "Since God has accepted you to be among the holy 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 

 

“You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” 

William Wilberforce

 

I was out most of the day, running errand and exploring the wonders of the US healthcare system, for man and animals.

But the trading day played out pretty much as expected.

I came in pretty short stocks from the Friday close, and took those positions down for a decent gain in the second hour of trading.  And then it was off to the duties of the day.

In quiet trading the markets worked themselves back from the lows to record just a modest loss.

Gold and silver were lower.

The Dollar was lower.

The VIX came in high and then worked its way lower for the rest of the day.

This is a funny week for trading, with low volumes and a bias for accepting paint on the tape.

Have a pleasant evening.